Happy New Year, Colin Burstead shows that family gatherings can be extremely awkward and in the cynical hands of Ben Wheatley that is taken to its bleakest point. Everyone is depressed, sad and has a grudge to bear and watching it all come to the surface in furious fashion is the kind of cringe heavy experience that's impossible to look away from.
This is a cast of surprising star power considering the low budget feel and whilst everyone is on point, its the two brothers who really stand out. Neil Maskell's instant deflated energy and his multiple dramatic outbursts make Colin desensitised in a very human way and Sam Riley makes even the most seemingly heartwarming moment feel cold and calculated.
Ben Wheatley plays squarely to his low budget strengths, choosing the best way to shoot everything with deliberately disorientating cinematography from Laurie Rose that makes every argument even more chaotic. Clint Mansell takes a really bold swing with his score, going for the exact opposite of what this genre usually sounds like by making something that's unexpectedly mediaeval.
This is a cast of surprising star power considering the low budget feel and whilst everyone is on point, its the two brothers who really stand out. Neil Maskell's instant deflated energy and his multiple dramatic outbursts make Colin desensitised in a very human way and Sam Riley makes even the most seemingly heartwarming moment feel cold and calculated.
Ben Wheatley plays squarely to his low budget strengths, choosing the best way to shoot everything with deliberately disorientating cinematography from Laurie Rose that makes every argument even more chaotic. Clint Mansell takes a really bold swing with his score, going for the exact opposite of what this genre usually sounds like by making something that's unexpectedly mediaeval.