Sightseers is a
black comedy from micro budget Director Ben Wheatley. Written by and starring Steve
Oram and Alice Lowe, the film follows a couple on a caravanning holiday around
the rural areas of Northern England. Chris is
interesting in finding his verve while he attempts to write a book and brings
his girlfriend Tina along as his muse. Tina has a co dependant relationship
with her elderly mother who blames her for killing their dog Poppy a year
earlier. Despite her mother’s best efforts to stop her, Tina travels with Chris
visiting such wonders as The Lakeland Pencil Museum and Crich Tramway
Museum. The trip faces problems
though as both Tina and Chris can’t help murdering people they meet who annoy
or look down on them
I saw Director Wheatley’s critical hit Kill List last year and hated it. Its violence made me nauseous and
my girlfriend wanted to walk out, as many others in our screening did. Despite
this I went along to Wheatley’s latest (minus my girlfriend who refused),
hoping to give the Director another chance. He is a darling of the British film
industry at the moment with every professional critic seemingly in love with
his violent microcosmic filmmaking that depicts every day British life in
extraordinary ways. In the end I’m glad I caught Sightseers. It’s a very funny and odd story that features some
stunning scenery and two well measured comedic performances.
