THE DOOM BUSTERS
***
Directed by Jack Lawrence McHenry.
Starring Tom Bailey, Margaret Clunie, Timothy Renouf, Jessica Webber.
Horror-comedy. UK, 80 Minutes, Certificate TBC.
Reviewed as part of Pigeon Shrine Glasgow FrightFest 2025
After his initial foray into period-set horror films with HERE COMES HELL, director Jack McHenry has now delivered THE DOOM BUSTERS, a science-fiction horror film which brings an alien monstrosity into a World War Two setting. McHenry wrote THE DOOM BUSTERS in addition to directing the film, and he successfully manages to sprinkle an extraterrestrial threat into a period of history where danger lurked around every corner.
Tom Bailey stars as Arthur Roundtree, a member of the Home Guard during the Second World War. Arthur clearly believes that he should be fighting the Nazis on the front line instead of completing menial tasks at home, but his medical history prevents him from serving his country in a way which he deems to be worthy. And his fellow Home Guard volunteers feel the same way, with William Buxton (Timothy Renouf) resenting the fact that he cannot fight due to an injury, and Harold Nibley (Oscar Meyrick), believing that he should be doing more to help win the conflict. However, the sudden arrival of a bloodthirsty alien creature soon forces the Home Guard members to take drastic action in order to preserve everything they hold dear. Thankfully the group are not alone in their quest to defeat the beast, with the aid ofGail Haywood (Margaret Clunie), who might know more about the creature than she lets on.
The threat of the creature forces Arthur to finally stop and become the hero he always felt that he was meant to be, with Bailey perfectly capturing Arthur’s determination and his drive to eliminate the threat at all costs. While Harold serves as the film’s comic relief, he will no doubt make you laugh at times, although it needs to be said that not all the jokes he delivered were particularly funny. However, Meyrick still played the role with enough dedication to the character’s humorous personality that Harold still ended up being likable, and not too annoying. Renouf was also on top form as the resolute Buxton, who finally gets his chance to save the day. And Philip Whitchurch was hilarious as Harry, a foul-mouthed hermit who gives the alien a piece of his mind when it comes sniffing around his cabin. Clunie and Webber also respectively, delivered strong performances as the women who helped the men whenever things got out of hand. And there was also a strong sense of chemistry between all the actors involved, helping the characters to seem more genuine, with the banter between each cast member seeming genuine and sincere. Although a strange plot thread involving Harold’s romantic feelings for Edith (Jessica Webber) seemed like a last-minute addition rather than a fully formed idea.
The Doom Busters is filled with beautiful shots of the picturesque British countryside, and at times, it almost feels like you are watching an episode of Countryfile instead of a horror film. Since it was emphasised that Britain is worth dying for, the grand shots of the exquisite British countryside certainly helped to emphasise this fact. And most of the film takes place in the forest, with the limited cast and the completely remote setting helping to elevate the tension and the overall sense of isolation which the film expertly utilises. Although THE DOOM BUSTERS ultimately placed more emphasis on comedy rather than actual horror, there was still undeniably a lingering sense of dread.
However, the film’s monster was unfortunately not showcased prominently enough. The limited budget means that we are only occasionally shown brief glimpses of portions of its body. Aside from a clear look at the creature via a holographic projection, it was almost never presented clearly throughout the film, which becomes even unfortunate when you notice how unique the creature design seems to be throughout the few brief glimpses we are shown.
The limited budget also means that most of the action sequences are brief and not presented very clearly, so you don’t go into THE DOOM BUSTERS expecting to be treated to spectacular action set-pieces. Most of the digital gore was only shown briefly in addition to often being obscured, which is also a cause of disappointment. However, there were also some memorable, Evil Dead-inspired shots from the alien’s point of view as it moves through the forest, as McHenry clearly wanted to pay homage to Sam Raimi’s horror masterpiece.
Although its limited budget prevents it from ever truly reaching its full potential, THE DOOM BUSTERs still proves to be a well-acted and engaging wartime horror film. While it certainly does not feature blockbuster-level production values, anyone willing to look past its modest budget will be captivated by the appealing story of friendship, camaraderie, and heroism which the film boldly presents.
David Gelmini