Fridae

It's a classic case of David vs Goliath ?with no clear winner in sight.

This terrific low-budget British horror-comedy opens in the same week as the new movies by cinematic giants Martin Scorsese, Oliver Stone and Zhang Yuan. But it still manages to hold its own among the heavyweights. Clearly, its director Christopher Smith is not as famous as the three directors, yet he has somehow crafted a film that is just as sharp, clever and entertaining as those by the other three.

Mixing jokes and scares to delirious effect, Severance tells the story of a group of office workers who take a trip to a Hungarian forest for a team-building project. A fallen tree trunk on the road forces the group to abandon their bus and travel to their destination on foot. But little do they know that the forest is infested with blood-thirsty psychos armed with big knives and blow-torches...

At the Fridae Private Preview this week, the audiences clearly enjoyed the goofy jokes as much as the gore. Director Christopher Smith, who last film was the underground creepfest called Creep, is clearly at home with the horror genre. Oftentimes, he sets us up for a scare ?only to surprise us with a silly gag.

It is rare to find a film that mixes element of horror and comedy so delightfully. Watch this with plenty of Coke, popcorn and friends. You won't regret it.