The latest from Nick Frost and Steffen Haars delivers folk horror with a gleeful twist
There’s nothing like a nice get away. A holiday, a vacation if you’re stateside, whatever you call it, a chance to kick back, indulge in some pleasures, and recharge your batteries. That’s the idea for the Smith family anyway, with father Richard (Frost), mother Susan (Aisling Bea), and their son Sam (Sebastian Croft), and daughter Jessie (Maisie Ayres) all on the road heading toward a killer vacation. Their destination, the secluded Swedish island of Svälta. Their visit coincides with the festival of Karantan, an event that marks the anniversary of a tragic family that afflicted the island. Ritualistic performances, masks and costumes, and a play that depicts events precipitated by four English naval officers, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of locals due to their blockades and ensuing starvation. A celebration, but not for a particularly cheery event.
Despite being warned off my the mainlanders, the Smith family catch the last ferry over to Svälta and receive a frosty reception that soon becomes openly hostile. The only friendly face is their creepy AirBnB host (Eero Milonoff), who himself seems to be ostracized from the community. The family set their determination on enjoying the trip as best they can, while the villagers note the symbolism of four Brits arriving on the 200th anniversary of their historical event, and soon the town elder (Anitta Suikkari) is championing a return to the old ways, unaware of the bloody consequences already set in motion.
Director Steffen Haars (New Kids Turbo) and writer/star Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead), reunite after their splatter infused Krazy House earlier this year for another blood-soaked affair, one but which trades in the zaniness for a more off-kilter edge. Frost’s script is sharp with just the right amount of silly worked in. As an expat myself I’m all too familiar of that feeling of venturing over to the mainland as it were. A holiday on the Continent, visiting a small town, or distant region, whether in Greece, Spain, France, or yes Sweden, where a certain frostiness, cautious gaze, and a denial of an ability to speak English (even is heard fluently earlier) makes for an unwelcoming surrounds. It’s evocative of some of the tropes of folk horror, outsiders arriving at a community and picking up on an otherworldly vibe. With Get Away it’s smartly and hilariously leveraged into a sharp black comedy. Quirky villagers, with their curt ways, dry tone, and antiquated language, convey the a sense that this is a place that’s a little unstuck in time, and in service to an older way of doing things. That’s even before the ritualistic garb is pulled out of storage. Haars well works the rental house and it’s secrets, to carve out a little mystery element that offers up a complementary side-plot. A quaintly clean Swedish aesthetic adds to the offbeat feel, as does the remote, but picturesque surrounds, with Finland (the shooting location) providing an authentic stand-in for Sweden. In all, the setup and setting deftly pull from folk-horror tropes to add just the right level of unease around this family.
Where the film excels is in the family unit itself, played by a quartet that convey a palpable sense of fun about being involved. In the face of hostility they largely adopt a forced politeness, a consequence of British etiquette, and the resultant exchanges with the local deliver gem after gem. Patience wears thing and a war of words escalates, never felt more strongly that in a withering assault on the moistness of a local’s waffles. There’s a sense that this is a dysfunctional unit working through some issues, likely in therapy, as they take care over their language, and use affirming words and titles to reinforce familial bonds. This work on boundaries often gives way to bickering, especially among the siblings, with some withering retorts. And while the family is at odds with each other, it’s delightful to see them rally the wagons when they come under threat from those outside their group. Ayres, in her first theatrical role, delivers a gem of a performance, that plays wonderfully off the drollness of Frost, the snark of Croft, and the dry wit of Bea.
There is a a twist that comes to tee up the final act, one that you’ll probably see coming. Even so it will likely enhance your gleeful anticipation for what’s to come. The reveal itself is a little clunky in its execution. A sudden shift into a riotous final act, rather than something that is milked as much as it could have been, for comedy and dramatic effect. It’s a small bump in the road on a trip that is quite simply a bloody good time with a gleeful twist. Get Away offers up feast of violence, but never loses sight of delivering a laugh as well as a dismemberment.
Get Away will hit theaters courtesy of IFC Films on December 6, 2024, and find its way to Shudder in 2025.
