TONE DEAF [Celluloid Screams Festival 2019]

Tone Deaf

DIRECTOR: RICHARD BATES JR | SCREENPLAY: RICHARD BATES JR | STARRING: ROBERT PATRICK, AMANDA CREW, HAYLEY MARIE NORMAN

We all know how slasher movies work, we’ve seen them by the dozen and we know the tropes. Richard Bates Jr knows the tropes too but possibly not when best to use them.

In his latest film, Bates attempts a semi-comic social satire pitting angry baby boomer against savvy millennial and is up front about what he’s doing, allowing his boomer psychopath (ably played by a frighteningly suddenly old Robert Patrick) direct monologues to camera to lay out his position, railing against the pampered millenials watching this rubbish. In fact much of the start of the film is about laying out characters motivations in a way that, if this were theatre, would see each walking up the thrust of the stage to address the audience rather than their co-stars. Even the tropes, both of genre and millennial angst setting, are centre staged and spotlight (guys are jerks – tick, insecure employment – tick, money issues – tick) before being shoved aside to get back to the slasher tropes and sending the lead, Olive, a tone deaf pianist played by Amanda Crew, to her cabin in the woods.

There are plenty of laughs lurking in this film and even a much more interesting, fish out of water in rural USA, movie that could have been but, as soon as it seems to be heading anywhere genuine or meaningful, Bates keeps jerking the movie away, back to being a slasher and, frustratingly, not even a slasher movie done well.

There are also some clanging errors, such as Olive’s hippy Mom, who is clearly a Gen-Xer (since she’s not in her 70s) referencing the ‘60s and Robert Patrick’s monologues only really seeming appropriate to a man in his 80s or 90s. Even many of the millennial tropes that Olive and her friends live through feel forced, laboured and kind of false, in spite of this being the director’s own milieu.

In the leads Amanda Crew’s comic timing and sense of exhausted ennui are generally spot on (especially during a weirdly movingly sarcastic LSD trip) and Robert Patrick does really shine at odd moments (although they really are odd, his character is so inconsistent that sadly nearly every interaction he has feels false and stagey).

Bates clearly wanted to make something more than a horror movie but, in his assessment of intergenerational conflict, he is ironically tone deaf and he has made something slightly less than a social satire that would almost work as a comedy if it didn’t keep chucking gore and unearned jump scares at you to remind you that it’s scary. What you have instead is a movie that thinks it’s funnier and scarier than it is and, most infuriatingly, keeps on looking straight into the camera to tell you so, without giving you a right of reply. This is our reply.

THE GANGSTER, THE COP AND THE DEVIL

gangster cop

THE GANGSTER, THE COP AND THE DEVIL / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: WON-TAE LEE / STARRING: DONG-SEOK MA, MU-YEOL KIM, SUNGKYU KIM / RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 15TH (VOD)

With a title that sums up its synopsis perfectly, The Gangster, The Cop and The Devil is an over-the-top, action thriller that never really takes itself too seriously. Throwing subtlety out of the window in favour of bombastic performances, Won-tae’s latest film doesn’t shy away from living up to its ludicrous premise. After barely surviving a violent attack by an elusive serial killer, mob boss Jang Dong-su (Dong-seok) finds himself forming an unlikely alliance with a young cocksure detective named Jung Tae-seok (Mu-yeol). Together they must uncover the sadistic killer’s identity and provide their own personal brand of justice for their own personal gain.

A hyperkinetic, lightweight thriller, this is a far cry from the relentlessly dark and violent films that foreign audiences have become accustomed to when watching Korean cinema. With Oldboy, I Saw the Devil, and The Chaser being notable examples, The Gangster, The Cop and The Devil takes a slightly different approach by living up to its buddy cop narrative whilst still retaining the level of violence that one has come to expect. Each of the actors are able to perform their respective roles well, although they’re unfortunately nothing more than one-dimensional caricatures.

Whether that be Mu-yeol’s fearless detective or Dong-seoks menacing crime lord, these are characters who are here to serve the films exciting premise. The contrast between them is what makes it all worthwhile as we see the overly-headstrong Tae-seok butt heads with a gangster who isn’t afraid to let his fists do the talking. Then there’s the devil himself, portrayed by Kim Sung-kyu in appropriately creepy fashion. A killer who shows no remorse, there isn’t a whole lot to explore in regards to his motivations although that doesn’t stop his performance from being any less compelling. When all three eventually cross paths, the mayhem that ensues is truly a spectacle to behold with a solid car chase and a medley of violence that’ll keep audiences stuck to the edge of their seats.

