"The Hornet's Nest" is the name of the barge, but it also refers to the trouble these young people inadvertently get themselves into. Coming in at just over an hour, this Brit flick can't be blamed if its charms are principally on the surface. There's an "Arsenic and Old Lace" vibe with the lovely elderly ladies watching everything from their windows, and just a hint of that kooky, beatnik ethos of the 50s in the dialog and in those Les Paul guitar licks commenting on the action. Some threads get introduced but never seem to go anywhere (I kept waiting for one of the girls to trot out a nice dinner), but mostly the plot runs fairly linearly from one end to the other. Pleasant writing of not quite memorable lines, competent if not earth-shaking, as repartee goes. You won't hate yourself in the morning for watching this, but it ain't no ten.
Review of The Hornet's Nest
