Not since Columbo’s cruise-bound killer episode, ‘Troubled Waters’, in 1975 have I had this much fun watching a floating hotel turn into a crime scene, so get your life jackets on and dive into Wreck; it’s your next big TV binge. Wreck launches on BBC Three and iPlayer this Autumn.
BBC Three has a long and impressive history of commissioning exciting new writers, artists, and directors, especially in the genres of horror and comedy. Three’s envious back catalogue includes classics like ‘The Fades‘, ‘In the Flesh‘, ‘Being Human‘, ‘Killing Eve‘, and the recently released ‘Red Rose’. However, the classic slasher horror has been absent from this devilishly brilliant mix of shows (although Killing Eve came pretty close). But that’s all about to change as we prepare to climb aboard Ryan J. Brown’s killer cruise, Wreck.
In the arena of slasher superstars, Michael had his soulless mask, Freddy had his razor-sharp glove, and Jason had a battered hockey mask. Wreck offers us a new slasher icon, and it’s far scarier and deadlier than anything that’s come before it! In Wreck, the killer hunts in silence, its feet gliding along the poop deck without a sound; its only calling card is the odd, bright yellow feather floating in the air. Yes, that’s right, you guessed it, it’s a bright yellow duck in a waterproof hat and jacket. Not since Orville the Duck have I been this terrified of our feathered friends. Of course, unlike Orville, this isn’t a real duck but a mysterious killer in disguise.
Like all good slasher horrors, our story opens with our deadly duck stalking its next victim as the Sacramentum cruise ship ploughs through the ocean. As a girl runs down the ship’s corridors attempting to evade the bright yellow killer, the cold waves soon beckon her into their icy grasp as she searches for escape.
We then jump forward and meet Jamie (Oscar Kennedy), a fresh-faced recruit about to spend his summer serving the needs of the Sacramentum’s passengers. But Jamie isn’t the eager recruit he first appears to be; instead, he has infiltrated the crew through a deal with the actual recruit to find his missing sister, who disappeared on the ship’s last voyage. But as Jamie finds himself initiated into cruise life, the mystery deepens, and one person, Danny (Jack Rowan), becomes his number one suspect.
Ryan J. Brown’s screenplay is as sharp as the knife our devilish duck wields as he explores hierarchy, popularity, desire and a need for escape among the young recruits in a floating hotel that often feels like a prison. But it’s Wreck’s humorous murder mystery that shines, with episode one closing on a cliffhanger that will have you screaming for the next instalment. However, don’t be fooled into thinking this is your average horror/comedy because, under the surface, there is much more going on than first meets the eye.
There are nods to Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Ready or Not, and Friday the 13th littered throughout, but despite this, Wreck feels fresh and different to anything else we have seen. Here, Wreck’s humour, queer representation, fast pace and colourful cinematography create a modern slasher horror that is as addictive as it is smart. Not since Columbo’s cruise-bound killer episode, Troubled Waters, in 1975 have I had this much fun watching a floating hotel turn into a crime scene, so get your life jackets on and dive into Wreck; it’s your next big TV binge.
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