So is this the latest Korean export to whip up a frenzy amongst fans of foreign cinema? Well, not exactly although it’s an entertaining way to kill a couple of hours. Won-tae’s directing manages to maintain its energetic pace without ever falling victim to the melodrama that could have quite easily slowed down its ferocious rhythm. Jo Yeong-wook’s score is able to perfectly capture the overall tone by ebbing and flowing through the mishmash of genres with relative ease. By no means his best work, the score still plays an important part in giving the film a distinct feel and is able to orchestrate the audience’s emotions at all the right moments.

An entertaining ride from start to finish, The Gangster, The Cop and The Devil is an exciting way to spend a dull evening. With an American remake already announced by Sylvester Stallone’s Balboa Productions and Dong-seok set to reprise his role, this may be the film to finally solidify his place in Hollywood, If not, well he’s always got The Eternals to fall back on which will surely cement him into the Marvel universe for many years to come. So sit back, relax and bask in the chaos of Won-tae’s latest directorial feature.

ZOMBIELAND: DOUBLE TAP

Zombieland: Double Tap

CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: RUBEN FLEISCHER / SCREENPLAY: RHETT REESE, PAUL WERNICK, DAVE CALLAHAM / STARRING: JESSE EISENBERG, EMMA STONE, WOODY HARRELSON, ABIGAIL BRESLIN / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Remember Zombieland? No? Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin mucking around a post-apocalyptic USA while slaying the undead? Still not ringing any bells? The one with the brilliant cameo from Bill Murr­– ah, now you remember! Ruben Fleischer’s high-energy 2009 zom-com attracted a cult audience at the time, but it nonetheless comes as a surprise to see a sequel appear a whole decade later.

Double Tap begins with our survivors having set up camp in the White House. Columbus (Eisenberg) is going steady with Wichita (Stone), until she and Little Rock (Breslin) leave one day, for travels of their own. Left with trigger-happy cowboy Tallahassee (Harrelson), Columbus finds solace in Madison (Zoey Deutsch), a ‘70s sitcom-esque dumb blonde stereotype who, despite being the most irritating screen character since Jar Jar Binks, quickly becomes his new girlfriend. Cue awkwardness when Wichita returns, having lost Little Rock, and the team embark on a road trip to Graceland to find her.

That’s the extent of the plot, which from here on in merely exists to string together the action sequences and gags. In terms of the zombie-slaying, it’s clear this second instalment has an upped budget and Fleischer has developed as a director, as while this is no post-apocalyptic John Wick, the fights have stepped up in finesse, most notably a single-take brawl around an Elvis-themed hotel. It’s just a shame that, more often than not, Fleischer overdoes it with the graphics of Columbus’s ‘rules’ for survival flashing onto the screen during fights, keeping us distanced and dampening the tension.

As to the comedy, the banter between our leads and the new supporting cast provides more of the knowing, dry wit that won the first film its cult supporters. There are a few funny enough moments, though nothing to really push the boat out – the best joke of this film is a callback to the best joke of the first, except callbacks are never as funny as the first time round – and it too often picks the wrong targets; the ‘dumb blonde’ character is one example, as is the film’s odd stance on guns…

If Night of the Living Dead was about racism and Dawn of the Dead consumerism, then Zombieland: Double Tap’s moral is this: guns are great, pacifism is bad. Now, in a zombie apocalypse, the usual rules of society wouldn’t apply and carrying a gun might be a good idea, but Double Tap goes way past that to actively romanticise good ol’ American weaponry at every possible opportunity. There’s a mirror of the right wing view of anti-gun lobbyists in a group of hippies who want to take away our heroes’ guns, and it’s these characters who are often the target for Tallahassee’s, and the script’s, brutal mockery. With the cowboy’s perspective then seemingly justified by later plot events, we had to check the credits to see if the film received funding from the NRA.

How much this will bother you will of course depend on your politics, but many will find it misjudged in an era when American gun violence is so often in the news. Either way, it’s sad that this is the most remarkable thing about a film that, both in its story and its comedy, otherwise seems content to repeat the same beats as the first and add little new into the mix.

