Australia | 2008 | Directed by Jon Hewitt
Logline: Three mischievous teenagers decide to blackmail a suspected serial killer into murdering a perverted bully as an act of revenge, but their dangerous plans go seriously awry.
Australia’s recent genre entries have been solid and inspiring and Acolytes is one of the best horror-thrillers I’ve seen in years. Set amidst the gorgeous Queensland forest juxtaposed with the sprawling suburbia, it’s a murderous tale of deceit and betrayal, blackmail and revenge. And like all tales of this ilk, Murphy’s Law will extend its long arm and cruelly break your fingers … ‘cos it can.
Three teenage newcomers; Sebastian Gregory (Mark), Joshua Payne (James) and Hannah Mangan-Lawrence (Chasely), who exudes great screen charisma with her sensual nuances and adolescent vulnerability, play the schemers who embroil themselves into the lives of two very dangerous men; Gary Parker (Michael Dorman), an aggressive sociopath who bullied and violated them during puberty, and Ian Wright (Joel Edgerton), a psychopathic serial killer living in a disquieting existence with his deaf wife and kid. All these lives will collide with tragic and surprising results.
Right from the get-go Acolytes looks and sounds impressive. Beautifully rich and vivid photography combined with tight, dynamic editing, and a spare, but very deliberate use of music. The score seems almost non-existent, but the use of rock songs is a calibrated decision. The sound design is creepy and very effective. Director Jon Hewitt may have made a dodgy and forgettable exploitation horror debut in 1992 (Bloodlust), but he’s proved his mettle now and carved himself a very stylish and memorable psychological horror with a strong visceral edge.
The uneven relationship between the three teenagers; a triangle of sexual tension, macho competition and an unrequited crush, adds a highly flammable ingredient to their plight. The volatility of bogan Parker, armed with his black Valiant and a black crossbow, and the mustachioed Wright, a figure of dull suburban ordinariness, is a brilliant juxtaposition of evils. The playfulness of the adolescents, getting themselves in over their heads as they fancy themselves as the sly tableturners on the nasty bully who traumatized them in younger days, is used against them by the adults. The adults are in turn toyed with by the kids. The “game” becomes more and more dangerous.
There’s a sub-plot which involves the dead teenager Tanya Lee (Holly Baldwin), whom is seen alive, but deeply traumatized, briefly at the very beginning of the movie. She serves as a kind of enigma, but is also part of a mysterious secret known to Mark and James. As the visual narrative reveals through the clever use of flashback, her story is an important one in relation to the movie’s dénouement.
Acolytes won Best Film, Best Cinematography and Best Actor (Edgerton) at last year’s Melbourne Underground Film Festival, and deservingly so. Why it hasn’t received a wider theatrical release and more recognition in Australia is a mystery. It’s the kind of movie the darker side of Hollywood loves.
TRAILER:
Acolytes DVD is courtesy of Madman Entertainment, many thanks!
Hollywood doesn’t seem to think Australian films will bring in an audience. A shame really. More of a shame is that it is not given more attention in its homeland.
Jo, I quite agree. Yet other crappy Aussie flicks get a wide release. Go figure.
Oh creepy trailer! I like the premise and I can see Joel Edgerton as a killer, he always plays such a knockabout guy, this is something he could really sink his teeth into. Looks like another must see.
Hi Cheryl … Have you seen The Square? Stars Joel, as again a crim, and it’s directed by his brother Nash. I reviewed it on Horrorphile. Excellent modern noir. This is a much darker movie however. Adding it to your “must see” list goes without saying here