Dream Vacation Ruined In Raunchy, R-Rated Horror Comedy

By Robert Scucci
| Published 1 hour ago

Family vacations are always tough to plan and execute for a number of reasons. The kids swear they went to the bathroom at the last rest stop, only to complain that they have to go again five minutes after you get back on the road. The McDonald’s off the side of the highway are disproportionately expensive, and they always forget your ranch. And sometimes, just sometimes, the destination you plan to spend your company-allotted two weeks of PTO at is the home of a bunch of locals who are fast approaching the 200-year anniversary of what can only be described as a cannibal massacre.

2024’s Get Away focuses entirely on that third scenario, and it has so much fun pushing you into hostile territory that you’ll find no shortage of weird rituals and the kind of splatty, third-act violence any slasher comedy fan will appreciate. Written by Nick Frost of Shaun of the Dead in his first solo writing effort, Get Away boasts exactly the kind of irreverent humor you’d expect, specifically the kind that thrives on a suspicious level of nonchalance once things start to spiral out of control.

“We Really Need This”

Get Away starts out simply enough, but continually pushes itself into increasingly uncomfortable territory as it plays out. We’re introduced to Richard (Nick Frost) and his wife Susan (Aisling Bea), along with their son and daughter, Sam (Sebastian Croft) and Jessie (Maisie Ayres). The echoing sentiment we hear from Susan as the family travels to the Swedish island of Svalta is that she really needs this. The implication is clear. She and Richard have been grinding all year to support their family, and this is the only two-week window they have to get some genuine rest and relaxation before heading straight back into the rat race.

The primary reason they’ve chosen to travel to Svalta is to witness a play put on by the locals that commemorates the 200th anniversary of a British quarantine. That quarantine resulted in a small group of survivors who still live on the island today, largely because their ancestors resorted to cannibalism when their food supply dwindled and was never replenished. Whether the family has any direct connection to the islanders isn’t made clear, but it still feels like a strange place to spend your only family vacation.

Almost immediately upon arrival, the family is met with anger, hostility, and resentment, as if they’re intruding on something deeply personal. Dead animals are left at their bed and breakfast doorstep, it appears someone has been rummaging through their belongings while they’re out exploring, and Jessie begins to suspect there are hidden mirror doorways in the house, implying someone may be watching her while she sleeps.

Get Away hits its boiling point during the ceremony the family traveled to see, when it becomes clear that not everything on the island is what it seems. After a series of traumatizing incidents that are best left undescribed so you can experience them firsthand, the family realizes they’re grossly outnumbered by the locals and decides to reclaim their dignity through whatever means necessary before leaving the island for good.

Predictable Until It’s Not

During its first and second acts, Get Away plays out like a classic folk horror setup. A group of outsiders arrives somewhere they clearly shouldn’t be, and the people who already live there participate in increasingly bizarre rituals that would make most people leave before they’re sacrificed to some sort of blood demon. Get Away subverts those expectations through Richard and Susan’s family, because they seem oddly at peace with everything happening around them.

They know they aren’t welcome on the island of Svalta, but they don’t care. This is their vacation. This is their only chance to relax and spend time together before heading back to their everyday lives, and they refuse to let a bunch of strange locals ruin it. Most of the humor in Get Away comes from this tonal clash, and Nick Frost’s friendly, straight-faced approach to what most people would consider a nightmare scenario is oddly wholesome.

If you start to feel restless during what appears to be a lack of conflict, all you have to do is wait for the third act, when things go completely off the rails and the film turns into a violent battle of wills. It all builds toward one of the most out-of-pocket twist endings you’ve probably seen in a hot minute.

Get Away is a satisfying watch if you’re already a fan of Nick Frost’s screen presence and delivery, and his performance is further elevated by Aisling Bea, Sebastian Croft, and Maisie Ayres. On screen, they play the perfect English family trying to charm their way out of an insane situation, while also hinting that they’re not to be underestimated. Sometimes the most polite people are exactly the ones you don’t want to mess with.

As of this writing, Get Away is streaming for free on Tubi.