Sweetie, You Won’t Believe It (2020) Review

Love Horror Frightfest 2021

Sweetie, You Won’t Believe It was a bit of a FrightFest wildcard, a wacky looking film from Kazakhstan which follows the misadventures of three men on a fishing trip gone very wrong. The best way to describe it would be a very gory version of Carry On, attempting to blend horror and comedy in a way that would both translate well overseas, and entertain a room full of genre lovers at the same time. No pressure then.

Thankfully this film was an absolute riot, and turned out to be a horror comedy that’s just as good as Two Heads Creek, an Ozploitation flick which premiered at last year’s digital edition of the festival. It’s so refreshing to see horror comedy alive and well, generating some really strong reactions from audiences. This was the first Kazakh film I’ve ever seen, and Sweetie, You Won’t Believe It has only made me want to seek out more.

The film opens with Dastan (Daniar Alshinov) arguing with his wife Zhanna (Asel Kaliyeva) about baby names, although it seems he’s simply indifferent and she’s the one trying to pick a fight. The two are expecting their first child together, a turbulent time, and it’s clear Dastan just wants to get away for a while before his baby is born. Although Zhanna is enraged by this, Dastan leaves with his two friends Arman (Azamat Marklenov) a sex toy salesman, and Murat (Erlan Primbetov) a local policeman.

Right off the bat, the dynamic between our three central characters is hilarious, as they’re all very different and bounce off each other throughout the film. Dastan seems like the only “normal” one in this situation, sitting there in a van filled with blow up sex dolls while one of his friends comfortably urinates in a bottle. Even before all the violence kicks off, the buddy comedy elements are fantastic and we get a real look at who these people are.

Unfortunately for the three friends, they soon cross paths with a gang of crooks, and as they float up the river trying to catch some fish, they witness something they really shouldn’t have. This is the catalyst for a series of utterly ridiculous yet wonderfully gory moments that take up the majority of the film. And boy, are these an absolute treat to watch.

There are some utterly ridiculous scenes in this film, to the point where you can find yourself laughing hysterically and wincing within a few minutes of each other. But when it comes to Sweetie, You Won’t Believe It, anything goes, and you’re expecting the next scene to be even more ridiculous than the last. Writer-director Yernar Nurgaliyev puts his audience in a position where you never really know what’s around the corner, making for a thoroughly exciting piece of cinema.

Having said all this, there’s a surprising amount of heart here. While the slapstick comedy is a huge part of its narrative, it also deals with some important themes. Masculinity and femininity, fatherhood, friendship, relationships, and careers are all explored, and characters do take a journey while they’re trying to escape from this terrifying situation they’ve found themselves in.

The script is so strong that they managed to do all this and make the audience laugh, all in 1hr 24 minutes. The film might be short, but it’s certainly mighty and it’s paced incredibly well. Not one minute of screen time is wasted, everything fits together so effortlessly.

Best experienced on the big screen (or at the very least with some friends), Sweetie, You Won’t Believe It is a crowd pleaser and the less you know about it the better. Allow it to shock and surprise you, make you laugh until you cry, and enjoy every minute of this Kazakh horror comedy masterpiece.

Movie Rating:★★★★★ 

Trailer:

YouTube video
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Lucy Buglass

http://lucygoestohollywood.com

Lucy Buglass is a Rotten Tomatoes approved critic and creator of film blog Lucy Goes to Hollywood. She recently joined the Love Horror team as a contributor in 2020 where she hopes to further share her passion for the genre. Her work can also be found on JumpCut Online and The Horrorcist, including coverage from festivals like FrightFest. She loves horror, thriller, true crime and anything that will make your skin crawl, but is also partial to a wholesome film if the mood takes her. When she's not watching or writing about spooky films, she finds light relief by clocking countless hours on video games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons and The Sims 4. You can follow Lucy on Twitter and Instagram.

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