Rating: C
Dir: Daniel Wilson
Star: Spencer Brown, James Lance, Sophie Colquhoun, Michael Smiley
From a personal perspective, this is a little unfortunate in its timing. It would likely have been received more warmly, had I not just spent the last two weeks writing about Edgar Wright’s decline. For this is, very obviously, influenced by Wright in both style and content. Fortunately, it’s at least taking from the decent part of Wright’s career, i.e. Shaun of the Dead. Had it been influenced by Scott Pilgrim, my vitriol would have known few bounds. However, now was still probably not the best time to watch a film full of smash cuts, about a lovable loser, trying to maintain a relationship as he and his rough-hewn best mate, unexpectedly face a classic horror scenario which could doom them both.
Said scenario is, admittedly, different. Rather than the zombie apocalypse, John Robertson (Brown) is a music teacher who, at the end of a drunken night out with Nick (Lance), signs a pact with the devil. The next couple of days go swimmingly well. His lost cat returns. John hooks up with fellow teacher Zoe (Colquhoun), who turns out to be more than everything he could ever have wanted in a woman. And most implausibly, Leyton Orient beat Arsenal in the FA Cup. Then helpful priest Father Crowley (Smiley) fills in the details, and explains that the only way out is to undo all the benefits he and Nick have received, before the payment of their souls falls due.
This had a lengthy journey to the screen, to put it mildly. Indeed, it was made closer to Shaun than the present day, having been filmed over a decade ago, as this 2013 article shows. Quite why it sat around for so long is unclear. Certainly, far worse movies have gone from conception through production and been released, even in the relatively niche subgenre of British comedy horror. Truth be told though, it’s largely forgettable, working only occasionally in both comedy and horror departments. Brown isn’t quite likeable enough to make you want to pull for him, while Lance looks like you ordered Benedict Cumberbatch on Wish. Smiley’s is probably the best performance, as a disreputable man of the cloth who kicks arse for the Lord.
Beyond that, the pleasures to be found are the little, understated moments around the fringe, such as the hero’s weary boss telling him, “This is a school, John – we don’t care if they’re happy”, or an education inspector called Diane Ableau. [Think about it. I’ll go get a cup of coffee] Indeed, the basic concept, of a British deal with the devil being executed at a roundabout rather than the usual crossroads, is beautifully dry. But we certainly do not need to see all the benefits – there’s a subplot about John composing a soundtrack for a porn film that is basically laughless. [Though I would like to see The Sexorcism of Emily’s Rose…] Similarly, the unwinding of everything is not as crisply executed as it needs to be. It all passed muster for a Sunday afternoon viewing, yet I suspect will barely be remembered by Monday morning.
The film is available to stream now, on platforms including Amazon and YouTube Movies.