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Double Date centres around two women on dates with a difference – they’re homicidal murderers. Yes, if you’ve ever wondered why you didn’t get a second date with a woman – Did she not fancy you? Did you wear the wrong shoes? Is she not impressed by your Xbox Gamertag score? …well, with these two, it’s usually because you’re no longer breathing.
If you thought the stabbing in Basic Instinct‘s opener was gruesome, this (ahem) packs a punch… with a blade.
According to Jim’s (Danny Morgan) dating profile, he’s looking for a woman to ‘lose himself’ with… Well, with these ladies, that will almost certainly happen, as while Kitty (Kelly Wenham) and Lulu (Georgia Groome) are the women of his dreams, they might just also do the same for his nightmares but there’s also a reason to the girls’ devilish plan, which you’ll soon discover.
Jim gets dumped by his girlfriend, and by text (I’ve been there), but as his friend Alex (Michael Socha) points out, “Well, she put a ‘x’ at the end of it. That’s nice of her, innit(?)”
Meanwhile, how do you think his luck will pan out when, early on, he’s set up with ‘cryer’ Jennifer (Olivia Poulet – The Thick Of It, and more recently as Alison, David Mitchell’s ex in Back on Channel 4)?
When later mimicking to Alex how she was desperate for sex while in such a state, he realises, and asks…
- Jim: “Is this turning you on??!”
Alex (carefree): “Little bit, yeah”
And that sets the tone for regular laughs including deep belly ones, often down to some great misdirection, as well as fantastic chemistry with the two pairings. In fact, there’s plenty of times when I was creasing up at real-world language being used as replies to the outlandish situation, and you’re drawn in to the point where it feels like it could actually be true! This is neatly balanced with elements that we’re all used to in the perils of dating, including coming out with the wrong thing when chatting girls up.
If you recognise Danny Morgan then, as Jake, he used to buy drugs from Johnny Vegas in Ideal, while Michael Socha has been in a number of shows including This is England and Philip K Dick’s Electric Dreams: Crazy Diamond.
Double Date is the perfect Halloween horror comedy, and a future British cult classic and I was crying laughing. In addition, while coming out of the other side of a heavy cold, just as I’d got my cough under control, the film set me off again, it was that brilliant 🙂
McFly fans will also be pleased to see Dougie Poynter pop up in this, early on.
With some split-surround in the driving scene, and some great bass in the club, I could recite lines from this film over and over, but it would negate the point of watching it so, basically – if you like sharp editing, great writing and a film packed with humour that’s not only hilarious but consistently so, then this is for you. Fans of Ben Wheatley and Alice Lowe’s work, with films such as Sightseers, Free Fire and Prevenge, should check this out without delay.
And yes, it really is a 15-certificate!
Double Date isn’t yet available to pre-order on Blu-ray or DVD, but in the meantime, click on the poster for the full-size version.
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 89 minutes
Studio: Munro Film Services
Year: 2017
Format: 2.35:1
Released: October 13th 2017
Rating: 9/10
Director: Benjamin Barfoot
Producers: Maggie Monteith and Matthew James Wilkinson
Screenplay: Danny Morgan
Cast:
Jim: Danny Morgan
Lulu: Georgia Groome
Alex: Michael Socha
Kitty: Kelly Wenham
Laura: Liz Kingsman
Steven Barker: Dougie Poynter
Young Kitty: Brooke Norbury
Prostitute / Cleaner: Maria Barr
Girl at bar: Tanika Beckford
Frankie: Benny Bereal
Lady in bar: Kerrieanne Booker
Clubber: Sarah Carmen
Lady in bar: Charley Clark
Lady Bar Customer: Georgia Elliott
Gwendoline (Alex’s boss): Jasmine Geohagen
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.