The Group
00:24:41
About
We present a spoiler free look at “The Group”, the debut feature of director William Higo. A group meeting for (mostly) recovering addicts is suddenly hijacked by an unknown man, who conducts his own brutal group therapy session, down the barrel of a gun. Secrets are exposed, truths confronted and loyalties are torn and formed as the situation reaches boiling point. A taut thriller set in one location, this film is so much more assuredly cinematic than those restrictions may suggest, and it succeeds in being a tense and intriguing ride. The small cast work wonders with a smart and unflinching script, holding the viewer in their seat for the film’s duration. A big thank you to Will Higo for reaching out to us (via longtime friend of the show Tony Wash) and allowing us to view this excellent thriller. Having wowed at festivals, “The Group” is available in the US, and coming soon in the UK, and we urge you to seek it out! For our US listeners The Group is available on: Indemand Dish Directv Vudu https://www.vudu.com/content/browse/details/The-Group/2716039 Hoopla https://www.hoopladigital.com/movie/the-group-jennifer-aries/16479645 Microsoft link: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/the-group/8d6kgwxxkw2f?activetab=pivot%3aoverviewtab Apple link, which should open the app: https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/the-group/umc.cmc.2fopy9nvq50zdk3drpyfze72c
Transcript
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LeeGood evening and welcome to horror. I'm Lee.
ChrisI'm Chris.
AdamI'm Adam.
LeeAnd we are here this evening to cover a movie yet to be released in the UK, which is really exciting.
AdamExclusive.
LeeAnd we're going to be doing our very best to discuss it without spoilers.
LeeBecause obviously normally we we will knew we're going to spoil the shit out of it, but we're not going to do that for this because that'd be unfair.
LeeAnd I personally think people should go out and watch this. So,
AdamThey should.
LeeYes, so we are covering the group by William Higo. He has he's friends with Tony from Scotch worthy, yeah. Sorry, it's Sunday night and my brain is shutting down already. And so I'd seen some of William's work previously. He directed a short called My Name Is, which was actually one of my favorites from the the first Wo to Death DVD.
AdamOh, yes. Yeah.
LeeAnd it's sort of similar to the movie we're covering this evening, but twists in a very different way.
LeeSo anybody, I'd recommend if you go and Google Will Higo, he's got a website and if you go it's there's got an editor and director tab. If you go to the director tab, all his short stuff's on there. Yeah, and I've been through and watched all of them at least a couple of times because they're all really good, so
LeeI recommend people go and do the same.
AdamAnd also he has worked on so much stuff like in the capacity as an as editor or as in you know like not not in a directing capacity, but yeah he's sort of he's worked on.
ChrisI'm going to say
AdamIt comes through.
ChrisYes.
AdamYes, yeah.
AdamYeah, this doesn't this doesn't feel like a first go, No, even though this is his first feature length film as a director and writer.
ChrisIt definitely felt polished to me.
AdamIt it did.
LeeI mean it looked lovely, it was really well put together.
LeeAnd the acting in it again, I know we always say, that's the thing with lower budget and independent stuff that can be quite hard is getting a decent enough cast to carry your
ChrisYeah.
ChrisAnd that works well together.
ChrisBecause they could all individually be great, but it's it's got to be a believable set up of all of them.
LeeYeah, and I I thought it worked perfectly with this.
LeeBecause there was that
LeeYou know, there was the kind of those who got on and those who it was a little bit clicky and very different personalities.
ChrisAnd I thought it would they didn't all stay exactly the same either.
ChrisThere was definitely intrigue with each of them that folded nicely.
AdamYeah.
AdamI mean just to
AdamJust so we're obviously we like we say, we're remaining spoiler free, but the essential setup is is that a the group refers to a group like a meeting for reformed or reforming addicts.
AdamMainly basically mainly drug addicts, but addiction, basically. And so it's a group therapy session for that that spirals out when a new person comes into the room,
AdamPulls a gun and starts doing their own version of a group therapy session.
ChrisYeah.
AdamYeah.
AdamAnd yeah, like you say, you've got you've got all these characters who weirdly enough they they give you a nice
AdamIt gives you a nice feeling from the off that you feel familiar with all the characters, you know, they're sort of like, oh right, so that's that person, that's that person.
ChrisYeah.
AdamBut then that alters as people's truths are coming out as people's what what has led them to this point.