COUNTDOWN

countdown

COUNTDOWN / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: JUSTIN DEC / STARRING: ELIZABETH LAIL, JORDAN CALLOWAY, ANNE WINTERS, PETER FACINELLI / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

The Halloween season is in full swing and marks another horror release on the big screen – Countdown. No, not a film based on the Channel 4 daytime show with Rachel Riley yet a film about numbers and letters would fry many brains! However, watching this movie, we were counting down for the end credits.

Countdown is about an app that tells you when you are going to die. Counting down how many years, months, days, hours and minutes you have left on earth. Sounds familiar doesn’t it, Final Destination fans?

At the time, Final Destination worked as it was an original idea but with Countdown, it feels as though a majority of their story writing, while very creative, was more copied.

The film begins at a typical teenage house party. A group of friends sit around a table and discover the Countdown app on their phones. They then compare with each other on who’s going to die first and whoever has the smallest count must drink all remaining cups on the table.

Courtney (Winters) finds out she only has hours to live and starts believing that the app is true. Hours later… she dies. The story then focuses on nurse Quinn (Lail), who also hears the gossip about the app. Quinn opens the app and finds out she only has three days to live. The nurse must find a way to cheat death.

There are numerous problems with this film. Firstly, the storyline feels as though it could have been made a few years back when apps on phones started to become a thing. The teenage group at the start of the film mislead you into thinking the story would be focused on them. However, after many of them find out they have decades to live, they’re straight out of the picture. Let’s be honest horror fanatics, we look forward to the death scenes! There wasn’t many in this one. If the rest of the film included the group of friends as well, then it might have done a little better. Only a small margin, though. We love a bloodbath! Oh, and Quinn’s father looked old enough to be her boyfriend/partner – now that’s creepy!

[Spoiler alert!] The climax hinted to a sequel; let’s just hope the app itself kills off a franchise.

Overall, Countdown is a decent outing if you want a good laugh with your friends in the cinema but don’t expect much spark.

Expected Rating: 6 out of 10

TERMINATOR: DARK FATE

Terminator Dark Fate

DIRECTOR: TIM MILLER | SCREENPLAY: DAVID S. GOYER, JUSTIN RHODES, BILLY RAY | STARRING: LINDA HAMILTON, ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, MACKENZIE DAVIS, NATALIA REYES, GABRIEL LUNA | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Following the exceptional impact of The Terminator and T2, the film series sadly struggled to achieve that magic again with a string of muddled follow-ups, but over the years audiences have still gravitated towards these instalments because they know how glorious it still has the ‘potential’ to be. With James Cameron producing, Tim Miller (Deadpool) directing, Linda Hamilton (to make some readers feel old, it’s been 28 years since we last saw Sarah Connor control the screen) and Arnold Schwarzenegger on board, the first trailer contained a raw baseline that we could agree on, and over the last few months anticipation again grew for this sci-fi pillar…

Pitched by James Cameron to be the actual continuation for the original two films, and taking place in 2022, Dark Fate introduces us to well-known faces straight away, and as the backbone is set, we get hit with unstoppable, nostalgic brutality that many viewers will know very well. Harnessing the idea that no matter what we do, AI is going to devastate our civilization completely, and even though the Connor went through robot hell to wipe the Skynet regime out of the future, sadly their victory had an expiry date on it due to the unforeseen rise of Legion. This deadly new threat causes Dani Ramos (Reyes) to embrace a surreal new lifestyle alongside the kick-ass ‘soldier-assassin’ Grace (Davis), who’s been sent from the future to protect humankind.

The time-travelling nemesis Rev-9 (Luna) is a sharp enemy that mainly uses brute force in favour of dialogue, and as it frustratingly clashes with our heroes in stunning action-packed sequences that will have your eyes fixed on the screen, its presence does excitingly feel like a tip of the hat to Robert Patrick’s T-1000. The return of legendary characters is a move that thankfully makes sense on this particular outing, and as we treasure each moment Sarah and the Terminator share creative lines together based around a future that never happened, the writers have skilfully laid the path for heroine Dani who steadily swims her way to the plot surface.

