Mum & Dad

I've watched countless horror films and this is one of the very best.

I agree with a previous reviewer that the Americans are generally better at making these sorts of films, but this particular film proves beyond doubt that the best British efforts are at least as good as anything the Yanks can do.

If this really was made on a budget of £100k it just goes to show how much bang for your buck you can get with the right writer/director and cast. The whole feel of the film is effortlessly authentic. The cast is superb throughout and the dialogue completely natural and believable.

The director deserves credit for putting some very brave moments on camera, moments that even in today's battle hardened torture porn times elevate this movie to the sublime.

Far from being in any way inferior to an American production, this is in fact near perfect execution of modern horror storytelling.

Mum & Dad (2008)

** (out of 4)

British horror film about a girl named Lena (Olga Fedori) who is kidnapped by her co-workers (Ainsley Howard, Toby Alexander) and brought back to their mom (Dido Miles) and dad (Perry Benson) who will allow her to live as long as she plays by their rules. What follows is a bunch of torture while Lena tries to get a plan for an escape. MUM & DAD is the latest in a very long line of torture horror films but this one here doesn't depend on a lot of graphic violence and gore. Instead, writer-director Steven Sheil tries to build up a bizarre and rather unique atmosphere that is full of weird characters and situations and for the most part he succeeds. While the film is far from perfect I think there are enough good moments to where fans of the genre should remain mildly entertained while those against these type of films will find enough to be offended by. I think the best thing about the film are the performances from the five leads, all who fit their roles extremely nicely. I was really impressed with Howard who plays the twisted sister Birdie. This character is such a jerk and sleaze bag that you can't help but feel as if Howard was a real person in a real documentary. I thought Fedori also did a nice job in the role of the main girl because she really made you feel for the character and want to see her survive. Both Benson and Miles are extremely creepy as the parents and especially Benson as the twist father with a few too many issues. I think the biggest problem with the movie is that the story itself really isn't anything original and along the way we're really not given any twists or turns. I think a little bit more originality would have helped matters but as it is, MUM & DAD is a twisted little movie that will rub some the wrong way but the targeted audience should be able to make it through.

As an obviously low-budget film I'd say this is a job well done within the limitations that such lack of finance offers. From the moment that Lena is taken back to Birdie's house the intensity is sustained, admittedly over the top at times but it held my attention. I don't feel I need to know why the dad is as he is, what motivates the mother or why the other two 'children' haven't tried to escape, as a claustrophobic, hellish situation the film does work. There are the inevitable predictabilities as this scenario is a variation on the theme of plenty of other films but without pointlessly harping on about comparisons I feel that Mum & Dad achieved as good a film as it could have been, an accomplishment which should lead to the writer/director being given a longer leash on his next venture. As a footnote, I'd say that Olga Fedori has enormous presence and I hope the quality of work comes her way to realise what, to me, seems to be great potential.

Someone told me to on a horror forum i liked it for what it is

I'm a big fan of horror films and but I have to say that quite often film makers are too easily tempted into throwing gratuitous sex in as a way of selling their films. To this extent I was quite impressed with the way this film suggested that this was just around the corner but(mostly) just referenced sex (apart from when you first meet 'Dad' - which is probably the most disgusting thing I've seen in a film for a long time) and instead stuck to gore as a way of shocking its audience. As a dark comedy, the elements were very subtle. I know a few comments have centred on the fact that it's not 'laugh out loud' and that's true, but the way it takes what are otherwise normal family interactions but completely twists them with this warped family works very well. To me, that's where the humour lies - sibling rivalry but arguing about theft and murder rather than who has the most chips. There's also some of the most imaginative use of human body parts as decorations that would put Leatherface and his family to shame. If you like horror films, I'd watch this. It's truly shocking but with a subtle humour - like the unnatural union of Fred & Rose West with the Royle Family.