Seize Them! is a 2024 British historical comedy film. It is written by Andy Riley and directed by Curtis Vowell.
Set during medieval times, the film follows Dagan (Aimee Lou Wood), a young queen who is deposed by the revolutionary Humble Joan (Nicola Coughlan). Dagan goes on the run with a loyal retainer, Shulmay (Lolly Adefope), in hopes of gathering enough support to win back her throne. Jessica Hynes, Nick Frost, and James Acaster round out the cast.
The film is set to premiere in UK and Irish cinemas on April 5, 2024.
For the trope, see Seize Them!.
Tropes:
- Agony of the Feet: Dagan is noted to have a fondness for her feet, so Humble Joan decides to demonstrate fire-powder by using a small bag of it to blow off some of Dagan's toes.
- And Starring: The trailer lists some of the main actors before "with Jessica Hynes and Nick Frost".
- Ass Shove: Dagan recounts that her father's punishment for traitors would be to cut off their arms and shove them up their arses.
- Became Their Own Antithesis: Humble Joan starts off as a supposedly humble woman rallying the people against a corrupt ruler, but by the final confrontation she is contemplating plans to manipulate the people to crown Joan as the new Queen.
- Because You Were Nice to Me: Basically Shulmay's motives for protecting Dagan, albeit because Dagan's mother was good to Shulmay rather than Dagan herself.
- Desecrating the Dead: Ultimately Dagan, Shulmay and Bobik do this to Leofwine's corpse, dropping her off a cliff three times to try and leave her with facial disfigurement so that they can pass her corpse off as Dagan's.
- The Dragon: Leofwine is basically this to Dagan and later to Humble Joan, although she considers herself the one "really" in charge in both cases.
- Ear Ache: Early in the film, a servant listening at the door for the revolutionaries' advancements is stabbed through both ears. He collapses dead.
- God Save Us from the Queen!: It's clear throughout the film that Queen Dagan is seen as an arrogant tyrant by her people. Felix only lists her at #20 when discussing most tyrannical rulers of all time, though!
- Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: Tales are told of the "Man-Wolf" who lives in "a certain forest", who was apparently created when Dagan's father tortured a man to try and make a man-wolf to serve as another companion in the style of his existing pet wolves. When Dagan and Shulmay are attacked by the Man-Wolf in the dark forest, Dagan hits him with her crown and he is shown as a normal human, declaring that the touch of the crown has restored him, but it could just be that Dagan's father drove the man mad and Dagan hitting the "Man-Wolf" with her crown snapped him out of it.
- Mummy Had a Good Reason for Abandoning You: Dagan resents how her mother basically left her alone while she was growing up, but Shulmay ultimately reveals that this was because Dagan's father ordered her mother kept away because he thought a mother's love would make Dagan soft.
- Noble Fugitive: Queen Dagan is overthrown and now lives as a fugitive in her former lands. She and Shulmay try to raise forces while avoiding Humble Joan, but ultimately Dagan "abdicates" in favour of Shulmay.
- Rags to Royalty: Ultimately Dagan declares that Shulmay will be the new queen as she recognises that her former servant is a more benevolent person and worthy potential ruler than Dagan herself.
- Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: Dagan, a fugitive queen, is forced to traverse her former kingdom with a retainer and a man who made a living shovelling shit for a living.
- Refreshingly Normal Life-Choice: At the conclusion, Dagan appoints Shulmay the new queen, apparently electing to essentially fake her death, and is shown making a new living as a children's entertainer performing puppet shows.
- Small Name, Big Ego: Leofwine considers herself the power behind the throne for Dagan and aspired to be the same for Humble Joan, but Dagan makes it clear that nobody thought that highly of her.
- Took a Level in Kindness: Despite her previous arrogance, Dagan ultimately comes to see Shulmay and Bobik as true friends. In the final confrontation with Humble Joan, Dagan even lies to protect the other two from Joan's wrath even when she had every reason to believe they had genuinely abandoned her.
- What You Are in the Dark: While Dagan acts like an arrogant queen willing to order others to the torture, ultimately Shulmay and Bobik recognise that she doesn't actually like to see other people suffer.
