Terror Fatal (Mais Próximo do Terror)

This film continues to scare the hell out of me.

It has been dismissed by some as a routine slasher film, but I whole-heartedly disagree, for a few reasons:

SUSPENSE: Much of the movie IS suspense...slow walks down hallways, heads looking around corners, far-off shots of indistinct figures. This really must be what it's like to go crazy, as Linda fears she is. Importantly, the suspenseful moments never cop-out, they do usually end in a satisfying chill...but the climax is wonderfully held off for the end.

MUSIC: The music is absolutely incredible in that early-80's, Tangerine Dream meets John Carpenter sort of way. It's perfect. Sometimes, it even transcends.

ACTING: The acting is pretty low-key, allowing us time to get interested in the characters, their quirks, their hang-ups. But when it comes time for the climax, the lead actress really lets loose, and it is most disturbing to be witness to such a total frenzy.

STYLISH CINEMATOGRAPHY: Moody hallways, strange camera angles & movements (particularly the long wall-hugging draw away from Linda's nervous eyes as she peers into the hallway, and the cameraman following the nonchalant cat down the hall), creepy focus changes and slow-motion moments.

SURPRISES: The ending will blow your head off. It's nice to see a heroine being sensible, capable, and strong (especially in 1982!!!)

For sure, it's not all good. Particularly weak is the link between the suspenseful bulk of the movie and the frantic climax...the storyline falls completely apart when it comes time to explain why everything has happened. Fortunately, we don't really care at that point, because it's all too freaking scary. If you can find it, SEE IT. Especially if you like horror films populated by realistic human beings (the old man Lance, telling endlessly dull stories about the war...Linda's fork tricks and sugar-cube pyramid...the father in the restaurant threatening to smack his son into the middle of next week). Few films have upset me as much as this one, and hopefully it will do that for you as well.

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.

just HAD to put my comment here. I think that the rating given to this movie is far below what it deserves. I first saw this film when i was 17 and it scared the pans of me. Now more than ten years later i still think it works well. The story is simple and has a few holes but it's got a great soundtrack and very nice cinematography. The acting is better than in your common horror film. I rate this one 8 stars out of 10. And i believe that anything below a five rating is given by people who don't appreciate a good horror movie.

I'm no huge Quentin Tarantino fan but I do share his affinity with Australian cinema, so when I learned this long forgotten film was at the top of his list, my curiosity won over.

Compared by Tarantino to one of my all time favourites, The Shining, Next of Kin meanders far too long without much semblance of a point or plot line. Certain scenes and characters elicit a well constructed sense of dread, albeit for too long the elements remain frustratingly obtuse.

Ironically, John Jarrett of menacing Wolf Creek fame, is the only person involved in this outback haunted horror flick to carve a successful career in the industry, yet here he plays one of the film's least threatening characters as the ex boyfriend of the central protagonist who inherits a creepy old folks' home. Her demeanour evokes comparisons to The Shining's Wendy Torrance as evil forces finally come to the fore.

Kudos for the attempt to achieve something unique to the Australian cinematic pantheon. One just wonders whether more capable hands might have seen this oddly interesting film find the consistency to warrant comparison to Kubrick.

That said, Next of Kin is worth a look and actually played better on second viewing.

Despite popular belief, Next of Kin isn't really a regular stalk and slash flick. There isn't much of a death count and Tony Williams doesn't waste time with constant self references to other genre pieces. However, the plot resolves around a psychotic intruder that's murdering the inmates of an old people's home, although the deaths are sporadic enough (we only see one) to keep the heroine believing that they're actually accidents.

The things that lift Next of Kin above its contempararies is the superb, noteworthy direction and great atmosphere. It's beautifully photographed, with some instantly exquisite camera movements that add a supreme energy and sense of professionalism that's rarely found in slasher movies from New Zealand or Australia. In fact, such a notable level of craftsmanship is rarely seen in any category addition. There are plenty of credible shots, the best being the woodland scenes in which we see the mysterious menace lurking in the distance amongst the trees, barely recognisable. It's fairly well acted - although not superbly -, and it works well to set up a creepy suspense fuelled environment. When the nut-job reveals himself, there's some brilliant chases and a few surprises.

Like I said, don't expect slasher cliches by the dozen, but if you keep your options open, you'll find Next of Kin to be fairly rewarding. Worth a look...