★★★½☆
Welcome to G-Town marks the directorial debut of Ben and Nathan McQuaid, who not only co-directed but also co-wrote the horror comedy, a clear love letter to B-movies and exploitation cinema.
The film follows three friends struggling to find their place in Glasgow, all about to go their separate ways when they become embroiled in a shapeshifting alien takeover conspiracy aimed at taking over the job market and destroying Scotland.
Leaning heavily into the art and craft of shoestring-budget B-movies, the filmmakers approach the material with care and a clear vision, utilizing their understanding and skills to create a film that complements the highlighted moments of cheap effects and tongue-in-cheek dialogue.
The script is clearly geared toward the genre without trying to step outside of it or allowing the genre to become an excuse for poor interactions simply because they’re expected.
For instance, the interview scene, which could have been handled rather quickly and swiftly, was way wittier and punchier than I thought it would be. The same goes for the firing scene at his previous job.
While the scenes aren’t particularly realistic, they offer a satirical humor that resembles how I can only imagine bosses would conduct themselves if they were brutally honest.
Which is where the film really flourishes, creating characters that are animated, honest versions of everyday people.
“The characters aren’t overly simplistic. They’re honest animations of real people.”
Ben and Nathan McQuaid’s vision is not only crystal clear, but it’s also well executed, as they utilize the score, editing, and cinematography to bring their vision to life.
Nina Barrett’s editing is a game changer for the film. Whereas most B-movies don’t properly utilize editing as a tool to enhance the film, Barrett does.
The opening of the film could have gone entirely differently if the editing weren’t so quick, swift, and smooth.
While Ben and Nathan McQuaid make it a point to show the aliens, even when the graphics are limited, the way the sequence is edited ensures the tone is already set, and the visuals of the aliens are no longer the centerpiece. The editing is, offering a more grand scale that feels artistically driven rather than simply thrown together.
I feel like a lot of B-movies know their limitations and don’t try to elevate the craft to establish tone, which is where Welcome to G-Town is different.
“There’s a crispness and attention to detail that you wouldn’t expect.”
Stanley TwoBricks’s score is controlled, yet clearly sets the bar for an over-the-top cliché.
The score comes in loud, over the top, and as abruptly as I’ve come to expect, but it has this control that is unusually spot-on. Every note is intentional and purposeful, not jumbled together.
Paired with performances that match the tone, controlled and delivered with intent and purpose.
They weren’t bad; they were inherently great. Not a single performance was overly dramatic or ungodly chewy. The perfect grade of tenderness.
Whereas most actors would approach the roles by overacting, they almost underact them, offering this refreshing taste of what B-movies can be.
“Welcome to G-Town accomplishes what it sets out to be, and does so with a certain degree of flair that sets it apart.”
Not a universal film, so to speak, but one that understands the assignment.
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