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There have been a few British horror-comedies to choose from in recent years, the standout, of course, being Shaun of the Dead. The one that The Cottage most brings to mind, though, is Severance - emphasis initially on comedy before becoming quite gruesome by the end, remote countryside location, filmed on the Isle of Man. The similarities are various. The Cottage, however, boasts two possible trump cards – star Andy Serkis (of Gollum fame) returning to his low-budget British roots, and writer-director Paul Andrew Williams, whose only previous film was the well-received indie London to Brighton. Williams shoots the film with definite competence, and his script (which was developed originally to be his first film) has some good lines. Serkis, meanwhile, is easily the standout among the cast, wringing as much comedy and energy out of the scenes as he can muster. Unfortunately, there just isn't sufficient to play with.
The film begins as Serkis and his unwilling brother played by Reece Shearsmith (who will be familiar to fans of The League of Gentlemen) transport a hostage in the boot of their car to a quaint rural cottage. Their hostage is the daughter of a crime boss and is played by Jennifer Ellison, whose constant swearing substitutes for any sort of character. Shearsmith is the bumbling foil to Serkis' arrogant troublemaker and the pair share a decent chemistry, but the former's acting isn't great and the character fails to be as sympathetic as he is clearly intended to be. The first half of the film mainly involves the brothers trying to deal with their hostage and arrange ransom money, and while it never bores, laughs are not frequent and the characters are not particularly likeable.
Later the narrative escapes the confines of the cottage and things get a little more interesting. After the halfway point it turns into a slasher film, but suspense is lacking, as is much inventiveness. There are some decent kills - one in particular - and the suggestions at the backstory of the killer fill in some details. However, the pacing generally just seems too slow, and the film never really seems to take off and hit its stride. Some good laughs could make up for the lack of tension but they are regrettably absent too. Basically, The Cottage is solid enough, but it doesn't do anything that hasn't been done (better) before, and it fails to supply any real evidence that Williams is a Brit filmmaker to watch, which counteracts the praise he received for his debut. Only horror buffs need apply for The Cottage, and even they are likely to feel a bit short-changed.
The summary
An enthusiastic but forgettable British comedy-horror, held together by a game Andy Serkis.
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