Yep, it sure is violent. I was forewarned that the first ten minutes were particularly violent, but I didn’t realize that the violence continued throughout the film. It’s a vivid and gritty depiction of 1820s Tasmania, a place steeped in violence and killing. It’s more than just tricking-up a horror film with historical artefacts: it’s also about powerlessness and dispossession and revenge. I thought that the ending was going to descend into bathos, but the last two seconds saved it from that fate.
Larissa Behrendt has written an interesting review of it.
It’s now down to one showing a day at the Nova, so it will soon disappear.
My rating: 4 stars
The Resident Judge of Port Phillip 