This comedy-horror is destined to become a cult hit like Tucker and Dale versus Evil. Our hero is rushing to audition for a talent show (bit like Britain's Got Talent), but various bullies and jobsworths contrive to get in his way. Things go from bad to worse and his dreams are shattered. It was his big chance at fame and fortune! Life is so unfair for the little man... until the little man decides he's had enough and is going to get even, or die trying! Cue all hell breaking loose!
As you might already be able to glean from the above, this movie has important satirical themes concerning class, capitalist society (even the Church is on the make), social inadequacy, social welfare and, well, just about everything else too. It's not just some idle piece of self-indulgent gore. It's a film with both smarts and heart.
And the cast is absolutely stellar, including the cream of British comedic actors (e.g. Johnny Vegas, Kevin Bishop and Katherine Parkinson). June Watson (The Lady in the Van, The Death of Stalin, and more) plays Paul's mum, and she is brilliantly poignant - definitely my fave character... although Mandeep Dhillon as the community police officer (and puts up with no end of grief for not being a 'proper' police officer) is equally fab.
I'm not too proud to confess I properly cried in both the middle (sad tears) and at the end (happy tears). Yet I laughed just as much as I cried. Like life, this film is a rollercoaster of emotions. I like 'light and shade' in my movies, as it generates that bitter-sweetness that is quintessentially British humour or irony (the latter term, ironically, can't even be pronounced correctly by certain American critics, LOL!).
I believe the film also represents a bit of a breakthrough for the lead scriptwriter, one Matthew White, so it's great to have a bravely fresh British 'voice' coming to the screen. If you haven't seen the movie yet, then get your life priorities sorted or die trying! The film scores a deadly 9.9 out of 10 from this enlightened critic!
Paul Dood's Deadly Lunch Break
2021
Action / Comedy / Thriller
Paul Dood's Deadly Lunch Break
2021
Action / Comedy / Thriller
Plot summary
A weedy charity-shop worker is set on winning the big national talent show. But when the actions of 5 selfish people cause him to miss his audition, he sets out to seek deathly revenge. It's 1 lunch break, 5 spectacular murders.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
June 22, 2022 at 12:56 PM
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
720p.WEBMovie Reviews
The British Falling Down
Embarrassing
An embarrassingly cheap British rip-off of SPREE which sees a guy losing his talent show audition before going on a rampage of revenge. Made for a pittance during the pandemic and it shows; everything is stilted making this feel like a sketch show at times. Sadly, it's also not in the least bit funny, with the humour over obvious and awkward in that British way. A shame as there are some normally reliable faces (Kris Marshall, Pippa Heyward) here.
Stick with it
I nearly gave up on this film about half an hour in. As someone else describes it, it seems to be a goofy comedy that I thought was pretty lame. But it's only setting the scene for what is to happen when Paul decides to go on the rampage. The last hour of the film is excellent imo. I hadn't paid the comments, being posted on Paul's 'Trend Ladder feed' any attention at first, but when I did they turn out to be what makes this film (oh and the two old ladies too). It's a film I needed to watch again to see what I had missed first time around regarding the comments (this from a person who rarely can watch a film twice). And I enjoyed the film more second time around. There's some things that could have been improved. I think the Jack Tapp character could have been better. And the Bowie jokes are very naff. But the Trend Ladder thing is inspired and to me a comedy classic.