Outcast

Directed by:Colm McCarthy

Starring: Therese Bradley, Niall Bruton, Hannah Stanbridge, james Nesbitt, Karen Gillan, Kate Dickie, James Cosmo, Ciarán McMenamin

Synopsis:

Two travellers, Mary (Dickie) and her teenage son Fergal (Bruton), move into a decrepit flat on a council estate in Lothian, Scotland. The shy Fergal strikes up a relationship with Petronella, the girl next door, much to Mary’s disapproval. Meanwhile Cathal and Liam, two mysterious travellers from Ireland use ritual and magic on a blood hunt. Mary, Fergal's mother performs ritual and magic of her own.

Review:

Despite the creature at the end of the film being a little clunky (although hats off for using physical fx), Outcast proves to be a fascinating and disturbing tale of ancient magic in an urban setting, full of little details which help to make this world as real as possible. This is a world of clans of travellers keeping ancient traditions and powerful rituals alive. An underground society living in the shadows of our own perceived existence.

Outcast is one of those rare movies where the amount of exposition is just right – enough to draw you in, but stops well short of having to explain every action and motive. We’re given hints and glimpses of this “secret world” without having the whole thing exposed and broken down. Cathal and Liam’s meetings with the Laird (an excellent as always James Cosmo) are prime examples – you get a feel of the bigger picture with just a few choice turns of phrase.

Similarly, the magic runes and rituals that are carried out are suitably arcane – check out the scene where both Liam and Mary are making a special candle made of boiled insects and human blood (!) – but nobody stops to explain anything, it shows you instead. Other elements are left unexplained but you can still understand the meaning. On a couple of occasions, Mary cracks open a bird’s egg. When she sees one has two yolks inside, Mary is able to convey without words that this is some sort of bad omen.

The various spells and curses aren’t flashy CGI affairs, they rely on solid acting instead. Mary puts a spell on her flat so that people who mean her harm won’t be able to find it. This leads to an amusing scene when the housing officer arrives and literally can’t find the flat even when she’s stood right outside.

Outcast is a pretty gory film at times. The creature Fergal changes into at night stalks the council estate, snatching victims and disembowelling them. The murders are committed off camera but accompanied by some gruesome sound fx. A scene in a morgue towards the end of the film is certainly not recommended for the squeamish though.

Director Colm McCarthy has cut his teeth on a number of sterling UK tv series, such as Spooks and Hustle. He manages to keep the kitchen sink drama elements from getting too soapy and portrays life on the estate in a suitably bleak manner.

The acting is pretty faultless, although the character of Fergal doesn’t give Niall Bruton a lot to do except mope and look sheepish most of the time. Hannah Stanbridge has a better time of it as Petronella. Dr Who fans will be keen to see Karen Gillan as Petronella’s friend, but she is only in a handful of scenes. However it is the adults who dominate this film.

First, Kate Dickie as Mary, a caustic woman who’s graduated from the school of hard knocks with full honours. Her knowledge of magic and rituals has helped keep her and Fergal alive so far, but now that Fergal is “of age”, and the change is fully upon him, she has decided to make a stand once and for all.

James Nesbitt’s Cathal is just as interesting. Cathal’s relationship to Mary is at the heart of the film. He has been enticed into helping track and kill Fergal with the promise of “a shiny new skin”: powerful runes and sigils which for now have been tattooed with Henna – if he succeeds in his mission, then they will be made permanent. Cathal is overeager though, and self-righteous. He keeps saying that his mission is “just”, but he is fooling no one but himself. For Liam and his family, the hunt is a necessity in order to keep their ways secret from the rest of the world, but they are all too aware of Cathal’s culpability.

Verdict

Outcast gives new spin to the old werewolf tropes and paints a vivid, secret world of spells, curses and portents.

7 out of 10 (MikeOutWest)

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