Hot Fuzz is a hilarious British film I watch at least once a year. It follows Nicholas Angel, a top London police officer who is forced to accept a new job in Sandford, a seemingly boring village, where there are many ‘accidental’ deaths. As the movie progresses, Nicholas and his partner begin to look into these deaths and uncover a conspiracy.
Why Do I Watch This Film Repeatedly?
The Characters
One of Pixar’s Storytelling rules is that a character’s desire to succeed is more important than the character’s actual success. When Hot Fuzz begins Nicholas Angel is doing so well in his job that he is sent away because his amazing performance is reflecting poorly on his colleagues. Nicholas is so successful that he is not liked by his coworkers and the film cheekily acknowledges that the audience wouldn’t like him either if he remained on this path.
Nicolas is challenged by his new situation because Sandford is the exact opposite of London; he has gone from solving murders to tracking down missing swans. He tries to prove that the accidental deaths are murders and no one, except his partner, believes him. His colleagues mock him for being uptight and following the rules. By persevering to uncover the truth while doing his best to adapt to his new environment, he becomes a character that the audience wants to succeed.
Nicholas & Danny: Comedic Partners
Danny: So what made you want to become a policeman?
Nicholas: Officer
Danny: What made you want to become a policeman officer?
Nicholas’ partner Danny Butterman acts as his foil. On the evening Nicholas arrives in Sandford, he arrests a man who is very drunk yet is still trying to drive himself home. In the morning, Nicholas discovers that the man he arrested is his new partner Danny and that Danny’s dad runs the police station. Nicholas is horrified to learn that, instead of being punished, Danny has to bring in dessert for the entire station.
Danny is the exact opposite of Nicholas, he is bad at his job, breaks the rules, is not very clever, and is warm and friendly. Danny is a likeable character because he is kind and idolizes Nicholas and, as a result, the audience cares about both characters and enjoys their interactions. It is a classic pairing where the characters learn from one another.
It Makes Me Feel Happy
MacAdam notes that good stories have an effect on the audience. The reason I love Hot Fuzz is because it has so many clever visual and verbal jokes that I can watch it over and over again and still be amused. When I have a bad day or need a laugh, it’s the movie I always choose to watch.
It is clear that the film’s writers put a great deal of thought into the “dream ingredients” of the script. Hot Fuzz is a movie that can be enjoyed on several different levels depending on the audience’s film knowledge. The film is a comedic take on police action movies. There are references to classic actions films and Danny is obsessed with these movies. Hot Fuzz rewards audience members who enjoy action movies and can laugh at action movie tropes. Additionally, the writing team of Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg refer back to their previous work in Hot Fuzz which is enjoyable for fans. For example, there’s a scene in Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz where the characters hop over fences.
If you haven’t seen Hot Fuzz and you like fun characters and clever comedy, then I highly recommend you block off two hours of your schedule to enjoy it.
EXSM 3989 - Digital Storytelling Class Blog 