No Through Road

Best movie I've seen in a long time really had me hooked from Start to finish.gore scenes was really good acting really good and a good plot.it Weill be one that I would watch again in the future.

Showed promise, but lost its way after the first twenty or so minutes as a photographer is holed up in his modest suburban home along with a mysterious female intruder when her alleged attackers appear outside demanding her release. The violence escalates much too quickly and without sufficient justification, whilst the obvious plot holes attempting to explain why they can't escape become more incredulous by the minute.

Little wonder the title needed to be 'No Through Road', to try and persuade the audience there was really no escape - despite occupied houses and people being visibly nearby throughout the entire ordeal.

The goons who show up to torment the duo aren't nearly intimidating enough to be convincing, looking more like drunken bogans than psychopaths capable of the sadistic crimes they would soon commit which go way over the top.

Amateurish acting and hard to hear dialogue only adds to the woes, as we learn our passive hero harbours a secret anxiety for conflict, yet he's armed to the teeth with samurai sword at the ready, when the thugs eventually decide they've had enough waiting and storm the house. The film then descends into a gory 'Home Alone' farce before labouring into an aimless torture chamber exhibition which defies logic.

There's technical elements which work well, but the plot needed more development to be convincing, and the overall result is disappointing.

No through road is another example of Australian cinema pushed aside to make way for films that paint a much prettier picture of the country.

I found the film a powerful and quite real look at the sort of things that go on in quiet suburban areas here.

The story is simple and subtle in it's unfolding, a man who is very much a loner, comes home from taking photographs at the beach and unwinds with a book and a glass of wine. While almost dozing off he lapses back to consciousness upon hearing a noise in a downstairs room.

What transpires from this is a situation that spirals out of control into a finale that is truly bleak.

If you want big budget, glossy looks and flashy editing and pacing - look elsewhere. But...

...if you want gritty suburban horror not too far removed from some of the awful things that litter Australian news headlines, you're in for an absolute treat.

Currently this film has a much undeserved 3.5 rating on the IMDb, it's really sad when a decent film doesn't find it's audience.

If you do like this film then also check out some of the other brilliant Australian indie cinema out there such as Noise, Rosebery 7470, Acolytes, Storage, The Square and Visitors. You'll not be disappointed!

Overall the film was plot less but it had enough bloody action to keep your average brain dead movie watcher for the duration.

What baffled me is that this film won awards! How is this worthy of any kind of award? I do take my hat off to them for banding together and getting this below average story on the screen but that is it.

Now to the most amazing thing of our time. How did M Palinkas pick up an award at the Melbourne Fringe Festival for such a pathetic performance? Her acting is right up there with the cast of Neighbors, and that isn't a compliment. Stick to your job at the coffee shop baby.

I guarantee that was the last film she'll win an award for!!!