Get Away

Setting the stage for its sinister, folkloric atmosphere, Steffen Haars’s comedy horror Get Away opens with a black-and-white note to its viewers, introducing the dual meanings of the Swedish term “Svälta” – which translates to “to starve” and is also the name of the fictional island where a tragic event occurred in the 19^th century, and where the film’s events are set to unfold.

While far from subtle, the framing effectively hints at the dark humour and macabre twists to come, immersing viewers in the unsettling atmosphere as they follow the Smith family – Richard (Nick Frost), Susan (Aisling Bea) and their children, Sam (Sebastian Croft) and Jessie (Maisie Ayres) – on a holiday to a desolate island with an eerie, insular population and strange traditions. Their visit coincides with the Karantan festival, an annual ritual rooted in the island’s grim history of cannibalistic survival during a British-imposed quarantine 200 years earlier. Undeterred by ominous warnings and standoffish locals, the Smiths press ahead with their ill-fated getaway, which spirals into a chaotic mix of comedic missteps and grisly revelations.

Frost, who also wrote the script, leans heavily on the comedy of errors that arise from a bumbling British-Irish family clashing with the reserved islanders. While the narrative hints at a critique of tourism and entitlement, these ideas remain superficial, with the islanders reduced to broad caricatures. Nonetheless, the film finds its footing when the focus shifts to the Smiths’ internal dysfunctions, with Susan’s comical obliviousness and Jessie’s teenage petulance providing some of its best moments.

While Get Away invites immediate comparisons to Ari Aster’s Midsommar (2019), any resemblances are short-lived. Haars quickly eschews the slow-burning dread typically associated with the genre in favour of an extended comedic setup, relegating folklore and horror to the background for much of the runtime. The feature leans heavily on the cast’s comedic talents, with occasional bursts of gore and violence to maintain momentum, and when fear and foreboding finally take centre stage in the final act for its most gripping moments, the earlier meandering has decidedly dulled its impact.

While it may fall short of the lofty expectations set by an extremely promising premise and hybrid genre, Haars’s latest work remains an undeniably entertaining watch. Anchored by its exceptional cast and refreshingly brisk runtime, it delivers a satisfying mix of humour and thrills. And though it may not linger long in the memory, Get Away offers a delightfully twisted diversion for enjoyers of horror comedies.

Christina Yang

Get Away is released on Sky on 10^th January 2025.

Watch the trailer for Get Away here: