REVIEWED
"Cos Willy won't go home... But you can't push Willy round, Willy won't go"
Sally & Lucy singing The Sweets Little Willy
Fabtastic 70's atmosphere along with its deftly paced story add up to make a sumptuous supernatural treat. The Maynard family move into their new council house home, their ideal new start is cut short when a malevolent ghostly presence seemingly interested in their teenage daughter Sally, causes havoc.
Being an English horror movie fan when I watch UK horror these days its usually with shudders for all the wrong reasons. No matter how much I want them to be great and how well they begin, I'm always waiting for a spanner to be thrown into works (recently thats not taken very long). But thankfully there isn't a tool in sight of the wonderful 'When the Lights Went Out'. Its hands down the best UK supernatural movie since Bernard Roses Paperhouse and easily the best UK horror in general since Neil Marshall's The Descent. Sure the plots all too familiar and touches on both The Amytiville Horror and The Entity , but it successfully evolves into its own thing. Awaydays writer/director Pat Holden really managed to capture the retro vibe along with the angst of being a lonely teenager. The acting along with the characters and dialog is also great, though it might not travel so well its reminiscent of the kitchen sink style both Ken Loach or Mike Leigh use often. I loved the movie even though it was set in Yorkshire reminded me so much of my youth in Manchester. The ending could have been a touch tighter (doesn't help I've always been down on CGI) but I can't wait to see what route Pat Holden goes in from here.
[PRFR: Personal Reasons For Remembering]
Evil buckeroo,slinkys and etch-a-sketch & the girls boogieing to Little Willy.
Originally taken from Letterboxd
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