The Hatching

The tagline for this film is 'Does for the moors what "Jaws" did for beaches', and well, it doesn't exactly do that (American Werewolf in London holds that title) but this curious little Brit comedy-horror does just about work, just, though it does fall fairly flat in a few places.

In late 2013, early 2014 production on this title was supposedly pretty much wrapped up. For whatever reason it did not release until almost 3 years later. Directed by first time feature director Michael Anderson who before this, had only directed a couple of shorts. Interestingly, he he had worked on American Werewolf as a clapper loader along with a few other films in the eighties, as well as being a cinematographer on a couple of things in the nineties.

Add in (with the aforementioned Anderson) a TV series regular in Potts (Primeval), Aikman (Freight) who is perhaps more known for her video game voice artist work than her on-screen credits and Turgoose (This Is England, Eden Lake) who is not exactly shall we say prolific, this all adds up to a curious film that could have been a major disaster. The script from Squire adds just enough wit to keep this rolling along, naturally helped by the recent successes of other similar films such as Shaun of the Dead which really helped revive this sub-genre.

Anyway, as to the actual story-line, Tim Webber (an adequate Potts) sneak out of boarding school one night on a dare to steal some crocodile eggs from the local zoo. As you do one might say. Naturally, as any idiot could envisage, it all goes horribly wrong with Tim taking all the responsibility. Fifteen or so years later, Tim returns home after the death of his father and this is where the film begins in earnest.

Only our intrepid hero finds something a sinister lurking in the local moors and canals which is quietly and unassumingly dispatching with the local Somerset villagers. Nothing to worry about then I hear you say. Can Tim make amends for his actions fifteen years...