Members Club - FrightFest World Premiere Review
Director: Marc Coleman
Starring: Dean Kilbey, Perry Benson, Liam Noble, Steve Oram, Barbara Smith
Written by: Marc Coleman
Produced by: Marc Coleman, Antoine Dixon-Bellot, Kevin Harvey, Gav Mukerji
Cinematography by: Dann Emmons
Original Score by: Peter Blyth
Synopsis:
Wet Dreams, a middle aged male stripper group, take one last gig at a rural working mens club only to discover they are to become sacrifices in a plot to raise a murderous 16th century witch from the dead.
Thoughts:
In 1997, 'The Full Monty' was a sensational hit around the entire world, showing audiences that Northern England can get their arses out with the best of them. It was heartfelt and gritty yet showed that even if you come from a lower-class environment, a community can still come together and have their own fun, no matter what everyone thinks about you. So, when I heard the premise of 'Members Club' as “Full Monty with spooky ancient witches and Peter Andre” I was in. I do have a soft spot for British comedies like 'Cockneys Vs Zombies' and 'Severance', so my hopes were high for 'Members Club' and at the very least, I was maybe going to see some excellent male buttcheeks...
Director/writer Marc Coleman had an excellent premise to work with here, and I'd say for the most part succeeds at what he’s trying to make. A lot of the humour works, and while it isn’t laugh out loud funny the whole time, I can see what they were going for. I’d say it’s on the comedy level of something like 'Benidorm' or 'Two Pints of Lager', which some people might consider a bad thing to say, but the film really will appeal to a certain type of audience. The horror aspect of the film is interesting and fun, yet I feel the budget lets the film down. The main villain of the film in theory should have been more menacing, but due to the low-quality practical effects, they often feel like an enemy from 'Red Dwarf'.
The performances are a really mixed bag. The two main stars Dean Kilbey and Liam Noble struggle to carry the film, often sharing awkward “emotional” moments with each other, while Perry Benson and David Alexander both deliver big laughs. There’s an undercurrent to the film that “older men can be emotional too” but the writing just isn’t strong enough to give the audience the emotional punch it wants to. Barbara Smith plays Daisy, the daughter of Alan (Dean Kilbey) and was the absolute highlight of the movie for me. Her incredible acting towards the end sells a lot of the emotional moments with her father. I’d love to see her as a final girl in a proper bloody horror film one day because she absolutely has the ability to carry a movie.
Like I said, Perry Benson is hilarious as always. I first saw Benson in 'This is England' and always enjoy when he turns up in any British comedy. Last but not least, Peter Andre...he’s in one scene... and y’know what? He’s not bad!
'Members Club' succeeds at 70% of the movie it wants to be. Weak central performances from Kilbey and Noble are saved by a stellar supporting cast. The humour is broad, and the horror is unsuccessful, but the movie stays afloat with its charm and it's wanting to entertain its audience.
Verdict: ⭐️⭐️½
-Adam Neeson
'Members Club' received it's World Premiere at FrightFest '24 on August 24th
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