Watch Sightseers
- NR
- 2013
- 1 hr 38 min
-
6.5 (30,453)
Sightseers is a dark comedy film from 2012 directed by Ben Wheatley and starring Alice Lowe, Kenneth Hadley, and Steve Oram. The movie follows the story of Chris and Tina, a couple who embark on a road trip tour of the UK's tourist attractions, but soon find their vacation takes a sinister turn. As the film begins, we learn that Chris has planned the trip around the places where his dog, Poppy, was killed in a hit-and-run. Tina joins him on the journey, hoping for a romantic getaway. Despite their differing motivations, the two of them quickly fall in love and form a deep bond. However, their happy relationship takes a dark turn when they visit a tram museum and have a confrontation with a littering tourist. Chris becomes enraged and kills the man with a pencil. Tina is shocked and has a hard time coming to terms with what happened, but ultimately decides to go along with Chris on his strange and violent journey.
From there, the couple sets out on a journey to visit various tourist destinations, including the Crich Tramway Museum, the Keswick Pencil Museum, and the Ribblehead Viaduct, all while causing chaos and destruction along the way. As their violence escalates, they become more and more isolated from the rest of society, becoming obsessed with their own unique brand of revenge.
Throughout the film, the charactersâ interactions are incredibly well written and draw you in. The dialogue is witty and funny, but also tense and at times, disturbing. The audience canât help but feel uneasy watching the coupleâs descent into darkness, but are simultaneously intrigued by their twisted logic and charming personalities.
One of the strongest aspects of Sightseers is the bleak, yet beautiful, cinematography. The film utilises the UK countryside as a backdrop, and it is breathtakingly captured on screen. The luscious green hills and moody skies offset the intense violence of the narrative, resulting in a film which is both visually stunning and voyeuristic.
Alice Lowe and Steve Oramâs performances are phenomenal, capturing the delicate balance between the charactersâ charm and their violent tendencies. They are both charismatic, and their performances are enchanting enough to elicit sympathy from the audience â despite the horrific actions they are committing.
The film deftly employs black comedy in order to highlight the ridiculous nature of the characters and their situation. The use of humour softens the blow of the couplesâ actions and at the same time allows us to see the world through their perspective.
Overall, Sightseers is an excellent film that will keep you engaged from start to finish. It's a strange mix of humour, horror, and heartbreak all blended together in a cohesive whole. The characters are captivating, and the film offers an unsettling commentary on societal norms and the lengths individuals will go to feel in control. The movie offers a unique perspective on British culture, creating a bizarre and unforgettable journey with a shocking conclusion.
Sightseers is a 2013 comedy with a runtime of 1 hour and 38 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.5 and a MetaScore of 69.