The Doom Busters

In the music world there’s the saying of the difficult second album after a stellar first usually commercial and critical success. That maybe doesn’t quite apply to films.

Jack McHenry had an unbelievable debut with Here Comes Hell. A critical success with both critics and audiences, commercial not as easy judge because of the complexities of the industry.

The Doom Busters is the eagerly awaited second film McHenry and here he delves into sci-fi too. Set during the Second World War and with Churchill’s tones on the radio, the film opens in a pastural England where a craft crashes and something is unleashed.

Meanwhile those that for whatever reason haven’t made the grade are in the Home Guard. Which is a source of frustration and resentment as they are led by an elderly female Commander (Maureen Bennett) who is Arthur’s (Tom Bailey) gran. The small group is completed by ex RAF William (Timothy Renouf) and the socially awkward Harold (Oscar Meyrick).

With no weapons they have to make do with mops and brooms as they exercise hunting down stuffed Nazi effigies. While on manoeuvres they meet up with Edith (Jessica Webber) and her pitchfork. Meanwhile Gail (Margaret Clunie) dressed as a nurse has managed to get hold of a tommy-gun and is on the hunt.

Lobbed into this is a vicar (Charlie Robb) and a spiv (Douglas Tawn) who are there for a couple of reasons and not necessarily to do with film’s narrative. In any case they aren’t around for very long. Yet another character is a cantankerous hermit (Philip Whitchurch).

Getting to the core of the story the home guard join up with Gail to battle a formidable force that could end humanity.
As writer and director McHenry has retained the very English tone of Here Comes Hell, as well as some of the cast. Into this there’s the sci-fi horror, magic mushrooms, aliens and Dad’s Army. The latter is sprinkled throughout the film and blatantly referenced at the end.

The stiff upper lip humour is all present and great fun with the cast playing it pretty straight rather than hamming it up. Add in some solid visual gags and The Doom Busters is solid entertainment.

Where it falls down is that it feels a bit slapdash and very busy with quite a large cast. And then there are the SFX. I’m not entirely sure if that is McHenry having a laugh or budgetary constraints. This is a low budget film, but McHenry has an eye for a shot with some wonderful landscapes so who knows.

What could be seen as an indulgence is referencing a programme that is over fifty years old, that in turn was looking back at events twenty years earlier. But Dad’s Army is still repeated on the main BBC channels and frankly if you get it, you get it, if not there’s no harm done.

The Doom Busters had its world premiere at Glasgow FrightFest 2025.