Ben Wheatley’s A Field in England is above all else a breathtakingly beautiful film, centering around three soldiers abandoning battle. While fleeing, they encounter a cowardly man on a mission of his own.
This film is not your standard horror film. There are no jump scares, large prosthetic monsters, or homicidal maniacs wielding axes. What A Field in England does offer is madness and evil. Accompanied by incredibly well acted and stunning performances by the entire small cast, the cinematography done by Laurie Rose is wonderful and brings this film to life.
Field could have been done so lazily; the setting is simple and the cast small enough that this could have been a terrible independent movie. Everyone involved with the production must have poured heart and soul into this project. Amy Jump and Ben Wheatley wrote some fantastically playful dialog and each character really has a personality all their own. Richard Glover was a personal favorite of mine, so simple and childlike in his portrayal as ‘friend.’ On the other end of the spectrum is Michael Smiley’s malevolent portrayal of O’Neil, a disgusting and evil man, perhaps the devil himself.
This is film is a strange journey. It may leave you scratching your head or maybe even vomiting from the LSD-like trips near the end of the film.
This is an film of madness… and you should see it.
A Field in England the Rottin’ Roger Demarco seal of approval with 3 cock warts out of 5.