Obviously, we can’t take in this machine mayhem without talking about the special effects (one of the key reasons why this franchise is sci-fi gold). It’s superb to see that Tim Miller and his team have given more attention to this part of the picture in comparison to some Terminator themed projects before it, and if maybe it’s still not quite at the awestruck level some might crave, they have certainly put a hefty work schedule in to deliver an electric result that won’t become dated too soon. With adrenaline-filled entertainment smothered with a throwback pounding tone, Dark Fate can proudly celebrate the 35th anniversary of its older sibling The Terminator as it takes a refreshing step in the right direction.

DEAD DICKS

dead dicks

DEAD DICKS / CERT: TBC / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: CHRIS BAVOTA, LEE PAULA SPRINGER / STARRING: HESTON HORWIN, JILLIAN HARRIS, MATT KEYES / RELEASE DATE: TBC

The opening few minutes of Dead Dicks may well be the most harrowing and upsetting images committed to film. For some, it will be too much to take, but stick with it and you’ll find an off-beat, occasionally funny, but ultimately thought-provoking piece of art.

Richie (Horwin) is a depressed artist who has been worrying his sister, Becca (Harris), for a while with his suicidal tendencies. She’s just accepted her dream job but it will mean moving away and she’s dreading telling him. Unfortunately, when she goes to see him, she finds him hanged in the closet. She distraught, but that will turn to confusion when he suddenly appears behind her, stark naked and clutching a cereal bowl. Something in his apartment is not allowing him to die. He’s tried. Several times. Each time, he is ‘reborn’ through a strange-looking hole in the wall. Now they have a problem: how do they get rid of the four dead Richies? (Richard = Dick, geddit?) They need to do it quick since the landlord is due thanks to the annoyed downstairs neighbour reporting him for interrupting his rest.

Once past the very unsettling opening, Dead Dicks plays more like the unbalanced cousin of a David Cronenberg film. It continually wrong-foots the viewer and is all the more powerful for it. The portrayal of mental illness is handled very well and doesn’t pull any punches, be it in the depiction of the effects on the siblings, or the aftermath of suicide. The numbers of the crisis service in Canada are displayed before anything else here, and this can also be seen as a ‘trigger warning’ for what’s to come. It’s an important subject, and although set in an entertaining sci-fi horror element, Dead Dicks doesn’t make light of it nor use it for shock value.

The conundrum the brother and sister team find themselves in is as enjoyable as it is mind-boggling. As the pair attempt to make sense of what’s going on, the tension mounting with the neighbour reaches boiling point. For what is essentially a three-hander with suicide as a prominent subject, Dead Dicks keeps things reasonably light-hearted. That is, until we get to the relationship between the siblings. As hearts are being poured out, it’s hard not to feel for the characters on both sides. It’s to Horwin and Harris’ credit that this works so well.

Dead Dicks is a difficult film to recommend to a general audience. It will be hard going for many, and for those who have suffered on both sides of a mental health problem, it’s an emotional watch. At times disturbing, often humorous, but always compelling.

GEMINI MAN

Gemini Man

DIRECTOR: ANG LEE | SCREENPLAY: DAVID BENIOFF, BILLY RAY, DARREN LEMKE | STARRING: WILL SMITH, MARY ELIZABETH WINSTEAD, CLIVE OWEN, BENEDICT WONG | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Gemini Man – an odd choice of title for a sci-fi movie, given that back in the seventies there was a short-lived TV series of the same name which thankfully bears absolutely no resemblance to this film. Also, despite the title which evokes either a superhero vibe or sci-fi expectation, it isn’t actually a science fiction film as such, despite using a genre trope, albeit in an ingenious way. 

Will Smith stars in this white-knuckle all-action film as Harry Brogan, a lethal government assassin, one of the best, if not THE best in the business. Brogan’s feeling his age and wants to retire to a quiet life away from the killing, but when he is told some troubling and sensitive information about his last hit, his agency sends an assassin after him. The ultimate assassin, the one person who could take Brogan out – a younger clone of Brogan himself, a result of the Gemini project (hence the title), and the chase is on. The concept is one that is so obvious, yet so original.

Although several other actors were considered for the role (Harrison Ford and Mel Gibson among them, and it’s fun to imagine how differently they’d have played the dual role), clearly Will Smith was the best choice. Even as a government hitman, the guy is disarming (if you’ll pardon the pun) and likeable. Ang Lee makes a welcome return to the action movie genre, directing the mayhem, particularly the sequences involving Smith the elder on foot, being pursued by Smith the younger on a motorcycle, with the precision of a ballet in rapid movement, timing, quick editing, and wirework. 

