Severance

Plot synopsis:
The film opens with George (David Gilliam) and two women (Juli Drajkó and Judit Viktor) running through the woods. The women fall into a large pit trap while George is caught by a snare. As he hangs helplessly, a masked man approaches and disembowels him with a knife.
What is later revealed as some days prior to this, the European Sales division of Palisade Defence military arms corporation are on a bus to a team-building weekend at a "luxury lodge" in the Mátra Mountains of Hungary. When a fallen tree blocking the road halts the bus's progress, the driver (Sándor Boros) refuses to take a dirt road through the woods and, after an argument, drives off leaving the group to walk the remaining distance to the lodge.
Eventually the group reaches the lodge, which is old and in serious disrepair, but the manager Richard (Tim McInnerny) convinces the wary but tired group to enter. Inside, Harris (Toby Stephens) discovers a file cabinet full of cryptic Palisade documents, written in Russian. The group discusses the documents, leading Harris to relate a story he'd heard about the lodge: the lodge was previously a mental institution, and in the early 20th century a Palisade-made nerve gas was used to clear it out after the inmates took over. Jill (Claudie Blakley) responds with the story she'd heard: the lodge was a "reeducation center" for Russian war criminals, and after an escape a Palisade-made nerve gas was used to clear escapees out of nearby buildings. Both mention a lone survivor who swore revenge on Palisade. Steve (Danny Dyer) starts to tell his own story about the lodge's past as a clinic staffed by busty nurses when he finds a human tooth in the meat pie the group is eating for dinner. Chastising Gordon (Andy Nyman) for serving a pie he just found in the kitchen, everyone goes to bed.
That night Jill sees someone looking into the lodge from the trees. Though nobody is found outside, everyone but Richard agrees that they should leave the lodge. The next morning Richard grudgingly sends Harris and Jill to the top of the hill to call the bus driver back, on the condition that the rest participate in a team-building game of paintball. Reaching the hill, Harris and Jill find the bus abandoned and the bus driver dead in a nearby creek. Back at the lodge, the game of paintball has just finished when Gordon steps into a bear trap. After several failed attempts by Steve and Billy (Babou Ceesayu) to pry the trap open, Gordon's left leg is cut through completely under the knee. Harris and Jill arrive in the bus, load everyone in and head back for town. On the way, a spike strip is thrown in front of the bus, which causes it to crash. Harris is thrown clear of the bus in the crash, and is decapitated by a masked killer with a machete. Jill is captured and tied to a tree, then gagged, doused with gasoline and burned alive. The rest discover Harris's body, prompting them to head for the lodge to hide for the night.
While Steve and Maggie (Laura Harris) smoke, a masked figure (Levente Törköly) "quietly" grabs Gordon and carries him into the basement. Discovering Gordon's absence and a newly opened door, the four head into the basement which leads to an underground prison. Through one door Billy and Maggie find the now-dead Gordon who has had the Palisade logo carved into his torso and a now-unmasked killer who fires a shotgun at them. The two hide in a nearby cell, where Billy dies from a chest wound. Steve hides on the second floor while Richard escapes out the back into the woods. While the killer searches for Steve, Maggie sneaks up on him with a large knife she took from the prison in the basement, but she falls through the rickety floor. The killer turns round and takes aim at Maggie, but, at the last second, Steve saves her by impaling the killer through the back. The killer falls down and becomes lodged in the main level floor, and Maggie takes his shotgun and shoots the killer in the head.
Maggie and Steve exit the lodge believing they are safe, but discover that a group of several more armed, Russian-speaking killers are awaiting them outside. Maggie shoots one before he can fire on them, and the two run into the woods. They come across Richard, who has stepped on a Palisade-made land mine and cannot move without detonating it. Richard guides Maggie and Steve through the minefield. The killers know that the area is a minefield and do not enter; they use a fallen branch to pass over the minefield close to Richard and torment him with insults and stones as they pass overhead. Accepting his situation Richard does his best to save the others and steps off the mine, blowing up himself along with two of the killers. Steve and Maggie come to another lodge, the real Palisade lodge. Inside they find their boss George, who is partying with two escorts Steve ordered via the Internet earlier. George brings out a prototype missile launcher and fires it at the approaching killers, but the missile locks on to a passing commercial jet instead, destroying it. The five run into the woods, leading to the events shown in the beginning of the film.
Maggie is snared, then about to be molested by a killer, but manages to smash his head with a rock. Steve encounters two attackers and gets beaten and stabbed, but eventually kills them both with a knife and a submachine gun. Maggie is chased by a flamethrower-wielding killer into an abandoned prison camp, filled with crates bearing the Palisade logo. There, Maggie breaks her leg, but is saved when one of the escorts, rescued by Steve, arrives and shoots the man. Steve, Maggie and the escorts make it to a rowboat on the shore of the nearby lake, and as they paddle off to safety Steve jokingly quips, "Foursome?"

