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IMDbPro

Jack Be Nimble

  • 19931993
  • RR
  • 1h 32m
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
469
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
13,646
4,271
Jack Be Nimble (1993)
Jack and Dora, abandoned by their parents as babies, are desperate to find each other after years of adoption. Jack's young life has been spent with a sadistic family. Dora, whose life has been somewhat better, has developed extra-sensory powers which tell her that Jack's in danger and drives her to search for him.
Play trailer1:51
1 Video
19 Photos
HorrorThriller
Jack and Dora, abandoned by their parents as babies, are desperate to find each other after years of adoption. Jack's young life has been spent with a sadistic family. Dora, whose life has b... Read allJack and Dora, abandoned by their parents as babies, are desperate to find each other after years of adoption. Jack's young life has been spent with a sadistic family. Dora, whose life has been somewhat better, has developed extra-sensory powers which tell her that Jack's in dang... Read allJack and Dora, abandoned by their parents as babies, are desperate to find each other after years of adoption. Jack's young life has been spent with a sadistic family. Dora, whose life has been somewhat better, has developed extra-sensory powers which tell her that Jack's in danger and drives her to search for him.
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
469
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
13,646
4,271
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Garth Maxwell
    • Writers
      • Garth Maxwell
      • Rex Pilgrim(additional writer)
    • Stars
      • Alexis Arquette
      • Sarah Smuts-Kennedy
      • Bruno Lawrence
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Garth Maxwell
    • Writers
      • Garth Maxwell
      • Rex Pilgrim(additional writer)
    • Stars
      • Alexis Arquette
      • Sarah Smuts-Kennedy
      • Bruno Lawrence
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 12User reviews
    • 11Critic reviews
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 5 nominations

    Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:51
    Official Trailer

    Photos19

    Jack Be Nimble (1993)
    Jack Be Nimble (1993)
    Jack Be Nimble (1993)
    Jack Be Nimble (1993)
    Jack Be Nimble (1993)
    Jack Be Nimble (1993)
    Jack Be Nimble (1993)
    Jack Be Nimble (1993)
    Jack Be Nimble (1993)
    Jack Be Nimble (1993)
    Jack Be Nimble (1993)
    Jack Be Nimble (1993)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Alexis Arquette
    Alexis Arquette
    • Jack
    Sarah Smuts-Kennedy
    • Dora
    Bruno Lawrence
    Bruno Lawrence
    • Teddy
    Tony Barry
    Tony Barry
    • Clarrie
    Elizabeth Hawthorne
    Elizabeth Hawthorne
    • Bernice
    Brenda Simmons
    • Mrs. Birch
    Gilbert Goldie
    Gilbert Goldie
    • Mr. Birch
    Patricia Phillips
    • Anne
    Paul Minifie
    • Kevin
    Sam Smith
    • Little Jack
    Hannah Jessop
    • Little Dora
    Nicholas Antwis
    • Jack aged 7
    Olivia Jessop
    • Dora aged 8
    Kristen Seth
    • Older Sister
    Amber Woolston
    • Older Sister
    Tracey Brown
    • Older Sister
    Wendy Adams
    • Older Sister
    Nina López
    • Middle Sister
    • Director
      • Garth Maxwell
    • Writers
      • Garth Maxwell
      • Rex Pilgrim(additional writer)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Feature directorial debut for Garth Maxwell.
    • Connections
      Featured in Century of Cinema: Cinema of Unease: A Personal Journey by Sam Neill (1995)

    User reviews12

    Review
    Top review
    4/10
    Awkward mix of gothic horror and social drama never finds its tone
    "Jack Be Nimble" is a strange and unpleasant movie, the result of an unsuccessful attempt to mix a whimsical gothic horror story with down-and-dirty social realism. The movie doesn't manage any atmosphere or scares and thus fails as horror, gothic or otherwise. Its attempts at realism also fail, with one-note performances and the constant incursion of the story's supernatural elements, which don't mesh with with the real locations and lack of style on offer.

    The plot: a brother and sister are orphaned and split up when the sister is adopted first. She is adopted into a loving family, but the boy ends up being abused by sadistic foster parents, and spooked by their four daughters, who materialise over him and watch him sleep. He eventually escapes when he uses his mind control abilities with a machine he made in metal work to get his revenge, go off and find his sister. She shacks up with the legendary character actor Bruno Lawrence, in what I believe may have been his last film appearance. Their relationship - a young girl with a much older man - is too "real" for this material, like the theme of abusive foster parents. There are ways for supernatural fiction to deal with distressing, real-world issues, but this movie doesn't find them.

    The main character is played by pre-surgery Alexis Arquette. I didn't realise he wasn't Kiwi, so he must have nailed the accent. He's kind of weird looking, though, like a Calvin Klein model with acromegaly. He reminds me of Rondo Hatton.

    The movie was just such an awkward mix - and quite unpleasant in places - that I wasn't able to focus on it for long. It didn't make much sense and I don't think I wanted it to. I probably should have bailed out early.
    helpful•1
    0
    • jadavix
    • Nov 5, 2020

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 4, 1994 (United Kingdom)
    • Country of origin
      • New Zealand
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Corre, Jack
    • Filming locations
      • New Zealand
    • Production companies
      • Essential Productions
      • New Zealand Film Commission
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $750,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 32 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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