Crime-comedy mockumentary Swede Caroline follows giant vegetable grower Caroline (Jo Hartley) as she seeks to uncover the truth surrounding her pilfered prize-winning marrow plants. The hour-and-a-half directorial debut for Finn Bruce and Brook Driver is gloriously British, featuring a range of familiar comics as they traverse the quirky, and sometimes criminal, landscape of village fete competitions.
★★★★✰
Swede Caroline revolves around an amateur documentary team following the titular Caroline as she seeks to grow the biggest marrow possible after a controversial loss at the Shepton Mallet growing competition. Disaster strikes when Caroline finds that her award-worthy marrow plants, featuring a beloved vegetable nicknamed ‘Ricky’, have been pinched under cover of darkness. Caroline and her ragtag band of fellow veg-growers can trust no one in the desperate fight to find ‘Ricky’, and serve justice to those who sought to squash Caroline’s squash-related dreams.
The marrying of the film’s criminally fun title and bizarre plot premise is a stroke of genius, and perfectly encapsulates Britcom humour. It references an American song, Neil Diamond’s ‘Sweet Caroline’, that has somehow become a true British classic, whilst delving into the epic highs and lows of English village fetes and the bizarre competitions that are held within their tarpaulin tents. Although the title has a further twist meaning, which this review shan’t spoil, it is the core British-ness of its humour that cements Swede Caroline as a unique entry so far for 2024.
In addition to this obvious pop-culture reference, the film is narratively somewhat comparable to Nick Park and Steve Box’s painfully underrated Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005), becoming reminiscent of one of Britain’s most recognisable franchises. Think The Office (2001) or Edgar Wright’s Cornetto Trilogy. It’s campy, tongue-in-cheek, and full of archetypal characters that will definitely stick with you.
Mockumentaries are a tricky genre. The tone has to be funny yet seem authentic enough to retain any sense of immersion; a feat that Swede Caroline certainly manages to pull off both structurally and aesthetically. Its talking heads are well put together, giving off an almost Netflix-like feel and building the faux authenticity that the mockumentary genre requires.
Swede Caroline’s greatest asset is its ensemble cast, providing one-liner after one-liner and contributing significantly to the film’s quotability and undeniable memorability. Through a barrage of iconic puns, the film’s three main characters—Caroline, conspiracy-nut Paul (Richard Lumsden), and the ever-eager Willy (Celyn Jones)—stand out as confident leads. The film is gloriously silly, with the three reliably retaining their composure as they uncover the truth behind Caroline’s tragic vegetable loss.
Unfortunately, amongst Swede Caroline’s witticisms, the film’s narrative becomes convoluted as the mystery unfolds. The plot unfurls into something far bigger and more complex than it needs to, revealing a complex tier list of villains and criminal motivations that ultimately muddy the water when it comes to the film’s easy-going charm. Granted, everyone loves a little bit of conspiracy, but Swede Caroline’s unexpected complexities become a little hard to follow amongst the wild mayhem that already surrounds the giant vegetable-growing competition.
The Verdict
Swede Caroline is a blast from start to end. The premise is simple yet executed to comedic perfection, the mockumentary genre exploited through its quirky host of characters and witty dialogue. As a directorial debut, the film is impressive, somehow retaining immersion throughout this absurd insight into Caroline and the gang’s bonkers lives.The film stands out among 2024’s current release climate, and seems like the type of story that deserves spin-off after spin-off dedicated to the colourful characters that inhabit these crime-ridden allotments.
Words by Jess Parker
Swede Caroline will be in select cinemas from 19 April 2024.
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