Watched a cracking good British film last night - Severance. I don't remember hearing anything about it when it was released, the promotion team can't have had much to work with, and what a shame. But now on DVD, I hope the word gets round - we need more British ballsy movies like this. Set in Eastern Europe, the plot centres around a group of employees sent on a 'team building' weekend that goes horribly wrong when they end up in the wrong place in the wrong part of the country.
Oh course, the mixed bag of characters play off each other perfectly - an array of oddballs straying just far enough from their stereotypes to be highly entertaining and empathetic. Tim McInnerny leads the team as the hapless, bumbling fool, blissfully ignored by Danny Dyer's perfectly portrayed 'geezer' - the rebel with an alternative motive to turn the trip into a drug fuelled orgy. But, unfortunately - something gets in the way. And that something involves lots of killing, blood, arguing and general unpleasantness.
What starts as a comedy 'fish-out-of-water' flick darkly moves into a serious horror. But the laughs still roll in thick and fast, with light relief generally provided by Danny Dyer. The third act may go on a little too long, but the action and clever plot devices make this a romper-stomper. Only two of the characters make it out alive, as the narrative gravitates full circle - and the irony of their situation is revealed.
Witty, potent and suitably gory, Severance's strongest hook remains, (for me) with the sterling cast of predominantly British actors and their lovable characters. And when the McInnerny character stumbles across a mine his company made, he's faced with a lose-lose situation. His demise bids the others some much-needed get away time, but you can't help wishing he had a few more minutes of screen time, along with the others that perished long before him.
