North American Premiere
The Cottage
| U.K. | 90 MINUTES | EnglishCrime, Horror, Comedy
Peter (Reece Shearsmith of the comedy troupe The League of Gentlemen) is a real wimp. He's got a domineering wife and even a fear of moths. So how'd he end up holding a pottymouthed gangster's daughter (Jennifer Ellison) hostage in an isolated country cottage with his brother, a hardened criminal (Andy Serkis, The Lord of the Rings)? From writer/director Paul Andrew Williams, this horror-comedy is an about-face from his gritty, award-winning debut, the crime thriller London to Brighton. From the beginning, every step of Peter and his brother's simple plan goes wrong. Their head-butting hostage seems to be more trouble than she's worth, her bumbling brother (Steve O'Donnell, Shakespeare in Love), who is in on the scheme, can't even get a decent ski mask, and they certainly hadn't counted on two murderous Chinese gangsters lurking in the woods. When their hostage escapes on a bathroom break, the chase leads them to a seemingly abandoned farmhouse where someone dangerous lurks-and he has an axe, a freezer full of hands, and who knows what in the basement. A slapstick splatter film in the tradition of Sam Raimi's Evil Dead, The Cottage wrings imaginative twists from the usual slice-anddice formula of the genre. Made on a shoestring, Williams' film begins on a claustrophobically small scale, making its transition into gory Grand Guignol all the more unexpected. Shearsmith, turning in the kind of nuanced performance one doesn't usually expect in a horror film, is its bleeding heart and battered soul.
Cast & Credits
Directed by
Paul Andrew Williams
Paul Andrew Williams began his career as an actor but then moved into writing and directing a number of successful pop-promos, viral ads, and short films. His start as a feature film director began with London to Brighton, inspired by the 2001 short film Royalty. London to Brighton premiered at the Edinburgh Film Festival, winning numerous awards in the UK and overseas. The film earned Paul a BAFTA nomination for The Carl Foreman Award for special achievement by a British director, writer, or producer in their first feature film.
Producers
Ken Marshall, Martin Pope
Screenwriter
Paul Andrew Williams
Principal Cast
Andy Serkis, Reece Shearsmith, Jennifer Ellison, Steven O'Donnell, Dave Legeno
* Rush Tickets available at venue except for
Beacon Theatre
Beacon Theatre
Rush will be offered when advanced tickets for a screening or event are no longer available at venues
other than Beacon Theatre.
The Rush system functions as a standby line that will form at the venue approximately one hour prior to scheduled start time. Admittance is based on availability and will begin roughly 10 minutes prior to program start time. Rush Tickets are the same price as advance tickets and are payable upon entry.
The Rush system functions as a standby line that will form at the venue approximately one hour prior to scheduled start time. Admittance is based on availability and will begin roughly 10 minutes prior to program start time. Rush Tickets are the same price as advance tickets and are payable upon entry.
