Comedown (2012)
Directed by: Menhaj Huda
Written by: Steven Kendall
Starring: Adam Deacon, Calum MacNab, Duane Henry, Geoff Bell, JAcob Anderson, Jessica Barden, Sophie Stuckey
COMEDOWN (2012)
Comedown is a grisly urban slasher for the 21st century. Long gone are the stereotypes seen in horror films gone by: the jock, the busty blonde bimbo, etc. The characters in Comedown feel real and are much easier to identify with. The characters represent the hoodies who hang around estates in gangs, some of whom terrorise ordinary folk. Knowing that there is something not quite right in the tower block and with a feeling of dread looming, the viewer is almost pleased that these kids are going to get a taste of their own medicine. However, not all the teens are bad. Gentle giant Col (Duane Henry) seems to be pushed around by manipulative hot-head Jason (Adam Deacon), whilst Lloyd (Jacob Anderson) wishes to lead a normal life with his girlfriend Jemma (Sophie Stuckey), who’s pregnant with his child. Having spent 3 months in prison, LLoyd is eager to make positive changes, but the crowd he socialises with pull him back into the mischievious mix.
Director Menhaj Huda has worked with Deacon before on Kidulthood, and Deacon subsequently starred alongside Anderson in sequel, Adulthood. Their working relationship seems to have benefitted Comedown with the cast at ease with one another in what is a very different genre for them. Huda starts the film off slowly, to introduce and build the characters and this works remarkably well. By the time things start turning pear-shaped for the group, we have a pretty good idea of who these characters are. Surprisingly, I found myself sympathetic to the cast as they are subjected to sudden, shocking deaths. I was certainly not expecting this from a Brit flick, especially one containing hoodies. I envisioned lots of knife stabbings but what we see is the opposite. The killer is much cleverer than I had anticipated and has a lust for DIY tools. The kills aren’t over the top, full on gore, but they are suprising enough to make you squirm in your seat.
Comedown’s plot is a bit predictable in places, but it still has enough twists and turns to keep the viewer interested. The social atmosphere between the characters is the key ingredient which binds the film together and creates a thick layer of authenticity and proves ultimately effective. There may be a killer on the loose but main character Lloyd has other problems when a jealous Jason schemes to be the top dog of the group. With these little conflicts bouncing around the film, the killer almost takes a backseat which makes for a more thoughtful slasher than others I’ve seen.
The special effects in Comedown are well executed, from the CGI desolate tower block in which most of the action takes place, to the bloody way in which the kids are dispatched. A degree of practical and prosthetic effects have been used and it’s nice to see the crew have took the time and effort to make the kills and injuries as realistic as possible. That is something I always admire in films and this one is not an exception.
When all’s said and done, Comedown is gritty and gruesome, a combination that works well for this modern, London-based horror. It doesn’t try to replicate the American slashers by having innocent or stereotypical teens, but instead opts to be grounded in reality. This very much works in its favour and fans of both the Kidulthood films and the slasher genre may be pleasantly surprised…
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