White settlers a dangerous game horror can be a great genre for engaging with current events. White settlers also released as the blood lands is a 2014 british thrillerhorror film that was directed by simeon halligan. In fact, its the second movie ive seen at an october 2014 horror film festival. There isnt a superfluous moment in the film, which is geared towards the sole purpose of terrifying the life out of the viewer almost to the last second. It looks great, delivers a couple of excellent turns for its leads. Sep 09, 2016 young urban couple ed and sarah are set to begin a new life when they move into an isolated scottish farmhouse. One that makes you wonder just what the point of it all was. Sep 05, 2014 suspense thriller white settlers pitches the modern urbanite dream of starting a simple life in the country against the possibility of a very different and terrifying reality. Written by ian fenton emmerdale, byker grove and directed by simeon halligan his second feature length film. Suspense thriller starring pollyanna mcintosh the woman. Pollyanna mcintosh gives an excellent performance in another physically demanding role and is well on the way to establishing herself as a star. The serious fresnoy, concerned with the meaning of it all. Impressively white settlers is as visually striking as it is frightening with director halligan respectfully and classily paying homage to classic horror styles, with moody fog and backlit shadows further perpetuating the films foreboding atmosphere.
The movie looks and sounds the part, even if there are bigger plot holes than it. The kind of ending that can be picked apart in mere seconds. The captivity stories also perpetuate stereotypes of indians and settlers and were part of the ongoing conflict between these groups as the settlers moved westward. Overall though, it didnt detract from my enjoyment of the film and we highly recommend this indie project. I guess it was supposed to make a statement about how scots hate the british immigrating to their land or something, but most of that was lost on us, because were. As if the estate agents dodgy accent or the films midlands exteriors werent bad enough even in the dark derbyshire looks nothing like the mairches, the final nail in the coffin of white settlers isnt its frankly insulting copout ending but the moment when scots actress mcintosh essaying a far better english accent than mitchell.
Set in the borders of scotland, white settlers takes place over the course of one incredibly tense night and stars pollyanna mcintosh, internationally renowned for her performance in sundance horror hit the woman. White settlers has a simple plot and no pretensions to be anything more than a thrill ride and is all the more effective for that though the ending is certainly thought provoking but no spoilers. White settler definition and meaning collins english dictionary. Whatever your reason for ending the film like this it is unforgivable. Jun 09, 2015 even if there is no message to the film, white settlers still fails to be a film worth watching. This minimalist horrorsuspense item scrambles the premise of mike figgis cold creek manor with the plot of. In 1916 the fulllength silent film ramona was released. Oct 20, 2014 white settlers clocks up a running time of just under 80 minutes, but it feels longer in a good way. I guess that i personally dont get how someone could get justifiably angry with people moving to their country and buying homes and property that they themselves cant afford. English couple terrorised in scottish referendum horror. The buxom marinette, cheerful companion of both rechampots and of others who stop by. Whilst white settlers is pretty middle of the road, it is certainly worth a watch to see a home invasion film on a much smaller scale and to highlight the talent from both the leads, but.
The film ends with sarah and ed being found in a square in the middle of manchester, alive. Jul 08, 2014 white settlers is premiered at londons fright fest horror movie festival on 23 august, and goes on wider release in september. End ends up in a physical fight with one of the intruders. English couple terrorised in scottish referendum horror movie film. Still, as mentioned, white settlers certainly offers enough for a pleasingly tense time during ed and sarahs night of horror. Due to the low ratings i didnt expect much from white settlers but then i read a. N icknamed the scottish referendum horror, this is a timely thriller set in the scottish borders. A small french colony lives at peace and in ignorance, amusing itself with gossip and avarice. But it isnt, and as such the ending of the film reeks of, for lack of better word, entitlement. The film had its world premiere on 23 august 2014 at film4 frightfest and stars pollyanna mcintosh and lee williams as a couple that find that their new home is not as hospitable as they would have hoped.
See more ideas about american history, old west photos and history. White settler definition and meaning collins english. White settlers had its world premiere at londons frightfest last week ahead of a limited british theatrical release this week. Both white settlers and halligans first feature splintered also well worth a watch.
Smartly timed to exploit topical crossborder tensions surrounding. We often want films to revolutionise the horror genre and refresh it, but sometimes what we really need is a good solid film that uses what has worked before and does it well. The ending of the film provides closure for glass, and, by extension, the audience, for the ways in which he was wronged which is an aspect. Sep 01, 2014 simeon halligans white settlers has been dubbed the scottish referendum horror film. Simeon halligans white settlers has been dubbed the scottish referendum horror film. White settlers pits an english incomer couple against a group of pig. White settlers had its world premiere at londons frightfest last week ahead of. White settlers was retitled the blood lands for its u. Married couple ed lee williams and sarah pollyanna mcintosh have decided that they want to get away from their busy. White settlers clocks up a running time of just under 80 minutes, but it feels longer in a good way. Still, home invasion horror rarely results in great films. This article was amended to reflect that ian fenton is scottish, not. Its too bad, then, that white settlers, a film muchhyped as the.
This could have been a four star film but considering the ending i can only suggest 2. At the time of its release, the film caused a bit of a stir. The ending probably would work excellently if that were the case. White settlers is the feature length screenwriting debut of ian fenton, creative director of local production company, northern stars. White settlers is a 2014 british thrillerhorror film that was directed by simeon. Ed flees, but steps in an animal trap and is recaptured. Sometimes, that entertainment quality of racism spilled over into actual film suppression. A group of people are having a barbecue at their scottish home. Its been four years since the release of simeon halligans first film, splintered, and white settlers is proof that he put the intervening time to good use. Whatever your reason for ending the film like this it is.
