Helmed by Portishead co-founder Geoff Barrow, this scabrous though undernourished first film turns a sceptical eye on 90s rave culture. Self-serving pillhead David (Marc Bessant) initially steals from an unconscious dealer, then in a later recollection tries to burgle his own parents. In no time, he's overturned in the wreckage of his car in a woodland – and subject to the wrathful eye of the Woodsman (vocalist Jason Williamson). Refusing to extricate David, with no time for city dwellers, he is a fractured society embodied: “You’re one of those noisy cunts from up on the heath.”
A Shaky Start and Grimly Amusing Confrontation
The film begins uncertainly, spending too long on meticulously detailing David’s attempt to free himself from his seatbelt, while awkwardly transitioning into flashbacks of his everyday life. The central theme – that the rave-era youth were primarily out for number one – is firmly made. But these brief episodes are too thin to properly prime us for what to expect when the Woodsman arrives, enraged after David kills his dog. Still, a darkly funny standoff takes hold – David eager to get away; the Woodsman denying his container of scrumpy, intent on dousing him instead in embittered discourse. Williamson, exuding heavy threat in the role, is reminiscent of Michael Smiley.
Stylish Imagery and Promo-Inspired Vibe
There is only one important plot development, but it results in a hilariously staged rampage on the woodland paths that veers toward folk horror. Director John Minton at last unleashes with his ostentatious visuals: where he was focused intently doing impressionistic closeups of bugs in headlights in the early stages, he now goes all out with the full psychedelic 21-gun salute, accompanied by a frenzied keyboard rendition of Ravel’s Boléro. Game feels more like an elongated music video than a fully fledged drama, but there’s enough bold visuals to suggest that Minton could follow Jonathan Glazer, Garth Jennings and others into successfully graduating from the Brit music promo scene.
The film releases in British and Irish cinemas from 17 November.
