Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films,
2018
Images from the Internet
Habit
Directed by Simeon Halligan
Not
a Number / Tin Hat Productions / Blue Diamond Pictures
96
minutes, 2017 / 2018
Manchester,
England, England / Across the Atlantic Sea… It’s a town known for, among other
things, melancholia, producing such music as the Smiths and Joy Division / New
Order (none of whom show up in the soundtrack, thankfully). Not exactly a
cheery lot. So it makes sense that it would be the locale for a somber film of
blood, guts and… well, I’m getting ahead of myself here.
 |
| Elliot James Langridge |
Based
on the novel by Stephen McGeagh, we are introduced to slacker Michael (Elliot
James Langridge) who meets Lee (Jessica Barden, the big name in the cast due to
her work on the 2017 Brit series “The End of the F***ing World”) on the way to an
employment agency. Late at underdressed in a gray hoodie, he’s a bit seedy, and
she’s excitable, in a way reminiscent of the Melanie Griffith character in Something Wild (1986), without the extreme and exaggerated danger
level, though she seems more stable as time goes on. Before the scene is over
and less than 10 minutes into the film, she’s talked her way into moving in with
him and his toe-jam pickin’ roommate, Dig (Andrew Ellis); think of the Rhys
Ifans character from Nodding Hill (1999),
though without the charm. Personally, I would have asked for some ID to see her
age; Barden is mid-‘20s, but can easily pass for close to underage, wildish or
not. Why take the chance, eh? Anyway, I digress…
 |
| Jessica Barden |
To
thank him for the arrangement, Lee gets him a job at her Uncle Ian’s (William
Ash) – err – massage parlour working the door security. It isn’t long before he
discovers the big secret of the place, though it isn’t that hard to figure out,
even if you just watch the trailer or see the attached publicity photos. It’s
also not a new theme these days, with the likes of the “Santa Clarita Diet”
(2017-ongoing) and especially Raw
(2016).
The
film builds nicely, one foot in front of the other, as we delve ever deeper
into Michael’s old (through dreams and flashback) and new life. Lee hints early
on that she knows that he’s ”different,” and being a genre film, you know something
wicked this way comes in wrappings of a woman with a child-like face. A similar
technique is used in real life to drag life stragglers into cults, and this one
is a doozy.
 |
| Roxanne Pallett |
There
is a bit of competition hinted at between Lee and one of the women at the
parlor, the very hot Alex (Roxanne Pallett, sporting a very ‘60s Carnaby Street
vibe; think Julie Christie), who is somewhat the antithesis of Lee (cute-sexy
vs. hooker-sexy). Also caught up in the whole thing is Michael’s confused and OCD
sister with some PSTD issues, Mand (cute Sally Carman, currently on “Coronation
Street”).
Nearly
everything the audience learns about events is parallel to when Michael becomes
aware. This is a nice touch, as is the predictability factor, which is a mixed
bag. For example, there is one death that is expected, some unexpected, and
honestly one I thought I saw coming that didn’t happen (no spoiler alerts).
The
cast is certainly not acting newbies, all having long histories in British
productions, especially telly series. Most have been in similar shows from time
to time, and I’m going to assume that many of them know each other from this
work, as the British market – especially up north in Manchester – is probably
limited to some extent. What I’m trying to say, is that the cast is stellar,
playing nuanced performances that give credibility to the characters, no matter
how outlandish the activities involved.
 |
| Sally Carman |
The
film also looks stunning. Camera work, lighting, and cinematographic framing
are offset by a somewhat languid editing that draws the viewer in, rather than
lingering too long to the point of distraction. It also reminds me a bit of Long Night in a Dead City, which was
filmed around the same time in New England. Know that the accents here are
thick as fleas and twice as chewy.
On
some level this can be considered an organized crime genre, but there is way
too much of body parts and moistness
for this to be just your average crime caper. Also, it’s too controlled to be
considered a slasher film, either. But know there is a nice body count, and a
lot of body jus.
The
ending is left wide open, I suppose for the possibility of a sequel, which I
will also gladly eat up. The average film viewer may not want to have a meal
before watching this, but if you’re a genre junkie like me, you’ll relish this
over some White Castle (what’s the British equivalent?) and a cuppa… red wine.
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