Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Paolo Rotondo | ... | Simon Cartwright | |
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Paul Glover | ... | Phillip |
Chris Graham | ... | Robert | |
Darien Takle | ... | Marge | |
Rebecca Hobbs | ... | Dr. Karen Schumaker | |
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Roy Ward | ... | Dr. Marlowe |
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Cath McWhirter | ... | Helen Ann Millar |
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Carolyn Beaver | ... | Helen's friend |
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Caelem Pope | ... | Simon, aged 4 |
Jennifer Ward-Lealand | ... | Evelyn Cartwright | |
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Finn Johnsen | ... | Future cop |
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Phillip Brown | ... | Future cop |
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Tau Luke | ... | Future cop |
Tim Barlow | ... | Police photographer | |
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Sam Wallace | ... | Simon, aged 13 |
Simon is a confessed serial killer who spent the last five years in a mental hospital because of his state. Dr.Karen Shoemaker wants to get through to him and starts visiting him in the hospital, and his previous life comes to us in flashbacks. Written by Anonymous
Sort of what you'd get if you took SILENCE OF THE LAMBS and cross-bred it with Neil Jordan's IN DREAMS. Going for a Lynchian feel, director Reynolds owes more to the spookily dreamlike imagery evoked by the writings of Ramsey Campbell. Images make you queasy, disturb and profoundly frighten you, yet you can't seem to quite tear yourself away from them, as if you're having a nightmare with your eyes wide open.
As singled out in other reviews here, Paolo Rotundo manages to temper the character of Simon with a sense of humanity, something you'd never dream of associating with a serial killer. This hearkens back to earlier little diamonds-in-the-rough from Down Under, like Richard Franklin's ROAD GAMES, David Blyth's DEATH WARMED UP or the more fantasy-oriented films of Peter Weir like THE LAST WAVE or PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK.
Like SE7EN before it, it disturbs and disorients you on some pretty deep levels, then gut-punches you with a shockingly unexpected ending, which may not make it something you want to see over and over again. But for fans of this particular genre, it's definitely worth a look.