REVIEW - UnLucky (Directed by Steve Wood)

From RedTrack Films and the wild imagination of acclaimed actor Steve Wood (The Slayers, Cannibals and Carpet Fitters, Crispy's Curse, Cry of the Magpie, Jamie Johnson, There's Something in the Shadows, Tales of the Creeping Death, Losing Faith, Watch Me Sleep, St Baptiste's, Run for Your Life!) comes UnLucky, his second feature film effort as director after the 2023 action thriller Losing Faith, which he not only directed, but also wrote, produced and starred in.

Set in present day Britain, UnLucky follows Sam Brook, a working class geezer on a losing streak, with a run of bad luck which sees him lose his job and take a hit in the pocket, bringing money worries aplenty and mounting stress, all amidst the aftermath of splitting up with his girlfriend - and as if all that wasn't enough of a headache, his bad luck soon threatens not only his happiness, but his safety - and maybe even his life.

But fear not - this story isn't all doom and gloom, as it can be said that comedy and tragedy are two hands in the same glove (or two sides of the same coin), a notion which Wood seems to pay heed to, and this film is heavily punctuated with moments of comedy (with a tonne of subtle gags, and the occasional hard-hitting joke thrown in to boot).

A gentle and melodic song (for the most part) from brothers Kyle and Ash Lamley, as a band known collectively as THEIA, is used here to open and close the film, with their 2023 song The Wet Die Young fitting well.

The film begins with some stunning cinematography in the establishing shots and drone footage, and it's not long before we get our first dose of surrealist comedy from John Williams, as Johnny Big Bones who cohabits with a bizarre circle of 'friends'.

Supported by a strong cast of stalwarts from a close-knit community of Midlands-based actors and indie filmmakers, including Claire Ward (Crispy's Curse, There's Something in the Shadows, Tales of the Creeping Death, Watch Me Sleep, St Baptiste's) as Claire Brook, Darren McAree (The Slayers, Dead Town, Crispy's Curse, There's Something in the Shadows, Tales of the Creeping Death, Watch Me Sleep, St Baptiste's) as Daz Sackrider, Charlene Aldridge (The Reluctant Landlord, The Cursed Soul, Tribal Get Out Alive, The Drugs Game, Losing Faith, Repentance, Fyre Rises) as Kaite Addcock, and John Williams as the afforementioned Johnny Big Bones - famed as the director of Crispy's Curse, There's Something in the Shadows, Tales of the Creeping Death, Watch Me Sleep, and St Baptiste's who also has a new film to be released later in 2025, titled The Beast of Riverside Hollow, which with Wood taking the helm here in the role of 1st assistant director also promises to be another project with cult movie potential from this gang of Midlands-based filmmakers.

Simon Row as Rowey Boatman also serves up a large portion of spontaneous quips and outbursts, coming across as a real sandwich-short-of-a-picnic, and yet simultaneously appearing rather brutish and intimidating - like a cross between Only Fools and Horses' dim-witted yet beloved character Trigger, and Phil Mitchell from Eastenders (especially when he was off his tits on crack); delivering his gags often from out of nowhere to bring random moments of madcap hilarity, but this might have been overdone for those with less of a penchant for inane humour and laughter for laughter's sake.

Overall, the cast deliver strong performances, with a noteworthy acting debut from Jed Osborne as the pub quiz host Ted Rodgers, who sports a very sparkly and rather bedazzling red sequin jacket - which can be credited to (or blamed on) Wood, what with him being in charge of wardrobe and all.

Jokes aside, Wood's refreshing portrayal of our protagonist deviates somewhat from the more classic movie tropes of the raw and gritty hardmen of the British working class, offering instead a much more relatable and sympathetic character.

However, soon enough, the light-hearted vibe gives way to a sinister plot twist, which appears inspired by a bizarre cocktail of elements reminiscent of a plethora of classic TV shows and films, including the Saw movie franchise and I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! with additional influences seemingly drawn from the antics of David Blaine and the stunts of Harry Houdini; and while we're busy being bat shit crazy, why not throw in a second plot twist just for good measure!? - But as fun as all that might sound it's all rather warped and dark, and gives us a frightening insight into Wood's crazy mind - and let's just say it's not for the claustrophobic - and to those who think they've got their heads round all that Wood could possibly come up with to freak out his viewers, the surprise ending will prove them wrong!

The closing of the film ties up loose ends nicely and fills in the blanks to the unanswered questions, but that said, the ending might have benefitted from a tad more dynamism with the sound effects - a rare occasion perhaps, when a little canned laughter could have possibly elevated things. That said though, this film is immensely enjoyable, and as a low-budget production is exceptionally impressive, a testiment to Wood and his creativity and passion, and to all the actors and crew who mucked in. This film comes highly recommended and will be enjoyed by fans of British cinema, comedy, dark humour, and horror/thriller type movies.

Upon completion of this, his second feature film, Wood was full of praise for his crew and team: "Thank you to everyone involved in this production after doing pretty much everything on the hurricane that was Losing Faith, this felt like a light breeze with help from production manager Claire Ward, Ady Bull, Dani Knighton, Adam Read and many more that jumped in to make the low-budget film work as seamlessly as possible."