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SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers for “Get Away,” now in theaters.
Nick Frost is the rare star ubiquitous in two genres, having made memorable turns in films both comedic (“Hot Fuzz,” “The World’s End”) and horror (“Shaun of the Dead,” “Attack the Block”). It makes sense that his feature debut as sole screenwriter —”Get Away,” in theaters Dec. 6 via IFC Films and Shudder — includes large dollops of both genres. The laughs hit hard and the blood spurts wildly in this tale of the Smith family, led by patriarch Frost, who goes on holiday on a remote island with some dark and deadly secrets. Frost spoke to Variety about wearing different hats when writing, producing and starring in a movie, the key to balancing horror with comedy and reuniting for a project with his longtime best friends, actor Simon Pegg and director Edgar Wright.
How did the idea of “Get Away” come to you originally? My first wife is Swedish and her family has a tiny, very beautiful house on a really remote island in the Baltic Sea. There are no roads — there’s a shop, but it’s only open in the summer. There’s also a little restaurant that is, again, only open in the summer. There are 40 houses now. In the winter, there are only 10 families that live there through the season. In the summer, the whole island comes alive — it’s incredible. So getting married meant that we had that as a facility for us to holiday on. We spent a lot of time there and we weren’t just there for the whole summer. We were there for Christmases, for Easter.
Popular on Variety I just loved the fact that even though I saw these people quite a lot, there was never a moment when I felt like, “Oh, I’m now one of you,” even though I was going for 20 years. The only time I felt that was when I spoke to one of the elders to say, “Look, I’ve had this idea for a film, and maybe it will be cool if I come and shoot on the island.” As the Swedes do, he thought a lot, and then he said to me, “Don’t shit where you eat.” What I took from that was at least he recognized that I do sometimes eat there. I was like, “Yes, you remember me!” So we spent a lot of time there, and let me just clarify: I didn’t once think about killing everyone. Well, maybe once. So yeah, it was just about, “What if this family who is beautiful and loving came onto this island and people just did not want them there?”
What are some of the movies that inspired you while writing? Well, obviously, “Midsommar,” the Edward Woodward version of “The Wicker Man,” and also things like the Dutch film “The Vanishing” and “Man Bites Dog.” I love any film where the main antagonist is a serial killer, and then because we see him as a human being, we end up feeling kind of sorry for him. I love that because no, we shouldn’t feel sorry for him — he’s a fuckin’ serial killer — but also clumsy and human and a bit sad and a bit shit. I’d love audiences to enjoy the Smith family even when we reveal what they are, to kind of like them. They’re nice people, you know … but they just happen to be psychopaths.
You’ve had success mixing comedy and horror, which can be a tricky balance. What do you think is the secret to blending those genres successfully? For me, let’s start by making believable human characters. Then the comedy comes from interactions between human beings, which is something we can all relate to. On top of that, we’re adding a little gag, a little visual gag. I love the moment in this film when a character says, “It’s fine. There’s no problem here,” and then you see a human being on fire run through the back of the shot. I really love writing those kinds of jokes — something that undercuts everything we’re seeing going on. If you work out the characters and set in stone what they are, what their likes are, and what they’re frightened of, you can just play off that.
Are there horror comedies that come to mind that have inspired you through the years? I know maybe it’s not a genuine horror comedy, but I always remember loving “Poltergeist” because, especially when Tangina comes in, of the way they portrayed how frightened they were. “An American Werewolf in London” … I know that’s not necessarily a comedy, but I always found it quite funny, especially when David ends up talking to his dead flatmate and stuff like that.
In two movies you’ve starred in this year — “Get Away” and “Krazy House” — you play a twisted version of the sitcom dad archetype. What interests you about that character and subverting it? I think they’re kind of likable as characters, but not necessarily because they’re the best character, but also sometimes because they’re fucking idiots and they’re meant to be kind of slightly slow and dim and stupid, and the kids hate him. I kind of like that, despite all that, he still goes to bat for them. You know that deep down, they do love him and he is lovable. Maybe not so much in “Krazy House,” but in “Get Away,” I think they love him because he’s a psychopath.
Are there other solo projects and scripts that you’re working on? I’ve finished the first draft of what I hope will be my next film. I’m just polishing that now and it’s going to start going out to people. It seems a bit silly to send it out before Christmas because no one will read it, frankly, so come early next year, I think that will start going out. Hopefully, it will give us a better indication of if people have enjoyed this film. Then maybe it may not be so hard to get all the money I need to make another one. I really loved the process of producing here, with John Hegeman and Lee Kim: Collaborating and finding a great cast and a great crew and going off somewhere and shooting a movie. What a treat. I’m very lucky I get to do what I love.
Congrats on finishing the first draft! Are you able to reveal a genre? It’s horror comedy again. But it won’t be a slasher pic. It will be more traditional — there may or may not be a witch involved.
Do you see a world in which we could revisit the Smith family in a “Get Away” prequel or sequel? Yes, because I think we hint quite a lot when Richard says at the end, “You got my fucking tits this trip,” that we get to see him getting on Richard’s tits for the first trip too. I think potentially his character drops character a bit too soon and fucking goes on a rampage — that’s what I imagine. Yeah, there’s absolutely a sequel and a prequel there.
You’ve done so many beloved collaborations with Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright. Have you all talked about working together again in some capacity? Yeah, of course — it always comes up. But it’s not like we’re doing stuff separately that is so boring and annoying that we long to be together again. We’re doing things separately that we really love. I think what we’ve got to do, in terms of showing male characters who are friends that evolve as they get older, will only improve as we get older. So if in the next film we do I’m 60, then those characters will be interesting to watch too, because, well, “How do 60-year-old men relate to one another? Where’s the comedy here?” I think people will like it more. So let’s make a film when we’ve got a great idea and we’ve got time and we love each other and we want to do it, rather than just do it because people expect us to. Let’s give them something that they’ll remember.
With your quality control, I can’t see you all wanting to rush out and make “More Shaun of the Dead” or anything like that. Yeah, agreed.
Watch the “Get Away” trailer below.
