Half Cocked

“Some great moments with a group of unique characters that were all well cast.”

After a confusing heist, a bunch of bumbling amateur criminals find their loot mysteriously missing. They've got bullets, and they've got bananas — they're just sadly lacking in brains.

Tom Bedford’s fun and quirky comedy ‘Half Cocked’ quickly sets up its premise in the style of a stage play and lets the humour come through naturally without feeling too forced. Bedford creates some great moments with a group of unique characters that were all well cast.

The concept of the film is strong and as we said feels like a stage play which works perfectly for the story, if Bedford had had access to a larger budget and better quality kit then this film would have really flourished. But DOP Aaron Wheeler still manages to get across the core of the story well and creates a unique identity for itself. Working with a large cast can be a challenge to block and cut together but Bedford who also edits the film keeps it all running smoothly.

The cast all have good chemistry and inject some humour throughout, each having their own moment to shine which keeps the viewer entertained. Some of the more subtle jokes slip passed which is why the film deserves an extra watch.

The style of the comedy feels similar to that of classic British sketch comedy, specifically inside No.9. The prop guns were a great way to inject some humour by clearly admitting to the absurdity of the prop realism.

This was Bedford’ first entry into the comedy genre, and it’s a strong effort. We certainly hope that he decides to continue with this format as it may open up many opportunities for future films. But production quality should be given more time for thought so as to really showcase his strengths as a writer and director…

— APEX Film Awards