Outcast

A Scottish feature film set on a housing estate…there’s nothing new here then. Wrong. Outcast is one of those films which sets up your expectations and then completely batters you with something you didn’t anticipate. Shot on a super low budget and showcasing a wealth of British acting talent; including a sensational debut from Hannah Stanbridge, Outcast is a film just waiting to be discovered.

Mary (a wonderful Kate Dickie) and her teenage son Fergal (Niall Brunton) have moved from Ireland to a housing estate on the outskirts of Edinburgh. Mary is an over protective mother and a witch (or something similar) and her son hides a secret which has seen them banished and on the run. Mary sees it as her responsibility to protect the household with magic and sorcery while her son just wants to live a normal life. On the estate, Fergal catches the eye of their teenage next door neighbour Petronella (Hannah Stanbridge), who is looking for an escape from looking after her cognitively-impaired brother and alcoholic mother. Meanwhile back in Ireland Fergal’s father Cathal (a terrifyingly brilliant performance from James Nesbitt) has accepted the task of hunting them down and killing the boy. Cathal is given magical powers from the travelling people who’s mythology forms the backbone of the story and is accompanied, some would say held on a leash, by Liam (Ciarán McMenamin).

What follows is a game of cat and mouse as Cathal tries to break Mary’s magic and Mary does everything she can to fight against him and save her son. Intertwined with this is the blossoming relationship of Fergal and Petronella and some very scary disappearances of local teenagers around the estate as some kind of beast roams the dark corners of the high rise flats.

The casting of this film is spot on. Every actor excels in their role; from the strong and brave performances of Kate Dickie and James Nesbitt to the revelatory and exotically sexy performance of Hannah Stanbridge. The bit parts are also played to perfection by the mix of acting talent and first timers to bring together a very believable world. In the past, Outcast writer/director Colm McCarthy had directed mostly television and his co-writer, brother Tom, had no credits of any note. Here they deliver a script that moulds social realism with high concept horror and, for the most part, they pull it off. They deliver a fantasy world and place it in a contemprary environment and, while we accept everything that happens, it would have been nice to know a bit more of the back story; who are these people? Where did they come from? Why do they have all these rules and rituals? And why does it all matter so much? It would be easy to see how some viewers will get lost in the mythology and not be able to see past the holes but, if you are willing to get over that, then you can enjoy the ride.

McCarthy’s direction creates an eerie tone of threat throughout, the use of colour and locations help bring this murky and secretive world to life. This film was shot on a shoestring budget but it looks wonderful. Stylistcally dark and close; you feel that fear that you get whenever you’re walking through a neighbourhood that you don’t really know and it looks a bit dodgy.

Outcast is one of those films you don’t expect to see made in Scotland. The fact a script of this kind has attracted the acting talent involved, as well as the necessary funding, should give optimism to filmmakers across the UK. If this were an American film it would instantly become a cult hit; we can only hope that after the film festival, audiences across the globe will get a chance to see it.

Outcast is screening as part of the 64th Edinburgh International Film Festival

Last edited: 19th June 2010

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