Written by ian fenton, white settlers is your classic home invasion movie and although you wont see something. From the tweed wearing estate agent, whose accent flails widely between scottish, welsh and a hint of spike milligan indian, to a narrative and a conclusion that makes no sense whatsoever this film is both cliched and stupid. The true story behind the film in 1977 robyn davidson trekked 1700 miles across the australian outback with four camels and a dog. Adventure can be found as a reward for finishing adventure red riding hood. Splintered was an uneven, intermittently effective but ultimately runofthekill slasher movie. White settlers director simeon halligan heads the team behind manchesters annual grimmfest horror film festival and the eagle eyed will spot a hat tip to the festival during white settlers. In 1892, however, white settlers found themselves under constant threat of being shot and scalped, playing a defensive game against the local savages terrifyingly illustrated in. Aug 24, 2014 white settlers may not be a groundbreaking horror but it still manages to be entertaining, confident and above all full of tension. If you dont know, scotland is voting later in september whether they should be an independent. An english couple pollyanna mcintosh and lee williams snap up a remote home. Nov 28, 2019 these things play a key role in the films ending, which firsttime viewers will not see coming and leave a lingering impression with them that makes watching the film worthwhile. Frightfest 14 white settlers is a tense and relevant. Young urban couple ed and sarah are set to begin a new life when they move into an isolated scottish farmhouse.
Then when the film opened, and critical outlets griped about the massive historical inaccuraciesincluding a happy ending where the white settlers pack up and go back to europei read one interview where a disney representative answered the accusations dismissively. White settlers may not be a groundbreaking horror but it still manages to be entertaining, confident and above all full of tension. This rural home invasion movie is gussied up with topical nods to the scottish independence debate but horror fans on both sides. White settlers 2015 the whole premise of this movie doesnt really make a lot of sense to me. It feels longer because, like ed and sarahs ordeal, it feels as if it will never end. By my count, white settlers marks the fourth movie featuring. Its ed and sarahs first night at their new home an isolated farmhouse on the scottish borders. Her epic journey has been made into a film starring mia. The film utilizes many tropes of the western genre including conflict between white settlers and native american tribes and man versus nature but is not very actionpacked in spite of such conflicts. While white settlers isnt that, it is entertaining enough to be worth a recommendation. White settlers is premiered at londons fright fest horror movie festival on 23 august, and goes on wider release in september. In kelly reichardt s muchlauded new film meeks cutoff, set in 1845, a small band of pioneers get lost in barren, arid plains on their way to the willamette valley. White settlers the blood lands 2014 rotten tomatoes. In bed on their first night, sarah thinks she can hear noises in the darkness but at.
We often want films to revolutionise the horror genre and refresh it, but sometimes what we really need is a good solid film. White settlers, set for release just before the referendum on scottish independence, features a relocated english couple under siege from. As the masked man prepares to kill ed with an ax, a third intruder arrives to stop the attack. There are the two rechampot brothers, one smart, the other not. Married couple ed lee williams and sarah pollyanna mcintosh have decided that they want to get away from their busy, stressful. In a society in which men are expected to be the protectors of women, the kidnapping of women is viewed as an attack or an affront of the males in the society, as well. In regard to the disk, my copy advertises it has a 5. Many western films have a very clear dichotomy between white settlers and native americans. Ifit is the latter, then they better make sure they do it right. White settlers is one of the best british horror films in a long time, and you should go and see it. White settlers is a decent movie that packs a lot of atmosphere and some genuine scares into its short runtime less than 80 minutes, actually, but its also a movie that has annoying characters and some pretty silly plot turns. And it resembles the tendency of the franchise ending, with intent to leave it open for a sequel. Sep 07, 2017 in 1892, however, white settlers found themselves under constant threat of being shot and scalped, playing a defensive game against the local savages terrifyingly illustrated in.
West africa, sometime after the outbreak of world war i. Suspense thriller white settlers pitches the modern urbanite dream of starting a simple life in the country against the possibility of a very different and terrifying reality. Perhaps most damningly comes the ending, which reveals the nature of the pigmasked antagonists but chucks a massive blanket of incredulousness over. Sep 16, 20 then when the film opened, and critical outlets griped about the massive historical inaccuraciesincluding a happy ending where the white settlers pack up and go back to europei read one interview where a disney representative answered the accusations dismissively. Although white settlers might not be the most original film in the world, it is a slasher horror with something to say. This should be a new beginning away from their stressful london lives. The blood lands, aka white settlers is more a sly dig at real estate than a straight up horror film. White settlers is a 2014 british horror film that was directed by simeon halligan. But the biggest twist of all is the ending, a sort of prologue if you will, is more of a chance to make the audience smile at the concept of the film itself. While trying to unmask one of them, another comes from behind to knock ed unconscious.
With pollyanna mcintosh, lee williams, joanne mitchell, garth maunders. Now boong is the whites racist term for an aborigine, and temper. One of them is the little boy who helped sarah to the road. The problem with based on a true story the dissolve. I was quite surprised by the ending and i have mixed feelings about, as i loved the surprise and felt its.