Freehold Review: A dodgy Estate Agent gets his comeuppance in this wickedly funny revenge thriller.
Freehold Review
Much like Traffic Wardens, Estate Agents get a lot of stick. Viewed as the wheeler dealers of the house buying world, people believe that they will do anything to get their commission. Freehold (also known as Two Pigeons) explores one such dodgy agent, Hussein (Mim Shaikh), as he is tormented by an angry ex-client, Orlan (Javier Botet). Orlan’s revenge involves hiding in Hussein’s house and effectively becoming a living ghost. He haunts Hussein’s sleeping hours, wandering around the house conducting all manner of unspeakable acts – most of which involve his own bodily fluids. As Hussein is slowly driven mad, Orlan kick’s his campaign up a notch, will either of them survive what Orlan has in store?
Freehold is easily one of the most bizarre films committed to film this year. Firmly planted somewhere between comedy, horror and thriller, this is a film that takes you through a gauntlet of emotions. You’ll laugh, cower, and have to hold down the vomit, as Orlan’s plan unfolds.
Freehold Review
Although Hussein is our unknowing victim, the narrative focuses in closer with Orlan, making this his story. There is still plenty of Hussein screen-time for the audience to connect with him and feel sorry for him, but he’s such an oily, self-obsessed idiot that for the most part you’re Team Orlan. The role is a complex one, existing mostly in silence, the part relies heavily on Orlan’s physicality. An imposing figure, giant Orlan, stomps around the house causing chaos whilst all the time looking like something out of a nightmare. He’s Christian Bale in The Machinist slim, a size that is uncomfortable and disturbing to see on a man that large, he’s clearly been hiding out for a very long time.
For a role so focused on the body, it seems only right that Javier Botet play Orlan. Botet is a name that many won’t be familiar with, but if you like horror you’ll have easily seen at least one of his performances before. Thus far in his career he has played Mama in Mama, Niña Medeiros in the Rec films, and most recently he was The Crooked Man in The Conjuring 2. His impressive 6’ 6 ¾” skeletal frame makes him perfect for creepy, long-limbed monsters, but in Freehold he proves that he can be just as menacing without the make-up. It’s nice to see Botet as Botet for once, and his turn as Orlan is wrought with pathos, spite and malice.
Freehold Review
Fans of dramatic irony will have a ball with Freehold, as the audience is in on everything. This God-like omnipotence accounts for much of the humour. Hussein and his girlfriend Mel (Mandeep Dhillon) argue over an unwanted and unflushed number 2, during which Mel remarks ‘so it must be the ghost that did it yeah? I mean who else could it be? No one else lives here.’ She is obviously wrong, but Mel and Hussein don’t know that. There are many more moments like this and it’s entertaining to be in on the ‘joke’ from the start. It’s also nice to see irony being used correctly, unlike that Alanis Morissette song.
A cautionary tale for Estate Agents everywhere, Freehold is a modern day chiller. I guarantee it will have you checking under the bed when you get home, the idea of someone invading the home and you not knowing is truly terrifying. Disturbing and disgusting (I genuinely felt ill watching Orlan reap most of his revenge), Freehold is the most bizarrely brilliant British horror in years.
Freehold review by Kat Hughes, August 2017.
Freehold is currently playing as part of the Horror Channel Frighfest 2017 programme.
