DVD Review: THE COTTAGE

The Cottage is a thriller/horror/comedy from the UK about two brothers (Andy Serkis and Reece Shearsmith) whose poorly-conceived quickie kidnapping scam is interrupted by a run-in with a stereotypical, deformed country psychopath.

It was recommended by a friend, and while it has a couple laughs (provided mostly by Serkis) and some decent gore shots, it fails at nearly all of its ambitions. The comedy is undercut by an intrusive, "wacky" score and the overly broad, UK sitcom acting stylings of Shearsmith, the horror is undercut by terrible makeup (an obvious mask on the killer and a truly terrible "bald spot" shaved into Shearsmith's scalp) and a thinly-conceived villain, and even the "thriller" aspect that makes up the first act is cliched and lacks suspense.

So what's good about it? Andy Serkis. This guy has such a wide acting range, it's insane. He can do so much more than play Gollum and bounce around in a monkey suit. I don't know why he's not one of the most in-demand character actors in Hollywood, but the only genuine moments in this movie are provided entirely by his character.

So, it's uncreative, the acting is all over the place (save for Serkis), and I didn't even find the villain that intriguing. What did I like (save for Serkis)?

This shot:


Hats off to you, makers of The Cottage! But I cannot recommend this movie, even with a gratuitous shot of a large-breasted blonde on the toilet.