But despite Smith’s charisma and Lee’s technical expertise, this film, by the nature of its plot, will stand or fall on the visual effects, in particular, the digital de-ageing of the now 51-year-old star. To be blunt, WETA Digital’s work here is superb. We’ve seen actors de-aged previously, most recently in Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame – but Gemini Man takes the technique to an entirely new level. Smith the younger is never anything less than totally convincing – demonstrating how far this effect has been developed since, say X-Men: The Last Stand, where Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen looked frankly absurd in a flashback. During scenes of hand to hand combat, it is mind-blowing seeing Suicide Squad era Will Smith fighting Fresh Prince of Bel-Air era Will Smith – and for it to look real. 

For an action-packed thriller/chase movie with a slight seasoning of science fiction, this one is hard to beat.

EXTREME JOB

CERT: TBC | DIRECTOR: LEE BYEONG-HEON | SCREENPLAY: BAE SE-YOUNG | STARRING: RYU SEUNG-RYONG, LEE HANEE, JIN SEON-KYU, LEE DONG-HWI, GONG MYUNG | RELEASE DATE: TBC

A failing narcotics squad is given a golden opportunity to catch Korea’s biggest drug lord – but in order to do so, they must go undercover in a chicken restaurant and undertake an Extreme Job.

Comedy is a subjective genre. Some like slapstick and body humour, others well written witty dialogue – so when a film manages to combine all of those elements whilst making it relatable and engaging, you are on to something special. It’s very clear to see that not only Extreme Job one of the best comedies of 2019 but also why this film dominated the South Korean box office and even beat the Disney powerhouse, Avengers Endgame.

The squad of five which consists of Chief Go (Ryu Seung-ryong) the determined leader of the group, the badass Detective Jang (Lee Hanee), the regimented Detective Young-ho (Lee Dong-hwi), Detective Ma (Jin Seon-kyu) who has a hidden talent and the loveable newbie Detective Jae-hoon (Gong Myung) – all possess unique skills and all share immensely powerful family-esque chemistry that allows the audience to buy into the plot straight from the word go – and so do the laughs!

The team end up purchasing a chicken shop to go undercover and accidentally create one of the most popular eateries in all of Korea which puts a strain on their operation and hilariously blurs the lines between reality and the mission.

The dialogue is sharp, concise and allows each character to develop their own personality and traits. For example, Chief Go is nicknamed “Zombie” due to the fact that he’s been stabbed multiple times and has never been killed by it. A subtle detail which is ingrained into your mind early on and pays off in the final act to glorious comedic effect.

However, the only aspect which prevents the film from hitting a home run us the slight exposition-heavy pacing issue about halfway through the runtime, but the film combats that by getting straight back to the laughs.

Extreme Job is another absolute smash hit for South Korean cinema and takes the buddy cop action movie genre to the next level. Side splittingly funny from start to finish with unrivalled chemistry from each of the lead actors – it’s the action-comedy we’ve all been waiting for. (as you may have guessed, Hollywood has now got their grubby mitts on the property for an English Language remake…)

TRICK OR TREAT

treat

TRICK OR TREAT / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: EDWARD BOASE / SCREENPLAY: GERAINT ANDERSON / STARRING: FRANCES BARBER, RICHARD CARTER, CRAIG KELLY, DEAN LENNOX KELLY, JESSAMINE-BLISS BELL / RELEASE DATE: TBC

Greg (Craig Kelly) is a down on his luck unemployed new father with a worried girlfriend who just wants him to get a job. On Halloween night, just when things couldn’t get any hopeless, his brother (Dean Lennox Kelly, Shameless, Doctor Who) turns up claiming to have just killed someone in a hit and run. Shortly after, Dan’s old gangster pals arrive and the night spirals into a game of cat and mouse through the Blackpool underbelly.

There’s an energy to Trick or Treat that stops it from feeling like a tired gangster re-tread. At moments it feels like director Edward Boase and writer Geraint Anderson are ready to tip us into full blown Kill List territory. It’s a relatively simple gangster film for sure, but there’s an intriguing touch of surrealism. You’re never quite sure what’s real and what’s not. Dream sequences, hallucinations, and an air of conspiracy haunt the film, sometimes dangerously at opposition to the film’s more blatantly funny moments. At its best though, that filigree of oddity gives Trick or Treat a more ambitious aura and visual flare than many underdog gangster films.

