A British family vacations to a remote island for a festival celebrated once every ten years. Met with hostility and anger, the island must face a string of murders and a family that reminds the island of its dark past. A film by Steffen Haars, starring Nick Frost, Aisling Bea, Sebastian Croft, Maisie Ayres, Ville Virtanen, Eero Milonoff, and Anitta Suikkari.

Richard (Nick Frost) rents an Airbnb house on Svälta, a remote Swedish island, for a vacation with his wife Susan (Aisling Bea) and their children, Sam (Sebastian Croft) and Jessie (Maisie Ayres).

While driving to the pier, Susan shares a dark piece of the island’s history: in 1824, the inhabitants quarantined themselves during a deadly flu pandemic. The quarantine lasted almost two and a half years, continuing long after the mainland had lifted its restrictions. By the end, hundreds had died, and some survivors had resorted to cannibalism to feed themselves and their children.

At Kafé Kapten near the pier, they stop for food and ask the owner (Ilkka Koivula) about ferry tickets to Svälta. The owner appears startled by their request and warns them that the island is off-limits during Karantän. Despite his warning that they won’t be welcome on the island, especially during the Karantän festival, Richard insists on going anyway.

When the family arrives on Svälta island, they’re confronted by a group of islanders led by the elder Klara (Anitta Suikkari). She informs them that the kommune has ruled they must return to the mainland on the ferry, as they are not welcome on the island. Susan pleads with Klara, explaining that they’ve only come to pay their respects to the dead and witness the 8-hour Karantän show, a festival celebrated once every 10 years. Susan reveals that her great-great-great-great-great grandfather was an officer who was murdered by the islanders’ ancestors.

Their heated argument is interrupted by Matts Larsson (Eero Milonoff), who owns the vacation house Richard has rented. Matts leads the family to the property, which once belonged to his late mother. As they settle in, they’re unaware that he has an ulterior motive — he’s installed hidden cameras in every room of the house.

On the mainland, Detective Forsberg (Ville Virtanen) discovers the brutally murdered bodies of the Kafé Kapten owner and the owner’s wife (Maria Järvenhelmi). He suspects Johan (Tero Jartti), who was released from prison just yesterday, has taken the ferry to Svälta island and is now hiding there.

Directed by Dutch filmmaker Steffen Haars and written by Nick Frost, GET AWAY is a thriller-comedy about a family’s vacation on a remote Swedish island during a festival commemorating those who died there 200 years ago.

The film’s first 30 minutes are admittedly slow-paced, with little action to drive the plot forward. However, the story picks up when it’s revealed that a suspect in a series of brutal murders has fled to the island from the mainland.

Things become even more intriguing around the one-hour mark, when an unexpected plot twist steers the film into darker territory. From there, GET AWAY transforms into full-blown slasher madness, featuring several memorable kills.

Like a slow-burning fuse, the film builds to a satisfying conclusion that makes the initial wait worthwhile. Despite its sluggish start, the movie ultimately delivers an entertaining experience that rewards patient viewers.

GET AWAY premiered at Fantastic Fest on 20 September 2024. The film was released on Shudder in the United States and on Sky in the United Kingdom on 10 January 2025.

Shaun of the Dead Star’s New Horror Comedy Movie Starts Streaming This Month
After his rise to fame as one of the stars of Shaun of the Dead over two decades ago, Nick Frost has debuted an all-new horror comedy film. He is the writer of the new film Get Away, in which he also stars. GET AWAY is set to make its debut on the streaming platform Shudder on 10 January 2025. This follows the movie premiering at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, last fall.

Nick Frost on ‘GET AWAY,’ What Sequels or Prequels the Horror Comedy Could Lead to and His Next Project With Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright
For me, let’s start by making believable human characters. Then the comedy comes from interactions between human beings, which is something we can all relate to. On top of that, we’re adding a little gag, a little visual gag. I love the moment in this film when a character says, “It’s fine. There’s no problem here,” and then you see a human being on fire run through the back of the shot. I’ve finished the first draft of what I hope will be my next film. I’m just polishing that now and it’s going to start going out to people. It’s horror comedy again. But it won’t be a slasher pic. It will be more traditional — there may or may not be a witch involved.

Nick Frost Horror Comedy ‘GET AWAY’ From XYZ Films Coming to Sky in U.K. in Early 2025
Comcast-owned Sky will release the original film GET AWAY, a new horror comedy starring, written by and produced by Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) and directed by Steffen Haars (New Kids Turbo, Krazy House) in the U.K. XYZ Films financed and handled worldwide sales on GET AWAY, which it produced with Wayward Entertainment. Sky Original Film will launch the title on the Sky pay TV service’s Sky Cinema 10 January 2025.

IFC Films and Shudder Buy ‘GET AWAY,’ Comedic Slasher Movie With Nick Frost, Aisling Bea From XYZ Films
IFC Films and Shudder, AMC Networks’ streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural programming, announced today that they have acquired the North American rights to Steffen Haars’ comedic slasher movie, “GET AWAY.” The film, which was previously titled “Svalta,” was written by Nick Frost (“Paul”), who also stars alongside Aisling Bea (“This Way Up”) Sebastian Croft (“Heartstopper”), and newcomer Maisie Ayres.