Somewhere in the UK, a scientist and his assistant run odd experiments that have bizarre, weird, and scary results.
Directed by David Cairns who co-wrote with Alex Livingstone, The Northleach Horror is a comedic take on the wartime insane scientist scenario. They take something that has been done before and breathe fresh air into it with a sense of humor that can only be from the UK. This sense of humor makes the film as it’s dark, it’s inappropriate, yet it’s so funny. The way the humor works is perfectly paired with the film’s darkness while it also balances it out. The entire film is soaked in this humor and riddled with inappropriate jokes that work perfectly. Of course, this is for someone who has a similar sense of humor and some might not find it to their taste, but horror fans should be quite pleased.
The film’s humor depends greatly on the delivery, which the cast does just on point. Their sense of timing is fantastic and works really well with the film’s content. The cast here does great work with the material, including leads Freddie Fox, Steven McNicoll, and Gavin Mitchell. The film’s cast is funny and plays things pretty straight-faced while the non-sense happens around them and their lines get crazier and crazier. Their acting is what sells this short and give it life in the perfect way.
The Northleach Horror is a carefully crafted short film with a great attention to details in its production design, set design, costumes, and effects. Everything shown on the screen is carefully planned and calculated, giving the film a specific look and one that looks rather expensive for its smaller budget. The way everything works together creates a visual attraction to the film that helps bring the viewer in and keep them interested on top of the writing and humor.
The Northleach Horror is a fun, yes fun, World War II-set short film about an insane scientist trying to bring back the dead to be able to speak to them and get their secrets. This story paired with the dark, somewhat dry humor makes for a memorable, hilarious film that has some messed up moment that should make just about anyone laugh out loud. The acting is great, the sets are beautiful and complex, the effects work and give the film an old school 80s horror feel while the setting is much before. The film is fun and hilarious at times, with some ridiculous ideas that work, making the whole work perfectly.