Next of Kin (1982)

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Linda inherits Montclare, a retirement home that belonged to her mother. When she comes back to her hometown to settle her affairs, she feels unwelcome, with only Barry, an old boyfriend (John Jarratt, the evil Mick Taylor in the Wolf Creek series of movies), being understanding.Things certainly aren't helped by Montclare's staff, including Connie and Dr. Barton (Alex Scott, The Asphyx), who have been conducting a secret affair and may be conspiring to drive Linda insane. Or perhaps the house is truly haunted, as drowned corpses appear at will and windows mysteriously open. No matter what, there's something wrong and it's probably due to the years of madness and murder that Linda's mother has covered up.There's an amazing moment near the end where Linda has gone near insane, barricading herself within the diner, where she builds a pyramid of sugar cubes as the forces of evil gather themselves to do her in. It's strangely gorgeous. And not the only original sight in a film that seemingly would only be a rip-off.Throw in an amazing score by Tangerine Dream's Klaus Schulze and you have a film that's quite worthy of experiencing.Sadly, there's been no official U.S. DVD or blu-ray release of the film. You can find it on YouTube and through the gray market. And you totally should. It's nothing like the poster promises and is instead a psychologically rich trip through past sins and a family curse.

Following the death of her mother, Linda inherits the retirement home that she ran. Once there, reading through her mother's diary sets off a series of unsettling memories. Bizarre occurrences begin taking place as well, almost as if someone were toying with her.I've seen this Aussie gem referred to as a slasher film on more than one occasion, though I wouldn't necessarily call it a slasher myself. It's more of a slow-burning mood piece, one that's quite ambiguous at times. It's also effectively creepy, one of my favorite scenes involving a figure watching Linda just out of her eye range as she roams the woods in search of her boyfriend. Said boyfriend is played by John Jarratt, a mainstay in Australian horror, and his presence here is a welcome one as always. Jacki Kerin is Linda, and she's solid as the isolated heroine who doesn't feel completely at home back in her old stomping grounds.Naturally, the filming locations are gorgeous and the cinematography does a fine job of catching them in all of their glory. The film is complimented by a unique score and some stylish sequences, such as one terrific slow-motion bit where Linda is rushing down a flight of stairs. The ending gets really wild, leaving the film's more subdued nature behind for an extravagant finale.I first discovered this film back in the early 90's when I stumbled across the VHS in H.E.B.'s video rental section of all places, that memorable cover art catching my eye. Even now, the film is just as effective an experience as it was way back then. All said and done, this is one of Australia's finest contributions to the genre. In fact, only "Long Weekend" is on the same level.

If this film was an American release it would be held in the same esteem as The Omen, Halloween and Last House on the Left. The fact that is better than any of the aforementioned films is mind boggling. My main criticism is that the tension is drawn out a little too long for most contemporary audiences to deal with. But perhaps this was the director's intention so as to make the biggest impact possible in the closing scene. And to be fair it was made back in 1982.Next of Kin is not genre specific. It is not simply a horror film and utilises elements of surrealism and thriller to good effect. There were even aspects that reminded me of Charlotte Perkins Gilman's short story The Yellow Wallpaper. It is not without fault but has a sense of style and confidence that many other American classics fail to comprehend.

The one problem this film has is contrivance. I mention this in advance, because you have to turn your reality switch off and forget about that. The reasons you would do so, are because this was made on a minuscule budget, with very limited promotion and is highly ambitious for what it tries to accomplish. It's also very sincere. It's not schlock. The filmmakers gave this effort their all. So, YEAH, forget the holes in logic (some) and concentrate on the good acting, beautiful framing of scenes, above-average cinematography, lurid jolts and that slam-BANG ending. This one's a treat from beginning to end, for anybody who treasures superbly done horror (and let's face it, people, how many undiscovered gems like this remain out there?). It suffered from being released in the USA by a tiny video distributor (VCD) who was just about in bankruptcy when it came out. It had NO theater exhibition outside its native Australia and got confused with a Patrick Swayze pot boiler of the same name, which surfaced around the same time. I like this film SO MUCH, that I will not divulge details of the plot to you in any manner, whatsoever. Seriously, hunt around in the bins at your local video store and keep your fingers crossed, because you'll dig this one. Flaws? I took a point off for them, so you're good to go get this sweet Australian sleeper.