Boys from County Hell (2020) Deliriously Dark Irish Comedy Horror (Review)

First made as a 17-minute short in 2013, Boys from County Hell continues the tear that Irish horror has been on in recent years. The emerald isle has been punching way above its weight, delivering some of the most compelling new low-budget horror movies made anywhere in world cinema. While Boys from County Hell doesn’t hit the highest of highs, all the same, it is a hell of a good time for those who appreciate the horror the island of Ireland has been producing.

Chris Baugh follows his directorial debut, Bad Day for the Cut, with another uniquely Irish from a small village in the middle of nowhere – no prospects, nothing. The only consolation the town has is that there is a local legend that went on to inspire Bram Stoker to write Dracula. Only Stoker’s novel played fast and loose with their local lore of a cairn (man-made stack of rocks) serving as the grave site for a real vampire, Abhartach (a cairn that should never be moved). His literature overlooked key traits for his financial gain, consequently, they aren’t his biggest fans. A poor town by any metric, they only named their local pub after him for some financial gain from their connection, no matter how meagre. Any tourists that manage to find their way to the village are the butt of jokes for the locals as there is nothing better to do. Separate from all this history is the construction of a new road, and no guesses which plot of land that is scheduled to bisect. Enter friends Jack Rowan (Eugene) and Fra Fee (William) who fight in the field after a night at the local, causing the past and the present to violently butt heads.

I need to bring up the Irishness. Many fellow Irish horror movies tend to star actors with gentler accents to appeal to as broad an international audience as possible. Baugh’s film takes place deep in the Irish countryside, where the accents are broad and the sense of humour wickedly dry. To detour a moment, take Razorback (1984) – its alpha, over-the-top Australian-ness is incredibly intimidating, and the same sentiment extends to Essex geezer gangster movies. A film can embody a national identity that can alienate the unfamiliar – ergo if this is your first exposure to Irish culture, it may be a bit full-on.

In a shocking bout of horror, it establishes how different the ‘real’ is from the fantasy as an elderly couple is watching TV and before long, blood starts running from their noses, eyes, and any possible point of exit to satiate the starving vampire. That older man is the bickering shopkeeper from Father Ted, a casting choice that instantly made me smile. Not that the comedy is like that of Arthur Matthews’ (and his alone) iconic sitcom. Instead, the sense of humour is very matter-of-fact. People are dying in mysterious circumstances, vampires are turning up, and the first thoughts of some members of the central cast (completed by Nigel O’Neill, Michael Hough and Louis Harland) is that this might have been caused by “some of that there cocaine”. Even when the vampire’s heart has a good 6 feet of separation from its body, the excuses they come up with are about ludicrous. There are other instances in which people don’t react as they like they do in horror movies. Beyond that, Francie (O’Neill) is a prize idiot for the ages. Boys from County Hell is hilariously funny – for the right people.

That mentality carries forth to the characterisation, with a depth of character and history that you’d expect from a social realist director, with every single member of the principal cast feeling lived in. And because of that, death truly matters. This is one of a few movies in the last few years that honours the fallen, offering them any levity. Consequently, the conflict between the locals who honour their history and those chasing modernity has much more weight than similar setups might have in other titles like, for comparison’s sake, Netflix’s recent Vampires vs. the Bronx. Baugh’s script is far more horror-driven than comedy horror, so everything has a substance beyond the gags.

When you look at the more direct horror aspirations, the latest addition to the pantheon of modern Irish horror falls somewhat. There’s a wonderful hook, humbly acted and consistently laugh-out-loud funny. Unfortunately, outside of that opening scene with the blood voluntarily vacating the elderly couple or any scenes outside of George’s (John Lynch) house is utterly bereft of the tension that makes a horror movie pop, which, unfortunately, takes up much of the horror outlay – whether this ruins Boys from Hell County depends entirely on your expectations. In the grander sense, this equally hit-and-miss film is a must for those interested in Irish Horror, when it hits its high notes you’ll be hard-pushed to find another comedy horror that hits this hard.

THANKS FOR READING ROB’S REVIEW OF BOYS FROM COUNTY HELL

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