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“A horror film’s job is to scare you, is to get your pulse going, is to make you scream and yell. It’s to make you be afraid. That’s its main purpose, and creeping you out. And that can be an enjoyable experience.” --- John Carpenter ::::::::::::: MY CRITERIA FOR DISCUSSION ENCOMPASSES THE HORROR GENRE AND BEYOND, SO I USE THE TERM "NIGHTMARE MOVIES". SPOILERS CAN OCCUR WITH OR WITHOUT WARNING. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

The Horseman

June 29th 2010 04:44
The Horseman movie poster
A grimy darkened street, a siren wails in the background, voices call out, a young girl walks nervously along the edge of the brick wall, past graffiti-strewn rollerdoors. She stops behind a large garbage container; she counts out her remaining dollars, tears rolling down her cheeks. She wipes them away and walks off. A van drives down a lonely stretch of road. The young girl is on her mobile making a life-changing call. The van pulls into a rural driveway and pulls up beside a small nondescript home. The young girl is being lead up some stairs in a warehouse, she looks nervous. The driver of the van is at the front door of the home, dressed as pest control. A man answers the door; the pest controller is ushered in and proceeds to beat the living daylights out of the man. He wants the truth: who was responsible for his daughter’s sexual degradation and subsequent death by overdose. His name is Christian and he’s about to descend into hell and take as many of the bastards down along the way …
The Horseman Peter Marshall
Peter Marshall as Christian
Young filmmaker Steven Kastrissios has delivered a powerhouse debut feature about as brutal and relentless a revenge flick as I’ve ever seen. The Horseman (2008) takes no prisoners and pulls no punches; it’s a hardboiled journey into the darkness of the soul where vengeance offers little in the way of consolation, only provides distraction from the pain of the loss of one so dear. It’s a low-budget, but technically superb movie. All of the production values are top notch; the making of featurette on the DVD reveals how the production team had employed ingenuity on such a tight budget and schedule using strictly local (Queensland) talent.
The Horseman Caroline Marohasy
Caroline Marohasy as Alice
The Horseman apparently is reference to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse; Christian must therefore be Death. Or perhaps War. He’s certainly gone into battle against those he sees are to be held accountable, but he’s also a determined harbinger of death. His teenage daughter Jessica is dead after having performed in a porn video and taken drugs with the men who performed in it with her. Christian proceeds to murder these men and those that were involved in the video’s distribution in an act of cleansing the world from these ruthless, heartless pornographers.
The Horseman Peter Marshall and Christopher Sommers
Christian beats information out of Pauly (Christopher Sommers)
The Horseman Peter Marshall
There’s nothing new in the premise here, we’ve seen it numerous times before, most notably in Get Carter, Death Wish, Hardcore, and The Limey. In all of these movies a man who loses one or more members of his family (usually a wife, lover, or daughter) takes it upon himself to act as judge, jury and executioner. While The Horseman may not be as calculating as Get Carter, or as stylish as The Limey, it’s not as repugnant as Death Wish or as soulless as Hardcore. What it lacks in originality The Horseman makes up in ferocity. Director Kastrissios, who was the screenwriter and editor, as well as the movie’s digital colourist (specifically grading the raw HD material so that it has a more filmic quality), has made a very impressive movie that, despite implausible moments, paces well, sports a decent score and solid performances from the lead actors; chiefly Peter Marshall as Christian, newcomer Caroline Marohasy as Alice, a young runaway hitchhiker whom Christian befriends as his ersatz daughter, and Brad McMurray as Derek, the pornographer head honcho.
The Horseman Evert McQueen
Porn merchant Jim (Evert McQueen) squeals like a stuck pig
The movie also features many wince-inducing fight scenes. However, it’s the combination of the movie's ultra-realism and the intensity of the brawling that I have a bone of contention with. In reality it only takes one strong, vicious left hook to smash a man’s jaw; yet middle-aged Christian takes a thorough pounding, time and time again, and even manages to dispatch three strong young men single-handedly. He also employs creative torture methods which seem a trifle elaborate for a man seemingly blinded by fury. However it seems these are part and parcel within the dark poetic licence that drives the revenge flick sub-genre. In fact, so extreme is the level of brutality that a blackly comic tone rears its head, whether intentional or not, and I found myself smirking at the absurdity of Christian's violent plight.
The Horseman Peter Marshall
Christian burns his daughter's filth
What does work is how Christian’s initially nasty demeanor is softened in the eyes of the audience when events take a turn for the worse after Alice and Christian are pulled over by one of Queensland’s dodgiest and most dangerous men in blue. Christian’s questionable ethics are no longer viewed in such a harsh light as the more inherently darker evils are presented and unleashed.

Kastrissios will be a name to watch, part of Australia's pounding new wave, as The Horseman kicks some serious ass like a wronged mule in a foul mood. But watch out, it’s not for the fainthearted or the squeamish; the violence, while not especially gory, is definitely of the hardened ultra variety.

Here's the trailer:

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Posted By: Bryn - Category: movie reviews
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7 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by The Master

February 10th 2010 19:14
wow, I'm definately going to be watching out for this

Comment by Matt Shea

February 11th 2010 03:03


20/20 Filmsight
Nice Bryn. I was disappointed I missed this at BIFF in August. A friend went and he enjoyed it almost as much as you! Can't wait to check it out.

Comment by Bryn

February 11th 2010 04:18


Horrorphile
Cheers Matt, yeah, a talent to watch for sure.

Comment by ShaunK

June 21st 2010 05:09


Screen Adventure
I never actually saw this, it played at MUFF two years ago along with my own feature film. I was chatting to Steven Kastrissios during the after party, it was all alot of fun. I'll have to check it out.

Comment by Bryn

June 21st 2010 23:27


Horrorphile
The movie finally gets a proper Sydney release in August at Chauvel.

Comment by JohnDoe

July 1st 2010 00:57


Film & TV on DVD
Excellent review Bryn,

I will certainly check it out as it sounds right up my dark, "Dead Man's Shoes" alley.

Comment by Bryn

July 1st 2010 01:29


Horrorphile
Cheers JD ... yes this will definitely tickle your dead shoes

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