Tags: comedy, dark, cult, horror, humor, entertaining

Review:
Severance is a pitch-black comedy/horror that successfully blends laughs with outrageous scenes of extreme violence to tell the tale of a group of employees for a weapons company who, whilst on a team-building weekend in Eastern Europe, run into trouble when they are attacked by masked assailants.I found the film to be both highly amusing and also rather creepy, although how much you enjoy the film will depend on how warped your sense of humour is.
Director Christopher Smith, who also made the rather humdrum Creep, handles the action well, and the film moves at a brisk pace delivering plenty of chills and thrills along the way.And to cap it all, Smith makes sure that the gore-hounds get their quota of blood 'n' guts, and even finds time to throw in a couple of topless escort girls for good measure.I give Severance a very respectable 7 out of 10..
Poster quotes and lazy comparisons aside, it's nice surprise that for a horror comedy, Severance isn't actually half bad at all.The plot is nice and simple.
Laura Harris completely kicks ass as the heroine.I sorta want to see a sequel but heaven knows where they'd go with it.Overall, I loved the film - it's made by a writer and director who are genuine horror fans and it shows.
The story is gripping and the cast is excellent - some of the finest British actors give star performances - in particular a stellar performance from Danny Dyer.Normally this type of film can be all blood and guts, but Severance manages to combine the horror element (ie enough blood & gore!) with a gripping story line which keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the film.You will be either clutching the person next to you or howling with laughter as the filmmakers take you on an extreme roller-coaster ride.
Shame that, as this movie is brilliant entertainment.It starts out with pretty funny moments but gets very violent and gory after a while.
that wasn't method acting).As for the direction, it is very commendable, in fact, the director Chris Smith, held a Q+A after the film and he definitely knew what he was talking about, as a big horror fan/geek, that was refreshing to see, particularly since none of his other films have approached this genre with any gusto.
I went into this film expecting a zombie movie for some reason, but actually Severance is more like a British version of Eli Roth's successful 'Hostel', albeit with a bit more humour.
There have been a few good British horror movies over the past few years, including most notably the likes of Dog Soldiers, Shaun of the Dead, Wilderness and The Descent.
I wouldn't say this one really lives up to the best of them; but Severance is good comedic and bloodthirsty fun, and there's certainly enough about it to ensure that the film stands tall as another feather in the cap of modern British horror.
The location is put to good use as our cast of characters finds themselves in the middle of an Eastern European country and director Christopher Smith does an excellent job of ensuring the tone of the film is always hopeless.
The cast isn't anything to write home about, although Danny Dyer, who you might remember from the very decent British gangster flick The Business, does a good job of holding the film together.
and then every now and then we would remember another really good line or funny/scary moment!Superbly acted, directed to perfection.I will be telling everyone I know to go and see this movie and as soon as its out on DVD it will be an instant purchase!
Severance shows us a happy tendency:a European filmmaker who takes the clichés of North American horror films and he gives them an excellent new twist with ingenious moments,intensity and touches of humor.The director who made this great movie is Christopher Smith who started pretty well with the very fun and gory film Creep and,now,gives us Severance,a perfect movie with fun characters,black humor and a social critic.This film can be described as a twist between the TV series The Office(the British version)and The Hills Have Eyes(1977).I know it sounds strange,but the screenplay sails greatly between the horrors of the office work,the black humor and the horror.The movie has a political commentary and it gives the movie a bigger context.Although the basic premise does not sound original,the performances,context and a lot of details give new life to a very used concept(including the great appearance of a bear).I also admire the main characters are not the typical teenagers,but a realistic group of clerks.The reactions the characters have with the horror are credible and fun.Also,the movie brings some intense moments of violence which could really keep me anxious and nervous...and that's something awesome for a horror film.Severance is a brilliant and very fun horror movie with great moments of intensity and black humor.If you are a fan of horror movies,you should not miss this joy which shows the genre on its best condition..
A team-building weekend in the mountains of Eastern Europe goes horribly wrong for the sales division of the multi-national weapons company Palisade Defence when they become the victims of a group of crazed killers who will stop at nothing to see them dead.I recall this film coming out in 2006 and getting a lot of positive buzz from horror fans.
