When the Screaming Starts (2021)

"Great British Horror Comedy"

One of my favourite films from Frightfest 2021 is getting a digital release from Signature Entertainment. 

Aidan (Ed Hartland) who also co-wrote this with director Conor Boru) has aspirations to be a serial killer but he hasn't actually murdered anyone yet. Norman Graysmith (Jared Rogers) is a documentary film-maker currently living in a camper van who is desperate for a subject. When Norman starts filming Aidan's life story it's the spur Aidan needs to put together his Family ("Like the Mansons but not racist"). 

After a series of interviews Aidan finally has his eccentric band of misfits which include an ex-con, psychotic twins who have joined "for the orgies", an ex public schoolgirl who keeps the housemistress responsible for her dismissal locked in a cupboard in her gothic home, and a prospective yoga student who speaks no English and is there by mistake. It's when the gang go on their first mass murder spree that power struggles begin to develop that threaten to not just break the group up but leave Norman without a film. 

WHEN THE SCREAMING STARTS does a very good job of getting its mix of comedy and horror right, with the film starting off silly and getting gradually darker, with the result that later killings have all the more punch. It's all riotous fun, delightfully and eccentrically performed, and all slickly put together. You won't see a better British horror comedy all year. Let's have a trailer:

WHEN THE SCREAMING STARTS is out on digital platforms from Signature Entertainment on Monday 26th September 2022