danofthewoods-78356

I watched this on the basis that Frost and Bea usually deliver. That turned out to be a huge mistake.

This film has few redeeming features. My expectation of a comedy take on films like the Wicker Man or Midsommer was not met. Despite the solid premise and a reasonable set up the film quickly descends into farcical unfunny nonsense. The 'twist' comes quite early in the film and lacks any real surprise. It also fails to get you invested in any of the characters, so when the inevitable blood and gore arrives it lacks impact. For the best part I found myself wondering why I should care about any of this.

The script lacks any real comedy moments and the central performances of Bea and Frost end up grating after the initial scenes.

Based on an interesting and fun premise, the idea of love/infatuation transcending time and multiple lives, this movie is enjoyable and benefits from some good performances. It is let down by its lack of budget and often looks and feels like a film. The decision to set the latter part in New York seems a strange one as the scenery never looks or feels like New York and ends up being a bit jarring.

Alice Lowe gives a strong performance as the lead character trying to understand and navigate the memories of multiple lives and her obsession with a man who never seems to have any idea who she is.

If you enjoyed Lowe's previous movies, Sightseers and Prevenge, you'll enjoy this.