Snowtown

Between 1992 and 1999 a series of killings happened in the town of Salisbury North in South Australia. Serial killer John Bunting then stored the bodies in barrels in the basement of an abandoned bank in Snowtown. This is that story.

I am not someone who is easily disturbed by what I see in movies. Blood and gore I can usually handle because I know it is not real and so can watch it. There have been some scenes in films which I unexpected found myself upset by and they are in films based on true stories. Director Justin Kurzel has brilliantly created a disturbing atmosphere for this film. There is always an uneasy sense that something bad is happening or going to happen. He does not use much musical score and very little dialogue. But the brilliance of it is that he does it in such an ordinary setting and with people that look like your average people from a small town. Most films about serial killers while being realistic are set in places you don't expect to visit. But this is a place that we have all visited or have maybe lived in. What makes it scary is that it could be happening near you and you'd never know. Plus John Bunting ingratiates himself into the lives of this family in such a natural way. The fact that he runs a pedophile out of town helps and he becomes like a hero and father figure to them. The kids in the film have had to deal with some disturbing things in their lives so that when John reveals his true nature it does not come as much of a shock. There was one scene in the film that I could not watch and left me physically shaking. It left me in a great deal of shock after the film had finished.

Daniel Henshall is brilliant as the serial killer John Bunting. He comes across as such an average guy that you could meet anywhere. He does have that cocky attitude that makes his character a hero to those around him. It would have to be one of the best performances in a film ever. Equally as good is Lucas Pittaway. His character is much like the young man in 'Animal Kingdom', that quiet reserved type who is drawn to an evil mentor. He speaks very little but conveys so much by his silences. The rest of the cast are mostly non-professional actors which helps to add to the sense of dread that director Justin Kurzel is going for. These are ordinary people which makes what John did all the worse because it could happen anywhere.

Not a film for the faint of heart. The not quite resolved ending maybe unsatisfying but it just adds to the already tense atmosphere. Still a brilliant film that should be a warning to us all of what could be happening right next door to us.