British Comedy Guide

Sam Riley (I)

  • Production designer

Press clippings

Seasonal shenanigans of a different sort course through Ben Wheatley's new film Happy New Year, Colin Burstead, a nightmarish vision of familial disharmony starring Kill List's Neil Maskell as the eponymous host of a New Year's Eve get-together that starts going pear-shaped before his extended family even get through the door of the Downton Abbey-style heritage home he's rented for them. Hayley Squires, Charles Dance, Bill Paterson and Doon Mackichan are among the top-notch cast Wheatley has assembled to play Colin's squabbling relatives, but it's Sam Riley's appearance as the black sheep of the family that pushes everyone ever closer to the edge, particularly Colin, whose beleaguered, unappreciated effort to honour his family ties feels like an apt representation of the chaos of Brexit-era Britain.

Alistair Harkness, The Scotsman, 30th November 2018

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