MINOR SPOILERS
This film is a very good example of why a lot of British films are not taken seriously outside the UK.
What we have here is a mish-mash of "American Werewolf in London", "Predator", "Alien", "Blair Witch", and "Way out West". And it just doesn't work, sorry.
A team of RADA (Posh English Acting School) rejects are dropped into the Highlands of Scotland (pretending) to be soldiers on an exercise. These (pretend) soldiers have no radio or medic (!), are apparently equipped with no live ammo (as is standard on a Trainer), and they have no night-sights. Big mistake - the director's that is, not theirs.
Now things get interesting. We leave the nice aerial shots of the real Scottish Highlands behind, to be replaced by what is obviously an English Woodland Park. The director has to save money, you shout ! Well, fair enough, but aren't we paying him ?
Then things get really scary. No, not the plot, which is as predictable as rain on Friday. At their first camp, a dead cow is slung at them. Private Hardman takes a look at it and says "those aren't entry wounds, they're claw marks". You would expect some perturbation at this stage from the poor RADA squaddies, but no; instead they decide to bed down for the night, with no further examination of just WHY a dead cow has been thrown on their campfire. No guards posted, no search of the area. This level of reality is relentlessly pursued throughout
You may now say to me, well, this is billed as a thriller, and also a "black comedy" - wasn't this scene meant to be comedic ? NO. The words "black comedy" are overused in British film. They are employed to fight off criticism of this type, which says "This film is no good", by impliedly responding "well, it was meant to be funny". Think of pulling the chair away as your Granny sits down to her birthday lunch - you get the idea. There was nothing intentionally funny about this disaster.
And the film just goes from bad to worse.
No-one thinks to ask just what manner of beings the attacking creatures are, none of the RADA misfits seems to be in the least surprised to be under attack from other RADA misfit "werewolves" (in the worst costumes you've seen since the Muppets); there is no surprise when they are rescued by a bonny lassie (with a nice English RADA accent) and taken to a ........ wait for it.... deserted farmhouse.
Need I say more ? I hope not. I think we all grasped the plot within three seconds.
What really annoyed me about this film is this; I didn't expect to see a Schmoozeberg movie, with high production values, good acting, believable interaction between the "actors" etc, but what I DID expect to see was a good comedy take on the films I mentioned above. This is how the film was advertised, and advertised very strongly, I might add.
There is not one intentional comedy moment within this sad film. However, there are many unintentional laughs, to be derived from:
(i) the acting: just watch it, you'll know what I mean (ii) the direction: even worse than Guy Ritchie -no suspense whatsoever (iii) the plot: ??? (iv) the people conned into investing in this howler.
So inspired was I by this film, that I have arranged that my mates and I are going to do a remake. We have bought some sheepskin rugs, red felt-tip pens, and old army surplus gear.
Bet we make a better film !!
British cinema deserves better than this.
1/10