Boys From County Hell (2020) Review

Everyone knows the legend of Dracula but hilarious new horror comedy Boys From County Hell shakes up the iconic vampires creation by claiming Bram Stoker stole his ideas from an ancient Irish folk tale.

Stories of this tyrannical chieftain known as Abhartach, that rose from its final resting place to drain the blood from its subjects, go way back but were first collected in Patrick Weston Joyce’s The Origin and History of Irish Names of Places in 1875, over 20 years before Bram Stoker’s who was born and grew up in Ireland, published his novel in 1897.

In fact in 2000 lecturer in Celtic History and Folklore at the University of Ulster, Bob Curran suggested Stoker took much inspiration from stories of Abhartach going into far more detail than Weston did in explaining the history of the monster in his 2005 book Vampires: A Field Guide to the Creatures That Stalk the Night.

Whatever you choose to believe the injustice of Ireland’s exclusion in Stoker’s legacy forms the fantastic basis for the film that sees local layabout Eugene (Peaky Blinders Jack Rowan) taunting uneducated tourists by taking them to Abhartach’s grave to tell them the truth and scare the bejesus out of them.

Directionless Eugene spends the rest of his time drinking in the pub aptly named The Stoker and hanging out with Claire (Louisa Harland from Derry Girls) and William (Les Mis and Animals star Fra Fee) his best friends who are also a couple.

Everything changes when an unfortunate accident turns Eugene’s life on its head and he ends up working for his father building an unpopular bypass straight through the land where legend says Abhartach lies. From here things take a turn for the terrifying as the site is besieged by strange goings on including missing men and the constant reappearance of Abhartach’s stone grave which seems indestructible.

Soon Eugene and his pals realise that the legend is far from fake and their own disrespectful intrusion has caused Abhartach to rise once again and start sucking the life out of everyone they know.

Forced to face up to his tragic past as well as his part in the horrifying events Eugene finally takes action against the original vampire lord but will he be able to stop him before he drinks the town dry.

The follow-up to his acclaimed crime thriller debut Bad Day For The Cut, director Chris Baugh, who also co-wrote the film with Brendan Mullin, actually made Boys from County Hell once before as a 17 minute short back in 2013 before adapting it into the full length feature which is realised 7 years later.

Taking cues from various other fantastic Irish folk horrors like The Hole in the Ground, Wake Wood and The Hallow, Boys from County Hell also injects its own brand of off key humour to the proceedings that is just as distinctly Gaelic as the original myth. Much like the equally excellent Grabbers it is these lighter moments that wonderful offset the darker drama and make the movie a more compelling and complete experience.

Hysterical and horrifying, in many ways the jokes and gags are used as a deflection, first for the mundane and stagnant life Eugene and the entire town seem to be stuck in and then as a shield against the truly terrifying attacks that Abhartach launches on people Eugene loves.

The effects throughout are excellent especially the blood sucking which takes the form of peoples blood literally draining from their bodies, drawn up by the vampire’s powerful thirst. A highly original and awful effect we see veins opened, eyes bleeding and rivers of red running down the streets all to feed the beast.

A highly original Celtic horror comedy Boys from County Hell is bloody brilliant and manages to find a new take on the Dracula myth which is no mean feat. Baugh expertly blends full on horror, funny moments and modern day drama into a stunning story that hits you with as many emotional blows as comedic ones.

BOYS FROM COUNTY HELL WILL BE RELEASED IN UK AND IRISH CINEMAS ON 6TH AUGUST 2021

Movie Rating:★★★★☆ 

Trailer:

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Alex Humphrey

Alex studied film at the University of Kent and went on to work for Universal Pictures in their Post Room gaining an inside look at the movie industry from the very bottom. Constantly writing reviews in everything from local magazines to Hip Hop sites Alex honed his critical skills even spending a brief period as a restaurant critic. Read more

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