Sightseers

Sightseers

Company type	Film
Industry	Film industry
Founded	2012
Founder	Ben Wheatley (director), Alice Lowe (writer and star), Steve Oram (writer and star)
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Products	Black comedy film

Sightseers is a 2012 British black comedy film helmed by director Ben Wheatley, with a screenplay written by and starring Alice Lowe alongside Steve Oram.

The movie debuted on 23 May 2012 during the Directors' Fortnight segment at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. At the festival, the canine performers, Banjo and Poppy, were honored with the Palm Dog Award. Distributed in the UK by StudioCanal on 30 November, Sightseers received largely favorable reviews from critics.

Plot

Tina resides with her mother in suburban Redditch. Chris, an avid caravan fan and aspiring novelist, persuades Tina to embark on a road trip despite her mother’s objections stemming from a previous dog’s death. Their initial destination is the National Tramway Museum, where Chris fatally attacks a man who refuses to pick up litter—claiming it was accidental but smirking afterward. He refers to Tina as his muse.

At a caravan site, they encounter Janice, Ian, and their dog Banjo, who resembles Tina's deceased pet. Driven by jealousy over Ian's published works, Chris kills him by striking him with a rock and pushing him off a cliff. When Tina discovers images on Ian’s camera, she confronts Chris, who confesses to the murder; she accepts his admission. Later, following a dispute with a tourist regarding Banjo’s waste, Chris kills the man after Tina backs a fabricated rape accusation.

At another caravan park, Chris meets Martin, an engineer testing a compact caravan designed for bicycles. After Tina catches Chris kissing a bride from a hen party as part of a dare, she kills the bride by pushing her down a hill. The following day, after an argument with Chris, Tina drives away alone and calls her mother to confess but is abruptly hung up on. That night, she attempts to entice Chris by alluding to their crimes; he rejects her advances.

Chris awakens to find Tina missing and calls her to stop. She hits a jogger with her vehicle; Chris disapproves of these reckless killings, sparking an argument before they conceal the body. They camp near Ribblehead Viaduct—the final stop of their trip. During a hailstorm, Tina finds Chris’s notebook containing a sketch of them about to leap from the viaduct.

Martin arrives with Banjo in his mini-caravan. Tina tries to seduce him but is turned down. She lies to Chris about Martin’s conduct and later pushes Martin’s mini-caravan off a cliff with him inside, resulting in his death. Afterwards, Chris insults Tina; they fight but soon reconcile through sex.

Chris sets fire to their caravan and kisses Tina. They ascend Ribblehead Viaduct; Chris asks if she enjoyed their holiday and apologizes for earlier insults. As he steps off the viaduct intending to end his life, Tina releases his hand and watches him fall to his death. The screen fades to black as she gazes at her hand.

Cast

• Steve Oram as Chris
• Alice Lowe as Tina
• Eileen Davies as Carol
• Monica Dolan as Janice
• Jonathan Aris as Ian
• Richard Lumsden as Rambler
• Richard Glover as Martin

Production

The characters were first developed seven years prior in a stage production featuring Lowe and Oram portraying seemingly innocent campers who gradually reveal themselves as serial killers. This was followed by a short film that received praise for its humor but faced multiple rejections due to its dark themes. After releasing the short online, Lowe shared it with Edgar Wright, a previous collaborator from Hot Fuzz. Recognizing its potential, Wright connected them with Big Talk Productions and came on board as executive producer to facilitate the film’s production. To prepare for their roles and familiarize themselves with filming locations, Lowe and Oram studied horror literature and took a caravanning trip in character. Director Ben Wheatley remarked that filming locations remained cooperative even after understanding the film's grim content, highlighting their respect for these sites.

The pair cited Withnail and I as an influence.

Reception

The movie was met with predominantly favorable reviews from critics. According to the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, it achieved an 85% approval rating based on 106 critiques, with an average score of 7.39 out of 10. The general consensus highlighted the successful combination of dark humor and horror, crediting director Ben Wheatley alongside writer-actors Alice Lowe and Steve Oram for this balance. On Metacritic, the film holds a rating of 69 out of 100 from 22 reviews, signifying "generally favorable" opinions.

Initially, Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian remarked that the film did not possess the same enigmatic quality as Wheatley’s previous projects. However, upon its theatrical release, he commended the cast’s performances and the screenplay, emphasizing its distinctive fusion of comedy and unsettling elements. Bradshaw drew parallels to Mike Leigh's Nuts in May and identified inspirations from Victoria Wood and Alan Bennett. Meanwhile, Kim Newman from Empire characterized the film as a uniquely British blend of cringe-worthy comedy and horror, likening its effect to that of Kill List. Additionally, a caravan magazine editor praised the film for its authentic depiction of caravanning vacations.

Not all feedback was positive; Nigel Andrews of The Financial Times found the film only occasionally amusing and ultimately felt it became tiresome.

The production received seven nominations at the BIFA awards, including one for Best Supporting Actress awarded to Eileen Davies, and secured the award for Best Screenplay.