One of the Great British Horror Directors
When I was growing up America was my cinematic world. Every time I went to the cinema it was to see an American film, made by an American studio, starring American actors. It wasn’t until my mid teens that I saw films outside of this narrow viewership — made by world talents, including my fellow Brits. What was the reason for my youthful ignorance? Why was I so centered on American cinema?
Because American filmmakers have the deepest pockets.
The largest budgeted films in history have had the backing of American studios. American studios to this day spend the most on marketing and distribution to reach a global audience that no other country has yet come close to matching. Wherever we may be in the world the dominance of American film can be seen.
The British filmmaking industry does not have the same global presence or financial support of the American industry, and British efforts in science fiction and horror have long been subject to limited budgets and resources. To many ‘British’ and ‘horror’ together conjures images of Hammer movies starring Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and buxom young women, but in the 21st century British filmmakers began to receive greater international attention in the horror genre. For instance, Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later in 2002 became a wide success despite its constrained budget and distribution because of the film’s innovation and talent in front of and behind the camera. My expanding knowledge of film beyond the boundaries of American influence coincided with the emergence of new British filmmakers, who would redefine the image of British horror in the new century.
The most widely recognized name in British horror in the 2000s is most likely Neil Marshall, director of the werewolf siege movie Dog Soldiers in 2002, and the cave-dwelling creature feature The Descent in 2005 — frequently voted for as being one of the greatest horror movies of the 21st century. Marshall’s success has led him to work as a director for several TV series including Black Sails, Game of Thrones, and most recently Westworld.
In the same period in the 2000s another British director was making an impression on me, and each successive film displayed a talent that was refining in quality and increasing in narrative depth. Christopher Smith may not be as widely known as Danny Boyle or Neil Marshall, but he has become a personal favourite of mine thanks to the diverse body of stories and emotions he has brought to the horror genre. Watching Smith’s growth as a director to me exemplifies the progression needed of anyone to become a skilled and talented artist.
Creep (2004)
Smith’s first feature is also his most conventional horror movie. Kate (Franka Potente), having fallen asleep in the London Underground, is locked inside a station for the night. She is forced to fight for her life when she becomes terrorized by a deformed, psychotic killer who lives in the labyrinth of tunnels beneath the city. Hints to the origin of the creature, innocuously called Craig, allude to scientific experiments as Kate and several others desperately attempt to escape and survive until the Underground opens its gates.
Despite Creep’s relatively limited budget Smith and his crew deftly twist an seemingly common, everyday locale into a hive of terror. In particular, the composition, sickly colour and pervading darkness in the cinematography and production design contribute greatly to the claustrophobic atmosphere and dread that the monstrous Craig can be anywhere.
Creep is a bloody and visceral experience, even for a long time horror fan. One scene involving Craig in surgical scrubs, armed with a bone saw, still resonates in my memory as being an extremely savage and disturbing moment — something that horrified me so much that it would take days for me to shake off. While not his best work, Creep was indicative of Christopher Smith’s potential as he moved forward into the genre, introducing his own spin on established tropes and audience expectations.
Severance (2006)
Whether or not you are familiar with actor Danny Dyer, Severance is the only movie of his that I would recommend seeing. Following Edgar Wright’s well-received Shaun of the Dead in 2004, Smith was entering similar territory with his own comedy horror that took the mundane reality of modern employment and turned it on its head. The movie unwittingly became the subject of controversy years later when it was cited in a real murder case, although its role has been greatly overstated.
On a team-building excursion in Hungary, a group of inept employees for a defense contractor unknowingly wonders into a wilderness filled with crazed killers with a vendetta against their company. Soon the employees are being dispatched in equally grisly and comedic measure, until the survivors decide to wreak their own carnage.
The movie acts as a subversion of the slasher genre, as characters acknowledge and make light of the clichés they’re living. A standout scene has several people recalling differing stories about the history of their lodgings, which soon devolves into camp fire tales and sexually driven fantasies. What also raises the movie above being a trite parody is the nuance and depth given to many of the characters. They’re not merely bodies to be dispatched — the movie provides time to flesh out the characters, so their demise carries a greater toll. Later, when the survivors strike back against their attackers, the audience becomes invested in their plight.
Triangle (2009)
Triangle represents Smith’s evolving sensibility to what horror can be and what stories can be told through the lens of the genre. The film explores themes of loss, trauma and mental breakdown — framed in a science fiction/psychological horror hybrid that includes causal time loops aboard an abandoned cruise liner and an emotionally unhinged mother, played by Melissa George.
The editing and subjective view of George’s character, Jess, presents the viewer with a deliberately disjointed and uncertain perspective which the viewer is forced to reappraise and question throughout. The identity and intentions of the armed, hooded figure stalking the ship transform during the narrative. Doubts about each characters’ recollection of events and Jess’ sanity are upended as the narrative unfolds until the tragic and destructive truth is revealed by the film’s end (and beginning).
A joint British-Australian production, featuring actor Liam Hemsworth in a supporting role prior to his stint in The Hunger Games franchise, Smith’s high concept story is an original, dramatic exploration of the emotionally fragile nature of people under circumstances out of human control. The film’s cyclical pattern mirrors the destructive cycles of neglect people inflict on each other and themselves, and Jess’ life becomes a mental and metaphysical prison she cannot escape. Triangle is an intellectually and emotionally rewarding film that merits repeated viewing for its challenging and layered storytelling.
Black Death (2010)
This film is tied with Triangle as my favourite from Christopher Smith’s career. Set in the 14th century, when Europe is being decimated by the Bubonic plague, a naive monk, played by a young Eddie Redmayne, joins a group of knights to bring God’s wrath to a remote village. The village is untouched by the pestilence and accused of being led by a devil-worshiping necromancer. As the film unfolds the mystery of the village, its leader, and the knights’ true intentions are revealed.
Deviating from the screenplay’s original ending, Smith’s film depicts the evil perpetrated by man both in the name of God and in rejection of Him. The devout and the heathens are presented as equal in their deception and brutality at differing points in the narrative, drawing parallels to the religious and secular violence seen in the past and the modern day, whether through terrorism or state oppression. Personal tragedy leads several characters to twist and exploit faith to justify their actions as righteous — the pious serve God’s will, while the philistines expose their hypocrisy. Religion in Black Death is not inherently good or wicked, but rather it is man’s action that corrupts the divine, and denies the weak and fallible nature of humanity.
The writing and design of the film is great, and the performances raise the film even further. For a fan of Game of Thrones it’s a delight to see Sean Bean, pre-Ned Stark, face off against Carice van Houten, pre-Melisandre, as spiritual opposites in Black Death (it’s also great to see genre favourite David Warner and the young monk’s Abbot).
Following these films, Smith later made a dramatic change by making the children’s movie Get Santa in 2014 to great critical and audience reception, before returning to less family friendly material with this year’s as yet unreleased thriller, Detour. It is my feeling that Christopher Smith is an underestimated director who has made fascinating contributions to British horror, and warrants greater recognition for his work in the genre. His titles have scared me, made me laugh out loud, but most importantly left me thinking after the credits had ended — something only good filmmaking can achieve.
Coming soon: Sick Minds with Sick Ideas
