Writer and Director: Adam Oldroyd
Even at the height of his career in the 1980s, Les Dennis never headlined a movie. And yet here we are in 2022 and the comedian / impressionist / game show host gets top billing in Sideshow, a crime comedy that feels far more end-of-pier than silver screen.
Dennis plays Stuart Pendrick – AKA ‘The All Seeing Stupendo’, a washed out ‘psychic’ who is reduced to touring almost empty regional theatres reading minds and communicating with the spirits. After offending his entire audience of 30 or so people at one performance (much to the disgust of his agent played by Anthony Head), he goes home, ignorant to the fact that he is being followed by Eva (April Pearson) and Dom (Nathan Clarke). His two stalkers are intent on breaking into Pendrick’s house when he goes to sleep but their ineptitude soon awakens their target and it becomes apparent that the motivation for this crime may go further than just robbing him…
Sideshow is a real enigma. It begs the question as to how it ever came to be made. The script is weak and awfully predictable, the many jokes are all straight out of a 1970s working man’s club comedy routine and the direction is bog standard to say the least. It has not point to make, it has no clever twists, it has no standout sequences, it has no funny jokes. This film (a word used in the very loosest of senses) feels very much like a 30 minute sitcom episode stretched to 90 by adding long sequences of cars driving around and other obvious timewasting exercises.
The film strives for quirkiness by intermittently displaying dictionary definitions of words related to show business with their secondary definition relating somewhat to the action of the movie. One of them is a perfect summation of the entire endeavour:
Merry-go-round
(noun)
- a revolving machine with model horses or cars on which people ride for fun.
- a continuous cycle of activities or events especially when regarded as pointless.
You said it Sideshow.
It’s probably fair to say that the cast do the best with what they are given to work with. Les Dennis plays a lecherous, surly and bitter version of himself – exactly like he did in that episode of Extras but without the strength of a script by Ricky Gervais. Pearson and Clarke’s attempts to act in this film are as ill-fated as whistling in a wind tunnel and its almost heart-breaking to see two young actors degrade themselves in such a miserable mess. Anthony Head does manage to rise slightly above the material, particularly in the one scene that may elicit a smile when he mistakes burglar Dom for a rent boy.
It seems like writer and director Adam Oldroyd thought he was serving up a thick slice of black comedy with a cast of unlikely characters. To see this done properly, go and watch absolutely any episode of Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith’s sublime Inside Number 9. In other words, ignore the Sideshow and go straight for the main attraction.
Sideshow will be in UK Cinemas from 11th March & available on Digital Download 21st March.
The Reviews Hub Score
Weak and predictable
I went to see this at my local cinema and I disagree with your review. I admit some of the jokes/quips would be lost on some of the younger audience members, like references to the film Cocoon and Canon and Ball, but it was entertaining. It didnt follow conventions and that made it interesting and quirky. I laughed regularly throughout and so did other members of the audience. I also have watched all the episodes of No 9 and yes, Sideshow isnt the same as them. I commented to s friend afterwards, that I wouldn’t be surprised if the film became a cult classic. Overall, I would give the film *** .