by Joseph Perry and Mike Imboden
In our “The Good, the Bad, and the Verdict” film reviews, Joseph and Mike give their thoughts on a slice of cinema. For this installment, it’s U.K. horror feature Behave, from Francesco Gabriele and Thespian Films, Ltd.
Synopsis
After the death of their friend, a group of eccentric young adults are whisked away to a villa on the outskirts of London, but a mysterious entity seems to have followed them to their luxurious getaway.
The Good
Joseph: Behave is an odd, odd movie, and I mean that overall in a positive way. It combines the beats of a 1990s teen slasher movie — though in a slow-burn manner — and the mystery of giallo films. The performances range from very good — Ema Kosac, David Bourne, and Eleonora Bindi were three of the standouts for me — to less so (see “The Bad” below) but lean more toward the former, and the characters range from nicely considered plays on tropes to sticking with cliches to decidedly unusual choices. Gabriele helms the film well, showing that he obviously knows his way around horror and thriller elements. The final freeze frame with ending credits rolling over it is a nice nod to 1970s horror classics.
Mike: Frequent readers of our site will know I have an affinity towards slasher films, from the proto-classics of the 70s to the neo-slashers of today, good or bad, I will watch them. I also like giallo films, a genre I didn’t really get into until maybe the last 10 or 15 years. So when I say Behave is like a combination of the two, that must mean there’s something I like here and indeed the concept itself is pretty good. Most of the character tropes are here (sadly, no dumb jock or cheerleader-type), and the choice to include two older adults with the group of young ones is an interesting choice that manages to work quite well within the story.
There’s also an amazing freeze-frame shot that is held for the entire four-minute and some odd seconds credits at the end of the film that, combined with the font used, makes this look like it was torn straight out of the seventies.
The Bad
Joseph: Note: Some of the thoughts listed in this section are what made the film a fun ride for me, so “The Bad” here doesn’t mean truly bad. Behave leaves me with some questions, such as how the opening murder ties in with the killer’s self-stated motive in the third act — which is a questionable and uncomfortable matter, at that. Other chin-rubbers include why the group of friends would need lessons on etiquette and good behavior — some back story on this would have helped, as they don’t do much more than smart off toward the person providing those lessons and doing what they can to party — and why this would be more important than something like a countryside getaway to grieve together instead. Behave is Dan Sproson’s first feature screenplay — with cast member Georgia Viero receiving an “original idea” credit — and it feels like it could have used a bit more polishing. A few of the performances lean toward scenery chewing without quite crossing that line, and some of the characters and plot decisions are enigmas wrapped inside riddles.
Mike: Where to start… I suspect Joseph is going to be a bit more forgiving than I am as it usually seems that when we stumble across a film I think is going to be divisive with viewers so too are we split and I don’t think there’s going to be much middle ground here with Behave.
The film is a bit of a mess, mainly due to the inexplicable plot device of the young adults needing etiquette lessons from a middle-aged Tik Tok “star” in the wake of their friend’s death. This made so little sense that I was able to ignore the absolute dislike I had for every character, none of whom had any saving graces. From the overly-doting mother, to the angry lesbian, the cantankerous groundskeeper, to the horndog buddy, it was as if writer Dan Sproson simply forgot to put a likable protagonist into the story.
There’s also the final reel reveal which is so cliche and trite I was actually surprised that the story went the direction it did, so kudos for all involved there, I guess.
The Verdict
Joseph: Intriguing and engaging at times and clunky and baffling at other times, Behave is likely to be a polarizing film. On the whole, I was entertained and engaged, as I was interested to see where everything was going. Head-scratching plot points are plentiful, but the independent spirit and chutzpah behind this film are undeniably strong. I had a fun time with Behave and recommend it to viewers who are seeking unusual fare that riffs on slasher and giallo elements.
Mike: I wanted to like this, really. And the opening five or ten minutes showed promise - but there were just too many scripting and plot problems for me to really enjoy anything that followed. Technically it’s a sound film and director Francesco Gabriele does an admirable job with what he was given to work with.
I suppose if someone is really yearning for a neo-slasher wearing a giallo trenchcoat and cares very little for a well fleshed out story, then Behave might be worth a look.
Behave
Directed By: Francesco Gabriele
Written By: Dan Sproson from an original idea by Georgia Viero
Starring: Georgia Viero, Ema Kosac, David Bourne, Eleonora Bindi, Stacy Thunes, Christian Vit
Run Time: 1h 18m
Rating: NR
Release Date: 2023 (U.K)
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