ChrisYeah.
AdamAnd you get sort of like you suddenly it's you know, there's a lot of you realize that yes, you know these characters, but you then know them on a much deeper level.
Chris
AdamAnd their actions change in in that context or they're feeling, you know, it's
AdamYeah, it's an impressively done little because it's
AdamIt's almost literally just in one room.
ChrisYeah. Yeah.
LeeThat was the point I was about to make. I when I watched the trailer, yeah, and I was like, are they is he going to be able to sustain an hour and 15 minutes of just
ChrisAnd
LeeHalf a dozen characters in a single room, but as you said Adam, it's that character development and all those little twists and turns of finding out people's secrets and backstories.
ChrisThat was really keep it moving.
LeeIt rushed by. Yeah, it really does.
AdamIt's it's weird, it's in that tradition thinking of like single location films, it's it's a very similar thing you get you get a very similar sort of thing with 12 Angry Men and Phone Booth.
ChrisThat's it, yeah.
AdamThat thing where you're restricting to that, yeah.
ChrisPhone booth is the one I always think of.
AdamWhere you're restricted to that single location, but it's just done to the, you know.
AdamThat drives it, that sort of claustrophobia and that.
ChrisIt's it's all about the character or characters that then
ChrisAnd so yeah, you get that right and it it works amazingly well.
LeeIt is, but yeah, that's the thing, it does all hinge on everybody selling it.
LeeBecause you only need one weak link in there, sort of act to wise or whatever and it it it yeah, it it can it can destroy a movie, can't it?
LeeI mean and again trying to find this many what is it seven or eight people.
LeeAnd you need everybody to be perfect, otherwise the entire thing falls like a house of cards.
LeeBut yeah, I was I was totally blown away by this, I really enjoyed it.
LeeI said it's not I know it's a lot more of a thriller than stuff that we normally cover.
AdamYes.
Leebut yeah, I I I totally loved it. I really really really drawn in.
AdamI mean we've we've definitely covered thrillers in the past and I think that they are so they can rub so closely to horror.
AdamIt's a similar sort of thing of it's that, you know, it comes from the tension.
AdamIt comes from the sort of
AdamYou know, it's whether the tension is whether a werewolf's going to appear or
ChrisWell, that's it. Yeah, it's like you are on the edge of what's going to happen next. Yeah, definitely.
AdamBut I also think that
AdamBecause basically, yeah, the one the one location is this is this meeting which is basically taking place in a community center.
AdamAnd it's weird that it feels it feels cinematic. It doesn't feel like someone in a community center with a camera.
ChrisAbsolutely.
AdamDo you know what I mean?
ChrisYeah, yeah.
AdamNot in an attempt to make it documentary in that way or just not looking right. It just somehow
ChrisIt it does have that artistic element to it. It really does.
AdamYeah.
LeeYeah, I think it's the lighting and everything that they've put it. It's got that as you say, it's got that kind of lived in feeling.
LeeYeah, whereas if it's just a community center under fluorescent light, it's a bit it's a bit glaring and a bit off.
LeeYeah, whereas this felt like you sort of settled into it quite nicely cuz it all just felt Yeah, I felt real, really.
AdamAnd I think that there are, I mean clearly there are, you know, there are harsh moments because this this is a film about people who are already
AdamBattling struggling that struggling in many ways, and then someone's coming in and poking at that and.
ChrisStruggling that yeah.
ChrisWhat was interesting is how there was elements of positivity throughout where you know, you can clearly see they are they are the people who they're they are trying to better themselves and in a way what Jack does is also getting them to reflect on on that.
ChrisSo even though it's it's yeah, there's so much negativity, but it's it is that sort of can we move on from here in some way?
ChrisIt's I tell you what
ChrisYou reminded me of and the obvious similarity was the scene in Fight Club where he pulls the gun out on the Garage Clerk.
AdamOh yes, yeah.
ChrisYeah, and so it was, you know, definitely had an element of that like just putting someone under very intense experience.
ChrisAnd getting them to think about what they're doing is almost like, you know, mindfulness but extreme.
AdamYeah, it's mindfulness of on the down the barrel of a gun. It's.
AdamBut that's the curious thing as well is that his presence actually does it makes them a group.
ChrisYeah, yeah.
AdamWhich they are not they're kind of not before.
