The Peril At Pincer Point
United Kingdom | English
2026 | 83 Minutes
Director: Jake Kuhn, Noah Stratton-Twine
Cast: Os Leanse, Mike Mackenzie, Jack Redmayne,
Alyth Ross, Dashiell Upton
One of my favorite things to look for each year at Fantasia festival, are films that are either avant-garde or completely out there, and The Peril At Pincer Point, I felt, was a film that could potentially fit that bill.
I was hoping to discover another Hundreds Of Beavers type film here, and while the lunacy isn’t as ramped up, I was not disappointed in any way. This is a wacky sea shanty of a film, that certainly echoes a lot of old British nods and wink winks, need I say more. The dry wit of a John Cleese type of thing, a type of humor and I was raised on, making this movie right up my alley.
See Also: Hundreds Of Beavers at Fantasia Festival
The Peril At Pincer Point is a delightfully eccentric love letter to British cinema. With an artisanal, handmade aesthetic and an improvisational spirit, filmmakers Noah Stratton-Twine and Jake Kuhn blend tactile ingenuity with gleeful absurdity to create a singular cinematic experience that makes going to the movies fun again.
Jim Baitte, a perpetually unmotivated sound designer, is working on the latest production from celebrated yet tyrannical B-movie auteur P.W. Griffin. Tasked with capturing audio to elevate the film’s climactic finale, Jim is sent to the remote island where the movie was shot. Once there, he finds himself drawn into the islanders’ strange customs and bewildering folklore. As reality begins to blur with fiction, Jim must decide just how much he is willing to sacrifice in pursuit of the perfect sound.
Due to the movie being shot in both monochrome and 4:3 ratio, the initial thoughts that came to mind were similarities between films like The Lighthouse, and Lake Placid Monster – for its absurdity more than anything. (Film nerds, I see you, and know that The Lighthouse is actually filmed in an 1.19:1 format ratio, but that doesn’t fit my narrative very well, now does it?)
I suppose there is an equal amount of the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise that is alluded to more than seen in The Peril At Pincer Point – but to tell ye how now, would create spoilers so it would, yaar! Also, ’tis there and ye shall see it too when you watch it for yourselves.
A choice was made at some point in the realization of this project, to throw back not only to a 4:3 ratio, film in monochrome, but also to allude to a noisy and therefore texture rich look. This, of course, gives the film an aged atmosphere and I do believe that was a wise choice. On a purely specualtive note, I think the choice might have been made due to budget restraints, where filming in such a way could hide some of the issues that arise from crystal clear 4K resolution – or maybe it made sneaking in crabs to the backdrop easier. In any case, the retro feel was probably the way to go here.
Another small detail I found wise, was the relatively short run time of the film. Not everything needs to be a three-hour long epic, that drags on and on. Short, is sweet. The way things used to be in my youth. Sometimes, a film that clocks in at just under an hour and a half fits the time limitations of modern life. And, of course, helps to keep attention. Its a small detail that may not have even een planned this way, but something I believe helps the overall package of the film.
Much of this film is utterly absurd but that is why we all gather at Fantasia, is it not?
The ability to create so much from so little is inspiring. And I mean that in the kindest way possible. There is an obvious lack of budget poured into this film. Tiny sets and few characters, yet Noah Stratton-Twine and Jake Kuhn seem to have found a way to exploit all of that, and have crafted something extraordinary. It’s a love letter to the likes of Roger Corman, and two fingers up the Hollywood types that believe throwing money around creates good art. It doesn’t. Creativity does.
A couple of years back, Hollywood decided to make a Godzilla movie and spent millions doing so. It flopped, because it was awful (and this is coming from a kaiju nerd). Meanwhile, in Japan, Godzilla Minus One was made with a fraction of the budget of its American counterpart, was ten times the film and even turned a healthy profit. But, what the hell does that have to do with The Peril At Pincer Point, I hear you say? Nothing really. It was just an analogy to show that money isn’t the answer to a lack of ideas, and that passion can transcend even financial limitations.
Read More:
>> Tunnels : Sun In The Dark at Fantasia Festival
>> Tiki Tiki at Fantasia Festival
>> The Primevals at Fantasia Festival
This here, is a silly film about silly things but its a fun ride and I very much appreciated it. I would rather spend my time watching this sort of thing over any modern big-budget, heartless tripe on the silver screens of today. I hope Noah Stratton-Twine and Jake Kuhn continue along this same path, making fun films that are obviously works of passion, filled with love.
The moral of this story, I suppose, is beware of crabs that have scaled up many floors of a high-rise in London, miles from any sea – Crustaceous bastards!
