Sightseers is most likely my favorite film from Ben Wheatley so far, and that says a lot, as I’ve enjoyed all of his work. For some reason, I just can’t stop revisiting this movie; there’s something uniquely deranged about it that speaks to me and my love for satirical black comedy.
However, you should only watch this film if you like your comedy JET BLACK. Dark comedies rarely get darker or meaner than this misanthropic road-trip satire, which sort of feels like the British version of Bobcat Goldthwait’s hysterical and underrated gem God Bless America mixed with shades of Falling Down and Happiness.
It’s a film that revels in its diseased nastiness and one that has a distinct (if caustic) point of view concerning society and its various malfunctions.
Lead actors and co-screenwriters Alice Lowe and Steve Oram are both terrifically vile and frequently hilarious, going totally for broke with their insane conceit, never looking back once, and matched every step of the way by a director who was totally in synch with their poisonous yet smart worldview.
The film pivots on the ultimate holiday from hell, as two lunatics cut a swath through the British countryside, disposing of people that they find out of step with their dangerous ideas and views of normalcy.
Wheatley is such a playful sadist and has such a great sense of visual space that he allows the film to open innocuously, only to then pepper the proceedings with one transgressive moment after the next.
The unassuming yet stylish cinematography from Laurie Rose also plays with expectations, favoring day light for all of the big, nasty moments of violence, and placing an emphasis on camera placement and off the cuff shot selections.
The toxically hilarious and ironic final moments are absolutely unforgettable. Wheatley’s wife, Amy Jump, was an additional contributor to the script, while Edgar Wright served as one of the producers.
Review by Nick Clement
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Sightseers
Summary
Really a movie only for those who enjoy the bitter and unrelentingly sour taste of cruel.
