Next of Kin (1982)

In a rest home for elderly people, a daughter reads her mother's diary. Soon events that are mentioned in the mother's diary begin to happen to the daughter.

Director:

Tony Williams

Writers:

Michael Heath, Tony Williams

Stars:

Jacki Kerin, John Jarratt, Alex Scott

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jacki Kerin	...	Linda
John Jarratt	...	Barney
Alex Scott	...	Dr Barton
Gerda Nicolson	...	Connie
Charles McCallum	...	Lance
Bernadette Gibson	...	Rita / Mrs Ryan
Robert Ratti	...	Kelvin
Vince Deltito	...	Nico
Tommy Dysart	...	Harry
Debra Lawrance	...	Carol
Kristine Marshall	...	Linda - aged 4
Simon Thorpe	...	CFA Speaker
David Allshorn	...	Service Club Man
Alan Rowe	...	Service Club Man
Matt Burns	...	Mr. Collins

Storyline

In a rest home for elderly people, a daughter reads her mother's diary. Soon events that are mentioned in the mother's diary begin to happen to the daughter.

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Plot Keywords:

nursing home | ozploitation | old woman | old man | female protagonist | 

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Taglines:

...she should never have returned.

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Directors website Distributors of DVD

Country:

Australia New Zealand

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 April 1982 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Angustia a flor de piel

Filming Locations:

Overnewton Castle, Keilor, Victoria, Australia

Company Credits

Production Co:

Filmco Limited, The Film House, SIS

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jacki Kerin's hair was made a shade darker for this film.

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Connections

Featured in Ozploitation Trailer Explosion (2014)

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Soundtracks

Georg Trakl
with album "X" (1978)
Released: October 31, 1980
Written, Performed and Produced by Klaus Schulze
Published by Brain
Courtesy of Brain Musik GmbH

User Reviews

An undiscovered classic from down under

Following the death of her mother, Linda inherits the retirement home that she ran. Once there, reading through her mother's diary sets off a series of unsettling memories. Bizarre occurrences begin taking place as well, almost as if someone were toying with her.

I've seen this Aussie gem referred to as a slasher film on more than one occasion, though I wouldn't necessarily call it a slasher myself. It's more of a slow-burning mood piece, one that's quite ambiguous at times. It's also effectively creepy, one of my favorite scenes involving a figure watching Linda just out of her eye range as she roams the woods in search of her boyfriend. Said boyfriend is played by John Jarratt, a mainstay in Australian horror, and his presence here is a welcome one as always. Jacki Kerin is Linda, and she's solid as the isolated heroine who doesn't feel completely at home back in her old stomping grounds.

Naturally, the filming locations are gorgeous and the cinematography does a fine job of catching them in all of their glory. The film is complimented by a unique score and some stylish sequences, such as one terrific slow-motion bit where Linda is rushing down a flight of stairs. The ending gets really wild, leaving the film's more subdued nature behind for an extravagant finale.

I first discovered this film back in the early 90's when I stumbled across the VHS in H.E.B.'s video rental section of all places, that memorable cover art catching my eye. Even now, the film is just as effective an experience as it was way back then. All said and done, this is one of Australia's finest contributions to the genre. In fact, only "Long Weekend" is on the same level.