Next of Kin

This film continues to scare the hell out of me.

It has been dismissed by some as a routine slasher film, but I whole-heartedly disagree, for a few reasons:

SUSPENSE: Much of the movie IS suspense...slow walks down hallways, heads looking around corners, far-off shots of indistinct figures. This really must be what it's like to go crazy, as Linda fears she is. Importantly, the suspenseful moments never cop-out, they do usually end in a satisfying chill...but the climax is wonderfully held off for the end.

MUSIC: The music is absolutely incredible in that early-80's, Tangerine Dream meets John Carpenter sort of way. It's perfect. Sometimes, it even transcends.

ACTING: The acting is pretty low-key, allowing us time to get interested in the characters, their quirks, their hang-ups. But when it comes time for the climax, the lead actress really lets loose, and it is most disturbing to be witness to such a total frenzy.

STYLISH CINEMATOGRAPHY: Moody hallways, strange camera angles & movements (particularly the long wall-hugging draw away from Linda's nervous eyes as she peers into the hallway, and the cameraman following the nonchalant cat down the hall), creepy focus changes and slow-motion moments.

SURPRISES: The ending will blow your head off. It's nice to see a heroine being sensible, capable, and strong (especially in 1982!!!)

For sure, it's not all good. Particularly weak is the link between the suspenseful bulk of the movie and the frantic climax...the storyline falls completely apart when it comes time to explain why everything has happened. Fortunately, we don't really care at that point, because it's all too freaking scary. If you can find it, SEE IT. Especially if you like horror films populated by realistic human beings (the old man Lance, telling endlessly dull stories about the war...Linda's fork tricks and sugar-cube pyramid...the father in the restaurant threatening to smack his son into the middle of next week). Few films have upset me as much as this one, and hopefully it will do that for you as well.

This Australian horror film is a fine addition to the massive genre. The story is about a woman named Linda who comes back to her home town in order to take possession of a home for the elderly which she has inherited as a result of her mother's death. As Linda adjusts to moving back home and catching up with old friends, her troubled past begins to haunt her. Things get even harder for her when she finds her mother's diary and begins to read through it. She learns that her mother had feared that someone was watching and following her. Also, some of the patients had died under suspicious and mysterious circumstances. Soon Linda begins experiencing the same fears and events her mother wrote about in the diary. She is now being watched, followed and her patients are dying off as well. She learns the truth of what is happening in the films tense and devastating conclusion.

Next of Kin's plot is handled very well by the entire cast. Although dismissed by some as a basic slasher movie, co-writer/director Tony Williams use of music, shadows and slow-motion add much style giving the film a unique edge. The stalking scenes and action laced conclusion are very well done and bound to satisfy any horror fan out there. This is one film to seek out. Happy Hunting!

100% on Rotten Tomatoes? An absolute joke. This is bang average as a 'horror' movie. I genuinely can't believe some of the reviews on here that describe this as scary as hell because it quite simply isn't, not at all. The cinematography is good, I'll give you that, but the acting is nothing special apart from the Doctor and the story is actually boring.

Of course, judging a movie is down to the viewer but I genuinely can't get my head around the many glowing reviews for 'Next Of Kin'. Not a movie I would watch again. As for Rotten Tomatoes I am convinced that their ratings are meant to be a joke.

Despite popular belief, Next of Kin isn't really a regular stalk and slash flick. There isn't much of a death count and Tony Williams doesn't waste time with constant self references to other genre pieces. However, the plot resolves around a psychotic intruder that's murdering the inmates of an old people's home, although the deaths are sporadic enough (we only see one) to keep the heroine believing that they're actually accidents.

The things that lift Next of Kin above its contempararies is the superb, noteworthy direction and great atmosphere. It's beautifully photographed, with some instantly exquisite camera movements that add a supreme energy and sense of professionalism that's rarely found in slasher movies from New Zealand or Australia. In fact, such a notable level of craftsmanship is rarely seen in any category addition. There are plenty of credible shots, the best being the woodland scenes in which we see the mysterious menace lurking in the distance amongst the trees, barely recognisable. It's fairly well acted - although not superbly -, and it works well to set up a creepy suspense fuelled environment. When the nut-job reveals himself, there's some brilliant chases and a few surprises.

Like I said, don't expect slasher cliches by the dozen, but if you keep your options open, you'll find Next of Kin to be fairly rewarding. Worth a look...

I'm no huge Quentin Tarantino fan but I do share his affinity with Australian cinema, so when I learned this long forgotten film was at the top of his list, my curiosity won over.

Compared by Tarantino to one of my all time favourites, The Shining, Next of Kin meanders far too long without much semblance of a point or plot line. Certain scenes and characters elicit a well constructed sense of dread, albeit for too long the elements remain frustratingly obtuse.

Ironically, John Jarrett of menacing Wolf Creek fame, is the only person involved in this outback haunted horror flick to carve a successful career in the industry, yet here he plays one of the film's least threatening characters as the ex boyfriend of the central protagonist who inherits a creepy old folks' home. Her demeanour evokes comparisons to The Shining's Wendy Torrance as evil forces finally come to the fore.

Kudos for the attempt to achieve something unique to the Australian cinematic pantheon. One just wonders whether more capable hands might have seen this oddly interesting film find the consistency to warrant comparison to Kubrick.

That said, Next of Kin is worth a look and actually played better on second viewing.