It’s National Lampoon Vacation meets Midsommar. The film keeps you laughing and on your toes throughout with a strangely fun who-dun-it twist.

As a horror and comedy film buff, I’ve never thought that, as some film critics and historians attest, both genres could coexist in one film and do so seamlessly. I found a movie that pulled off this medium mashup, made me laugh, and had scary scenes sans the cheesiness factor. It is almost impossible for contemporary horror films to pull off.

And that film is Get Away.

It stars British actor and comedian Nick Frost, who also wrote and produced the movie. You may know him from Cuban Fury (one of my favorites by Frost), Shaun of the Dead, and Paul, where he co-stars with his best friend and fellow writer/actor, Simon Pegg, who helped launch Nick Frost’s film career.

In Get Away, Frost plays Richard, the patriarch of the Smith family. They are on their way to the isolated Swedish island of Svälta, where locals are about to celebrate their traditional annual event, Karantan. The residents have no interest in foreigners participating in their rituals and do everything they can to deter the Smiths from enjoying their vacation.

Sure, there are horror film tropes that audiences will recognize: the strange and rude shopowners insisting the Smiths miss their ferry to the island; the ominous old lady at Svälta chanting Swedish sayings and continually hissing at the family; and the creepy Airbnb host, with a penchant for young girls and boys, eagerly shows Jessie (Maise Ayers, Criminal Record) around the house while getting inappropriately close.

What starts as a familiar family road trip with annoying teenagers in the back seat, complaining about snacks, boredom, and engaging in sibling banter takes a turn from the expected to the surprisingly gory. Richard, an unassuming, mild-mannered father, wants the family to have a good time. The obliging mom (Aisling Bea, This Way Up)is ready to embark on an island where her ancestors may have caused mayhem and the demise of its citizens. The story does a complete 180 in the most unhinged and unexpected way. I won’t give you any spoilers. Some reviewers and audiences may have seen the carnage coming. But others, like me, did not and enjoyed every bit of the 86-minute slasher/comedic ride.

And I think you will, too. Steffen Haars (New Kids) directs. Frost and Haars also teamed up for the 2024 film Krazy House, starring Alice Silverstone, where Russian criminals posing as workers threaten a fictional sitcom family, and chaos and gore ensue. If you’re ready to laugh and succumb to some thrilling scares, stream Get Away on Apple TV.