The Bench (2024) – Film Review

The Bench is a Scottish slasher film made in 2007 and held in limbo for 17 years before finally being released in 2024. It shows how much times have changed in the last couple of decades because The Bench begins with a warning message that states the film reflects the language and social attitudes of its time, pointing out that some viewers may find this content offensive.

The Bench is a slasher film. The characters get chopped, sliced, and even drilled (not in a good way); and the producers’ main worry is being politically correct. That’s crazy. The choice of title is questionable as well. Maybe I’m missing something, but it doesn’t make sense. There is no bench.

Fortunately, the film itself is easier to understand.

The Bench is a film about a group of friends, most of whom have just graduated from University, who decide to go on a camping trip. While driving through the countryside, they pass a young woman whose car has broken down, stop to help, and then give her a lift to her cabin, which she tells them she has just inherited. Then, instead of breaking out their tents that night as planned, they stay at her cabin in the middle of nowhere.

One by one and sometimes in quick succession, the gang in the cabin are picked off by a brutal killer. So is another trio of would-be campers who happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Although there is plenty of blood and some nasty wounds on display, and it is all realistically done, viewers are spared much of the nastiness. The axe swings, or the drill comes down and the camera cuts to a different scene or angle. I was grateful for this toning down, a lot of other viewers may be as well but just as many or more may feel disappointed by what could seen as a kid’s glove approach to the kill.

Depending on their prior level of exposure to the Scottish accent, some viewers may struggle to understand what the actors are saying. The accents are pretty strong. I managed to get by and love to hear Scottish accents anyway. I also liked the characters but when you watch a film like this, you always know most of them won’t be around for a happy ending.

One of the good things about The Bench is viewers are given the opportunity to get to know the characters before they meet their bloody ends. The scene where everyone gathers around the table to eat serves this purpose particularly well as they all tell their host what they plan to do with their lives, oblivious to the fact the opportunity to do these things will shortly be taken from them.

Occasional humorous scenes and romances help keep things interesting but, overall, The Bench is aimed at viewers who are comfortable watching films that have plenty of violent death scenes served up with a side helping of blood and gore. However, as I already pointed out, fans of hardcore slasher films may find the kills are not meaty enough. One way or another, many viewers may find The Bench is not for them but some people will undoubtedly love it.