On the back of the Insidious horror series, Leigh Whannell and Angus Sampson share the screen (and writing duties) again for an insidious horror of a different kind, one that's actually real for almost every human on the planet who appreciates the pain of severe constipation, or alternately that of holding the beast bashing at the door, promising to unleash hell.
Cleverly aligned with the underdog story and slow aching crawl and tension of the Americas Cup yacht race as a backdrop, it's a shame The Mule was erroneously positioned as a comedy. Inspired by a true drug importation scenario, The Mule manages to hold attention through a solid, genre-crossing screenplay and acting performances.
The at-times extreme grossness of the central premise won't be to everyone's taste, not least a scene where the mule (played by Angus Sampson) re-ingests his cargo with such excruciating effect viewers like me might want to repurpose their bucket of popcorn.
An entertaining and engaging Aussie flick, The Mule is worth holding on for until the satisfying end.
