Grabbers (2012) is an Irish horror-comedy pub film, written and directed by Jon Wright. The story follows an alcoholic policeman, Ciarán (played by Richard Coyle) who must team up with his new female partner, Lisa (played by Ruth Bradley) to solve a series of strange occurrences on a remote Irish island. After a few dead whales wash up on shore, the duo, with the help of a few locals, discover aggressive, tentacled aliens that have inhabited the shores. These creatures require only two things to survive: blood and water.
After the aliens attack an inebriated resident, it becomes apparent that the best weapon against the invaders is alcohol. So, Ciarán and Lisa do what any protagonists in a good pub film would do: they gather the tiny populace together at the local pub to drink as much as possible, all while trying to kill the giant beast and its many offspring.
At first glance, this is a fun pub film and monster flick, highly reminiscent of Edgar Wright’s more successful Three Flavors Cornetto trilogy. And while it is very enjoyable and benefits from a good premise, Grabbers also has its weak points. First and foremost, the film is not as funny as it should be. Many horror-comedies forego the more horrific elements to emphasize comedy. Unfortunately, the filmmakers seem to have forgotten to compensate for the lack of real scares.
This is not to say that comedy and horror are completely absent from the film. It does feature tense confrontations with the monsters and a few amusing one-liners, but it is never genuinely, laugh-out-loud funny in the way that Sean of the Dead, Tucker and Dale vs. Evil or The Cabin in the Woods are. The filmmakers wrote in one long-running joke revolving around alcohol (hint: Irish people enjoy it), and hoped that the comedy would just naturally arise from the “pub film” premise. The thought of a group of Irishmen and women drunkenly battling otherworldly creatures all sounds funny on paper, but sadly the filmmakers never develop the comedic elements enough to really satisfy viewers.
While the comedic elements of the film leave viewers wanting, Grabbers does benefit from gorgeous Irish locales. The filmmakers use establishing shots of rolling green hills, rocky beaches, and quiet little villages. An ensemble of Irish actors also gives the film a special charm often lacking in American-made films. The special effects, while not astounding, are surprisingly good considering the film’s budget. However, the creatures are inherently somewhat dull. Before we see them, their presence creates a wonderful sense of dread. However, once presented to the audience, the scares quickly dwindle, and the film devolves into horror film cliches.
So, if you want a light, fun pub film with beautiful visuals, Grabbers will keep you satisfied. However, if you’re looking for genuine laughs or scares, you’d be better served to look elsewhere. Grabbers is a movie that simply does not take any risks as a comedy or horror film.
Rating: ★★★ out of 5
If you’d like to watch Grabbers (2012), it is currently available to rent or purchase via Amazon here. Alternatively, if you’re simply a fan of the “pub film” genre, you can find The Cornetto Trilogy right here.