The Bystanders

Genuinely funny and compelling story in an off the wall world.

The tone is fantastic and the acting is great too.

The added flourishes of animation lend to an already very unique movie.

Really enjoyable. Highly recommend.

Genuinely funny and compelling story in an off the wall world.

The tone is fantastic and the acting is great too.

The added flourishes of animation lend to an already very unique movie.

Really enjoyable. Highly recommend.

Genuinely funny and compelling story in an off the wall world.

The tone is fantastic and the acting is great too.

The added flourishes of animation lend to an already very unique movie.

Really enjoyable. Highly recommend.

This British Sci-Fi comedy has such heartwarming vibes, which I miss in so many other up-to-date productions. It has a creative premise and you can't help but wanting more of it. It truly reminded me of the early works of Edgar Wright in terms of style and in terms of premise of Wim Wenders" Wings of Desire. This is indie filmmaking as it bests. People should watch more creative films like this and rather skip the Blockbuster train. The soundtrack has (as far as I remember it) some great synth-stlyes in it and the camerawork was absolutely fantastic with very creative shots and angles. I'm really looking forward to the director's next project!

A razor sharp comedic script and a fresh creative premise make this an extremely entertaining film. I'm not really a fan of Seann Walsh but his portrayal of a manipulative arsehole is spot on, and in fact all the acting in this displays great deadpan comedic skills. The film looks fantastic- director Foster has camera angles to spare, and cleverly uses monochrome vs colour to distinguish between the "real" world and the Bystanders alternative dimension view of it. On top of that there's a sprinkling of cartoonish special effects, some great sight gags (the CV of someone who's never had a job, the Bystanders' uniform descriptions) and a spookily atmospheric soundtrack. Absolutely loved it and looking forward to what this new director does next.

When writing The Bystanders, Director Gabriel Foster Prior and co-writer Jack Hughes set out to transplant everything they love about classic British television comedies and work it into a format suitable for a feature-film. I am happy to say that The Bystanders accomplishes this excellently. Starring stand-up comedian Seann Walsh, Scott Haran (Wizard vs. Aliens), and Marek Larwood (The Tool) this comedy sci-fi debut has won awards during its circuit on film festivals - and it's not hard to see why.

The Bystanders is set in a world much like our own, except there's an alternate dimension. This dimension is inhabited by The Bystanders - invisible immortals who each watch over their assigned human subject and intervene with their lives. Some Bystanders take this occupation seriously, others take it superficially; and the film really shines in the moments where the dichotomy of these attitudes are highlighted with empathetic humour from Gabriel and Jack. Another interesting contrast that the film utilises is the way that the changes in perspective throughout the film (from Bystander to human) are signified by shots switching from black and white, to colour. Perhaps to some viewers this may be startling at first, but after a few switches it is barely noticeable and is a very effective way of silently communicating which dimension each part of the story is taking place. The smoothing of this transition - in my opinion - is aided by the artistically vibrant rotoscoping effects implemented throughout, which both writers lovingly drew themselves.

The humour in The Bystanders tiptoes that beautiful line between the surreal and the terrestrial reminiscent of Red Dwarf, and A Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy. Mixed with an excellent retro sci-fi score composed by Foz Foster which is robust with theremin and spring reverb, complimenting the film with nostalgic Doctor Who vibes. Comedy and sci-fi fans alike will appreciate the films wit, which shines a light on (and sometimes mirrors) life in the modern world, and 'what ifs' the existence of intervention from fate.

Loved this film - hilarious and original idea about if being a guardian angel was kind of like a dead end job that reminds me of naughties comedies and the Sean of the Dead era. The cast was great - Seann Walsh was funny and also sympathetic and kind of loveable. There are also some hilarious side characters played by other really funny and underrated comedians like Marek Larwood - he's so deadpan and it really works. Love the silly humour and creative vibe with fun animations that give it a unique style. I saw it at London sci-fi fest and believe it's now touring cinemas so go catch it on the big screen!