Nick Frost Subverts Folk Horror

There’s a strong current of folk horror titles about outsiders entering isolated, weird communities and succumbing to their horrors. Think The Wicker Man, Midsommar, Apostle, The Third Day, Wake Wood, The Lair of the White Worm, The Ritual, Dagon, Population 436, Offseason, and so on. In many ways, the subgenre feels like a post-colonialist response to the centuries of Christian imperialism that subjugated small pagan communities, especially considering many of these horror films came from the UK, the former kingpins of imperialism. In these films and shows, the occult rural communities get their revenge on the more ‘sophisticated’ Christian outsiders from the big city. The new film Get Away exists in this canon, but wickedly plays with its structure and themes.

The film is written by and stars Nick Frost, pairing him yet again with filmmaker Steffen Haars; they made an almost complementary film around the same time, the batsh*t wild Krazy House. Get Away is much more subdued for the majority of its runtime but still fun, operating almost like a folk horror parody that nonetheless takes itself seriously and generates suspense and unease. The film, which also stars Aisling Bea, Sebastian Croft, Maisie Ayres, Eero Milonoff, and Anitta Suikkari, releases on Dec. 6, 2024, and is a little treat for horror fans and especially fans of Frost and his Cornetto Trilogy with Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, The World’s End).

Want to ‘Get Away?’ How Soon Is Now?

The title of Get Away is a double entendre that efficiently sums up the plot — a family on holiday (a getaway) are trapped on an island (they can’t get away) and begin to feel like their lives are threatened. Frost plays this charming man named Richard, the Smith family’s jovial patriarch, who heads to the small Swedish island of Svalta on vacation with wife Susan and children, Jessie and Sam (a boy with a thorn in his side). They feel like the UK equivalent of the Griswold family from the National Lampoon’s Vacation films, an often delightful but exceedingly normal family, with a husband and wife still in love and two eye-rolling kids.

Of course, the Smiths get the obligatory warning not to go to the island, which won’t be the only classic horror movie trope that Get Away pokes fun at while still respecting. We get an awkward, ominous, and funny scene at a diner before the Smiths board the last departing ferry to Svalta, learning that another won’t arrive for a few days. But what difference does it make? (I’ll stop The Smiths puns now, I’m sure that joke isn’t funny anymore). They’ve already booked a house on some generic Airbnb knockoff for several days and are committed to relaxing on the island and enjoying the local community’s yearly ritual.

Unfortunately, the locals immediately make their bitterness apparent, trying to get the Smiths to leave. On top of that, the guy who owns the house they’re renting is an extremely awkward creep, who may be spying on the family in their intimate moments. Things begin to escalate in traditional folk horror ways — there’s a dead animal at the doorstep, hushed conversations about a sacrifice, et cetera. Get Away manages to make this all work because it’s self-aware and fast-paced, and because of the charming performances throughout.

Fun Performances Lead to a Wild Ending

Frost is lovable as usual, having mastered this strange ability to be soft and sweet but also unpredictable and intimidating. Aisling Bea is the standout here as matriarch Susan. She really sells the simple but genuine love between husband and wife that grounds Get Away, and is, of course, funny as always. While each character kind of plays an archetype familiar to the genre, her maternal character is never wasted or belittled like so many stereotypical “moms” in movies.

Croft and Ayres have a great rapport as siblings who are annoyed by but extremely comfortable with each other. There’s an arrogance and cynicism to them, especially Croft’s Sam (the only one who seems to butt heads with the family unit), that is interesting. The islanders are mostly caricatures, a winking nod to the way these kinds of characters are often portrayed in horror movies. Nonetheless, Anitta Suikkari is comically fierce and Eero Milonoff is gross and sweaty, making for an uncomfortable pair on the threatening fringe of the Smiths.

For a darkly funny slow-burn, Get Away has a surprisingly balls-to-the-wall ending that is energetic, nasty, and hilarious whether you expect it or not. It’s a good change of pace, because with the humor of the film and its delightful characters, Get Away didn’t really have a chance of becoming scary. It’s not a frightening movie, but rather a clever interpretation of frightening movies. So, instead of attempting to terrify, the film successfully thrills with a bloody, wacky, and action-packed third act. It’s best to go into Get Away knowing as little as possible in order to enjoy the ending even more.

A Unique Take That Ends Too Cleanly

It’s impossible to really break down the film’s commentary on colonialism and British culture without spoiling anything, but suffice it to say, Get Away has a unique take. It’s also interesting how the film subverts the nuclear family structure and its depiction in various media (something that Frost and Haars also do in Krazy House). The artifice presented by family roles (and the simulacra created by films and television) is explored with playful intelligence here.

Of course, by being a satire of sorts, Get Away not only forsakes big scares and three-dimensional supporting characters, but also realism. As entertaining and kinetic as the ending is, you may find yourself thinking, “Oh, come off it. Really?” The ultimate end of the film, too, feels too quick and easy. However, you are left with a half-smiling unease thinking about what you’ve just seen. It’s a welcome response. Get Away hits theaters Dec. 6 from IFC Films and Shudder.