That question has been asked many times, and I think this film definitely makes you wonder.Although many of the references were lost on me, I now know (from looking into the production) that many of the scenes were evoking Kubrick ("2001", "Strangelove" and "Clockwork Orange") and other notable directors.
the "Clockwork" scene was clear to me, but I also am probably most familiar with that Kubrick film (although I have seen them all at least once).I would need to see this again to fully review it, but my initial impression is that it is a great blend of action, humor and horror.
Severance, happily, is as sharp with its humour as one of the knives used in the piece itself, perfectly tuned into the modern world and the bizarreness of it all.What started out as a working script called "P45", where Christopher Smith's film was to be about these "yuppie" types literally team building for a weekend where if they didn't pass the tests they lost their jobs, escalated to a slasher with a wry satirical edge.
I know I'm going to get jumped on for this, but this film was touted as being a "Comedy-Horror" along the lines of "Shaun Of The Dead", but safe to say we didn't laugh once.Horror and gore and pointless storyline, sure.
Boredom however did not figure; at the point where I would ordinarily lose interest in a horror film, Severance re-engages its audience with its hilarity.Don't get me wrong, this film is not void of the gore and violence that horror fans will expect; it provides jumps in all the right places.
Danny Dyer plays a fantastically lovable character and Laura Harris' acing is phenomenal as is th rest of the cast's.All in all, this is the best film I've seen this year.
Mean Machine is the only one and he plays the correct sort of character.................a total Muppett.The films trys to mix comedy and horror but fails all the way, i think they attempted to mix Hostel with Shaun of the dead but it never works.
Not enough gore/suspense for a horror and not nearly enough humour for a comedy.I have stockings that are more robust than the plot which presented several openings for things to get a little more interesting but were clearly not acted upon.
This time, we're seeing 2004's Shaun of the Dead the source for inspiration in Severance, a quite ridiculous and downright annoying little film, from the director of 2004's 'Creep', that is dressed up as something good due to its 'clever' flipping from comedy to horror and its constant Kubrick referencing.
The opening is shameless in its announcing of guilty intentions: big breasted women and gore for anyone willing to enjoy it, too bad any sane adult over the age of 18 is likely to be unimpressed while anyone under the age of 18 shouldn't even be allowed any where near it in the first place; this is despite the '15' certificate slapped on from the BBFC, in what is quite a shameful attempt to branch a British film out to the widest possible audience – too bad they're only contributing to the dumbing down of the youth.The film prides itself on being of the pastiche variety, that is to say a film that is clearly paying homage to its inspirations and horror films and set ups of old.
The place is Hungary, another Eastern European locale getting dumped on in a horror film, and the reason for everyone being there is to bring together a sense of unity within a close-knit bunch of office working people.
Although it seems unfair comparing it to the brilliant Horror/Comedy film, Shaun of the Dead, I can't help but feel this is trying to cash in on this particular trend, so I will compare them anyway.
But as soon as the first person dies the film turns into a boring "we have seen this a hundred times before" horror-movie.
This film wants to be a comedy and a horror movie but it fails with both (the last 30 minutes are hard to watch: They are just so far-fetched and stupid...)You better take a look at Shaun of the death.
being spoiled by good English horrors I apparently believed that this movie is going to be at least interesting and made a mistake watching so long only to see what made this film so high rated.
"Severance" starts with a team building retreat for the newer members of anti-terrorist weapons manufacturer Palisade Defense out in the wooded forests of Eastern Europe.When a fallen tree prevents them from advancing,the employees must hoof it the rest of the way,only to discover the luxury hotel they've all been promised is really a rundown,abandoned building without much food or accommodations.They slowly discover that there is someone out there watching them and that someone is going to start killing them in savage ways one by one.In my honest opinion "Severance" is not as grimly effective as "Creep".The film offers a balance between the humor and horror,but I didn't find it too funny.There is a good deal of gruesome gore including some particularly brutal killings,so I was pleased.Give it a look,if you are a fan of survival horror.7 out of 10..
Smith has gone on to make better films (Triangle, Black Death) but it's in this movie that he really hones the skills learnt whilst making the forgettable 'Creep.' The mood and tone switches up from being funny to dark to jumpy seamlessly and keeps you gripped throughout.
It has almost as long of a setup as 2005's "House of Wax." There are some gory moments, but the violence is more akin to a war movie than a horror, and the killers certainly bring that element with them.I don't know what else to say really, except that it failed at being scary, and it wasn't funny.
It takes a long while to get going, and in fact no one gets killed until about the halfway mark (well, apart from in the pre-credits sequence), but that time is well used, establishing the characters and the setting, and always keeping you entertained, especially courtesy of Toby Stephens' cynical bastard and Danny Dyer's lovable waster, who spends most of the first part of the movie in a magic mushroom assisted frenzy.
