By Thomas Tobutt.
★★½
Fresh off tackling vampires in his previous directorial outing Drained (2024), Peter Stylianou returns to the horror genre with his newest film The Nice Ones. Serving as writer, producer and director, the film follows Kate (Joelle Rae), who alongside her boyfriend Dale (Emrhys Cooper) visit old friends out in the English countryside. Before they know it, the night soon takes a dark turn.
From minute one, The Nice Ones instantly catches your eye. Whether in sheer darkness or a well-lit room, every shot manages to impress with lighting and style. Between shots lingering on specific areas to generate tension and unease, or generally creative imagery scattered throughout the runtime – The Nice Ones thrives in its cinematography. Despite Alexey Korobko (director of photography) not working on Stylianou’s previousfilm Drained, great care was taken to ensure that the stunning visuals remain consistent between the two.
Horror classics such as The Thing (1982), and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) are listed as inspirations within the director’s statement, with the latter even receiving a mention within the film itself. These comparisons soon become obvious, with the narrative following the formulaic tropes that these influential titles normalised. Whilst this does lead to several predictable outcomes, the fast-paced nature of the plot allows you to forgive and find comfort within the final product.
The origin of the possessive entity which provides the title for this film is instantly shown in the opening scenes, making it clear that the source is extraterrestrial rather than supernatural. Whilst on many occasions, less can be more (especially within The Thing), due to the dialogue-heavy roles that the possessed portray, a lack of context for their actions can frustrate and leave you seeking more. Several moments can leave you scratching your head, rather than feeling spooked by their actions.
An audience’s attachment to the protagonists can go a long way in horror movies, with their fear and desperation translating through the screen if received well. Where it is immediately clear of the issues Kate has faced in the past, the rest of the characters are less sympathetic. This works well for developing Kate’s character, by handling some heavy material, yet the actions from those side characters (including her own boyfriend) leave you uninvested in their safety.
The Nice Ones is a visually stunning low-budget horror film, particularly in moments of darkness. The familiar horror formula does offer comfort in knowing what is around the corner yet does little to revolutionise that area. The deliberately unlikeable side cast fails to connect audience’s concerns with them, leaving the care for their safety at arm’s length. Furthermore, the inconsistent portrayal of the force that terrorises the protagonists struggles to generate a fear-factor in this low-budget outing.
