Sony, out now on digital, out March 11 on DVD & Blu-Ray

‘Slaughterhouse… Bit of a weird name for a school, isn’t it?’ 

With both Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, The World’s End) executive producing and starring in this one, you pretty much know what the tone will be from the start. A horror comedy that loves its nods to other movies – here including everything from St Trinian’s and Kingsman to The Relic and The Faculty – but does it get sent to the corner with a dunce’s cap on, or make it to the top of the class?

Northern lad Don Wallace (Finn Cole from Peaky Blinders) is sent to a posh boarding school by his mum, because she wants him to make something of himself. But it’s a bad sign right from the start when they arrive and the kids are hanging on to car doors as they’re being dropped off, in an effort not to attend. But Don soon makes friends with roommate Willoughby (Asa Butterfield from Ender’s Game) then bumps into the school Goddess, Clemsie (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies’ Hermione Corfield) and is instantly smitten. That’s enough to make him want to hang around; it’s just a pity there are bullies there like Clegg (Tom Rhys Harries channelling Harry Potter’s Malfoy, complete with blond hair).

There’s definitely a pecking order at Slaughterhouse, as evidenced by the rankings of the different Houses (Don ends up in the rubbish one, Sparta, mainly so a famous movie line can used later). As if that wasn’t enough, the new headmaster (a gleeful turn from Good Omens’ and Underworld’s Michael Sheen) is allowing fracking on the grounds because of an old friendship… and a little bribery. Sadly, this leads to a sinkhole which releases a strange kind of gas – and also wakes up the mythical monsters living underground, which haven’t been seen since the founder of the place, Sir Slaughterhouse, saw them off generations ago. Now it’s down to the youngsters and kindly cricket-crazy tutor Meredith (Pegg) to tackle the problem in the present. Will any of them survive the night?

As mentioned, Slaughterhouse Rulez ends up being more or less what you’re expecting it to be: wickedly funny, especially when taking pot-shots at the class system or descending to Inbetweeners juvenility; gory, with blood and body parts flying everywhere; and generally just a fun romp all round. The cast give it 110%, including Frost as a druggie protester with a penchant for mushrooms, and even erstwhile Harley Quinn Margot Robbie in a cameo role as Meredith’s girlfriend who’s legged it abroad to the jungle to help sick children. The action and special effects are also surprisingly impressive, given the comedic nature of the film – one scene in particular involving a car escape is edge of the seat stuff.

Verdict: If you’re looking for something like Hereditary or The Quiet Place, this isn’t for you. If you’re just looking to be entertained, then you’ll definitely have a good time. Top marks all round! ‘Bequeath this, motherf**kers!’ 8/10  

Paul Kane