Entertainment
Dream Vacation Ruined In Raunchy, R-Rated Horror Comedy
By Robert Scucci
| Published
Family vacations are always tough to plan and execute for a number of reasons. The kids swear they went to the bathroom at the last rest stop, only to complain that they have to go again five minutes after you get back on the road. The McDonald’s off the side of the highway are disproportionately expensive, and they always forget your ranch. And sometimes, just sometimes, the destination you plan to spend your company-allotted two weeks of PTO at is the home of a bunch of locals who are fast approaching the 200-year anniversary of what can only be described as a cannibal massacre.
2024’s Get Away focuses entirely on that third scenario, and it has so much fun pushing you into hostile territory that you’ll find no shortage of weird rituals and the kind of splatty, third-act violence any slasher comedy fan will appreciate. Written by Nick Frost of Shaun of the Dead in his first solo writing effort, Get Away boasts exactly the kind of irreverent humor you’d expect, specifically the kind that thrives on a suspicious level of nonchalance once things start to spiral out of control.
“We Really Need This”
Get Away starts out simply enough, but continually pushes itself into increasingly uncomfortable territory as it plays out. We’re introduced to Richard (Nick Frost) and his wife Susan (Aisling Bea), along with their son and daughter, Sam (Sebastian Croft) and Jessie (Maisie Ayres). The echoing sentiment we hear from Susan as the family travels to the Swedish island of Svalta is that she really needs this. The implication is clear. She and Richard have been grinding all year to support their family, and this is the only two-week window they have to get some genuine rest and relaxation before heading straight back into the rat race.
The primary reason they’ve chosen to travel to Svalta is to witness a play put on by the locals that commemorates the 200th anniversary of a British quarantine. That quarantine resulted in a small group of survivors who still live on the island today, largely because their ancestors resorted to cannibalism when their food supply dwindled and was never replenished. Whether the family has any direct connection to the islanders isn’t made clear, but it still feels like a strange place to spend your only family vacation.
Almost immediately upon arrival, the family is met with anger, hostility, and resentment, as if they’re intruding on something deeply personal. Dead animals are left at their bed and breakfast doorstep, it appears someone has been rummaging through their belongings while they’re out exploring, and Jessie begins to suspect there are hidden mirror doorways in the house, implying someone may be watching her while she sleeps.
Get Away hits its boiling point during the ceremony the family traveled to see, when it becomes clear that not everything on the island is what it seems. After a series of traumatizing incidents that are best left undescribed so you can experience them firsthand, the family realizes they’re grossly outnumbered by the locals and decides to reclaim their dignity through whatever means necessary before leaving the island for good.
Predictable Until It’s Not
During its first and second acts, Get Away plays out like a classic folk horror setup. A group of outsiders arrives somewhere they clearly shouldn’t be, and the people who already live there participate in increasingly bizarre rituals that would make most people leave before they’re sacrificed to some sort of blood demon. Get Away subverts those expectations through Richard and Susan’s family, because they seem oddly at peace with everything happening around them.
They know they aren’t welcome on the island of Svalta, but they don’t care. This is their vacation. This is their only chance to relax and spend time together before heading back to their everyday lives, and they refuse to let a bunch of strange locals ruin it. Most of the humor in Get Away comes from this tonal clash, and Nick Frost’s friendly, straight-faced approach to what most people would consider a nightmare scenario is oddly wholesome.
If you start to feel restless during what appears to be a lack of conflict, all you have to do is wait for the third act, when things go completely off the rails and the film turns into a violent battle of wills. It all builds toward one of the most out-of-pocket twist endings you’ve probably seen in a hot minute.
Get Away is a satisfying watch if you’re already a fan of Nick Frost’s screen presence and delivery, and his performance is further elevated by Aisling Bea, Sebastian Croft, and Maisie Ayres. On screen, they play the perfect English family trying to charm their way out of an insane situation, while also hinting that they’re not to be underestimated. Sometimes the most polite people are exactly the ones you don’t want to mess with.
As of this writing, Get Away is streaming for free on Tubi.
Entertainment
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Entertainment
Big Salad’s Birthday Sale
This week only, we’re offering 20% off annual subscriptions to Big Salad, our weekly newsletter (and the #1 fashion/beauty publication on Substack). For $4/month, you will get every issue for a year — packed with fun finds, life realizations, and essays on sex, dating, love, marriage, divorce, parenting, and friendship — plus access to our deep archives.
Last Friday, I wrote about a dating realization I had that changed everything (gift link, free for all). The comments were truly incredible, and I felt really moved by the ability to share relationship (and life) highs and lows with women who really get it. We really are all in this together.
Here are a few more issues you may enjoy…
On sex, dating, relationships, and friendship:
The genius advice my therapist gave me when my marriage ended.
What it felt like to have sex for the first time post-divorce.
How do you know if it’s time to get divorced?
