Review: Mark Macready & The Archangel Murders

Written by Paul Cryer Tuesday, 22 December 2009 14:30

Synopsis: Manchester, the supernatural crime hub of the 21st century. Home of Detective Mark ‘Mac’ Macready. When Macready wakes from a coma he was brutally put into by an unseen enemy, he is met with the unsettling news that his wife Christina is missing and a mass murdering monster has been on the rampage, which the press has affectionately dubbed ‘The Archangel’.

Realising there is a connection between his wife’s disappearance and the arrival of ‘The Archangel’ the intrepid detective descends into a paranoid, frenzied search through Manchester’s dark supernatural underbelly. It is up to Mac, and Mac alone, to find his missing wife, solve the case and bring the merciless Archangel to cold blooded justice.

Directed by Sean Candon and starring Ryan McDermott, ‘Mark Macready and the Archangel Murders’ is an independent low budget horror comedy from award winning Manchester based studio CM Films. Filled with numerous memorable characters and with twists coming thick and fast, ‘Mark Macready and the Archangel Murders’ is a thirty minute thrill ride that will have you gasping for breath and asking for more.

Review: The guys behind Mark Macready have managed to create something quite special. On a shoestring budget (£5000 I believe) they’ve managed to create an iconic hit that has become a hit in England across film festivals and the indie circuit. The films has been likened to a British Hellboy, which I’d agree with. Mixing the right amounts of horror, a bit of gore, some monsters and a bag of cheesy, OTT British humour you’ve got a film that keeps you entertained thoroughly throughout its runtime.

Acting wise the film is pretty good for a short. Paul Newbery gives a good performance in his role as Doyle and Nathan Head plays one character in two roles (trying not to give too much away here) with differing performances to seperate out the two different roles. Other cast members are all good and there is a decent chemistry between the majority of the cast. Stealing the show though is Ryan McDermott with a wonderfully OTT Macready.

Most impressive though is the production. Direction and cinematography is really very good indeed. The colour casting in parts of the film (the first 5 or so minutes in particular) work very well and were good editing choices. There is some minor fx work and monster work, all of which is was excellent for the budget involved. Biggest mention must go to the score by Scott Benzie which is exceptionally good and really pulls you into the film.

Overall then, Mark Macready and the Archangel Murders is a perfect slice of low budget, lovingly produced British horror comedy. These guys should go far and the way the film seems to be going on the circuit, I hope they get their chance. Hopefully we’ll see more of Mark Macready in the future.

Mark Macready and the Archangel Murders website

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