The first point I'd make is how on earth do you classify Stag in terms of genre, as it crosses over into so many, it's that originality that perhaps made Stag such a winner. Before it started I had a pre conceived idea that it be similar to the Martin Clunes film with the same name, wrong! Stag is And then there were none, meets league of Gentlemen, meets Hot Fuzz. The humour is dark and subtle, the suspense is actually really well done and edgy. It's full of twists, constantly surprising, and the outcome will definitely have you guessing right through to the very end. Brilliantly acted by the entire cast, Rufus Jones and JJ Feild I thought were both particularly good. I found this on DVD, I had no idea this had been on, I later learned it was broadcast on Saturday nights, maybe that accounts for it having slipped past.9/10 A winner.

When Ian arrives in the highlands for Johnners', his soon-to-be brother in law's, stag do and finds nobody there to meet him he should have got the idea that he was going to have a terrible weekend… he couldn't have guessed how bad though. He manages to get a taxi to where the others are and finds them to be a bunch of obnoxious city wide boys who quickly start picking on him. They have hired a local gamekeeper to take them stag hunting but due to the weather he advises them against it; they are determined though and he drives them into the woods… then abandons then. The group is understandably annoyed but this turns to terror when one of their number is harpooned and dragged into the trees! As the weekend progresses their numbers are whittled down in a variety of ways. They are convinced that the gamekeeper is hunting them but could it be somebody else; or even somebody within the group?This was advertised as a comedy but if you are expecting lots of jokes or wackiness you are in for a shock; the humour is as black as pitch and there is genuine tension once the mystery killer starts killing off the members of the group. Apart from Ian the characters are fairly unsympathetic at first but over the course of the series we get to know them better and learn that some of them aren't as bad as we thought… just before they die. The remote highland location and the oppressive weather combine to create a great atmosphere where the tension is rarely broken… and when it is that often means something bad is about to happen. The identity of the killer can't be guessed but the person they are working with is mildly surprising… only mildly because by the time it is revealed there aren't many people left. The cast, which includes several familiar faces, does a fine job making us believe in the situation but just because a character is played by somebody is played by somebody familiar doesn't mean they will last very long. There are of course some clichés and silly moments but not enough to spoil this viewer's enjoyment. Overall I found this to be tenser than I expected and well worth watching.

The characters are supposed to astute businessmen, but their actions are, at best, moronic. They act as if they are dimwitted idiots. True, they are out of their normal environment, but even that doesn't account for their ridiculous (re)actions. Add to that the contrived situations that occur and this meager attempt is totally unbelievable.If it is supposed to comedic - it fails. If it is supposed to be horrific - it fails. If it is supposed to be dramatic - it fails. If it is supposed to be a combination - it fails.More suited to a Three Stooges movie.Now imagine if these men were uneducated, bungling criminals that inadvertently stole money from a crime syndicate and were on the run in Scotland. They could act stupid. They could get away with doing ridiculous things. Is the syndicate chasing them? Much more plausible to the idiotic actions. Still wouldn't excuse the the obviously contrived and unbelievable scenes, though. 1. Unbelievable situations. 2. Ridiculous characterization. 3. Boring

Well just when you thought the BBC were spent they hand us this, a great mix of Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot and Hostel.I feel the show was undersold thus missed a bigger audience but in my opinion was/is one of the (BBC) shows of 2016.I could be opinionated as I'm from Scotland but the setting is as dreary as it is here.Can't wait for the third episode as the first two have set the finale up well.For a change well done BBC.Sandy.