Four ways I’ve learned to deepen friendships.
The book that profoundly changed my friend’s sex life.
Reader question: “I want to talk dirty in bed, but I’m nervous.”
Nine habits that are making my 40s my favorite decade.
On fashion and beauty:
How to style a shirt like a Copenhagen girl.
7 things we spotted people wearing in Paris (plus, two magic Paris itineraries).
13 beauty products we always finish.
Do I get botox or filler? Readers asked, and I answered. 🙂
At age 46, I finally figured out my hair.
Gemma’s #1 drugstore beauty find.
Our 13 favorite swimsuits.
And, most of all, amazing life insights from women we love:
Ashley C. Ford on why poverty makes it hard to figure out what you like.
Anne Helen Petersen’s book-filled island cottage.
Three people share how they changed their careers. Then, three more women share!
Brooke Barker’s great conversation starter.
Hunter Harris tells us what movies and shows to watch right now.
Abbey Nova’s jaw-dropping garden makeover.
Natasha Pickowicz wants you to throw yourself a party.
My sister’s parenting hack that I can’t stop thinking about.
Alison Piepmeyer’s amazing wallpaper before-and-after photos.
15 incredible books to read.
Nine ways Kate Baer is coming out to play in her 40s.
Here’s the discount link for 20% off annual subscriptions, and here’s the Big Salad homepage, if you’d like to check it out. We would love to have you, and thank you so much for your support and readership. Joannaxo
P.S. We also offer 50 comped subscriptions per month for those who’d like to read Big Salad but aren’t in a place to pay for it at the moment. Just email newsletter@cupofjo.com to get on the list. Thank you!
Entertainment
Brûléed Yogurt? Yes, Please!
Did you know you can brûlée, like, anything? I always forget brûléeing is an option, because it’s one of those fancy cooking processes that’s too much fuss for home cooking. The thing is? It’s really not. All you need is a broiler and the courage to turn it on. (I suppose you might also need a fairly clean oven, or you’ll set off your smoke alarms — but I do that once a month anyway.) And once you’re in the swing of it, it’s truly so much fun.
“I love brûléeing the most simple things,” says our friend Jerrelle Guy, whose gorgeous cookbook, We Fancy, comes out this week. “Warm oatmeal, fresh bananas, grapefruit halves, the peanut butter on my peanut-butter toast. And whenever I brûlée my yogurt, it becomes decadent. I think of it as a no-bake crème brûlée.” For breakfast! Or whenever!
This week, we’re excited to share this fun, creamy, tangy new recipe from Jerelle’s book. True to the title, this is indeed a fancy dish, but Jerrelle is the kind of recipe writer who knows that fancy doesn’t need to be complicated (this is the woman who judged our boxed brownie taste test, after all). When she says you can do this — in less than 30 minutes, no less — you can trust her. And doesn’t a warm, citrus brûlée sound so good right now? Definitely worth braving the broiler. Let’s crack a window and do this thing.
Brûléed Lemon Yogurt With Berries
From We Fancy, by Jerrelle Guy
Serves 2-4
For the berry pico
1/2 cup blueberries and strawberries (fresh or frozen), diced
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp olive oil
Kosher salt
For the yogurt crème brûlée
1 cup Greek yogurt (full-fat) or labneh
Turbinado sugar or granulated sugar, for sprinkling
Make the pico: In a small bowl, combine the berries, thyme, lemon juice, olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Set aside to allow the berries some time to release their juices.
Make the yogurt: Divide the yogurt among four 4-ounce ramekins (or two 8-ounce ramekins), or small heat-proof bowls, and spread in a smooth, even layer. Wipe any splattered edges of the ramekins with a clean kitchen cloth. (If making ahead, you can cover the yogurt and refrigerate for up to three days, until ready to eat. You can also leave it overnight to make the yogurt firmer.)
Brûlée the yogurt: Sprinkle sugar over the tops of the yogurt in a thin, even layer. If using a broiler, set an oven rack just beneath the heating element and turn the broiler on high. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and slide under the broiler. You can also use a blow torch, moving in slow, circular motions over the yogurt. Burn the sugar until it beads, then caramelizes and melts into puddles. Remove from the oven (if using), and allow the yogurt to rest for a few minutes until the sugar hardens. Top with the pico and serve.
Note: If you want to make it even fancier, Jerrelle suggests mixing the yogurt with 2-3 tbsp of lemon curd and 1/2 tsp of pure vanilla extract, before transferring to the ramekins, to add a pleasant tang.
Thank you so much, Jerrelle! We love the new book!
P.S. Molly Yeh’s classic egg-in-a-hole, and seven delicious muffin recipes.
(Photos from Jerrelle Guy. Excerpted from We Fancy. Copyright © 2026 by Jerrelle Guy. Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.)
See results from over 25 AI models side by side with this game-changing tool
Big Salad’s Birthday Sale
