Sightseers film review: A psychopathic take on the world of caravanning

by Chris Jefferies
Litter droppers, careless dog owners, noisy neighbours – there are many things on a caravan park that can give you murderous thoughts from time to time.
But luckily for our cherished hobby, these problems can usually be resolved by a brief chat or a quiet word with the warden.
In Ben Wheatley’s new film Sightseers, however, caravanning and murdering go hand in hand.
And it seems that this is a winning combination, with the film receiving rapturous reviews and ‘<' . strtolower('Array') href="http://www.caravantimes.co.uk/news/festivals/caravan-based-comedy-sightseers-nominated-for-best-film-at-british-independent-film-awards-$21382073.htm">award nominations, since it was released last week (30 November).
This incredibly dark comedy is not for the faint-hearted or the easily offended, but caravan lovers with a morbid sense of humour will find them chuckling at the acutely observed camping jokes and the brilliantly painted caravan park characters.
Caravanning carnage
Sightseers follows a frisky couple in their 30s, Alice and Chris, who are exploring the North of England to escape the persistent nagging of Alice’s mother, Carol, and sad memories of her dog, Poppy, who was accidentally impaled on a set of knitting needles.
Little is known about Chris’s past, although we are told that he is on a sabbatical from his job and he is trying to write a book, while Alice has numerous certificates to prove her credentials as a canine psychologist.
During their travels, the couple meet all the typical camp site stereotypes, from pagan revellers to eco-mad hippies, not to mention a particularly snobbish couple who treat their Sterling Eccles 90 like a palace (“Shoes off please, I saw you come out of that toilet block”).
It all takes a turn for the morbid when Alice and Chris are touring the National Tram Museum and Chris gets infuriated by a carless litter-bug who drops his Cornetto wrapper on the floor and refuses to pick it up or even apologise for befouling a national heritage site.
Cue an “accident” involving reverse gear and a lot of revs from an old Volvo engine – before you know it, there’s blood on the caravan wheels.
Carry on killing
The tone is set somewhere in between Bonnie And Clyde and Carry On Camping, while Alice Lowe and Steve Oram have a compelling chemistry as the leading duo.
The film’s irreverent approach to murder, sex and gore is exactly what you would expect from a film produced by Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz), and there are several moments that will have you laughing in spite of yourself.
Caravan purists may well recoil at the bawdy and psychopathic style of this film, the worst of all being the senseless torching of an Abbey Oxford, but if you’re looking for something a little bit different from your night out at the cinema, then Sightseers is pitched at just the right level.
Sightseers is now showing in cinemas across the UK. To watch the trailer, click on the video below.
WARNING: Contains strong language and scenes of a violent nature.