BLACK SHEEP

Director: Jonathan King
Stars: Nathan Meister, Peter Feeney, Danielle Mason, Tammy Davis, Oliver Driver
Year: 2006
Rating: UR

Though soaked in its share of blood and gore, Black Sheep also happens to be a funny and involving comedy from New Zealand that has the unique ability to gross you out, make you laugh, and care about its characters - all at the same time.

A very convincing Nathan Meister stars as Henry Oldfield, a young man who grew up on a sheep ranch who - thanks to a mean-spirited (and rather disgusting) trick his older brother Angus pulled on him when he was ten - is now completely terrified of sheep. His phobia led him to move away from the farm as soon as he was able - but now, fifteen years later, he's returned to the farm to sign away the rest of his rights to the property (which he'd co-inherited upon his father's death) to his brother, for a rather large sum of money.

It seems Angus (Peter Feeney) has found a way to breed the ultimate sheep - and he intends to present his genetic re-engineering to the world, making himself richer than he could possibly imagine. But meanwhile, a pair of environmentalists named Experience (Danielle Mason) and Grant (Oliver Driver) have snuck onto the farm with the intent of exposing Angus' illegal practices - and his genetically destructive abuse of the sheep. And when Grant gets his hands on a sinister-looking glass canister with what appears to be a mutant sheep embryo inside, the two are caught and chased through the woods bordering the farm property. Experience and Grant split up, trying to get away, but Grant makes the unfortunate mistake of smashing the canister open ... and learns, to his horror, that the mutant sheep inside is very much alive.

Soon after, Henry comes across his old friend Tucker (Tammy Davis), a rugged hunk whose been working on the farm nearly all his life. Challenging Nathan's phobia, Tucker gets the young Oldfield to take a run out on the farm with him (during which viewers can check out some truly breathtaking views of the New Zealand countryside) - but soon the two learn that the sheep (now infected by the single mutant sheep ... as well as by Grant, who's now become a were-sheep) are carnivorous mutants bent on eating them. When they hook up with Experience and their only means of transportation is run off a cliff, the trio have to cross miles and miles of countryside to try and warn everyone of what is happening ... with only a few tens of thousands of killer sheep standing between them and safety, and Henry trying to keep his sanity as his worst fears are met dead-on.

I really enjoyed this movie a LOT - partially because it gives you such a funny and likable hero in Henry (thanks to Meister's performance). But the film is also original, very funny, and so damned quirky at taking itself seriously (while still injecting a decent amount of humor into the story), you can't help but become involved with what's going on. While not for everyone - especially due to the blood and gore that comes along for the ride (the DVD version, which I saw, was unrated - presumably to guarantee more gore) - fans of films like Shaun of the Dead or even The Howling should appreciate the twisted humor of this low-budget comedy-horror treat. Well done. **** - Reel Awesome