In a remote part of the countryside, a bungled kidnapping turns into a living nightmare for four central characters when they cross paths with a psychopathic farmer and all hell breaks loose.
My experience with Paul Andrew Williams has been brief, though with his limited filmography this probably is no surprise. The first thing of his I saw was "The Children", which was excellent. However, being that he only supplied the story and did not write the screenplay or direct, his influence is hard to gauge.
Next I saw "Cherry Tree Lane", which I do not particularly care for. I will admit that if you want a realistic story of a family being terrorized by teenagers, this is about the best job that could be done. But it is not my cup of tea, and did not leave me overly impressed.
And so, I entered into "The Cottage" a little bit less than confident, and was immediately impressed. Williams has a phenomenal script here, seamlessly blending a crime drama, a comedy and a horror film without missing a beat. As the genres blend together or flow from one to another, it never seems forced or awkward. The success of this feat alone make the film worthwhile, as I am unable to think of any other picture that has even tried this blend.
But beyond the script, the characters are excellently cast and acted (it is nice to see Andy Serkis in a human role). The special effects are well above average. The makeup is quite good. And there is enough action, suspense and humor to really keep just about everyone interested in the picture.
Ultimately, a great film that received too little publicity at the time of its release. Hopefully it is not too late to save it from obscurity.
My experience with Paul Andrew Williams has been brief, though with his limited filmography this probably is no surprise. The first thing of his I saw was "The Children", which was excellent. However, being that he only supplied the story and did not write the screenplay or direct, his influence is hard to gauge.
Next I saw "Cherry Tree Lane", which I do not particularly care for. I will admit that if you want a realistic story of a family being terrorized by teenagers, this is about the best job that could be done. But it is not my cup of tea, and did not leave me overly impressed.
And so, I entered into "The Cottage" a little bit less than confident, and was immediately impressed. Williams has a phenomenal script here, seamlessly blending a crime drama, a comedy and a horror film without missing a beat. As the genres blend together or flow from one to another, it never seems forced or awkward. The success of this feat alone make the film worthwhile, as I am unable to think of any other picture that has even tried this blend.
But beyond the script, the characters are excellently cast and acted (it is nice to see Andy Serkis in a human role). The special effects are well above average. The makeup is quite good. And there is enough action, suspense and humor to really keep just about everyone interested in the picture.
Ultimately, a great film that received too little publicity at the time of its release. Hopefully it is not too late to save it from obscurity.