HONEYMOON

US, 2014, 87 minutes, Colour.
Rose Leslie, Harry Treadaway.
Directed by Leigh Janiak.

Honeymoon starts with its two central characters very much in love, after the wedding, each talking into the video camera, the happy memories. They travel to a remote house in the woods for their honeymoon, plenty of amorous experiences, in the woods, on the lake. But when they go to visit the local restaurant, they find the owner behaving strangely and his wife looking odd.

During the romantic experiences, there have been a few signs of something sinister, especially flashing lights in the night. When the husband finds his wife in the woods, against a tree, with wounds of her legs and her beginning to act in very strange ways, forgetting details, yet trying to please and saying she was the same.

This is a variation on the Bodysnatchers story, aliens from space, invading female humans, creating strange creatures inside them, taking them over – and destroying the humans.

Rose Leslie and Harry Treadaway are a very cheerful couple which makes the monster aspects of the story more telling.

1. The title? Audience expectations? A picture of love? Their talk on the video? Amorous Behaviour? The holiday?

2. The film lulling the audience against what was to develop? The gradual revelation of horror, suggestions, the mysterious light, the experience in the woods, the injuries to Bea, building on these clues, the story of body snatchers?

3. The woods, the house, interiors, the lake and its beauty? The musical score?

4. Paul and Bea, the first impressions, attractive, talking on the tape, the romantic mood, kissing, and, sexual experiences? The house? the boat, the anchor? Playful?

5. The signs? Will, mysterious Behaviour, the restaurant, Andy, bizarre Behaviour? Warning them away?

6. Paul finding Bea in the woods, her injuries, their talk, distorted Behaviour, forgetting detail, the reactions? The body snatchers? The blend of the invader and the real person?

7. Paul, the strength of his being upset, practical with a puzzle, testing Bea? The visit to Annie and the realisation of her same experience?

8. The effect, Bea avoiding Paul, in the bathroom, the birth of the creature? The creature on the bed?

9. Bea, the plea, bewilderment, the explanations, Paul and his reaction?

10. Going out on the lake, the anchor, her pushing Paul into the lake?

11. The final image of Bea, waiting, the transformation, monstrous?