Brigsby Bear (London Film Festival)

Brigsby Bear is a film that, at its core, is about child abduction. But wait! It is also one of the most surprising and unexpectedly humorous films you will see all year. Fronted by SNL regular Kyle Mooney and with a very talented team behind the project, it is ultimately an incredibly upbeat and uplifting experience that isn't afraid to tear up the rule book altogether. 

Mooney's excellent work on SNL shines through in his performance as James, providing a wonderfully innocent energy to the film and instantly winning over the audience. He rightfully gets the lion's (or should that be bear's?) share of the best lines, delivering a number of great jokes that I wasn't quite expecting from a film like this. 

The film also packs in a surprising amount of quality supporting performances from Greg Kinnear, Claire Danes, Mark Hamill and a certain ex-Lonely Island member (hint hint). The standout though is Matt Walsh as Greg, providing many of the film's punchy emotional moments (although I couldn't quite stop seeing him as the calamitous Mike from Veep). 

It is also a film clearly in love with the art of movie-making and the magic of the big screen, with a large part of the film following the, admittedly simplified, process of crafting a beautifully personal project and making it a reality. 

The talent of the team behind Brigsby Bear is clear, with director Dave McCary working alongside Mooney on SNL for a number of years. The film was also produced by a star studded lineup of the Lonely Island and Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (The Lego Movie, 21 and 22 Jump Street). Need I say more? 

The script, written by Mooney's childhood friend Kevin Costello, is also brilliant in it's subtlety and patience, ensuring each joke hits perfectly. This results in several big laugh out loud moments but Costello also understands when to take it easy on the comedy, delivering a one-two punch of side-splitting laughter and heartwarming emotion. 

Brigsby Bear is the peculiar gem of 2017, a wonderful project that is prepared to risk it and take a story that, on the surface, appears overwhelmingly dark and grim and turn it into a warm and hilarious journey. In this way, it is somewhat similar to Swiss Army Man, another fantastic example of turning an initially wacky and off-putting premise into something much greater and warmer. Releasing this December in the UK, Brigsby is a golden oddity that deserves a chance.