Director Benjamin Barefoot's 'Double Date' is the perfect example of how low budget British horror comedy can be done to a very high standard, with a very satisfying beginning, middle and end. As with most typical British horror comedies, the dark humor and satirical style of character interactions is not going to be for everyone. But, if crude, boisterous male buddy comedies with a delightful blend of violence are your thing, then this might just be the perfect film for you. Michael Socha is a phenomenal British actor who's comedic timing is impeccable. I was first introduced to this actor in the later stages of the excellent British TV series 'Being Human' and have been a fan of his work ever since. Socha's relationship and character dynamic with lead actor Danny Morgan feels very authentic and relatable, having experienced similar friendships like theirs in my own life. On the opposite side of the table are actresses Kelly Wenham as Kitty and Georgia Groome as Lulu, both of these actresses are new to me but do very well in their respected roles, especially Wenham. She has a very captivating aura and constantly kept me engaged when she was present on screen. As well as great character development, the writing is rather compelling (considering there’s such a basic premise, that has a 'from point A to point B' style story telling). Whilst moving at a consistent pace, this still manages to incorporate some wildly entertaining smaller sub-plots and hilarious sketches along the way. And, although this is categorised as a Horror Comedy, this is certainly more focused on the comedy aspects of its writing with even the more serious of scenes being continuously undercut with some form of joke or one-liner. This is a something I found to be a rather refreshing change of pace and provided a different perspective to scenarios that would more than likely play out with a much darker tone. As mentioned already, this is a comedy first. That's not to say the horror isn't prevalent throughout this, especially the scenes featured in the closing act, feeling like they are ripped straight from the script of the 1973 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre', with a bit of Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' thrown in for good measure. Although rather minimal, the gore and kill scenes we do see contain some quite convincing practical effects work. This is by no means anything groundbreaking, but considering the scale and budget of this production I was surprised at how great everything looked. Overall, 'Double Date' is a film I had really low expectations for and came away more than satisfied. This is something I can quite easily see myself making multiple return visits to throughout the years to come. Had it not been for the powers of social media there is a strong possibility I may have never stumbled across it. So, if like me and you have no idea what this film is but the poster art has you curious, I would certainly say it is worth your time.
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