TERROR NATION

"If you want a vision of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face ... forever" - George Orwell.

The above quote ends Shane Mather's apocalyptic TERROR NATION in a sombre tone, echoing the social commentary that ran subtly through his last feature, FANTACIDE. However, where FANTACIDE was a raucous and enjoyably deranged ode to excess, TERROR NATION is an altogether more sober affair. And, in many ways, this makes it an even better film ...

The robbery of a heavily guarded briefcase ends in violence. Following a great deal of abusive screaming and an extremely bloody shootout, the robbers - mummy's boy Ray (Samuel Victor), bruiser Mitch (Sid White), psychotic Paul (Johnny Lynch) and straight-talking ringleader Johnny (Andy Callaghan) - make off into the street with their booty.

However, their getaway driver is nowhere to be seen. Cue more violence then, as they interrupt a couple shagging in their van and spill more blood before taking off in their vehicle.

Once on the open road, the quartet of thugs mull over their next move. Their mission is to deliver the briefcase and it's mysterious contents to big criminal Charlie (Shane Mather). Johnny calls Charlie from a public telephone and catches his boss sunning himself on a beach. Charlie instructs his boys to meet him in Devon. This means travelling for many miles and, being wanted now for several murders, the gang are not happy about this. But, as Johnny points out, they must deliver the goods if they want paying.

After a foray to a rural pub en route, which affords Paul the opportunity to bash a drug dealer's head in, the robbers steal another car and continue into the country, discussing Johnny's reluctance to kill and - surprise - Paul's complacency with the prospect.

As Johnny grows nearer his destination, he rings Charlie for more directions. The message he gets is a cryptic one, redirecting the gang to his holiday home in Norfolk and hinting at a clue that Johnny will not decipher until later - perhaps too late? Unbeknownst to him, Charlie is shot dead by an off-screen assailant shortly after their conversation ends. Someone, it would seem, is even more desperate than Charlie to get their hands on the contents of the briefcase ...

By the time Johnny and his pals arrive at Somer Leyton we already have a bad feeling for them - what are they walking into? And the kindly old farmer who gives them a lift in his boat when their car breaks down, Lennard (David Frost), well ... an earlier scene has already shown us how much he too wants the briefcase, and what he's capable of doing with a crossbow ...

When the gang finally arrive in the village, they're confronted by a disconcerting ghost town. Johnny heads towards the church as instructed ... only for a screaming Kathy (Claire Louise Catterall) to coming charging out of there. She runs straight into Ray's arms and, as she takes the men to her local bar (is that the legendary Peter Rands in a cameo as the barman?!) for a pint, the pair get acquainted over a slow dance.

All is not well and Johnny senses it. The girl that Ray has quickly become smitten with is exhibiting unusual characteristics, and suddenly it clicks that Charlie was trying to warn him that they were being set up. But now, trapped in the stagnant village of Somer Leyton, the lads are about to learn why that briefcase is so important - and why there are people determined to ensure they never leave the village alive ...

TERROR NATION was reportedly made for half of FANTACIDE's budget. Which is amazing, because it looks great. Shot on HD and filled with great compositions, framing and lighting, it is another leap forward in terms of visual style for Mather (his feature debut was the fun but comparatively amateurish EXCREAMER) and often surprisingly cinematic in its look and feel.

While the gore content is not as high as that of FANTACIDE (what is? FANTACIDE did take gore to almost absurdist extremes, after all), TERROR NATION is a deceptively bloody film. Slow-motion grisly shootouts echo Peckinpah strongly, while a show-stopping head explosion delivers a great "how'd they do that?" moment that will be discussed afterwards.

The most impressive things about TERROR NATION though, aside from its bone-crunching violence and unexpectedly polished look, are:

The editing and screenplay which, together, show a vast improvement in terms of storytelling. As much as I love FANTACIDE, it's screenplay was at times muddled and consequently not always the most straightforward to follow. TERROR NATION has a far more fluent and focussed plot, with the script pushing things continually forward towards the (literally) explosive finale.

Then there's the score. The 50s pop tunes are still present at times, only this time they work with the dark tone of the film to generate some truly disturbing moments (much like how David Lynch employed classic pop to devastating effect in BLUE VELVET). Elsewhere, lively action movie-style music and even industrial sounds help show a different side to Mather's sensibilities.

Performances are generally stronger too, with Callaghan in particular scoring high as an enigmatic lead. He manages to take a despicable character (a foul-mouthed, racist thug who adjusts quickly to cold-blooded murder) and lend him an aura that is difficult not to root for. Of course, it helps that his nemesis Lennard is ten times as evil - and, although Frost is ropy in the earlier scenes, he pulls off the bad guy stint with convincing gusto in the unsettling later scenes.

More consistent and technically accomplished than Mather's previous films, TERROR NATION impresses with a script that starts as a hard-boiled crime caper with elements of RESERVOIR DOGS and Guy Ritchie (no, come back), then moves seamlessly into dark horror territory with some stunning Argentoesque blue-tinted flashbacks and a beautifully realised scene involving a naked woman and a circular saw blade ...

The final third also manages to evoke both THE CRAZIES and THE WILD BUNCH, while retaining an identity of it's own. We even get a great, 70s-style ending.

From the epic opening titles, through the wry one-liners and occasionally vulgar humour of the first half, to the unexpectedly sombre and horrifying tone of the final half, TERROR NATION is without a doubt Shane Mather's best film to date.

Although not yet officially released, for more information on TERROR NATION and Shane Mather's other films, check out www.fantacidethemovie.com or look up "terror nation" on Facebook for more news and the film's stylish trailer.

This would make a great double bill with Darren Ward's A DAY OF VIOLENCE. Highly recommended.

Review by Stu Willis