Outcast (2010)

It tells the tale of Petronella (a Scottish/Romany girl) and Fergal (her mysterious Irish traveller boyfriend). As their doomed relationship plays out, a Beast stalks the estate, killing ... See full summary »

Director:

Colm McCarthy

Writers:

Colm McCarthy, Tom K. McCarthy

Stars:

Kate Dickie, Niall Bruton, Hanna Stanbridge

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kate Dickie	...	Mary
Niall Bruton	...	Fergal
Hanna Stanbridge	...	Petronella
Josh Whitelaw	...	Tomatsk
Therese Bradley	...	Jitta
James Nesbitt	...	Cathal
Ciarán McMenamin	...	Liam
Sean McCarthy	...	Old Hands
Fiona O'Shaughnessy	...	Niamh
Christine Tremarco	...	Housing Officer
Karen Gillan	...	Ally
Andrew Martin	...	James
Daniel Portman	...	Paul (as Daniel Porter)
Wendy Wason	...	Barmaid (as Wendy Wasson)
James Cosmo	...	Laird

Storyline

It tells the tale of Petronella (a Scottish/Romany girl) and Fergal (her mysterious Irish traveller boyfriend). As their doomed relationship plays out, a Beast stalks the estate, killing locals, working its way towards our protagonists. Meanwhile Cathal and Liam, two mysterious travellers from Ireland use ritual and magic on a blood hunt. Mary, Fergal's mother performs ritual and magic of her own. As Cathal comes face to face with Mary in a vicious finale we know one thing: the Beast must die.

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Plot Keywords:

magic | beast | irish traveller | one word title | person in hiding | 

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Taglines:

Beware The Beast Within

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Genres:

Horror | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong bloody violence and gore, sexuality, graphic nudity and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [United Kingdom]

Country:

UK Ireland

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 December 2010 (UK)

Also Known As:

O kataramenos

Filming Locations:

Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fantastic Films, Head Gear Films, Makar Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

One or two smaller roles were offered to hired extras, such as Christopher Downie (Police Officer #1), as a way to stay on budget.

User Reviews

A really solid and interesting slice of gritty urban supernatural horror

I don't tend to be a huge fan of modern day British horror, so it's refreshing to see something this smart, original and entertaining. Writer/director Colm McCarthey has crafted here a supernatural kitchen sink horror that entwines both aspects with skill, unobtrusive social comment and psychological intensity. The film follows Fergal and his mother Mary, set up in a flat on a run down estate, though mysterious hunters are after them and both Mary and Fergal have things to hide, brooding concerns that unfold during the course of the film. I've kept this summary vague because a lot of the fun here comes in watching things unfold, but let's just say that spell-casting strangeness, mythology and violent death are involved. Beyond the plot mechanics lie the real interests of the film, brought out partly in setting and characters and as strongly in the assortment of fine acting turns at hand. The film is concerned with family and culture and their tensions, characters have an assortment of backgrounds, Irish, Scottish, Polish and less defined varieties of "other". Conflicts mount, based not on easy illustrations of racism but family ties, sexual fears and adolescence, the film has even its minor characters picking through a minefield and an ever present feel that its gritty locales could erupt. Speaking of gritty locales, the cinematography of Darran Teirnan does a great job of grounding everything in recognisable reality, with palpable run-down atmosphere. The character seeth as much as the setting, Kate Dickie is most powerful as Mary, high strung, unsettling in the clammy closeness of her concerns for Fergal and convincingly, even erotically pagan during her supernatural scenes. Niall Bruton is effective as Fergal, a quiet and haunted fellow with a certain inner grace, yearning and sympathetic edge. Hanna Stanbridge stands out as an earthy and foul mouthed but irresistibly attractive fellow tenant with the hots for Fergal, good contrast to the wilder goings on, while James Nesbitt is great as a grimly determined, ambitious and shifty hunter. Outcast moves at a quick pace, though horror junkies should note that the film is as driven by drama of the more conventional kind as it is horror hi-jinks. Gore and effects are used sparingly but to good effect, with the distinct advantage of being fairly unusual in their use. The only significant problem here is some of the shaky camera work used, though once or twice it is good at conveying an impression without showing too much, it detracts from the climax where a better view of proceedings would have been much appreciated. Altogether, I thought this one rather ace, it takes a little getting into and the contrast of setting and shenanigans will undoubtedly jar for a fair few viewers, but for me pretty well everything worked great. A solid recommendation from me then, 8/10.