The Smith family’s much-needed vacation to the remote Swedish island of Svalta takes a dark turn when they arrive during preparations for a mysterious local festival that celebrates a dark history. Unsettled by the unfriendly locals and strange rituals, they try to make the best of their trip, stubbornly enjoying the island’s isolation and natural beauty. However, as the festival looms closer, the family realizes something far more sinister is unfolding—especially when they discover that a serial killer is on the loose.
What We Thought:
Get Away tries to flip the script on families ending up on a bad vacation films. I don’t know if saying the twist is a spoiler so I’ll tiptoe around it. Overall the movie is enjoyable, but I did guess the twist well before it was revealed.
I love Nick Frost and will watch something because he’s in it. He also wrote the film so that was a nice addition too. He and his wife and two children (one son, one daughter) head to Sweden for a little getaway. They are renting a place on an island with a shady past during a time where the locals are putting on a play about that past. The locals aren’t happy when they show up on the ferry and Frost and his family quickly get the feeling they aren’t welcome there. They stick around because his wife wants to see the play and the family really needs a vacation, but soon things start going sideways. I won’t say what happens in case it’s not already known.
Even though I did see the twist coming I still enjoyed it. It lingered too long on one scene and I kind of figured it out, but the resulting third act is fun. It’s violent and I give it credit for trying something new. We’ve seen films like Midsommar before so I like that it attempted something new even if you can see it coming.
I think Nick Frost is the only person I know in Get Away and that’s fine because I’m a fan. It’s just different enough to keep it interesting and just violent enough to hold your attention. You should probably figure it out in advance, but even if you do it’s good for a watch. I don’t know if I’d watch it again anytime soon, but Frost fans should add it to their collection.
Directed by Steffen Haars
Written by Nick Frost
Starring Nick Frost, Aisling Bea, Sebastian Croft, Maisie Ayres, Eero Milonoff
The Nerds Templar 