Contentar Best movie of this year hands down!

CommentsXp Best movie ever!

Aneesa Wardle The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Kirandeep Yoder The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

CantripZ This low-budget horror film from New Zealand is, for me, a textbook example of why I love the genre.It has everything a quality horror movie needs, including the elements which big-budget and "typical American" horror all too often lack.The film looks great, using the natural beauty of NZ alongside impressive cityscapes, but also showing us the very ordinary and (of course) the dark and ugly side of both the rural and urban environments.The plot is straightforward but intelligently thought through and far from simple, resting on the characters and the tragic events in which they're embroiled.There is violence and death, disturbing rather than gory, and an insidious tension which builds slowly and isn't allowed to dissipate until the very end.The characters are sharply defined and individual, yet at the same time convincingly complex.The dialogue is unpretty (sometimes even crude), but direct and often powerful - in many ways watching this was like discovering an unknown early Cronenberg flick, but in place of Cronenberg's cool intellectualism Garth Maxwell has crafted a highly emotional film which isn't afraid to take its viewers into uncomfortable territory.Some of the performances might perhaps have been a little more fluid but Alexis Arquette (as the titular Jack) and especially Sarah Smuts-Kennedy as Dora are exceptionally honest in their portrayals of a damaged brother and sister. Mention must also be made of the blunt, persuasive presence of Bruno Lawrence, bringing to life a character who could easily have been badly mishandled.Mainly, though, it's the ideas which make this shine. There are more surprises in this film than in the last dozen Hollywood horrors I watched... and thankfully they're the kind of surprised which make you think, not the kind which make you jump! There are very few FX beyond straight-up film techniques and a little fake blood, and that too is to the film's credit. This is a film about people whose lives have spiralled out of control and into the dark side, and while the paranormal elements are ever-present they're never the meat of the meal.There are a few rough edges. As I mentioned in passing, the script has its clunky moments and not all the acting matches the quality of the standout roles. There were also some heavy-handed edits, and the sound design wasn't as accomplished as the visual aspects of the movie.These are, however, minor quibbles, which didn't detract in the slightest from my enjoyment.If you have an interest in the more sombre, conceptual side of the horror genre, this is an underrated modern classic, and comes highly recommended.

delirix i like Australian and newzeeland film making in general,but this one is at least as outstanding as "once we were warriors"(not that you could compare these two goodies...) sound,light and camera are really stunning and well balanced.i really like the performances of all the actors,too! arquette is more than convincing in giving an carping asshole-until it comes out WHY he's acting like this all the time and won't be let alone! this film is a sensual experience,don't miss it!! a shame,that this director did not produce one "real",feauture-length movie since than. this was are more than promising afford, but today, i think he only directs c-class TV-crap like "xenia"(?) and similar low-quality stuff.

gridoon After so many positive reviews for this movie, get ready for a negative one - just for a change.I really hated this flick. It tests your patience. If the washed-out colors don't get to you, the revolting unpleasantness of it all will. The script essentially pits a psychotic freak against four creepy, murderous, insane girls (and yes, there are even more, equally dislikable characters around!). Do you care who wins? If you do, you may like this one. If you don't, you'll be just waiting for it to be over. (*1/2)

OJT This fantastic film is an adventure based upon an old fairy tale with the stepmother and three gruesome step sisters. But Jack will be taking his bloody revenge.Our film club featured this, and all the viewers were astonished. It's brutal, it's beautiful, it's sparkling with splatter and horror ideas. A true classic, and hidden gem! A complete movie of of vibrant colors sick ideas! The use of colors are greater than David Lynch manages in his films, and reminded me in that way of Blue Velvet! You really don't know what you've been missing out before you see this! Go head over heels to get hold of this one! Though it deserves to be seen at a large screen, or preferably in a cinema, though that might be difficult for most.This is one fine example of how great New Zealand cinema scene is, and I'll without any doubt consider this as a classic but refined gore, which should inspire many.So get gold of this must-see film! But, of course... be nimble!