Based on the horrifying crimes discovered in Snowtown, Australia in 1999, where police found dismembered bodies rotting in barrels, THE SNOWTOWN MURDERS, which marks Justin Kurzel's directorial debut is a stark journey into the feral subculture of welfare dependence, addiction, domestic violence, brutality and sexual abuse. Elizabeth Harvey (Louise Harris) is raising her three boys in Adelaide's poor northern suburbs. After her latest boyfriend displays pedophilic tendencies she takes up with a new man, hoping for security but instead winds up welcoming an even more vicious predator into her home. John Bunting (Daniel Henshall) is the moral compass among a circle of friends who hold self-appointed neighborhood watch meetings at the kitchen table. Fueled by cigarettes and beer they cast judgments on those living around them. Bunting enlists his crew in acts of sadistic vigilantism on those he considers deviants takes Elizabeth's son Jamie (Lucas Pittaway) under his wing. In a mix of misdirected hero worship and terror, Jamie becomes an accomplice to a spree of torture and murder. THE SNOWTOWN MURDERS is an uncompromising film, focused on the relationship between vulnerable teenager and a father figure who is revealed to be the worst kind of bully.
Based on true events, 16 year-old Jamie falls in with his mother's new boyfriend and his crowd of self-appointed neighborhood watchmen, a relationship that leads to a spree of torture and murder.
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Very real. TOO real at times.It's a well-made, gripping film. However, I wish I hadn't watched it..Score: 5/5
Classic ThrillerThe background music coupled with many of the scenes make for a very disturbing movie. Maybe the only movie more disturbing than this one was THE SHINNING..Score: 5/5
Disgusting….Shocking….I have no words....Score: 3/5
This Movie Changes You!First off, my review will only interest those who probably share my interest in movies. I like movies that are well-acted, original, and aren't afraid to go off formula. For instance, such movies as: Alien(s), The Descent, Wolf Creek, Black Water, Hostel, The Exorcist, The Mist, Dawn of the Dead (remake), Audition, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, Borderland, Frontiers, The Last House on the Left, Zodiac, etc. These are the types of movies that leave me thinking about them for days and sometimes wishing that I had not seen them at all. I am quite unforgiving when there are plot-holes or characters that are just plain stupid (doesn't leaving me feeling tense or empathizing; rather, I usually am relieved to see them gone from the screen). Now, don't get me wrong, goofy fun in horror is good too but not when riddled with stupidity or boring plots, such as remakes for series like Nightmare of Elmstreet, Friday the 13th ad nauseam (same for Howling), SyFy movies (I used to like campy but they ruined it for me) and especially big budget mockeries, such as: The Fog (either), Cloverfield, Twilight, Legion, etc. Funny and scary are tributes to movies such as An American Werewolf in London, Tucker & Dale vs Evil, CAbin Fever, etc. So, after I read the book that this movie was based upon, "Killing for Pleasure" by Debi Marshall, I couldn't wait to see Snowtown (original title). I was trepidatious and sitting on tenter hooks while I downloaded the movie and boy, did I have a lot to be anxious about! First, this movie is not blood and gore like Borderland or Hostel. In fact, there is not a whole lot of either component. While there is blood and torture, for the most part, it takes place just off screen. Nevertheless, the viewer knows exactly what is transpiring and your imagination fills in the holes that makes it that much more uncomfortable to bear when you hear the screams for mercy. Also, if your an animal lover, like I am, this movie is painful to watch for about a 3 minute piece that actually will provide the viewer with a sensation of dread that these people are very sick individuals who will do whatever it takes to find satisfaction/release in life, even if it's caused by torture and death of another living creature, because, afterall, "they're nothing Mate!". You can feel that this is a sick desire to control and terrorize that gives an almost orgasmic pleasure to these monsters. The acting . . . WOW! The director did not use big name actors or even professional actors to fill the various roles. Nevertheless, all of the actors perform better than many seasoned professionals because you believe their story, you get lost . . . mesmerized by how things play out and what motivates them. Even though you would think that you have absolutely nothing in common with such low-life individuals, you do form connections, in my case it was empathy . . . how does society expect flowers to bloom in such hostile conditions, I even thought, society is lucky that there are not more monsters that we create due to poverty and lack of economic mobility for these throwaway segments