Something a little different for the blog today, my friends. Instead of the usual Comic Cons and wrestling shows, we’re going to go old-school. Back to the roots of the blog, where TV and movie reviews were the nexus of starting up in the first place. Unlike previous movie reviews – where the film had already been released – today I’ll be reviewing “Welcome To Paradise”, where myself and my Wife, Susie, were luck enough to see it at the Worcester Film Festival at the Odeon Cinema on Thursday the 24th of September.
How to do a movie review and give people a flavour of the wonderment without giving away spoilers…that is the question…
Let’s start with the synopsis – “A woman finds herself in a strange, magical carnival with no memory of anything but her own name. Time seems to be of the essence. Can she find her way back to reality or will she succumb to her fantasy?”
An intriguing premise. To me, the most succinct encapsulant was uttered by Tracey Wilkinson’s “The Captain” during the opening few minutes of the film – “make sure you don’t get blinded by the lights”. That’s a motif running throughout.
“Welcome To Paradise” was the brainchild of Richard Summers-Calvert, who wrote it, directed it, spent 4 years working on it, and acted in it as “Charles”, taking inspiration from his wrestling character: “The Spectacular Twat” Charles Crowley, of whom I’m a massive fan.
The movie is an absolute fever dream in the best possible way. The story combines dark humour alongside some genuinely emotional beats as the tales of Lisa and Harvey - the two leads - start to unravel before our eyes. It is a story of excess, trauma, addiction, and the continued, uneven fight for recovery and forgiving oneself.
If you’re planning on watching it, yes, there is drug use, nudity, sex, violence, swearing and debauchery.
The aforementioned smorgasbord of depravity isn’t there just for the sake of being there, however. They’re all vital to the story that Summers-Calvert is telling. It can be surreal, visceral…dare I say guttural…but absolutely essential. While elements of the movie are great fun and it genuinely made us laugh repeatedly, don’t go in expecting a comedy. The material behind the lights of the carnival is deep and dark.
To peel back the curtain slightly further than the synopsis – while giving away no major plot point spoilers – the carnival is the backdrop for everything. It is a working carnival. Complete with all the games you’d expect: hook-a-duck, high striker, arcade video games, etc. The characters can play these games to win tickets, which can then be exchanged for prizes. I can tell you nothing about the prizes as they’re all important to the overarching story, but return to this phrase upon your viewing: "insight or euphoria?"
The carnival itself was one of the high points. It felt real. It had enough extras and bustling energy to draw you in, it looked the part, and it allowed you to get emersed into the experience right from the off.
Another of the things that struck us most about the movie was how professional everything looked…which isn’t always the case in independent film. The cinematography and directing were spot-on, drawing you into the world of the characters, particularly Lisa. Who is she? How did she end up here? What is ‘here’?
The musical score was also perfect. The type of music that sticks with you and you want to listen to again. Bravo to the composer. It also helped set the scene and coax you deeper into the carnival. While the carnival itself might not look like an objective “paradise” aesthetically, it’s what the carnival offers you that keeps you coming back.
Again, without giving away too much, one of Summers-Calvert’s more genius choices was opting to make Lisa and Harvey’s backstories be shown via wordless animation. It was a bold stroke. Totally different…and it worked. The quality of the animation was decent.
Whilst on the subject of Lisa and Harvey, both Georgina Bennett and Kirk Patterson’s acting was sublime. Checking their IMDB pages, both only appear to have a handful of professional credits, which is a travesty. They were both so, so good. They nailed the comedic beats, the emotional moments, the wackier elements. Their chemistry together was one of the glues that helped hold the narration together. I sincerely hope that when “Welcome To Paradise” is released in earnest, it helps catapult Georgina and Kirk’s careers. They have to do a lot of heavy-lifting in the film emotionally speaking and they carried it off with grace and sincerity.
Next, we arrive at Charles: Leader of the carnival and Master of Ceremonies. Summers-Calvert’s brand of crazy has always been in line with my brand of crazy. His cadence, mannerisms, and wit always have me in stitches when it comes to his wrestling persona of Charles Crowley, which is very similar to his character of Charles in “Welcome To Paradise”. I believe that Summers-Calvert’s wrestling persona was, in essence, written into the film and it doesn’t feel out of place at all. In fact, it adds so much. The high-energy, eccentric ‘keeper of the keys’ is diametrically opposed with the bewildered, confused leads. He holds the cards. He knows the secrets. He can show you how deep the rabbit hole goes…so to speak.
While Summers-Calvert’s star is rising both in the wrestling ring and in the entertainment world, I am still baffled that he isn’t already a star. He’s such a talented man. As a creative, as a writer, a director, an actor, a visionary. He’s a bona fide generational talent as a wrestler and should be working for the likes of WWE or AEW, or NJPW already. It’s a travesty that he isn’t. Don’t get me wrong, us British indie fans are appreciative of the fact that he’s still UK-based and we get to watch him live and in living colour consistently, but he’s too good to not be showcased to the world.
I’ve seen Summers-Calvert act before. He’s terrific. His comedic timing and physical body movements are impeccable…but there is one scene in particular in this movie that really stood out. He’s in his dressing room. Complete with various carnival trinkets including Sebastian! Rest in peace, Sebastian. Fuck you, Cara Noir! I digress…he’s in his dressing room and he gives a taste of his own backstory. The acting in that scene was exquisite. As was the directing…dimly lit to reflect the darkness inside him during the scene. I wish the movie had delved deeper into Charles’ backstory and reasons for staying at the carnival. Perhaps that’s a story for another day. It’s a story that I believe should be told.
The rest of the cast is rounded out by a plethora of British legends and professional wrestlers such as Bill Nighy, who voices the Hooker Duck Host, Mathew Horne, Togo Igawa, Tracey Wilkinson, Simon Miller, WWE Superstar Jordynne Grace, Harley Hudson, Mark Sealey A.K.A. Kneecapper Murphy, and the late, great Simon Fisher-Becker, who was given a lovely tribute at the conclusion of the credits after his untimely passing last year. I knew Simon fairly well, having spent a couple of decades on the Comic Con circuit with him, including bringing him twice to my local Comic Con, Gloucester, where I was head of crew and he serenaded me in the elevator…twice…what a great man.
Simon Miller, Jordynne Grace, and Harley Hudson had some great scenes too, getting to showcase their acting chops alongside their pre-existing skills as professional wrestlers.
To conclude, when “Welcome To Paradise” gets its official release, you should definitely watch it. It’s got something in it for everyone. Humour, emotional weight, drama, darkness, gravitas…just don’t bring your kids. There may be some awkward questions to answer afterwards. If this is the impetus of Summers-Calvert’s writing and directing career, I cannot wait to see where it takes us next. A gripping feature from start to finish. Even after being warned, myself and Susie were definitely blinded by the lights of the carnival.
Four bandanas out of five.
Until next time, I’ve been your friendly, neighbourhood Shangel.
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