The Horseman

The Horseman, a product of Australian cinema, is simply an amazing piece of work; it is a grim and stark journey. Centring around the aftershock of the death of layman Christian's (played here by Peter Marshall with astonishing composure and calm, and too, his first major lead role in a movie) teenage daughter from a drug overdose, her somewhat voluntary involvement in an extremely seedy part of the sex industry and the progression of a father's wrath and bloodletting fury of revenge and retribution. It's a reflective look into the plight of an anguished father and the road trip he must take to find the parasites that took a part in the exploitation of innocence and the poetic justice one must serve upon the guilty. The subject matter is done with a scent of finesse that holds an air of admiration and respect for this guilt-ridden father, he's nasty, he's mean but he's also driven and director, writer, producer and editor Steven Kastrissios, along with cinematographer Mark Broadbent, and in particular the stunt department, have shown, once again, that Australian cinema is a tour de force to be recognised, and respected. With its magnificent and complex fight sequences, tight direction and empathetic undercurrent, the overall tone is not done to the extremes that it may seem an overdose of violence for the sake of violence. Not for one-minute does the slaughter, both visually and physically, feel too contrived, it may be a harrowing experience, and journey too, for the viewer, as too the father who has now crossed the line, but its pacing between each bloody action brings the film back to the point of honesty. We are left viewing, literally, on the edge of our seats as the plight runs a wry and we are constantly left unknowing as to what may happen next, and to whom and how. It's all an adrenalin rush of mixed emotions of revelation, sympathy, disgust, shock and compassion, such is the power of the delivery of Steven Kastrissios's work here. Transcending beyond the blurred sanity, The Horseman is a brutal reminder of a subculture that tests the morals of those who dare to question its ethics' and looks into the mind of those who have found the answer; crossing boundaries and finding new strengths, it's a rude wakening that in the murky mist of illicit brutality, at times even the wrong answer may be the only alternative.