I love Nick Frost and I so appreciate his reverence for horror movies. The actor rose to prominence with Shaun of the Dead and has continued to appear in genre fare with some degree of regularity since. I will watch almost anything he appears in. Naturally, his latest venture in Steffen Haars’ Get Away (which Frost also co-wrote) is no exception. Seeing Frost as the well-meaning patriarch of an unsuspecting family vacationing on a remote Swedish island is enjoyable and even hilarious on occasion. But overall, I came away wanting something more.
The setup for Get Away goes like this:
Frost stars as Richard, who makes the fateful decision to trek to a desolate Swedish island with his wife, Susan (Aisling Bea), son, Sam (Sebastian Croft), and daughter, Jessie (Maisie Ayres). Despite an icy reception from the locals, the family of four make themselves at home in the remote locale as they try to decompress from the hustle and bustle of city life. We quickly learn that their visit coincides with an annual festival that has dark, mysterious origins. If the vacationers aren’t careful, this may very well be the last holiday they take together.
I really enjoyed the first 45 minutes of Get Away. It’s filled with dry British wit, which isn’t surprising considering Frost wrote the screenplay. He conjures up several hilarious setups that pay dividends at his expense. I appreciate that the actor always seems to be game to be the butt of a joke. In one unforgettable exchange, Richard refers to their vacation rental as “very Swedish”, to which their host replies, with perfect deadpan: “That’s because we are in Sweden.”
The flick gets off to a great start but peters out along the way.
The film slows down around the midway point. Even though it picks back up a little after a pivotal twist is revealed, I couldn’t quite get back into the proceedings. It almost feels like Frost, as a screenwriter, was so pleased with the subversion of expectations he’d dreamt up that he was content to coast to the finish line. That reminds me a little bit of when someone laughs too hard at their own joke. That takes something away from the experience. After everyone has had a good chuckle, it’s time to move forward. But it’s as if the screenplay basks in its own glory at the expense of offering anything of substance beyond the ‘gotcha’ moment.
Even though the film runs under 90 minutes, I found myself getting impatient after all was revealed. Frost doesn’t give the characters much to do after the twist is introduced. At that point, the tension level goes from relatively low to nonexistent. There are surely some good laughs to be had throughout. However, the absence of any real atmosphere means the picture functions far more effectively as a comedy than a horror picture.
Another qualm is that Get Away is so tied to its narrative twist that there isn’t a lot of replay value. A movie doesn’t necessarily have to be re-watchable to be effective. However, if a picture’s sole aim is to upend expectations, what’s left to appreciate upon a second viewing?
All things considered:
Get Away is worth a look for Nick Frost fans. Just keep in mind that the film starts better than it finishes and puts a little too much weight into a narrative twist that needs better justification.
If you’re itching to check the flick out for yourself, Get Away is out now in theaters.
Summary
‘Get Away’ offers some good laughs but the home stretch is a bit of a slog.
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