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Snowtown

Australia

2011

119 Min
Color
1.85:1
English
  • Currently 3.7/5 Stars.
  • 1
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DIR Justin Kurzel

PROD Anna McLeish, Sarah Shaw

SCR Shaun Grant, Justin Kurzel, Debi Marshall, Andrew McGarry

DP Adam Arkapaw

CAST Lucas Pittaway, Daniel Henshall, Louise Harris, Frank Cwertniak, Matthew Howard, Marcus Howard, Anthony Groves, Richard Green, Aaron Viergever

ED Veronika Jenet

PROD DES Fiona Crombie

MUSIC Jed Kurzel

SOUND Frank Lipson

Cannes (Semaine de la critique): Critics Week Grand Prize - Special Distinction, Toronto (Vanguard), San Sebastián (Zabaltegi-Specials), Helsinki (Indie Jewels), London (Film on the Square), Chicago (After Dark Competition): Gold Hugo, AFI FEST (New Auteurs), Stockholm (Twilight Zone), CPH PIX (New Talent), BAFICI (Competencia Internacional)

Synopsis

Jamie, 16, lives with his mother in a shady neighborhood where violence, unemployment and sexual abuse creep in. All of this changes when John Bunting walks into their lives. He is charismatic, fascinating, and Jamie loves him like the dad he’s never known. Completely under his spell, it will take him time to understand that his mentor is the most dangerous serial killer Australia has ever known. –Semaine de la critique

Director

Original

Justin Kurzel

Justin has worked extensively in film and theatre as a director and designer. He is a graduate of the NIDA Design course and of Film Directing at Victorian College of Arts, where he was awarded the Most Outstanding Postgraduate Student. Justin’s VCA graduating film Blue Tongue was selected for the Cannes International Film Festival and won Best Australian Short Film, Cinevex Award for Best Direction, Film Victoria Award for Best Film and Best Student Production at the Melbourne International Film Festival the same year. In 2005 Justin joined Sydney’s prestigious CHERUB PICTURES (Chopper) run by Michele Bennett and has been directing commercials for some of the largest agencies in Australia, winning a titanium and bronze at Cannes Lions. He’s also directed award-winning music videos including He’s A Rocker for The Vines as well as Pulse (IVY LEAGUE) and Bell (IVY LEAGUE) for The Mess Hall, which won Best Music Clip at St Kilda Film Festival in 2008 and 2010.

In 2010. Justin was… read more

Wall

Displaying 4 of 57 wall posts.
Picture of Mohammad

Mohammad

30Apr13

Quite a surprise to know this actually happened. I'm disturbed.

Picture of NiteFlight9

NiteFlight9

3Apr13

Holy. Shit.

eharadon likes this

Picture of Sean P

Sean P

7Mar13

so upsetting to watch but so well executed all around. i hate that this will probably stick with me... want to go give my brain a wash now.

Mohammad and eharadon like this

Picture of Jason Callen

Jason Callen

6Mar13

It stays with you, that's for sure.

Related Films

Fans

Displaying 5 of 214 fans.

Articles

Our roundup of essays and articles on this film.
W184

Daily Briefing. Zulawski @ BAM, Film Comment Selects, Berlinale

By David Hudson on January 31, 2012

Coming soon: Zulawski’s first complete retrospective in the US. Film Comment selects 32 films. Berlinale lineup? Now complete.

read article
W184

UK. Justin Kurzel's "Snowtown"

By David Hudson on November 17, 2011

British critics are rattled by Kurzel’s debut about the Australian “Bodies in Barrels” murders.

read article
W184

Cannes 2011. Critics' Week

By David Hudson on May 18, 2011

Updated through 5/21 — with awards announcements. As noted last week, with support from the 4+1 Film Festival, we're celebrating the

read article

Twitch's THE SNOWTOWN MURDERS Review Roundup

By Twitchfilm.com on March 2, 2012
“That this film is based on true events makes it all the more terrifying and terrible to watch.” — Shelagh M. Rowan-Legg. The Snowtown Murders is based on the real-life story of "the worst serial killing
read on Twitchfilm.com

New Trailer For Aussie Crime Film THE SNOWTOWN MURDERS

By Twitchfilm.com on February 16, 2012
Hence to be known on our shores as The Snowtown Murders Justin Kurzel’s directorial debut is an incredibly savage film about "the relationship between a vulnerable teenager and a father figure who is revealed
read on Twitchfilm.com

London 2011: SNOWTOWN Review

By Twitchfilm.com on October 19, 2011
Note to self: do not see films about killing and child abuse first thing in the morning. It will ruin your day. Which is to not to suggest that a film about such subjects is bad; far from it. When……
read on Twitchfilm.com

Fantastic Fest 2011: SNOWTOWN Review

By Twitchfilm.com on October 1, 2011
[Our thanks to Alexander Koehne for the following review.]Snowtown is an intense thriller/drama that chronicles the real life murder spree piloted by John Justin Bunting, Australia’s most prolific serial
read on Twitchfilm.com

Tense, Dark, Potent New Teaser For SNOWTOWN!

By Twitchfilm.com on May 17, 2011
Snowtown was always going to be controversial, but now the first look has aired we are starting to find out just how sensitive the ground still is. If you thought Wolf Creek was a crazy film, a fiction
read on Twitchfilm.com

Extraordinary New Trailer For SNOWTOWN!

By Twitchfilm.com on May 17, 2011
Just as David Michôd was the breakout Aussie filmmaker of 2010, this year belongs to Justin Kurzel — if the overwhelmingly tense, pulsating and stunningly shot footage in the new trailer (plus the early
read on Twitchfilm.com

Lists

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Reviews

Displaying 3 of 3

You can't survive on ice-cream.

By 5 o'clock coffee on April 23, 2012

It wouldn´t be fair to rate “Snowtown” once I couldn´t stand to watch it whole, thus what I present here is only a general – and precarious, we can say – view on Justin Kurzel´s film about the worst…  read review

Brilliance of GRIM

By Dr Pendrag​on on April 21, 2012

Incredible mastery of Tone/Mood, Music, Cinematography, Natural Performances, & Pacing. Incredibly grim subject matter handled just as it should be (i.e not sensationalized—so not for the faint…  read review

Le reflet de médusa

By Somewha​t Damaged on May 22, 2011

Un serpent. Une souris. Un doux festin s’organise et c’est le spectateur qui, broyé dans Snowtown, découvre une catharsis en l’incarnation de John Bunting. Nous sommes d’emblée introduit dans un univers…  read review

Forum

Displaying 1 discussion topic.

Best Debut Films

21 posts by 17 people about 1 year ago