OUTCAST - New UK Horror

[Sam@Cult Labs]

Official Thread




“THE BEST BRITISH HORROR FILM SINCE THE DESCENT.” (FOUR STARS) – EYE FOR FILM.

Outcast, the debut feature from director Colm McCarthy (Spooks; The Tudors; Murphy’s Law), is an “intelligent, engaging, and unexpectedly creepy” (FearNet.com) contemporary supernatural horror film steeped in ancient Celtic occult, mythology and mysticism.

Boasting a strong cast of established British and Irish acting talent that includes James Nesbitt (Five Minutes Of Heaven; Murphy’s Law), Karen Gillan (Doctor Who), James Cosmo (Sons Of Anarchy), Kate Dickie (Somers Town; Red Road) and Christine Tremarco (Waterloo Road), along with up-and-coming newcomers Niall Bruton and Hanna Stanbridge (Lip Service), the film has been described as “a monster movie, a murder mystery, and a Polanski-style tale of strange emotional ties that gradually unravel in several unpleasant ways” (FearNet.com) and as “a bold, ambitious first feature… a genuinely menacing piece of horror” (Twitch).

On the run from a deadly pursuer and using an ancient form of magic to hide themselves, Irish travellers Mary (Dickie) and her teenage son, Fergal (Bruton), wind up living in a dingy flat on a run down council estate in the suburbs of Edinburgh. Shortly after arriving, Fergal makes friends with a pretty, feisty neighbour, a Scottish-Romany girl called Petronella (Stanbridge), but it is a relationship which the fiercely protective Mary is determined to prevent from developing – and for very good reason.

Meanwhile, Mary and Fergal’s hunter, Cathal (Nesbitt), a mysterious, terrifying and extremely dangerous man, is closing in. Using his own dark magic to trace his quarry, Cathal’s arrival in the Scottish capital coincides with a spate of brutal murders on the suburban estate. The killings appear to be the work of an inhuman beast and a connection to Cathal soon becomes apparent. What remains to be seen, however, is whether Cathal is responsible for the bloodshed and slaughter or if his mission is to prevent it.

A smart, stylish and original addition to a recent wave of quality British horror movies, Outcast proved to be one of the standout features for horror fans at London’s Film4 FrightFest in 2010.

Outcast (cert. 18) will be released on DVD (£12.99) by Momentum Pictures on 17th January 2011

[Gojirosan]

Intriguing...I cannot stand James Nesbitt, but Karen Gillan makes up for him!

[Sam@Cult Labs]

You'll see a very different actor from the chirpy idiot on the Yellow Pages advert. I like him when he plays deranged characters and he's very well cast in this role so don't judge the film on his inclusion because it's not a star vehicle for him, he's just working to make the show better and he does a good job.

Kate Dickie is the real star in this movie. She was in a superb UK film called Red Road a couple of years back and she's equally good in this.

[Gojirosan]

I will certainly check it out, it sounds great, like the background story in a Hellblazer comic!

[Sam@Cult Labs]

This film will appeal to people who like a little earthy, old fashioned magic in their movies. Like the Wickerman, it deals with old beliefs continuing in the modern world, a secret, underground religion, but in this case protecting the world at large rather than living in island isolation.

So, Wickerman on a sinkhole estate with a nasty monster thrown in for good measure.

[Gojirosan]

Originally Posted by sam@cult labs

so, wickerman on a sinkhole estate with a nasty monster thrown in for good measure.

Sold!

[Sam@Cult Labs]

Good stuff.

This is a movie I really want people to take a punt on. Horror is always a good way to get exposure as a filmmaker as the horror audience is generally tolerant of a little ropey plotting or lower production values, plus, it's populated with obsessives who want to see everything.

Sometimes, we get taken advantage of because of this. A glut of cheap Zombie movies and bad torture porn is the result, so we need to support and celebrate new, interesting films that try and do something new.

[Gojirosan]

Indeed...

...especially if they have foxy redheads in the cast!

[Sam@Cult Labs]

Yes, The Doctor Who angle is really going to help get this film more exposure.

If this was a tawdry little horror nasty which Karen Gillan did pre-fame and would now feel embarassed by, then pushing her role in the film might feel a little cheap, but this isn't a case of 'Jenifer Aniston in Leprechaun' and Gillan's supporting role in a film that's refreshing and different is something I think she should be proud of.

[The Reaper Man@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Gojirosan

Sold!

Make that another.

Nesbitt was quite good in Bloody Sunday.