I always hate it when movies insist on explaining every last thing, and this one made the right choice in leaving some things open to interpretation.And as in all the best horror films, there's a sly commentary on the real world going on here.
This film is a rare comedy/ horror that works as both and can join Shaun of the Dead, Evil Dead 2 and American Werewolf in London for successfully managing to both scare and be funny.
Sure the premise is a little bit staged, and things are somewhat over the top in terms of what you might realistically expect, but you never feel as though the characters are speaking to the camera as is so often the case in these films, what happens in the film is not so ridiculous as to be unbelieavable, and the action/violence is very well directed.Both the comedy and the horror are extremely clever and co-dependent where one amplifies the other, and a lot of over the top clichés are avoided.
In this case, none of the characters really come across as annoying or unlikeable as is often the case with slasher films, I was rather enjoying the team building atmosphere, and was kind of wanting the film to remain a comedy, but of course midway through, everything begins to go wrong for this group of colleagues.
A horror film that actually makes you empathize with the characters in this way is not one that's going for cheap scares and shocks, but one that actually wants to draw you into the story, which is really the only way to give the viewer that feeling of suspense.Christopher Smith's previous film "Creep" was a huge flop in my opinion, but the sheer cleverness of this one really puts a lasting notch in his belt as a director.
If you like comedy/horror do not see this film, I seen this film with my partner who is not a big fan of anything scary, at no point during this film did he jump, feel scared or even slightly worried that he was going to be scared.
But if you are wanting black comedy a-la Man bites dog or REAL horror as in Night of the living dead this is not the film for you.Please British film reviewers: stop being so nice about British films and tell us what they are ACTUALLY like.Sad waste of Tim McInnerney and Danny Dyer's talents..
Ignore the trailer that implies that Severance is simply a Danny Dyer vehicle and enjoy what is essentially an ensemble piece.All of the main characters are well written and given just enough depth to make you care about what happens to them, which makes the sinister and gory last third of the film all the more enjoyable/unbearable.Whilst Danny Dyer does take up a lot of screen time, he is bang on the money and very, very funny.
Comedy and horror together don't always work but in this case it was a good move, not that there are hilarious scenes, just some subtle humor, but the mix between the two genres was well balanced.
Anyway, Severance is a bit of fun, a bit of horror and suspense all the way through, an entertaining British movie..
There are so many comedy/horror films like this out there, but very few are able to find the right balance of humour, gore and scares.
Again, for a low budget film with no stars (sorry, Danny – no offence, but you're hardly Tom Cruise) the gore is nicely done and pretty sick (special mention to a missing leg scene).And, if nothing else, there is possibly the most amusing use even of a rocket launcher (if not the sickest – technically) that even rivals the RPG fired in Chris Morris' 'Four Lions.' Don't expect a great movie with Oscar-worthy performances, or self-realising character arcs.
Although original in it's own way, you are sometimes left wondering whether to laugh or cry, but this does not affect the overall film, in fact, it probably adds to it.If you are a fan of horror/violence mixed in with some coarse humour (think Shaun of the Dead), then this movie is for you!
Severance surprised me at the Toronto International Film Festival, I had about written off this genre, but Chris Smith has breathed new life into the horror/comedy movies that popcorn and Halloween were invented for.
Is Severance a comedy with horror elements or an horror film with funny bits?
It's nowhere near the extremes of serious horror films like Saw or Hostel.I loved the cast as they were immediately recognizable as certain types of office workers and well played although Danny Dyer (the junkie) could have been easily replaced.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this movie because in a way it looked like a slasher film and in another way it looked like a horror spoof.
It probably isn't fair but the one movie that everybody will compare "Severance" to is "Shaun Of The Dead" for the sole reason that both are horror comedies recently made in the UK.
(And as a side note: how many times can you put Eastern Europe into horror movies as a scary place?)On the plus side, there's a funny little scene involving a rocket launcher and the cast is more than solid, especially Laura Harris who really plays her heart out in the end."Severance" isn't the pinnacle of British horror cinema, but it's a worthy little flick to rent when all the really interesting movies have already been taken..
I would have to say when I saw this movie, I did not know it was supposed to be a horror comedy.
It is a great movie and if you like horror or suspense it will surely keep you entertained.
And like that movie, I can see a lot of people watching "Severance" and afterward saying "the comedy took away from the horror, the characters were dumb, this movie sucks".
Don't be fooled into thinking that because Severance is another British comedy/horror film that you will be watching another 'Shaun Of The Dead.' While S.O.T.D had constant humour mixed with slapstick violence, Severance instead opts for surprisingly explicit gore with occasional dark humour.