of our society/plutocracy. The lead actor, Daniel Henshall, is superb in the role of serial killer John Bunting. He allows us to see exactly how a mass killer can move with such ease through any society, due to their charisma (yes - serial killers are very charming and not at all like Michael Myers one dimensional characterizations). I would watch him say the most deplorable things with a twinkle in his eye and a smirk on his lips and think . . . by God! He could probably have duped me too! It isn't until we follow his logic that we begin to realize that what he is doing is forming a circular firing squad and anyone, I mean anyone, is at risk to feed his sick appetites. Lucas Pittaway, as Jaime, is also fantastic. I kept asking myself what would I do if I had been raised in a like situation - I would like to think that I would have run away but I think that director Kurzel shows that this wasn't a black or white choice Jaime had to make - it was a shift to one direction that I felt he was forced to take under extremely dangerous and stressful circumstances. I kept rooting for him to get away (despite my reading the book and knowing what happens). It isn't until he is wore down by the terror, violence, and the unknown that I laid down any culpability for his participation at his doorstep with the last scene. I would love to say more about the other wonderful actors because they were all fully fleshed out enough as one can expect when seeing the story through the eyes of Jaimie, who wasn't privy to the background of all these characters that were allowed to surround him. That in itself makes us afraid for him because he doesn't know what they are fully capable of doing and we too don't know what will happen if Jaime defies them. Louise Harris, as Jaime's Mum is also wonderful. You are angry at her for her poor mothering skills but you still recognize that there is a woman who loves her family but has just been beaten down so badly by life that she is incapable of trusting her own instincts and gives way to a seemingly stable and protective force who may help her family out of it's troubles. This is one of my most favorite films of all time - Great Directions, Great Acting, Great Script, but absofuckinglutely gut wrenching and great movie..Score: 5/5
I couldn't take itI've seen a lot of brutal movies over the past couple of years: "I Saw the Devil," "Red, White & Blue" and "Kill List" to name a few. In no way was this film as graphically violent, but I was so depressed with the emotional emptiness of this film that I had to turn it off. Maybe it was the night, but for whatever reason I found no redeemable qualitiy that made it worth watching..Score: 1/5
Bone chilling.Snowtown Murders is a fantastic film based on true events. Being Kurzel's first film, snowtown was shot well with a documentary like feel to the film because some of the houses in the film were the actual houses of the murders. Snowtown is scary, not because of gore and blood (very little in the film) but due to the story itself..Score: 5/5
SpeechlessWatch it..Score: 5/5
OkIt's okay...it wasn't great. The acting was good just moved at a slow pace..Score: 3/5
B*O*R*I*N*GNo suspense, no Evil versus Good, just endless echoes of a one-note theme. The film "B.T.K." is superior in just about every respect..Score: 1/5
Haunting and tragic.Brutal, unflinching, and incredibly hard to watch, this well-shot indie docu-flick has amazing cinematography and is a powerful representation of the Snowtown events, with strong performances by all the leads..Score: 5/5
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Deeply Disturbing!Australia's finest "shock / horror". May cause nightmares! Truly frightening with some "images" that will be with you the rest of your life. Tension you can "cut with a knife". Excellent directing and the acting. I saw no actors at all. It felt so...real, it was like actually being there." A little slow at times. It could be edited down by 1/2 an hour, but no more..Score: 5/5
So intenseGummo meets michael haneke.Score: 5/5
Master PieceMaster Piece, but not for everyone. A step beyond "Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer”..Score: 5/5
Snowtown murdersVery well done movie. Excellent acting.Score: 5/5
Not goodPainfully slow.Score: 1/5
The snow town murdersVery tense. Atmosphere is tight. The score makes the whole difference. Excellent score. Dreamlover1949.Score: 5/5
CaptivatingJustin Kurzel directs a dark and brooding film.It 's soundtrack and scenes captivated me.I like film making like this.You may think it was right in front of you but you had to use your brain to keep up.The main point in my mind was he was telling us how John Bunting used a platforum of family protection to carry out his torturous evil .He both controlled and comforted which is a potent combination and we see how he can be loved and admired and trusted with your life.Daniel Henshall was excellent ..Score: 4/5
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