Calibre (film)
Calibre is a 2018 British psychological thriller film written and directed by Matt Palmer. After a debut at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, it was released on 29 June 2018 on Netflix.[1] It also had a limited release in select Curzon Cinemas in the UK from 21 October to 16 November 2018.[2] The film stars Jack Lowden and Martin McCann, two hunters who are embroiled in a traumatising incident while on a hunting trip in the Scottish highlands and must escape the local village without arousing suspicion. The film received critical acclaim.
Calibre
Matt Palmer
Matt Palmer
- Alastair Clark
- Anna Griffin
Márk Györi
Chris Wyatt
Anne Nikitin
101 minutes
United Kingdom
English
Plot[edit]
An Edinburgh businessman, Marcus, takes his childhood friend, Vaughn, whose fiancée is newly pregnant, on a weekend hunting in the Scottish Highlands. They spend the evening at a village pub, where they meet Logan, a community leader; and two young women, Kara and Iona. After dancing and drinking, Marcus leaves with Kara, despite being warned to stay away. Vaughn and Iona nearly kiss but Vaughn mentions his pregnant fiancée.
Early next morning, Marcus wakes up a hungover Vaughn for their hunt. Vaughn realises he has forgotten ammunition for his rifle, so Marcus lets him borrow one of his guns, despite this violating the strict firearm laws. On the hunt, the pair happen upon a deer. Vaughn aims at its head; but it suddenly turns, causing Vaughn to shoot and kill a boy, unseen behind the deer. The boy's father arrives and, in a fit of grief, picks up Vaughn's gun and points it at him; but Marcus shoots the man. Vaughn wants to tell the police about the incident but Marcus convinces him they will be arrested as murderers. Marcus hides the bodies and they drive off, hoping to claim that they were hunting in another area. However, Marcus is told by a petrol station owner that Logan said no other hunters are around and convinces a traumatised Vaughn they can only protect themselves by returning after nightfall and burying the bodies.
They return to the village and are invited to dinner by Logan, who asks if Marcus can help him find investors who might revitalise the community. At night, they bury the bodies. Marcus recovers the bullets, using a knife to dig Vaughn's bullet out of the boy's skull. The next day, their escape from the village is postponed when Brian, one of Logan's brothers, slashes their tires and attacks Marcus for sleeping with Kara and giving her cocaine. At the garage, the mechanic tells Marcus the repairs will take a day. Vaughn speaks to Logan's cousin Al and realizes the deceased were Logan's nephew and brother-in-law. Al's suspicions are raised when Marcus, upon returning, asks about "them" despite having only heard that Logan's nephew was missing.
Logan asks them to help with the search, which they accept for fear of arousing suspicion. A dog leads the party to the bodies. While the group digs them up, Marcus and Vaughn attempt to flee, but their fuel tank is ruptured by a bullet from Brian. Fleeing on foot, Vaughn stumbles and is injured by the dog, which Marcus stabs to death. As the group closes in, Marcus leaves Vaughn who is captured and taken to a farm, where he confesses. As Brian moves to kill Vaughn, Logan stops him as they hear the group has caught Marcus.
The next morning, Logan gives Vaughn an ultimatum: he must either kill Marcus, or Brian will kill them both. Vaughn initially refuses, even after being reminded of his fiancée and unborn child, and breaks down in tears. Eventually, at gunpoint, he kills Marcus. Before Vaughn's fiancée arrives, Logan goes over the cover story with Vaughn, instructing him to tell the police that Marcus drove north and his relatives disappeared.
Months later, Vaughan's fiancée turns on the bedside light to find him awake, sitting in a chair in the dark. She asks if he's okay. He says he's fine, despite clearly being far from it. They hear the baby start to cry. Vaughn gets up and goes to comfort his crying child, staring into the distance with a haunted look.