Maybe there are more folk horror comedies than I realized. Starring Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead), Get Away follows the Smith family who have gone to a remote Swedish island for a much needed vacation. It is not long before they notice the strange preparations for the mysterious local festival that is about to take place. Even worse, the family soon finds out that there is a serial killer on the loose.
Horror comedies can be tricky. The hardest part is getting the tone right. Going too far in either direction can have a jarring effect that is distracting and takes away from the film. That is a big issue in Get Away. Instead of having the scares and jokes work in tandem like in something like Shaun of the Dead, they they are separate from each other. It is a recipe for disaster.
So how does it all succeed? Get Away is a different type of slow burn. Not in the pacing – things move as briskly as one would expect from this type of movie. It is more in the way that the individual parts eventually meld. It can be disorganized at times, but a huge twist in the final act pulls everything together. By the end, it makes sense why there are so many pieces to what is usually a straightforward premise.
Strong performances also help. Frost has demonstrated his comedic prowess many times over his career. He is no stranger to horror and his recent turn in Black Cab is one of the main highlights. He is surrounded by a cast that play their roles perfectly and add to the wackiness and terror of the story.
Get Away is in theaters now.
