Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: THE BOYS FROM COUNTY HELL [Virgin Media Dublin International Film Festival 2021 - Virtual]

The aspect of lore and the darkness surrounding it plays always well in Ireland and the isles. With "The Boys From County Hell", director Chris Baugh takes a stab at a bit of the Bram Stoker myth which oddly enough has a connection supposedly to the north of Ireland. Six Mile Hill is a fictional place where the locals, especially a prankster procrastinator with a heart of gold, like to take the wind out of tourists by messing with them to the origins of the Stoker connection. The bar they hang out with is even called Stoker. With similarities and certain harks in a way to Edgar Wright's films like "Shaun Of The Dead" and "The World's End", the comedy/horror aspect here is played to a certain pitch but never truly goes over the top into the stellar. The trio of friends and the hero's dad are the ones tasked with helping face the evil.

The McGuffin structure in terms of just how the myth works is actually pretty succinct and effective offering an interesting visual cue which is prevalent throughout the picture. The film at certain point risks dipping into melodrama when it is trying to achieve satire. The essence of land grab and tradition being taken away are also themes but they never truly tug at the heartstrings. The resolution and its effectiveness are helped by some good visual effects that are almost completely practical and with use of light. It is not necessarily scary but it works in an effective way, with some moments including one sequence in a house that comes off pretty brutal in how it ends. Even a bit of visual chicanery at the bar is left unexplained but, despite some of these holes, "The Boys From County Hell" and its characters seem to have a good time getting the job done, despite not being the best at it. B-

By Tim Wassberg