The Big Picture

Calibre
presents a dread-filled tale of survival through the lens of guilt and moral dilemmas, not just physical danger.
The film delves into how guilt manifests differently in two friends, testing their friendship and morality in a chilling way.
With precision in script, performances, and cinematography,
Calibre
creates a haunting atmosphere that leaves the audience as guilty participants.

When we think about survival in the woods, our minds usually conjure up images of desperate and grimy people, desperately fending off some sort of monstrous entity and being chased around the looming trees. We don’t think about a small town on the edge of the said woods, where pubs and cobbled streets become the setting for staying alive. Director Matt Palmer’s clean and clever debut feature delivers a dread-filled struggle for survival through multiple different lenses, from surviving nauseating guilt, to actual physical danger. Guilt drives the story in Calibre, as a hunting trip gone wrong turns the refreshing escapism of the highlands into a mind-numbing labyrinth. In hope of keeping sane and alive, Calibre’s two protagonists have to work through their remorse in the most efficient and discreet way possible, with any fault leading to potential dire consequences.

Calibre (2018) Two lifelong friends, Marcus and Vaughn, embark on a hunting trip in the remote Scottish Highlands. Their outing takes a dark turn when they accidentally kill a local boy, leading to a tense and deadly game of cat and mouse with the vengeful villagers.Release Date June 29, 2018 Director Matt Palmer Cast Jack Lowden , Martin McCann , Tony Curran , Kate Bracken , Cal Macaninch , Ian Pirie , Cameron Jack , George Anton Runtime 101 Minutes Writers Matt Palmer Studio Netflix Expand

‘Calibre’ Is Not Your Typical Psychological Thriller
Calibre begins with warm light cascading over Vaughn (Jack Lowden) as he says goodbye to his pregnant wife and embarks on a hunting trip with his mate, Marcus (Martin MacCann). Driving up to the skirts of the woods, where a rustic town heartily welcomes the pair, landscape shots of the highlands continue to elicit serene and fresh tones. This light ambiance is carried into their first night out on the town, where they meet the severely underused Iona (Kate Bracken) and Kara (Kitty Lovett). When they finally do go out deer-stalking (a well-worn term for hunting), the atmosphere immediately shifts as Vaughn accidentally shoots down a local boy, and guilt proceeds to stalk them back from the now deadened trees. The film delves into the implications of guilt, as both Vaughn and Marcus scurry around trying to cover up their grave mistake while trembling under the weight of their actions.

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While Calibre maintains the hallmarks of tension and dread that are synonymous with psychological thrillers, it generally stays abreast of the genre’s conventions, making it subtly unique. The framework of mind-bending revelations and incidents going wrong are still apparent in the film, but Palmer slightly veers away from outright clichés. This notably happens in the gritty and graphic finale, though there will be no spoilers here, but we see subtler versions of this throughout the film. Each time the townspeople’s suspicions are aroused, we are met with quiet and unsettling scenes. From Marcus being punched by a concerned father or even the accident itself, an immediate blanket of silence envelops the film where there should be havoc, leaving us churning with the depth of harried emotions created by the anticipation. The decrease in volume and stillness of these scenes takes the film from a struggle to survive standpoint into a moral puzzle. We are constantly asked who the real victims are here as the momentary profound silence releases an influx of ethical conundrums and waves of guilt.

‘Calibre’ Explores How Guilt Can Be Manifested

Vaughn and Marcus could not be more different to each other, where Vaughn is quiet and thoughtful, and Marcus is more akin to a firecracker. With this being Vaughn’s first time stalking, Marcus becomes his guide, setting up their more passive-active dynamics in their relationship, which also reflects how they both handle the accident. Vaughn’s response is instantaneous. Once the manslaughter dawns on him, he is wracked with vomit and jangled nerves, wanting to go confess his sins right away. Meanwhile, Marcus isn’t driven by the same moral compass and instead is worried about protecting himself and his friend, manifesting in a cold and calculating demeanor as he designs a plan to cover everything up. However, throughout the film, the friends slowly shift places as Vaughn eventually gets a grip on his remorse while Marcus isn’t able to stifle his anymore, betrayed by his shaky hands and labored breathing.

