PHOTOGRAPHY Oliver Bell and Lucy Lay
Imagine finding yourself – heartbroken post-breakup – in an idyllic campsite tucked in the green English countryside, hoping to find peace and reconnect with yourself in isolation. What appears to be the perfect quiet escape, however, is soon revealed to be a not-so-quiet hot spot for swingers, poly-couples and general sexual exploration, complete with a healthy dose of eeriness and surreal atmosphere. This is the enticing premise to short horror comedy film Getaway, directed by Aaron Kilercioglu and written by Harry Redding.
“I wanted to make Getaway because I felt like the cultural conversation around sex and shame was stuck,” explains the director. “We’re somehow living in a time in which everything goes, and yet young people are having less sex than we’ve had for generations.”
I wanted to make Getaway because I felt like the cultural conversation around sex and shame was stuck. We’re somehow living in a time in which everything goes, and yet young people are having less sex than we’ve had for generations.
Aaron Kilercioglu
Produced by Milk Machine’s Francesco Loy Bell and Harry Moore, the short features protagonist Daniel, played by Michael Workéyè (Black Mirror, This Is Going To Hurt) reckoning with his shame, masculinity, and sexual apprehensions, as he awkwardly and nakedly encounters eccentric but alluring couple Fred and Willow, played by George Smale (Masters of the Air, Slow Horses) and Blaine Muise, better known as hyper-pop star Shygirl, who also executively produced the project.
“I’ve always loved finding new ways to tell stories, and Getaway felt like a really exciting opportunity to create something in a different environment to what I’m used to,” Muise tells me. “The film explores the same themes I delve into with my music, and the team felt like such a perfect fit for me. Working on a film felt like a refreshing change; I love to push myself, and everyone was so supportive – the collaborative environment throughout the whole process was amazing to experience.”
Inspired by horror films that subvert the audience’s expectations – think The Wicker Man or Midsommar – the film blends playful absurdity with emotional depth, offering a fresh take on male sexual anxiety, exploring it with wit, tenderness, and a disarming sense of honesty. “I was heavily influenced by filmmakers like Luna Carmoon, and Paul Verhoeven in the way they portray desire as messy and confusing. We wanted to explore what it would mean to let desire and disgust co-exist, and how the two can inform each other,” continues Kilercioglu.
As the protagonist attempts to move on, Getaway deeply confronts the notion of what it really means to let go. “I was drawn to exploring this through a character like Daniel, who, having just gone through a breakup, is craving something new,” he adds. “Once he discovers the true nature of the campsite he’s titillated, but also ashamed, terrified of acting on his impulses.”
Daniel’s moment of realisation comes when the couple unsolicitedly enters his tent, sparking brief temptation — and deeper discomfort. He retreats, insisting he’ll “just stick to camping,” echoing the same shame around sexual freedom that fractured his last relationship.
Our guiding light was to maintain the playful theatricality of its setting, and allow that to clash with our protagonist’s growing sense of unease.
Aaron Kilercioglu
“Our guiding light was to maintain the playful theatricality of its setting, and allow that to clash with our protagonist’s growing sense of unease,” Kilercioglu points out. “Here, films like Drowning in Numbers and the photography of artists like Martin Parr, gave us ideas on how to balance these two feelings. From the quirky cult fashion of British campsites to the eeriness of being an outsider in the British countryside – we were inspired by how these things can co-exist simultaneously.”
For Workéyè, it was Redding’s eerie but totally relatable writing that attracted him to the role. “At the centre of Daniel is a traditionalist monogamous mindset, so to plop him into an environment that’s the total opposite is hilarious,” he points out. “I want the audience to either squirm at his prudish nature or will him to come out of his shell and it was a beautiful challenge getting to explore that.”
I want the audience to either squirm at [Daniel’s] prudish nature or will him to come out of his shell and it was a beautiful challenge getting to explore that.
Michael Workéyè
Similarly, the unconventional and specific tone also drew actor Smale to the project: “Fred isn’t your typical character; for a while, you’re not sure if he’s the antagonist. He’s warm, disarming, and a bit ridiculous, but there’s something slightly off about him too,” he tells me. “I was excited by the challenge of playing someone who lives so comfortably in this strange world, while still making him feel grounded. The film’s approach to identity and sexuality is subtle but charged — it doesn’t spell anything out, which makes the dynamics between characters feel much more alive.”
The performances from Workéyè, Smale and Muise are haunting yet painfully relatable. “Performance-wise, it was really fun to bounce off the other actors, and as Executive Producer, I loved being able to oversee the project as well as be within it. It was so much fun and I loved learning from everyone on set, it made me excited for more,” shares Muise.
Set to the backdrop of a captivating score by Mercury Prize-winning indie-rock band English Teacher’s Douglas Frost, the short film is an honest portrayal of its protagonist reckoning with his sexuality and sense of self after a break-up, and is a clever dissection of modern dating culture.
Getaway premieres at SXSW London 2025 on 4th June, 6pm. Tickets are available here.
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