ChrisYeah.
AdamYou know, they you know, weirdly enough they all sort of chip in in one way or another.
Chris
AdamYou know, and like the of there's there's a scene of yeah, warning scenes of extreme drug use.
ChrisOh yeah.
AdamBut there is you know, there there is the sequence where there is a sequence where they're sort of like almost egging each other on.
ChrisYeah.
AdamOf like to sort of rally around and save a life, but it's just but it's not someone that but it's not even someone that any of them have rated.
ChrisYeah.
AdamBefore, you know, they're not sort of.
AdamBut yeah, it's it's but I think that because that's the weird thing is because right at the start of the group there's the there's the woman who runs the group who
ChrisRight, so that's yeah.
AdamI understand she's actually Canadian, but you know, I was like at first I was like, American, Canadian, I'm not apologies to her, but she's Canadian. And I did think that was the one thing that was missing possibly was
AdamWhen he first pulls the gun out, no one disbelieves the gun.
LeeYeah.
AdamAnd I don't know if you would in the UK.
Chris
AdamBecause it's because that's the thing it's a British set film.
AdamYou know, it is Yeah.
AdamAnd I don't know why, you know, I mean you've got an ex you've got like an ex-policeman in there who could maybe be maybe identify that it's real or whatever like that.
AdamBut I also thought if you've got if you've got someone who's like from somewhere where guns are more freely available.
AdamJust going, no, no, sit down, this is real.
LeeYeah.
AdamYou know, But then admittedly there is a far more pertinent exposure that the gun is real.
ChrisYeah.
AdamBut it's just the fact that you know, but no one I don't it was just weird that no one at first was like,
AdamIs this a joke?
LeeEven questioned it. Yeah.
AdamYeah, is it that real, you know?
AdamBut it's but still I mean I
ChrisI wonder if that's that's that could be indicative of the lives they've been leading, they probably have seen some bad things.
AdamThat's I mean very true.
AdamI mean that's the thing but I think it's just sort of like yeah.
AdamBut that is a very minor thing that crossed my mind in an otherwise.
ChrisAnd it fears reasonably quickly on that front.
AdamOh yeah, it didn't it didn't take me out of it or anything like that.
AdamI was just sort of like when he was a.
ChrisHe is he is like.
AdamI was like, oh yeah, maybe.
ChrisHe is a a character, isn't he? Like really, it just the way he comes in and takes over it's like.
LeeAnd he and again I found I found him an unusual character because in spite of the fact what he's doing is terrible.
ChrisYeah.
LeeIt at no point does it feel like he's doing it maliciously, does that make sense?
LeeLike he doesn't come in and you immediately go what an absolute monster.
LeeYou immediately think he's here for a reason, he's yeah, so I thought he carried that across quite well, like he didn't just come in like a arrendo villain.
ChrisYeah.
LeeYou knew immediately.
LeeYeah.
LeeYou know, he's been put upon, you know he's been pushed to the point where he's there.
LeeSo you almost you really want to find out.
ChrisYeah, what.
LeeYeah, what his back story is.
LeeAs much as.
LeeYeah, which I
AdamBecause that's the thing.
LeeOh yeah.
AdamIt's there there is that as well where it's like you still, you know, for it for a great deal of the film, you do not know.
Chris
AdamWhy this is occurring.
AdamThere's people some it's interesting because there's a few people who have inklings.
AdamAnd it turns out they're completely wrong.
ChrisYeah.
AdamThey're like, oh sort of, you know, they assume that it's something they've done and then he's just very calmly, no, it's not me.
ChrisYeah.
AdamYou know, that's that's not the reason, but you know, thanks for sharing.
ChrisIt's so
AdamYeah.
ChrisI suppose it's the way he you know, like I said he's not just being horrible.
ChrisLike he there the way he's talking, the things he's saying, the things he's doing, it's yeah, absolutely that you just don't know for sure what he's his aim is.
AdamIt's everything feels like an end to end to a means.
AdamIt's not it's not sadism.
ChrisNo.
AdamIt's not getting off on doing it, but it's like, no, I'm having to do this to get to this.
ChrisYeah.
AdamAnd yeah, that's.
LeeAnd the thing that I liked as well, which again not to try and to do it without giving any spoilers.
LeeIs I don't know how much of what what what happened while he was in there.
LeeHe knew going in.
