By Becca Johnson August 26, 2024
Directed by Marc Coleman and starring a slew of British talent including Dean Kilbey (ManFish), Perry Benson (Benidorm), Juliet Cowan (Back to Black) and Mark Monero (Free Fire), 'Members Club' is a fresh new horror comedy focussing on a middle-aged stripper group named Wet Dreams. Down on their luck and deciding to take one last gig at a rural working mens club, the group get more than they bargained for when they discover they are to become sacrifices in a plot to raise a murderous 16th century witch.
Though 'Members Club' has to be commended for taking an out-there idea and adopting a balls to the wall approach, enjoyment of this film will likely depend on individuals own sense of humour, as the script caters for a very specific audience.
Review
The best thing about 'Members Club' is the performances and dedication from the cast - even if it does have a wacky, out-of-place cameo from Peter Andre. Our group of actors are clearly having as much fun as they want their audience to have whilst watching, and they perfectly understand the assignment. Their comedic delivery is great, and due to the nature of the comedy, it often feels quite natural coming from a group such as this. Dean Kilbey helms the movie as Alan, leader of the pack who is struggling to maintain his relationship with his daughter who clearly doesn’t approve of his line of work, as well as getting bookings for himself and the group. Kilbey is great here, doing a fab job whether delivering quirky comedy or emotional heart to hearts. Another standout is Juliet Cowan in the role of Joanne, an individual who is clearly navigating her first ever satanic antics. Her ditsy nature and laugh-out-loud naivety adds much charm to the movie - she doesn’t have a clue what’s going on, she just wants to be involved, even if that does mean making her creepy mask out of Twiglets. Everyone has great chemistry together and make for a likable cast.
Though 'Members Club' is a horror comedy, it focuses on the latter much more than the former. Despite this certainly making for an entertaining ride, the comedy included will not appeal to all, and horror fans may be left slightly cold. It does have its moments of memorable gore, body horror, spooky witchy imagery and use of practical effects, but it’s certainly a comedy first and a horror second, with a few of the scares feeling wedged in. The horror takes some time to fully come around, whereas the humour kicks in from the very first moment, when Wet Dreams end up creepily performing their risqué routine for a group of kids as they mistake a 12th birthday party for a 21st. This sets the tone for the rest of the laughs to come, as it heavily relies on fart jokes, nudity, penis jokes, and the fact that they’re middle-aged men taking their kit off.
Cockney accents and banter aplenty, the comedy is very British-coded, so UK audiences may find some charm within this script. Whilst it undeniably has plenty of funny moments, the laughs are unlikely to appeal to all, and the further the run-time progresses, the more grating the humour is likely to become if it’s not a style you vibe with. If you like the sound of talking tin-foil hedgehogs, Peter Andre in a blonde wig and a witch that takes its victims genitalia, it’s likely worth a watch.
The plot is undeniably odd, but the filmmaking team fully understand this. Never taking itself too seriously, 'Members Club' cleverly takes a wild, wacky approach with every sequence, meaning that wherever you land on the film when the credits roll, you’ve likely had a lot of fun. It does have sparing moments that ground it and add some levity, largely revolving around Alan’s relationship with his daughter Daisy, though this is (probably purposely) under-explored to make way for more mayhem. With laughs and shockers within every scene, it manages to ensure consistent engagement with the material, even if much of it leaves you scratching your head. It’s also exceptionally unique, from its group of protagonists to its setting and villain - it’s unlikely you’ve seen anything like 'Members Club' before. Director Marc Coleman is renowned for this, with his prior feature 'ManFish' posing a similarly weird and wonderful plot surrounding a humanoid sea creature washing up and forming a questionably close bond with human Terry (also played by Dean Kilbey). It’s interesting to see Coleman’s name appear on festival line-ups as you truly never know what you’ll get, but as well as this, his direction is rather solid. Consistently getting great performances out of his cast and offering up strange and intriguing ideas, he’s certainly making a name for himself as one to keep an eye on.
'Members Club' is a far from perfect comedy horror, as the laughs it serves up aren’t the most tasteful or universal, and largely take precedence over the gruesome gore. However, the competent cast elevate the material nicely, and a lot of the horror being served does deliver. It may not be the most competent movie of FrightFest, but it might just manage to be one of the most memorable, due to its nutty and unique premise.
Star Rating
'Members Club' premiered at Frightfest London 2024 August 24
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