The Snowtown Murders (2011)

Based on true events, 16 year-old Jamie falls in with his mother's new boyfriend and his crowd of self-appointed neighborhood watchmen, a relationship that leads to a spree of torture and murder.

Director:

Justin Kurzel

Writers:

Shaun Grant, Shaun Grant (story)

Stars:

Lucas Pittaway, Daniel Henshall, Louise Harris

23 wins & 23 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Lucas Pittaway	...	Jamie Vlassakis
Bob Adriaens	...	Gavin
Louise Harris	...	Elizabeth Harvey
Frank Cwiertniak	...	Jeffrey
Matthew Howard	...	Nicholas
Marcus Howard	...	Alex
Anthony Groves	...	Troy
Richard Green	...	Barry
Aaron Viergever	...	Robert
Denis Davey	...	Guitar Player
Allan Chapple	...	Prayer Reader
Beau Gosling	...	David
Brendan Rock	...	Marcus
Bryan Sellars	...	Minister
Daniel Henshall	...	John Bunting

Storyline

Sixteen-year-old Jamie lives with his mother, Elizabeth, and two younger brothers, Alex and Nicholas, in a housing trust home in Adelaide's northern suburbs. Their home is but one of many sun-starved houses crammed together to cater for a disenfranchised society. Jamie longs for an escape from the violence and hopelessness that surrounds him and his salvation arrives in the form of John, a charismatic man who unexpectedly comes to his aid. As John spends more and more time with Jamie's family, Elizabeth and her boys begin to experience a stability and sense of family that they have never known. John moves from the role of Jamie's protector to that of a mentor, indoctrinating Jamie into his world, a world brimming with bigotry, righteousness and malice. Like a son mimicking his father, Jamie soon begins to take on some of John's traits and beliefs as he spends more and more time with him and his select group of friends. The protection and guidance that John presents to Jamie is ...

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Plot Keywords:

gang | underwear | male rear nudity | male nudity | male frontal nudity | 

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Taglines:

Based on a true story

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Genres:

Biography | Crime | Drama | Horror

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

The game the brothers are heard to be playing at the beginning on the movie is 'Alex Kidd'. The console version is Sega Megadrive.

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Quotes

John Bunting: It's not fuckin' mean if you kick the shit out of some diseased prick. He fuckin' deserves it. It's an Australian fuckin' tradition, anyway. Eh?
[chuckles]

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Connections

Referenced in David Stratton: A Cinematic Life (2017)

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Soundtracks

Happy Birthday To You
Traditional
Written by Mildred J. Hill and Patty S. Hill (as Paty Hill)

User Reviews

You don't enjoy it; you experience it.

Snowtown follows the experience of young Jamie Vlassakis as he partakes in the infamous 'bodies in the barrels' murders. Director Justin Kurzel has created a film that gradually pulls away the illusion of justified vigilantism to reveal the sadistic and evil core of John Bunting and his co-accused. The rare scenes of violence have such a profound impact that they are difficult to witness, the imagery of the Australian welfare suburb is captured with such florescent realism that you can almost taste the atmosphere. While at times fragmented, Snowtown is a rare and expertly crafted biopic that will tear at your senses and stun you into submission

Details

Official Sites:

Adelaide Film Festival Investment Fund [Australia] Official Facebook

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 May 2011 (Australia)

Also Known As:

The Snowtown Murders

Filming Locations:

Smithfield Plains, South Australia, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,273, 4 March 2012

Gross USA:

$8,452

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,349,387

Company Credits

Production Co:

Carver Films, Screen Australia, The South Australian Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1