Sightseers (2012)

Chris wants to show girlfriend Tina his world, but events soon conspire against the couple and their dream caravan holiday takes a very wrong turn.

Director:

Ben Wheatley

Writers:

Alice Lowe, Steve Oram

Stars:

Alice Lowe, Kenneth Hadley, Steve Oram

11 wins & 18 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alice Lowe	...	Tina
Eileen Davies	...	Carol
Steve Oram	...	Chris
Roger Michael	...	Tram Conductor
Tony Way	...	Crich Tourist
Seamus O'Neill	...	Mr. Grant
Monica Dolan	...	Janice
Jonathan Aris	...	Ian
Aymen Hamdouchi	...	Chalid Sulinan
Tom Meeten	...	Head Shaman
Kali Peacock	...	Hiking Shop Assistant
Kenneth Hadley	...	Richard
Stephanie Jacob	...	Joan
Christine Talbot	...	Newsreader
Richard Lumsden	...	Rambler

Storyline

Chris wants to show girlfriend Tina his world, but events soon conspire against the couple and their dream caravan holiday takes a very wrong turn.

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Plot Keywords:

caravan | writers block | tourist | tourism | f rated | 

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Taglines:

Killers have never been this close-knit.

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Crime | Horror | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 May 2013 (USA)

Also Known As:

Turistas

Filming Locations:

England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

£1,300,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,384, 12 May 2013, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$35,722, 2 June 2013

Company Credits

Production Co:

StudioCanal, Film4, British Film Institute (BFI)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Blue John Cavern is one of the four show caves in Castleton, Derbyshire, England. The cavern takes its name from the semi-precious mineral Blue John, which is still mined in small amounts outside the tourist season, and made locally into jewelry. The miners, who work the remaining seams are also the guides for underground public tours. The eight working seams are known as Twelve Vein, Old Dining Room, Bull Beef, New Dining Room, Five Vein, Organ Room, New Cavern, and Landscape.

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Goofs

Chris says he favours the Abbey Oxford as a caravan, but his caravan is labelled as an Abbey Cachet. This has led some to consider this as a goof, however Cachet is just a trim level available on Abbey Oxford caravans, like L or GL or GT for cars.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Tina: Mum? Mum. Mum. Mum. Mum. Mum. Mum. Mum. Mum. You all right?

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Connections

Referenced in Circus Halligalli: Günther Jauch 2/Die Ja-Sager Teil 2 (2013)

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Soundtracks

Tainted Love
Written by Ed Cobb
Performed by Gloria Jones
Courtesy of Universal Music Enterprises,
under licence from Universal Music Operations Ltd
Published by Burlington Music Company Ltd

User Reviews

A Sight for Sore Eyes

Ben Wheatley provides one of the year's darkest and funniest comedies in this tale of true love, caravans and dead bodies.

Ever since her terrier Poppy died in a bizarre knitting accident, Tina (Darkplace's Alice Lowe) has lived a sheltered life with her mother. New boyfriend Chris (Steve Oram) decides to show her his world and takes her on a self-proclaimed "erotic odyssey" in his caravan to such wonders as the Crich Tramway Museum, Ribblehead Viaduct and, of course, Keswick Pencil Museum. But with litterbug, National Trust snobs and feral youths running rampant, Tina and Chris inadvertently leave a trail of dead bodies in their wake, as their holiday continues to spiral out of control.

Steve Oram heads up the fantastic cast as the muted, yet brutal, Chris, complementing Alice Lowe's awkward, yet creepy, Tina perfectly. However, the real star is the special effects, which provide some of the most realistic and memorable on screen deaths of the year. The unsettling, albeit hilarious, performances of the two leads is mirrored in the soundtrack, a mix of cheery '80s pop songs and a haunting minimalist score.

Shot in the beautiful Lake District, director Ben Wheatley uses lingering shots and slow-mo in an innovative way, making his comedy edgy whilst poignant. No doubt, this is a very British black comedy. Wheatley shows directorial flair, but reigns it in from his previous work Kill List, leading to a much tighter film, with a concentration on the biting wit of the script.

Sightseers, overall, plays out like a cross between Bonnie & Clyde and In Bruges, leading to a perfect pitch-black comedy that's not for the faint hearted.