Chris
LeeSo like the amount of people who were involved in that, it seemed like he was surprised at points.
LeeBy the things that he was discovering along with us. Yeah, so that I was kind of wondering I was like, oh, when he wrote it, I wonder if he had in mind that, you know, the guy has gone in there for a reason and he knows what he knows, but does he know everything or is he.
ChrisYeah.
LeeYeah, and I thought that added a level to it.
AdamIt's it's like.
AdamBecause at first like you say, that there is that sort of element where yeah, he does stuff may come out that he's not aware of and things.
AdamBecause at first it feels very like an Inspector Calls.
LeeThat was what I kept thinking an Inspector Calls.
LeeVery similar.
AdamWhere, you know, obviously obviously in an utterly different way, but he's like, he's like the 24 version of an Inspector Calls, like you said someone who with a gun who breaks legs to sort of, you know.
AdamBut it's yeah, just again sort of there's a lot of.
AdamAnd it's it's not a long film.
ChrisNo.
AdamWhich is always which is always fantastic.
ChrisIt captured exactly what was needed in in the time without.
AdamBut it actually it you know, it does ripple along.
ChrisYeah.
AdamEspecially for something in one location, you know, that you.
ChrisI think that's it like when you know,
ChrisWhen you know that's the setup, it's impossible not to think, oh, is this, you know, is this going to struggle at some point?
ChrisAnd it's like as it, you know, every few minutes you're like, no, it's getting it right.
AdamIt's just I think it's just you get this, you know, it just it doesn't piss about, you get into the situation immediately.
ChrisYeah.
AdamThere's the lovely thing as well, which is I just love the touch that obviously because it's quite a common practice with any sort of meeting, I know they do it in like they do it at work and things like that where you lock up everyone's phone beforehand.
AdamSo someone's not sitting there on their phone or getting calls or whatever like that, so you have to focus on the meeting.
AdamAnd it's like, brilliant, you've just in one you know, in one move of something that is absolutely common to that situation.
AdamYou've removed right, why isn't someone called for help?
ChrisYeah.
AdamYou know, brilliant.
AdamJust immediately sort of, you know, well done.
LeeYeah, I think it's the tension.
LeeI think for me as well, I think it because it it maintained that tension all the way.
LeeLike there's no, it doesn't let off at any point.
ChrisDoesn't love.
LeeOh, no.
LeeI think that's why it went so quick because you are literally on the edge of your seat for the entire duration.
LeeIt's not like, you know, when you get a breather and then it's back in again or whatever, like there there's no letting up.
LeeWhich yeah, which which kept you and again it's those twists and turns.
LeeJust enough characters that you don't get bogged down in everybody's backstory and confused with who does what, it's just enough characters, but it it's enough characters that yeah.
LeeEvery five minutes or so, you get a new piece of information or a new reveal or a new angle on it that keeps keeping it fresh.
LeeAnd taking it in a different direction to where, as he say, you're sort of expecting it to go.
ChrisSure.
AdamI think that's the thing it's it's tense and fascinating.
Chris
AdamBecause you're intrigued because you want to know what is going on.
AdamBut it keeps it at that sort of real run that sort of knife edge through it.
AdamSo you're sort of like, you know, cuz let's face it, you can do a film that's very tense for an hour and 15 or whatever.
ChrisBut it'll be just too much.
AdamBut you might not no, but you don't necessarily have would have character development or something like that.
ChrisOh, yeah.
AdamOr something like that, you know, you can relentlessly chase someone with a pickaxe for an hour.
AdamYou know, it it would get dull, but you know.
ChrisI think I I noticed a few times the music was very good as well.
ChrisI don't know if you've know any details about that, but.
AdamNo, I didn't know the I didn't recognize the composer's name, but I am going to be looking him up.
AdamBecause yeah, I really.
AdamI really liked a lot of what that.
AdamBut again, it wasn't a it wasn't an intrusive sort of
Chris
AdamThing it was partially partly sound designish sort of, you know, it's that sort of gray area now, isn't it really?
LeeYeah, that's what I liked about it as well. It didn't feel too sometimes it can feel a little bit too overdramatic.
LeeAnd like it's pushing too hard, especially with this where it's limited cast, single single scene.
LeeThey can sort of use the music to keep pushing that.
ChrisTo try and convince you of something.
