Hounds of Love (2017)
2017
108 Minutes
Vicki Maloney is randomly abducted from a suburban street by a disturbed couple. As she observes the dynamic between her captors she quickly realises she must drive a wedge between them if she is t...
User Review
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Hounds of Love, much like a canine, demands attention before savaging your mind. Australian cinema continues to impress with a remarkably confident debut from writer/director Ben Young. A subtle horror thriller that explores psychological tendencies and the mentality of its characters. No, there are no supernatural entities or masked invincible individuals. Just the basis of a true story of a suburban couple kidnapping, raping and murdering young women in Perth. It sounds formulaic and archaic, particularly with similarly released films, that would lead you to believe there is nothing new presented here. Do not be mislead, as there are several layers that act as thematic narratives throughout. A prominent theme is, of course, love. Evelyn has blindly fallen for John, despite the abusive and controlling relationship. Where in the end, no matter how weak love makes us, we are able to overcome its detriments. Female empowerment surprisingly fortifies itself during the third act, where unity allows them to overcome the dominance of controlling males. It almost feels primitive, likening the dynamic to a pride of lions. Young's gorgeous style allows the narrative to overflow with themes, as he cautiously evolves these characters with trepidation. He does sometimes overextend specific scenes, falling victim to style over substance, but manages to pick the pace back up again. Acting was exceptional, particularly from Booth, giving psychological depth to the murderous duo. Fortunately the raping and torture is mostly heard off camera, although still unpleasant to hear. Young leaves it to your imagination to fill in the gaps. Powerful, yet somewhat sadistic. Wasn't so keen on the clichéd ending, seemed to convenient. Still, it's a mature thriller, that may be too slow for some, but never once distracts you with unnecessary subplots. Precise, concise and astute. It's frightening how realistic the whole scenario is, especially the way they lure women into their home. That's also including the scene of animal abuse, which was traumatising...1 member likes this review.
