After opening on all platforms in the UK on July 5th, A Field in England, directed by Kill List and Sightseers director Ben Wheatley, is supposed to find a US release later this year. Which is good, because it definitely sounds like something different, possibly even in a good way. At least, I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a period piece drug movie before.
England : 1648 AD. A small group of deserters flee from a raging battle through an overgrown field. They are captured by two men: O’Neil and Cutler. O’Neil, an alchemist, forces the group to aid him in his search to find a hidden treasure that he believes is buried in the field. Crossing a vast mushroom circle, which provides their first meal, the group quickly descend into a chaos of arguments, fighting and paranoia, and, as it becomes clear that the treasure might be something other than gold, they slowly become victim to the terrifying energies trapped inside the field.
I doubt there’d be much war if more soldiers were on mushrooms. They’d probably just line up to pet each other’s uniforms. Anyway, it sounds interesting. It’s currently tracking 91% on RottenTomatoes, with mostly reviews from the UK, where critics are notoriously bitchy. ThePlaylist‘s Jessica Kang described it as:
Imagine attempting a super-low-budget, rapidly shot mashup of the melancholic aesthetic of Ingmar Bergman, the comedic sensibility of Mel Brooks and the tonal uneasiness of Lars Von Trier…
Yes, please. Especially to “comedic sensibility.” I can’t stand art films that are super serious all the time. It seems phony. The joy of creation should translate to the viewer, shouldn’t it? Anyway, I’ve got two trailers after the jump. I don’t know what the hell is going on in them, but I’m intrigued.
If you’ll remember, the English Civil War of the 1600s pitted the Whigs against the Roundheads, in a bitter battle over who would control the Empire’s vast stores of porridge. The Roundheads eventually triumphed, tricking the Whigs by dressing 100,000 of their soldiers in drag for some reason, and celebrated by inventing marmalade. The events are celebrated twice every year on St. Swithin’s Day.
I don’t much about 17th Century England, but every cinematic depiction of it makes it look like everyone smelled really, really terrible.