He Had Hairy Hands

In the town of Hemlock-Under-Lye, strange things happen to strange people. A mayor plans to build a “historiorium” as a tribute to himself and his family. Bingo games calls make little sense but give leads on a spate of serial killings. And fire safety instructors ask only that their students remember to leave their dogs behind during an emergency. This is the silly, irreverent world of Kill the Beast’s He Had Hairy Hands, and it’s painted with grotesque beauty. It’s a fun evening, but as with many of the horror movies it pastiches, you get a sense that there’s little beneath the surface.

Not that there needs to be anything underlying it all, but with a style that echoes that of The League of Gentlemen, it’s impossible not to try and look for some comment on rural culture. If the company pushed the whole thing a little further, the dark nooks and crannies could be illuminated and the pervasive sense of oddity revealed. With a giant cast of zany characters, you’d expect something beyond mere caricature. It’s like switching on expecting to watch Psychoville and getting a Halloween episode of Little Britain instead.

That said, the heavily made-up ensemble of four drive the beast hunt narrative forward with force and have no trouble getting the audience on side. Accompanied by Alex Purcell’s gorgeous animations, the company rattle through this odd tale of werewolves and the supernatural with flair, throwing in the odd song and dance number for added peculiarity.