Based on the graphic novel, Une Nuit de Pleine Lune, The Owners offers a new entry within the home invasion genre of film. Starring ex-Doctor Who actor Sylvester McCoy, and Game of Thrones’ Maisie Williams, the story follows a group of low-rent criminals as their simple smash-and-grab home burglary gets botched. With the promised riches no place to be found, the trio – Nathan (Ian Kenny), Terry (Andrew Ellis) and Gaz (Jake Curran), accompanied Nathans’s reluctant girlfriend Mary (Williams), have no choice but to wait for the owners to return. Upon the elderly couple’s arrival, events take a violent turn and Mary soon finds herself in an unexpected battle for survival.
The Owners opens well enough, director Julius Berg taking just the right amount of time to introduce our four would-be criminals. This set-up is essentially one scene set within a car on the boundaries of their target’s property, but none of the characters are complex enough to need much more than the time afforded. Nathan has delusions of earning an easy fortune, Terry is the devoted friend to Nathan who has details about the property, Gaz is a violent sociopath, and Mary just wants her car back so she can go to work. The short and sweet character snapshot means that we can get straight into the action, which would be great if there were more action to be seen.
Once inside, our characters immediately become the stereotypes that they have been pointed out to be. Terry is instantly regretful, Nathan is too prideful to realise things are getting out of control, and Gaz immediately starts smashing things up. The characters instantly become excessively over the top and their actions quickly lack any sense. This is carried through when owners Richard (McCoy) and Ellen (Rita Tushingham) return and they are thrust into a torture situation. All of the unnecessary violence seeks to turn us against the intruders, and in the case of Gaz who is thoroughly unpleasant, this succeeds. It works to move the audience towards Richard and Ellen, yet it’s pretty clear from the outset that there’s something not quite right about them. I mean, the title of the film is ‘The Owners’, which points to there being much more about them than simply owning the house. It must mean that they’re a key component, and although played for shock value, the revelation of their true nature is screamed from early on.
It’s around the middle, ahead of this shift in threat, that the pace of The Owners falls off of a cliff. The zippy opening is forgotten in favour of slow drawn out scenes that appear to go around in circles. Were the initial rapid-fire open to result in more time for what happens after to develop in an interesting way, then all could be forgiven. However, idling around as much as it does leads to frustration, especially as we’re not really that connected to characters we met so fleetingly. Towards the end, the film and story pick up momentum again, but after such a stodgy middle, it’s hard to generate the same excitement or anticipation as in the beginning.
Technically, the film is sound, Berg offering some nice set-pieces and visual style to what could have a rather humdrum affair. One highlight in particular involves a house full of smoke, not only does it look beautiful, but it also offers some effective moments of disorientating unease. There are also plenty of dark and creepy facets to the house, the basement being especially sinister. Berg also adds the occasional moment of comedy to help lighten the mood, with one revolving around an electric saw working wonderfully.
The true star of The Owners though is the decision to include our elderly couple and to utilise them as more than just the frail old folks. This obviously comes from the source material, but the decision to keep it as such during the adaptation process is appreciated. Pensioners don’t often feature within horror movies, and when they do, they are more often cast as the scary but timid old kook, the weak, or the disposable. In The Owners, they get to do something more and demonstrate that the older generation can be just as deadly and dangerous as the young. McCoy and Tushington give gusto with their performances; fans of McCoy’s friendly Doctor Who are in for a shock.
Those drawn to The Owners for the involvement of Maisie Williams may find themselves a little underwhelmed. Her performance is fine, but the character of Mary does not afford her the chance to fully show the breadth of her capabilities as an actor. With no real character development and a lack of reasoning behind her involvement in the heist, Mary falls into a series of self-contradiction without any pay-off.
A film that both starts and ends well, The Owners gets bogged down by a weighty mid-section that doesn’t propel the story as well as it ought to.
The Owners was reviewed at Arrow Video Frightfest Halloween. The Owners will be available on DVD and Digital HD February 15.
The Owners
Summary
Proof that the elderly aren’t as frail and infirm as they would like you to think, The Owners offers a new perspective on the home invasion gone wrong story.
