The last few years have seen an effective revival of the horror genre and all of its subsidiaries, perhaps most notably - the horror/comedy genus. Recently highlighted by the incredible success of Shaun of the Dead, this subgenre has been inundated with copycats and efforts from young hopefuls, most of which, have failed to impress. But there are a select few – usually thanks to big studio backing – that have shone through and either achieved critical acclaim and/or box office success. Recent examples to have hit this exclusive jackpot include James Gunn’s Slither and Chris Smith’s Severance (unsurprising mention – see title).

Severance is the story of a team of defence company workers that embark on a weekend of team building, only – thanks to a disagreement with their bus driver - to find themselves in the wrong lodge in a secluded and admittedly shady part of Eastern Europe. Hanging onto the unlikely possibility that the group may actually gain something valuable from the weekend, the party manager tries to conduct the trip as planned, despite their obvious geographical problem and a general feeling of apprehension echoed collectively by his colleagues. As with all horror movies, bad decisions always bring comparatively worse tidings and Severance is not a film to shy away from such platitude. Oh, how the heads will roll.

Just another night in East London

Having been compared – in terms of absurdity – to Shaun of the Dead, Severance should be harbouring a marrow in its pants, but I’m afraid to say that it’s really more of a cucumber (I guess that’s still pretty substantial, but never mind). The humour is a good mix of subtle and in-your-face, but the majority of it is predictable and only worth a knowing smile rather than a hearty laugh. However, despite this, there’s still a feel-good atmosphere carrying the movie and you most definitely won’t come away from it feeling comically cheated.

In terms of cast, the likeable Danny Dyer fits perfectly into the role he’s been playing for the last 10 years (i.e. the lovable rogue) and Laura Harris similarly excels herself with a bloodied up performance reminiscent of Shauna Macdonald’s recent appearance in The Descent. With the help of two Hungarian hookers and a fittingly assembled ensemble cast, Severance has managed to achieve one of the requisites of a modern horror movie – a cast that you like, but still mostly want to see die.

At heart, Severance’s main focus is still on plain old horror, so Smith was going to have to add some grisly torture and death to keep us interested. Thankfully, he seems to be rather learned in the art of blood spilling and treats us to a couple of hours of blood n’ guts. If it’s not the classic kitchen knife attack then it’s going to be a bear trap, a land-mine or something else guaranteed to unearth your carnal desire for violence. There’s enough choice to satisfy even the most attention stunted individuals amongst you.

Whilst not able to deliver on a level as polished and tuned as the one created by Shaun of the Dead, Severance is still a welcome addition to the fast evolving subgenre it belongs to. There’s plenty of action, humour and even romance (no I’m not talking about the hookers again) on offer here as well as perhaps some new catchphrases for you to use, god knows the ones your friends keep regurgitating from Dog Soldiers are getting old. Severance is a well presented and thoroughly entertaining film and even though I may possess an affinity with it due to national pride, I will still credibly profess that it’s one of this year’s most worthy releases. Oh and here’s one more thing – there’s bears in Hungary you know.

Director: Christopher Smith
Starring: Danny Dyer, Laura Harris, Tim McInnerny, Andy Nyman, Toby Stephens, Claudie Blakley.
Year: 2006
Genre: Horror/Comedy
Buy: Amazon UK