IMDB Score – 6.5
Rotten Tomato Score – 85%
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Directed By – Ben Wheatley
Starring – Steve Oram and Alice Lowe

Chris wants to show girlfriend Tina his world, but events soon conspire against the couple and their dream caravan holiday takes a very wrong turn.

Last year I was rocked off my ass when I saw Ben Wheatley’s fantastic hitman/horror mashup “Kill List”. The film was beautifully shot and paced and left just the right amount of questions for me to ponder over after the film. The film also has the luxury of having one of the most frightening and tense last fifteen minutes I’ve ever seen and it’s been a favorite of mine since. A couple months ago I noticed Wheatley’s new film on VOD and procrastinated like I always do, missing the chance to see it. Luckily for me, Sightseers became available on Netflix this week and my procrastination went rewarded once again.

I actually didn’t care much for this film until about 40 minutes in. What starts out as a typical road trip movie transforms itself into a black comedy nightmare that became more and more entertaining as it progressed. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a strange film. Like most black comedy, it isn’t going to be for everybody but once you see one of the main characters try to write a letter using a four foot long giant pencil then you realize that this is satire and shouldn’t be taken seriously. The whole film doesn’t evolve like that but there are plenty of moments where you’re wondering what the hell is going on…and I like that. I don’t like to be spoon fed plot and cliches and watch the same story carry on for the 90th time and wonder how THIS one is going to end. I applaud Wheatley for sticking to his guns and directing this film in a unique and independent manner.

Once again Ben Wheatley has proven himself to be a talent behind the camera because this movie has some absolutely gorgeous shots. I knew going in that I wasn’t going to get the angry nightmare that was “Kill List” but I still witnessed that style in some scenes of Sightseers. It also helped that there were some flat out wackiness and humor to keep the viewer interested in one of the more bizarre road trips to come on screen. It’s worth an hour and a half of your Netflix time.

3.5/5