Grabbers

Pitched squarely as Tremors crossed with The Guard, Grabbers is that unique beast: a fantastically entertaining genre movie with an inherently Irish slant. Boasting impressive effects, excellent performances and a wry sense of humour, this film deserves to find a global audience.

The inhabitants of a small island off the west coast of Ireland are in for a bit of a shock - an aggressive alien life form is on its way and it's hungry. Local Garda Ciaran O'Shea (Coyle boasting a flawless Irish accent) doesn’t really have much to do in general. When his boss takes a holiday and is temporarily replaced by Ruth Bradley's pedantic Dublin flatfoot Garda Lisa Nolan, however, he realises he won't get away with phoning it in. Add an incoming storm and the aforementioned alien creatures into the mix, and it's set to be an eventful few days on the normally quiet island. Oh, and it also gives them an excuse for a piss-up of epic proportions.

While Grabbers certainly follows a conventional formula in terms of plot and execution, where the film really excels is with its tone and characters. This was obviously modelled on the criminally underrated monster flick Tremors, and the back-and-forth between the main duo is every bit as entertaining. Supporting players also shine, with the humour never pushing the organic feel of proceedings too far out of the picture. Basically, the script embraces and subverts the notion of the 'rural Irish' rather than utilising the overdone stereotypical character.

I recognised Richard Coyle from Coupling, but had no idea he was Irish - turns out he's not. But the Welsh actor does a great job playing a jaded Irish copper who's a little overly fond of grandpa's aul' cough medicine. Bradley is a nice sparring buddy for Coyle and the spark is certainly evident. Special mention must also go to Lalor Roddy as the boozy local who figures out the creature's kryptonite and offers many of the film's best comedic moments. Yet overall, credit must land at the foot of helmer Wright, who nails the tricky tone and handles the set-pieces from Kevin Lehane's witty script wonderfully.

A surprisingly slick, funny and entertaining Irish horror comedy.