ChrisBut really it just felt like it was adding to the energy and the.
LeeYeah.
ChrisThe sort of the mood and that's that's why I think overall just the production seemed fantastic. It wasn't too much or or you know disjoined it would just yeah, it was really well put together.
AdamYou know, I've I've I've seen far worse third you know, as your debut feature is like this is you know,
AdamThis is this is someone who knows what they're doing.
Chris
ChrisI also had a sense that I would quite happily watch it again.
ChrisI felt like it wouldn't, you know, even though there are some reveals, it's like, no, actually.
AdamYeah.
AdamI would.
AdamI would watch it again mostly because now I know those reveals.
ChrisYeah, no.
AdamYeah, then you would see from that point of view of someone is.
ChrisYeah.
Adam
LeeYeah, it's those usual suspects where you want to go back once you know who went up, you want to go back to the start and see what you can up on the next time through.
AdamAnd that's the thing it's it's not a plot it's not plot twisty in that in the sort of usual suspects sense.
AdamIt is much more the, you know, it's just these characters that you find out all these secrets about and where their resolve leaves them and where their sort of.
AdamAnd I I really liked its ambiguous nature with you know, where it was like no one is clearly bad or worse.
Chris
AdamYou know, I mean Jack is obviously, you know, a you know, he's not right.
AdamHe is.
ChrisHe's upset.
AdamHe upset.
AdamYeah, there's there's that's nicely put there.
AdamSo but no, but what I mean is I think it's there's there doesn't there's not a lot.
AdamThere's not a clear you know, it doesn't demonstrate any sort of morality in the sense of this person's definitely bad, this person's definitely good.
ChrisYeah.
AdamAnd again, not wanting to get into spoiler if it territory, but certainly there was a a line.
AdamOne of the very last lines of it was just perfect. It was my favorite thing about the the movie.
Adam
AdamAnd I won't give it away.
AdamBut there is just a bit where it's like, wow, you know, just.
AdamSo.
LeeYeah, it yeah.
LeeIt's I can't wait to see what he does next.
Lee
ChrisYeah, yeah, definitely.
LeeSo hopefully this is a if I've got it correct.
LeeI believe it's available in North America at the moment.
LeeI think it's just got distribution.
Leeand he's working on cuz Will is
Leeis is London-based as well, he is British. Yeah.
LeeSo I think he's working on getting released over here.
LeeI did emailing to ask him details of when it might be coming out and where people will be able to see it.
LeeBut in my usual disorganized way, I did that about six hours before we started recording.
LeeAnd I'm guessing he's a very busy man, so that's it.
LeeSo, but what we'll do is.
ChrisYou think so.
LeeBut yeah, hopefully if we hear back in the next week, what we'll do is we'll drop it in the show notes any information as to where you'll be able to see this and when.
Leeso I think it was completed in 2022.
ChrisYeah.
LeeSo it's been so it's done the festivals and stuff and now it's getting like a slow roll out.
AdamYeah, cuz I think it it was definitely at Fright Fest.
AdamSo they, you know, they would also have like some info on it there as well.
AdamProbably, you know, but definitely, yeah.
AdamThis is this is one to check out, it's definitely as I say.
AdamI think as a superior thriller, you know, this is definitely one to one to go and seek out.
ChrisYeah, absolutely.
Lee100% couldn't agree more.
LeeExcellent.
LeeRight, so go and check this out as soon as it is available, we'll let you know where and when that will be.
Leethank you very much, Will for sending this film our way and and.
AdamYes.
LeeSuggesting that we check it out.
LeeYeah, it was a it was a really, really nice surprise.
Lee
LeeYeah, and thoroughly enjoyed it.
LeeSo we will be back in a fortnight's time, are we doing what we've been watching because we haven't done one of those in about two months.
Adamyeah.
AdamIt's going to be easier than remembering what we were going to do as a film next.
AdamSo let's do that.
LeeThen.
LeeExcellent.
LeeRight, yeah, so we'll be back for what we've been watching, so no homework for next week.
Leeand go and check out.
LeeI say if you go to Will Higo's site and you can check out all of his shorts on there.
LeeIt's yeah, it's an entertaining hour or so just going through and and and watching all those.
LeeSo, thanks very much, take care and see you on the night's time.
LeeGood night.
AdamGood night.
ChrisGood night.
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