Two Little Boys

Overview

Based on the novel by Duncan Sarkies and directed by brother Robert Sarkies (Out of the Blue, Scarfies), Two Little Boys is a story of friendship and the trials and tribulations of life in small town New Zealand, namely what to do when you accidentally run over a Norwegian backpacker.

Nige (Bret McKenzie) is not the kind of guy who knows how to handle tricky situations like this, but his mate Dino (Hamish Blake) is just the man for the job. However, Dino's great ideas aren't always what they seem and the pair's unusually close friendship, better described as a bromance, starts to crumble under the weight of a dead body. When Gav, Nige's new flattie, stats asking questions about the missing tourist Jurgen, things only go from bad to worse.

Set in Invercargill when mullets were still in, the film is reminiscent of early Peter Jackson, grotesquely funny with a distinctly low-budget feel about it. It's a bit gruesome at times, but the sardonic humour is offset by stunning footage of the Caitlins and classic moments, like an incident with a hot mince pie and a good old roadtrip.

It's the first feature film for both McKenzie (Flight of the Conchords) and Blake (Hamish &Andy), and though the acting is a bit wooden to start with, they eventually start to wear their characters with more conviction. Newcomer Maaka Pohatu is well cast as Gav, but if you're expecting comic genius, you'll be disappointed.

The specific brand of  humour won't appeal to everyone and it's definitely not for the faint-hearted, but it is amusing. There are some entertaining moments, but the pace is slow going at times and overall it lacked the punch I was hoping for. It's a quirky mix of comedy, drama and horror which will undoubtedly appeal more to the boys, but if you like bloke jokes and blood and guts, you're sure to have a laugh.