Get the Hell Out (2020)

A young woman runs for parliament to try and stop the construction of a chemical plant near her home. On the day the vote is to be held she is determined to defeat the corrupt politicians who stand to benefit from the deal, but when the president starts biting people, having recently visited one of the company's plants, her priority switches to escaping a blossoming zombie horde - which means getting the hell out of the parliament she once fought so hard to get into.

This Taiwanese action/comedy/satire is one of those rare films that's exactly as much fun as it looks, it starts with a bang and just doesn't stop. It features some awesome action scenes and brilliant camera work whilst being genuinely charming and funny. It's ultra-stylish, featuring all manner of visual swagger to exaggerate the already cartoonish characters and situation.

The script is silly, but done quite intelligently. The film is irreverent and doesn't take itself seriously at all, even if it does have a message about Taiwanese politics to deliver in all the mayhem. It reminded me of the underappreciated Thai film SARS Wars, but it's more sophisticated.

The characters are colourful and varied, with Megan Lai being particularly delightful as the newbie politician who can switch from flirtatious to bullying to vulnerable at the drop of a hat to get what she wants, but whose hot temper means that explosive violence is never far away. She reminded me Shin Eun-Kyung's terrific performance in My Wife Is A Gangster, but Hsiung Ying Ying is way scarier!

GET THE HELL OUT seems to have received quite a lot of negative reviews, which I find inexplicable - do people not like fun anymore? It's unlikely to change your life but it's a joy to watch and a wild ride.