Scarfies

Scarfies was a great movie from a very small film making country. Done on a relatively small budget and full of imagery and lanuage of Dunedin students living in virtual poverty; it is a witty and black comedy.

The plot centres around five students who take over an abandoned house and make it their own. They discover in the basement a huge drug planation left by the previous owner, which they decide to sell for moderate profit. Their life style improves, and relationships develop.

All goes well until the return of the drug crop's owner.

A fantastic soundtrack of New Zealand music, well worth checking out.

This movie is a bit like a college flick mixed with elements of shallow grave....Both the actors and the story are interesting. I also like the way it's been cut - the story keeps moving and never realy bores....nice movie overall.

This is one of those unknown movies you rent on a gamble - most are bad and some shine - this is a definite gem.

7.4/10

Scarfies to me was a mix of Shallow Grave, Suicide Kings and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. All good movies. The story-line (5 young students find an abandoned cellar full of soft-drugs and become dope dealers for one day, but then they meet the 'real' dealer) isn't that special or really original. However, the way the story is told, the way the five act and the whole situation still makes a very good movie.

That's the power of movie making: the way you tell the story and the way you choose to let your actors act. New Zealand is producing lot's of good movies lately and this is one that you definitely want to see if you're into the black-humor thing. The twist at the end (I won't spoil it) is clever found and still leaves you with an afterthought. On a scale from 1 to 10 I would give it an 8.

Started watching this film a little apprehensive - seemed to be much like other films made in New Zealand. Made you question what you would do in this position, a little slow to start but a very enjoyable film. Must see films for anyone who enjoys New Zealand films such as Goodbye Pork Pie and Smash Palace.

This film is another fine example of what New Zealand filmmakers can do when they hold the audiences' enjoyment above their own artistic w**k-ness.

The Sarkies Brothers have created an extremely (un)pleasant film that isn't really about University life at all, but about those staple cinematic conventions -paranoia, murder and er, flatting.

I strongly urge any one not from New Zealand to check out this little gem. God knows when it'll get released anywhere else though. I hope it gets onto screens in the U.S.

One quibble however, three times in the film, characters describe each other as 'jerks'. Honestly, who in New Zealand uses that word with a straight face? It's such a sitcom-ism. 'Dick' would have been much more suitable in my eyes.