The stark contrast in the way each survives their guilt allows for a more thorough investigation into the emotion, especially in terms of how it impacts their friendship and ability to forgive. Vaughn is constantly aghast by the lengths Marcus goes to cover up the crime, yet is too passive and guilt-laden to actively oppose him. Marcus also spews out manipulative remarks about how he is protecting Vaughn and his future as a father, and their closeness makes Vaughn susceptible to this, slowly building a hardened shield around him to justify his actions. Despite going along with it, Vaughn isn’t able to forgive Marcus for putting them in such a precarious position, where they are treading around their deception and are clouded by insane pressure. All these conflicting sentiments make for a compelling relationship, as the duo that front the film and are supposed to be a team, cannot navigate their way around the fractures in their bond.

‘Calibre’ Creates a Thoughtful and Dread-Laden Atmosphere
Image via Netflix

MacCann and Lowden’s guilt-ridden performance is supplemented by a dread-laden atmosphere that amplifies the already acute tension. With a taut and precise script, Calibre ensures each word is designed to bring us closer to the treacherous edge of insanity, gnawing at our nerves with the ample gaps in between dialogue. Even when it is casual, there are underlying currents of urgency, emphasizing that every syllable that passes Vaughn’s and Marcus’ tongue should be innocuous, to keep suspicion away from them. This is especially damning when Marcus is punched by Kara’s father, who then explains his rage about Marcus supplying Kara with cocaine. Throughout this interaction, Marcus doesn’t utter a word. We can almost see the fear creep up to his eyes only to be hit with a huge rush of invisible relief as he hears the accusations. For such a loud scene between the townspeople, Marcus’ silence is the most deafening.

This precision is translated into the cinematography. During the beginning, we are given smooth, rolling shots that lazily follow the characters, and the more shaky, relaxed camera work when the boys hit the town on their first night. But from the moment the accident occurs, we are mainly given still and steady shots, especially during displays of remorse. When Vaughn is throwing up or Marcus is swallowing his guilt, the camera contrasts the rush of action on screen with stationary and crisp camera work. This allows the emotions to truly engulf the frame, almost vibrating through the screen while honing into the specific moral dilemma. Mixed with the tightened script, the film holds a vice-like grip on our nerves, keeping them frayed at all times while sowing seeds of guilt into our own minds as well, particularly in the finale.

The Audience Is Also Made Guilty Participants in ‘Calibre’

While I certainly will not spoil the jaw-dropping plot twist, the most powerful and poignant moment of Calibre arrives in the closing scene. The plot twist finally adds the anticipated physical fight for survival, just not in the way we expect. It is designed to provoke the maximum amount of remorse it can, while further upending who we are willing to root for in the film. However, considering how much time we spent with Marcus and Vaughn, we do unconsciously empathize with their plight, making the closing scene ever more damning for us. In the final shot, one of the characters breaks the fourth wall and essentially makes us unwilling co-conspirators to every awful incident that occurs throughout the film’s runtime. As bystanders to the horrific ordeal, for both the protagonists and the townspeople, we are made a guilty party by proxy.

As such, guilt does not only pervade the film, but also radiates from it, sneaking its tendrils out in the last few seconds to haunt us as well. This time, the moral puzzle is proposed to us, accusing us of voyeurism despite not actually committing any crimes. By not allowing us to watch the events unfold guilt-free, Calibre creates the perfect ethical storm that makes it a refreshing take on the psychological thriller genre. As such, the film tests the caliber of the characters and the viewer’s morality and nerves, assaulting us with copious amounts of remorse through the acidic atmosphere, quietly thoughtful undertones and a chilling ending. And it turns out, being stalked by guilt and convoluted moral implications through a serene and quaint town can be just as harrowing as a dizzying chase in the woods.

Calibre is currently available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.

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