The big question is, was it worth the wait? Yes. But not in the way I expected.
I had heard that this film was violent and the 18 certificate had me feeling I was prepared. But one scene in particular had me and I think everyone else in the screening in total shock. It was probably the most brutal bits of imagery I've ever seen in a film. With the amount of violent films I've seen, I thought I was immune from all of this. But I guess this film took it to another level.
Now you're probably thinking, is the violence necessary? Considering the time period and situation the story is at, it fits in with what was going in at the time.
As for the story to accompany the violence, it's a pretty solid revenge thriller. The opening act certainly sets the scene for some completely despicable characters and introduces us to a central character that is easy to root for.
With the revenge set-up done, the path to retribution begins. With the jungle as the landscape, the possible dangers for our characters in that environment raised the stakes well and certainly had me on the edge of my seat.
As for the final act, while it does have its satisfying moments, the pacing did seem noticeably jittery. Some of the choices made seemed to somewhat slow the momentum down.
The performances were very good on the whole. Aisling Francois was a very strong and believable lead. She showed great strength in her character, was easy to root for and had some nice physical moments to give a well-rounded performance.
After seeing this, I don't think I'll look at Sam Claflin in the same way again. The things his character does will Joffrey Baratheon from Game Of Thrones seem timid. But all those despicable acts that caused the hate to run through my veins clearly meant it worked. So props to San for his commitment to the role.
There was a wonderful support by unknown Aboriginal actor Baykali Ganambarr, who was a delight to watch. His execution of his comedic relief managed to give this violent film a surprisingly of laughs which was a big welcome to somewhat soften the blow. Big props to director Jennifer Kent and her casting team on finding this guy. Gabambarr can easily compete with the best Hollywood has to offer.
Another good bit of supporting was Damon Herriman, who enhanced the nasty side of the film really well even when you don't realise it.
Only a few negatives to speak of. Obviously the violence can somewhat affect your enjoyment of this. While it did feel necessary, it does lose that re-watchability factor. But thankfully, I only see that as a minor drawback.
But as mentioned, the execution of lay-off I felt slightly derailed the film. While it may have ended in the right way, the journey felt a bit stuttery. It felt it needed draw it out a bit longer for some reason.
Despite that, I think it's easy to see that I was entertained by it. I always admire a film that doesn't hold back on its violence. Even though that is will probably scar me for quite sometime.
But as it was necessary to reflect the horrific side of this time period, the director andd their crew certainly got their message across.
The performances were of high-quality, the camera work was effective and the use of the jungle landscape was well utilised.
I came close to giving this an exceptional rating. But the lack of a strongly executed pay-off prevented that.
I would still highly recommend this. But prepare myself, this will shock you.
Rating: 7/10
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