Review-The Horseman
July 22nd 2010 04:19
SYNOPSIS:
An action-packed, multi-award winning Australian thriller that features a range of powerhouse performances in an unflinching study of grief & retribution. Explore the dark fantasies we all dream up as Christian (Peter Marshall) grieves over the suspicious death of his teenage daughter.
As he travels through rural Queensland to investigate, he picks up Alice (Caroline Marohasy), an awkward young runaway and an unlikely bond develops. But as the crime is pieced together, an ugly truth is revealed and Christian spirals down a dangerous path.
With revenge the motive and the guilt built up from his inability to save his own child, The Horseman will serve up justice the only way he can think of. Swift and Brutal
RELEASE DATE : 2008
RUNNING TIME: 96 minutes
CAST:
Christian - PETER MARSHALL
Alice - CAROLINE MAROHASY
Derek - BRAD McMURRAY
Finn - JACK HENRY
Pauly - CHRISTOPHER SOMMERS
Jim - EVERT McQUEEN
Walters - BRYAN PROBETS
Devlin - STEVEN TANDY
Hilton - CHRIS BETTS
Chuck - DAMON GIBSON
Jesse - HANNAH LEVIEN
Det Adams - RON KELLY
Irene - ROBYNE MOORE
DIRECTOR: Steven Kastrissios
WRITING CREDITS: Steven Kastrissios
DISTRIBUTOR: Umbrella Entertainment
REVIEW:
If you have ever had that desire for revenge, THE HORSEMAN is definitely going to be right up your alley. A fathers revenge is probably the most ruthless of all and this man is not going to let anyone stop him from hunting down those responsible.
The films vicious and cruel opening sequence sets the tone right from the beginning and the tempo is set for the next hour and a half. Each revenge scene seems to become fiercer by the minute as the distraught father’s anger and grief continue to pour from his very veins. Not even a gang of four abhorrent thugs holed up in some outback house can stop this man possessed.
Moving from town to town in search of those responsible does at times seem to slow things the action to a dull crawl, but thankfully these moments are few and far between and not long enough for the audience to lose interest in the continuing action.
It is unfortunate that the film doesn’t seem to have that same horrific feel to it that most American films of the same genre. It is obvious that this film has been made on a tight budget and while the director does a great job, you just feel that there could have been something more added to the final mix.
All performances are definitely of a professional standard although some of the supports did seem to lack that real nasty edge. Usually a little over the top evil is appropriate to justify their demise, but these bullies just seem like sad and pathetic leftovers from the schoolyard antics of yesterday, albeit with a slightly more brutal edge. With some scenes shown in more graphic detail than others, this inconsistency can be a little exasperating at times, but overall, director Steven Kastrissios has done a notable job in creating a sense of fear and apprehension that carries the film from start to finish.
Peter Marshall in the lead role and Caroline Marohasy as the young hitchhiker do an admirable job but it will take more than a simple revenge film to really see what they have to offer. That said, The Horseman is well worth the trip to the movies.
RANKING 7/10
www.thehorsemanfilm.com
An action-packed, multi-award winning Australian thriller that features a range of powerhouse performances in an unflinching study of grief & retribution. Explore the dark fantasies we all dream up as Christian (Peter Marshall) grieves over the suspicious death of his teenage daughter.
As he travels through rural Queensland to investigate, he picks up Alice (Caroline Marohasy), an awkward young runaway and an unlikely bond develops. But as the crime is pieced together, an ugly truth is revealed and Christian spirals down a dangerous path.
With revenge the motive and the guilt built up from his inability to save his own child, The Horseman will serve up justice the only way he can think of. Swift and Brutal
RELEASE DATE : 2008
RUNNING TIME: 96 minutes
CAST:
Christian - PETER MARSHALL
Alice - CAROLINE MAROHASY
Derek - BRAD McMURRAY
Finn - JACK HENRY
Pauly - CHRISTOPHER SOMMERS
Jim - EVERT McQUEEN
Walters - BRYAN PROBETS
Devlin - STEVEN TANDY
Hilton - CHRIS BETTS
Chuck - DAMON GIBSON
Jesse - HANNAH LEVIEN
Det Adams - RON KELLY
Irene - ROBYNE MOORE
DIRECTOR: Steven Kastrissios
WRITING CREDITS: Steven Kastrissios
DISTRIBUTOR: Umbrella Entertainment
REVIEW:
If you have ever had that desire for revenge, THE HORSEMAN is definitely going to be right up your alley. A fathers revenge is probably the most ruthless of all and this man is not going to let anyone stop him from hunting down those responsible.
The films vicious and cruel opening sequence sets the tone right from the beginning and the tempo is set for the next hour and a half. Each revenge scene seems to become fiercer by the minute as the distraught father’s anger and grief continue to pour from his very veins. Not even a gang of four abhorrent thugs holed up in some outback house can stop this man possessed.
Moving from town to town in search of those responsible does at times seem to slow things the action to a dull crawl, but thankfully these moments are few and far between and not long enough for the audience to lose interest in the continuing action.
It is unfortunate that the film doesn’t seem to have that same horrific feel to it that most American films of the same genre. It is obvious that this film has been made on a tight budget and while the director does a great job, you just feel that there could have been something more added to the final mix.
All performances are definitely of a professional standard although some of the supports did seem to lack that real nasty edge. Usually a little over the top evil is appropriate to justify their demise, but these bullies just seem like sad and pathetic leftovers from the schoolyard antics of yesterday, albeit with a slightly more brutal edge. With some scenes shown in more graphic detail than others, this inconsistency can be a little exasperating at times, but overall, director Steven Kastrissios has done a notable job in creating a sense of fear and apprehension that carries the film from start to finish.
Peter Marshall in the lead role and Caroline Marohasy as the young hitchhiker do an admirable job but it will take more than a simple revenge film to really see what they have to offer. That said, The Horseman is well worth the trip to the movies.
RANKING 7/10
www.thehorsemanfilm.com
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