Whether or not Peril at Pincer Point is based on some sea shanty, it’s a wickedly fun film that nails the hero’s journey through a semi-Lovecraftian narrative. Here, Jim Baitte (Jack Redmayne) is an underappreciated film employee who specializes in foley. But instead of making these sounds up in a room, he goes out to capture every sound possible and remix it just right so his boss, P.W. Griffin (wonderfully played by Os Leanse), can use it in the next film. When he travels to a remote village whose livelihood depends on what the sea can deliver, little does he know there’s also a town curse placed upon all residents and visitors alike!
This film marks the debut of UK-based Jake Kuhn and Noah Stratton-Twine, and their first effort looks terrifically campy. They also decided to embrace the look of the classic monochromatic film era, tinged with a sepia tone, and presented in 4:3 aspect ratio to make the story as true to the era as possible. It’s a wonderful nod to those old pulp serials, and as for the effects, shiver me timbers, I’m sure there are some sea salts who’ll approve! Even when the dialogue gets a bit atypical, it hardly distracts from the normalcy our hero tries to live in.