However, Marcus is told by a petrol station owner that Logan said no other hunters are around and convinces a traumatised Vaughn they can only protect themselves by returning after nightfall and burying the bodies. Marcus hides the bodies and they drive off, hoping to claim that they were hunting in another area. Vaughn wants to tell the police about the incident but Marcus convinces him they will be arrested as murderers. The boy's father arrives and, in a fit of grief, picks up Vaughn's gun and points it at him but Marcus shoots the man. On the hunt, the pair happen upon a deer in a clearing, and Vaughn aims at a doe’s head but it suddenly turns, causing Vaughn to shoot and kill a boy, unseen behind the deer. Vaughn realises he has forgotten ammunition for his rifle, so Marcus lets him borrow one of his guns, despite this violating the strict firearm laws. On the way, Vaughn deduces Marcus has used cocaine and chastises him. Vaughn and Iona nearly kiss but Vaughn mentions his pregnant fiancée, so they have another drink instead.Įarly next morning, Marcus rouses a hungover Vaughn for their hunt. After dancing and drinking, Marcus leaves with Kara, despite being warned to stay away. They spend the evening at a village pub, where they meet Logan, a community leader who bemoans the village's weak economy and two young women, Kara and Iona. Well crafted, acted and directed, Calibre is the sort of film that awes viewers with technical proficiency but offers little else for rumination.An aggressive Edinburgh businessman, Marcus, takes his boarding-school friend, Vaughn, whose fiancée is newly pregnant, on a weekend hunting in the Scottish Highlands. This is the sort of film that is supposed to make you wonder what decision you would make in similar circumstances, the sort of film where mistake after mistake happens and you find yourself wondering aloud why the fuck anyone can’t just make a decent rational decision. These are hardly a substitute for reasons of relatability. We know a few things about these characters before the events begin. The issue is that this is all balanced on the viewer's ability to relate to its main characters. There is a clarity of direction here by Matt Palmer that is enviable and he has crafted a nearly flawless film, technically speaking. This is a film that strives towards solid execution over everything. Undeniably Calibre features fantastic performances, polished directorial movements and editing and out of this world sound design. Not that there's anything wrong with that. A tense thriller set in the Scottish countryside. It is not a unique tale nor is it even a blistering new twist on this well-trodden path. There they get drunk and mixed it up with the locals until mistake after mistake spirals them into nightmarish oblivion. Vaughn (Jack Lowden) and Marcus (Martin McCann) are just two lads who have been friends since military school who are taking a hunting trip to a nowhere rural part of Scotland where everyone knows everyone. What makes a film engaging for you? Is it execution? Strong and interesting narratives? Relatability? Seeing something you’ve never seen before or accomplished in unique ways? If it’s the last, Calibre is not the film for you.