Writers Retreat

Writers Retreat is an obscure little British thriller about a group of writers getting away from the world seeking their muses on Osea Island.

At first I found it intricate, interesting, well constructed and was very curious to see where it was going. I made assumptions, based on the intelligence of the script I saw big things coming in the following 90 minutes!

Alas I really should stop making assumptions, I tend to be wrong and more to the point disappointed. Writers Retreat falls from intelligent into the generic and any hope for originality and some level of savvy thoroughly flatlined.

Writers Retreat isn't bad, it's just not good either. Without any spoilers let's just say that it quickly becomes apparent exactly what sub-genre this falls under and I hadn't expected that (And was sad to see it).

The cast do a decent enough job, the issues are behind the camera which have left this as very mediocre affair.

The Good:

Christopher Fairbank

The Bad:

Stock scream

Poor sound editing

Goes in a disappointing direction

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

I'd love to attend a writers retreat, preferably not this one though

Writers Retreat: Good English horror, has the feel of the 70's about it. A Writers Workshop on an isolated island joined to the mainland by a causeway which is only above water for a few hours twice a day. A bunch of misfits, even the professional writers - one of the has writer's block and lives in the shadow of her Booker Prize winning father. The amateurs include an old soldier with his war tales, an unstable guy with a chip on his soldier and a self-harming woman who has her own dark secrets. When one of the group disappears there are plenty of suspects, among the writers together with a surly taxi driver and a local yokel. The tension rises as does the death toll. Some really creepy scenes of torture and violence as stabbings,shootings and smotherings proceed. It also has a Occult feel to it as dead and skinned animals seem to be strung from branches throughout the island. Good fusion of the Slasher/Whodunnit Tropes. Directed by Diego Garcia from a screenplay by Jeremy Sheldon & C.M. Taylor. On contv. 7/10.

I was initially excited at the concept of a writers retreat on an isolated windy island somewhere in the UK. A couple of familiar faces appeared on the cast list such as Christopher Fairbank (Midsomer Murders, Grantchester, Vera, Wolf Hall), James Weber Brown (Rosemary and Thyme, Midsomer Murders and the strange turkey of a movie Silent Hours) and Rupert Young (Bridgerton, Merlin). They of course are the best feature of this movie and earn the rating I have given.

Unfortunately the rest of the cast were amateur and wooden. I believe the protagonist was miscast and a better and stronger actress may have carried this movie better.

Regardless of the above however this was a low budget showing and that's all it will ever be. Something to watch if suffering from insomnia. I did fall asleep halfway and had to watch the remainder the next day.