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Needle

  • 2010
  • R
  • 1h 30m
IMDb RATING
4.7/10
3.2K
YOUR RATING
John Jarratt in Needle (2010)
NEEDLE is best described as SAW meets FINAL DESTINATION.

SYNOPSIS: A college student inherits an 18th Century machine with deadly supernatural powers.  When the machine goes missing and friends start dying, the student must reunite with his estranged brother to find the thief and stop the killings.
Play trailer2:02
2 Videos
16 Photos
Slasher HorrorHorrorMysteryThriller

A killer uses an 18th century machine with supernatural powers to terrorize students at a college.A killer uses an 18th century machine with supernatural powers to terrorize students at a college.A killer uses an 18th century machine with supernatural powers to terrorize students at a college.

  • Director
    • John V. Soto
  • Writers
    • Anthony Egan
    • John V. Soto
  • Stars
    • Murray Bartlett
    • Travis Fimmel
    • Ben Mendelsohn
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    4.7/10
    3.2K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • John V. Soto
    • Writers
      • Anthony Egan
      • John V. Soto
    • Stars
      • Murray Bartlett
      • Travis Fimmel
      • Ben Mendelsohn
    • 36User reviews
    • 27Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 6 wins & 1 nomination total

    Videos2

    Needle
    Trailer 1:28
    Needle
    Needle
    Trailer 2:02
    Needle
    Needle
    Trailer 2:02
    Needle

    Photos15

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    + 10
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    Top cast33

    Edit
    Murray Bartlett
    Murray Bartlett
    • Tony Martin
    Travis Fimmel
    Travis Fimmel
    • Marcus Rutherford
    Ben Mendelsohn
    Ben Mendelsohn
    • Detective Meares
    Michael Dorman
    Michael Dorman
    • Ben Rutherford
    John Jarratt
    John Jarratt
    • Paul the Coroner
    Jane Badler
    Jane Badler
    • Professor Banyon
    Nathaniel Buzolic
    Nathaniel Buzolic
    • Ryan
    Jessica Marais
    Jessica Marais
    • Kandi
    Tahyna MacManus
    Tahyna MacManus
    • Mary Matthews
    • (as Tahyna Tozzi)
    Trilby Glover
    Trilby Glover
    • Isabel Du Pont
    Malcolm Kennard
    Malcolm Kennard
    • Detective Reddick
    Luke Carroll
    Luke Carroll
    • Nelson
    Khan Chittenden
    Khan Chittenden
    • Jed
    Chanel Marriott
    Chanel Marriott
    • Lucy
    Gary Clementson
    • Student
    Michael Loney
    • Robert Shaw
    Tahlia Norrish
    Tahlia Norrish
    • Student
    Quintin George
    • Mr. Joshua
    • Director
      • John V. Soto
    • Writers
      • Anthony Egan
      • John V. Soto
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews36

    4.73.2K
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    Featured reviews

    Blue_dwarf

    A very slick and well made film - go see it!

    I've been meaning to write this review since I first watched it at the "CinfestOz" Premiere in Busselton a few months back. After reading some of the highly critical and unfair reviews I thought I would put in my two cents worth. I support any film made in Perth, particularly if they use WA crews. (I work in the industry, but did not work on this film, unfortunately). "Needle", "Blame" and "Wasted on the Young" are three examples of quality WA films that have been made on low budgets.

    The DOP on Needle was Steve Windon and its clear his eye has had a huge influence on the look of the film - it looks very slick. Although I believe this was shot on Digital, it looks like they used 35MM cameras.

    The story is very fresh. I admit to being wary about watching an Australian "horror movie" as most have been terrible in the past, but this film is a breath of fresh air. I have never seen a film where the killer uses a machine that makes voodoo dolls. Congratulations to the writers for thinking of this new device. Although the film has the same generic elements of a slasher, the characters, locations and story set this as a quality film with some major unique differences.

    The film has a slower pace than most frenetic (and usually bad) US slashers and I noted some of the reviewers have criticized the film for this - they couldn't be more wrong! I loved spending time with the characters and when they started to get killed off I did start to feel the tension gradually rising and rising until the climatic end.

    I have noted from their website that they are promoting the murder mystery element of Needle and without doubt this is the strongest part of the film. I certainly did not work out the killer until the reveal and this was a great surprise.

    Overall my opinion is that this is a good film, well worth watching. I can't wait to see this again when its released in cinemas in Australia!
    4Platypuschow

    Needle: Would have benefited from a more engaging cast and a more competent writer

    Plot

    A killer uses an 18th century machine with supernatural powers to terrorize students at a college.

    Cast

    Travis "Vikings/Warcraft Movie" Fimmel and John "Wolf Creek" Jarratt star.

    Verdict

    It wasn't long after this that Australia began knocking it out of the park, great movie after great movie and then it ended as swiftly as it began. My Top 10 Australian movies list is quite impressive and I knew going in that Needle would be unlikely to get on it, and I was right.

    It has an interesting enough premise, a remote method of killing such as Death Note but using an antiquated machine. As you can imagine it's your standard formula of introduce the 20 somethings, pick them off one by one and reveal the "Whodunnit" at the end. The trouble is the journey isn't fantastic, it's rather uninspired, it's boring and certain elements left me scratching my head as they made little sense and the rules of the box were a tad inconsistent.

    I've seen worse Australian films, but this is one that's highly forgettable which is a shame as the potential was certainly there.

    Rants

    I've mentioned Death Note so of course have to say it. The Japanese delivered us the Death Note anime and it was a masterpiece, then they hit us with a live action television series of it and it surprisingly really good! Then they gave us 5 live action movies and they varied from very good to excellent. What happened next? That's right boys and girls the Americans came along and decided to give it a go and as is often the case it's as if the writer was given a 10 second presentation on what Death Note is and made a movie off the back of that. It's one of those "It didn't happen" movies which I try and deny the existence of such as the upcoming The Crow remake or Nightmare on Elm Street (2010). For shame Netflix, for shame!