Boase has assembled a strong cast of recognisable British talent, too. Jamie Sives (Valhalla Rising), Shaun Parkes (The Mummy Returns, Doctor Who), Kris Marshall (My Family), and even Jason Flemyng (X-Men: First Class, Snatch) all turn up to breath charisma into a collection of strange Blackpool characters. Best of all, though, is Frances Barber’s gangster matriarch Miss Ferguson. Barber prescribes to the Ben Kingsley method of sadistic English gangsters, clearly having a blast snorting coke from an IV bag, swearing like a trooper, and generally being awful. It’s nice to see such a tired character type brought to life by such a vibrant underused talent.

Though Craig Kelly, one of the film’s co-producers and lead actor, doesn’t quite reach the charismatic level of his co-stars, he does carry the film’s final twist pretty well. Speaking of twists, Trick or Treat won’t blow your mind, and you’ll probably see the ending a mile off, but the execution is both dastardly and hilarious. Finishing on such a black comedy punchline is Boase’s greatest trick; validating a relatively short runtime of mediocre gangster shenanigans performed by innately watchable stars.

Whilst Trick or Treat’s validity as a horror film is easily contested, it does capture a certain mischief synonymous with the season. Full of colourful performances from recognisable UK talent, Boase’s latest is a well-executed gangster caper with a killer punchline.

Expected: 5 out of 10

THE ODD FAMILY: ZOMBIE ON SALE

CERT: TBC | DIRECTOR: LEE MIN-JAE | SCREENPLAY: LEE MIN-JAE, JUNG SEO-IN | STARRING: JUNG JAE-YOUNG, KIM NAM-GIL, UHM JI-WON, LEE SOO-KYUNG, JUNG GA-RAM, PARK IN-HWAN | RELEASE DATE: TBC

After a struggling family business comes across a zombie that can make people youthful again, they see the financial gain and adopt it for profit. Before too long, disaster strikes as the whole town transforms into undead monsters in Lee Min-jae’s hilarious South Korean Zom-Com.

Horror comedies are an acquired taste. When crafting this unique blend, filmmakers take on board one of the most difficult tasks in mixing these two genres whilst also having to try and appeal to the widest audience possible. However, when it works, boy, it works!

The story of Odd Family follows a small family who own a gas station on the edge of town with little to no custom. A nearby bio-lab who have been experimenting unintentionally lets out their “patient zero”, a vegetarian zombie who is quickly nicknamed Zzong-bi (Ga-ram Jung) by Hae-gul (Soo-kyung Lee) the youngest daughter of the family after our undead friend follows home the father after coming across him in a public restroom. Soon after, the father discovers that the bite he sustained from Zzong-bi has wound back the years and made him young again – the family, who are desperate for money decide to exploit their newfound family member. Bloody hilarity ensues as the family who was drifting apart must band together in order to survive the undead horde.

The easiest way to describe Odd Family is that it feels like a high stake, quirky blend of Warm Bodies (due to the almost sentient human nature of Zzong-bi) and legendary Korean zombie movie Train to Busan. Not since Warm Bodies have we seen a human show so much affection and sorrow towards a shambling monstrosity and this in itself gives the audience a barrel of laughs.

The slapstick nature of the fight for survival in the second half of the film invokes memories of the likes of Zombieland or even Shaun of the Dead with the family gearing up in duvets and pots and pans to protect them from unwanted bites – this is only enhanced by the whimsical score that accompanies it and the undeniable chemistry shown between the ensemble cast – for example, there is a running gag and play on words with Hae-gul’s name being said as “Hey Girl”.

The only real negative of Odd Family is that it’s a little bit on the lengthy side. At 111 minutes, the film could have benefited from being slightly shorter but only because the pacing slightly suffers just past the midway point. But that slight downside does not at all stop this film from being one of the sleeper hits of the year and incredibly funny throughout.

Odd Family is solid proof that the horror-comedy genre continues to go from strength to strength and that Asian cinema, especially that of South Korean origin, is the best it has even been and we for one could not be happier. It’s funny, heartwarming and gory to boot with terrific performances and chemistry between the family and will have audiences laughing out loud for its entire runtime.

The Odd Family: Zombie on Sale will receive its UK Premiere at the London Korean Film Festival 2019. For tickets and information: koreanfilm.co.uk