    The Good

    Premise isn't awful Some visuals are quite good

    The Bad

    Totally forgettable Bland cast Inconsistent rules of the box Doesn't exactly flow.
    4Billy_Crash

    From Cool to Ho-hum in Record Time

    Part of what makes us indulge in horror movies is to see death presented to us in a different manner, through a story that compels us. NEEDLE had a wonderful premise with a wonderful little mystery that screenwriters Anthony Egan and John V. Soto (who also directed) could not bring to light.

    And that really bothers the heck out of me.

    If the pair had really invested in a riveting narrative, this could have comprised the mystery element of the United States based version of THE RING with Clive Barkers HELLRAISER for one potent and unforgettable horror. Instead, after coming up with a wild idea, Egan and Soto clearly didn't know what to do with it. Instead, it became hack-and-slice cinema that offered little stimulation to the senses. By movie's end, the tale had become so old and lame, the climax was abysmal and unsatisfactory. In fact, it cheats the audience and sets up a sequel, though I doubt they'll ever have the chance – unless an intelligent producer with deep pockets comes along and shows them how to do it the right way.

    At first, when the lame commercial-hard rock commenced as Ben (Michael Dorman) ran across a college campus, I thought this was going to be typical teen fair. Then the premise was revealed and intrigue set in – only to collapse into typical teen fair. Worst still, Travis Fimmel, who played Ben's older brother, came off as being creepy in one scene, and a determined guy out to solve the mystery in another. Now, this did not leave the audience with an enigmatic character (such as Stellan Skarsgård in INSOMNIA or Ji-tae Yu in NATURAL CITY) but a confusing one. However, seeing how the story imploded into mediocrity, I have little doubt the director had told me to act in this manner. Think of George Lucas directing kids (unless they're stuffed into ewok costumes) and you'll get the idea.

    Revenge horrors have become a "give me a break" kind of subgenre, that is a simple and clichéd plot device for writers and directors to use as an excuse to slaughter. NEEDLE reminds us filmmakers need to deliver so much more. And this movie is only worth watching to see how a couple of writers came up with a great idea and didn't know how to make it work.
    5Someguysomwhere

    The "Hardy Boys" vs. Revenge machine

    Estranged brothers Ben and Marcus come together ( like the "Hardy Boys") to solve the systematic killing of Ben's school chums.

    This movie is basically a "murder Mystery". The only thing that set's it apart from most is the method the murderer is using to off his victims. Let me say right here that I don't believe describing the murder weapon in some detail spoils anything for you (Boloxxxi NEVER spoils; not intentionally anyway). But if you believe it does, then STOP RIGHT THERE!!! Advance to the next reviewer and collect $200.00.

    Made or acquired in the 1800's, the instrument of death is a "revenge" machine that operates on voodoo principles in that it uses a wax figure and photo of it's victims. It has a side drawer that holds a crank that is inserted in a special slot that "winds it up" or get's it going once these steps are taken: (1) A wax image or symbol is made of the victim; (2) blood is drawn from the avenger and poured into an ornate circular receptacle at the top; (3) a retractable viewer of some kind is pulled up from what looks like a "coin" or "card" slot and a small photo of the unlucky bastard --sorry, "victim" is placed in it and pushed back down into the machine; (4) a long needle is selected from a collection in a drawer of the machine to be heated and used with the wax figure (Positively fiendish, what?)

    I liked this movie as a simple, solid murder mystery. So though I thought the revenge machine was an interesting take on the voodoo idea, the way it's victims died was not that interesting to me; that is to say, no more so than if a gun or knife were used. What was interesting to me was who was doing it and why. That is what kept me going. Before I saw the movie I thought it was going to be another of those typical young people horror films. You know; clueless, beer-guzzling, libido-driven, party loving teens getting knocked off one by one. I was surprised how straight forward this movie was played out as a murder mystery (sans a lot of "teen antics") with brothers Ben and Marcus playing detectives.

    Finally, though not exceptional, this movie is a solid murder mystery from the perspective of young people around whom the story revolves; it is methodical and sober as Ben and Marcus try to get over their differences and solve the killings at the same time. So if you are looking for horror or want to be "horrified" this is not your movie. But if you want to be "mystified", it is (though you could stay home and achieve the same effect by going through some of the bills you owe). Love, Boloxxxi.
    8xanthecoen1

    Something to aspire to

    It's films like Needle that have driven me to become a genre based filmmaker. While I'm only in my final year of film school I've watched quite literally 100's of films in this genre! I had the opportunity to view Needle at a private screening earlier this year, at first I thought it was another run of the mill teens die movie which it still is, however it was first class in the way that they die, it actually made me go back to my script that I'm writing and look at my own killer and if there are ways I could be more original and creative.

    Overall the script was nicely presented on screen however some of the acting in stages seemed underdone (above comment when Travis' character doesn't seemed phased about the gruesome death of someone he knows) and when the killer is revealed seems slightly overacted by the actor (still haven't been able to work out if this is the result of the script, actor or director).

    However highly entertaining and refreshing, it showed me there is still plenty of life left in the genre that I love and can't wait to direct!

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Alyson Walker's debut.
    • Connections
      Featured in Stitching it Together: The Making of 'Needle' (2011)

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    FAQ18

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 29, 2011 (Turkey)
    • Country of origin
      • Australia
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Black Magic
    • Filming locations
      • Perth, Western Australia, Australia
    • Production company
      • Filmscope Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $2,100,000 (estimated)
    • Gross worldwide
      • $259,185
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 30 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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