The Cost

The Cost is an Australian thriller drama I heard of for the first time before it's screening at the Vision Splendid Film Festival (June, 2023). It was a major drawcard for me as I'm a lover of crime fiction. I only watched the beginning of the trailer to avoid spoilers.

The film held me from beginning to end. I was invested in the characters' decisions from the moment the gag was pulled! It was a visceral experience that drew exclaims from the audience. There was also a red herring timely placed that will leave many to wonder what could have been. Nail biting climax to a sustained tension drama with outstanding actors-it's a film that can be discussed at length and that's a good thing.

Matthew Holmes delivers a truly powerful examination of the psychology of revenge in this tense thriller. It begs the viewer to question their own moral fortitude and whether or not they believe in an eye for an eye.

Holmes has yet again assembled a team of artists around him that seem to know exactly how to achieve his vision and do it justice. The performances are gut wrenching, the cinematography is slick and superb, the soundtrack is haunting, and the screenplay is en pointe. This is a film that shows that you don't need hundreds of millions of dollars to make something that looks it.

What makes The Cost especially powerful is that, unlike so many other revenge films, it doesn't glorify violence, nor does it lionise those who use violence in retribution. It questions how far is too far? When our characters find themselves questioning their choices it rings true, and we even find ourselves bouncing back and forth over what we would do in that situation.

The squeamish might find this one a difficult watch, but The Cost rewards the perseverance of the viewer with a deeply moving exploration of the human psyche.

Wow! Loved, loved, loved! What a film! What an experience it was. From the very first scene to the very end you will be on the edge of the seat, your perception of what is right and wrong will swap places. Extremely thought provoking masterpiece. You will leave the cinema and will keep thinking about the film for days. What would I do in this situation? How far would you go to serve the justice? Who is a real bad character in the film? Highly recommended.

Meeting the cast and everyone involved in the production was a true highlight of my night. Thank you for creating one of my favourite films.

Great story telling here, edge of your seat stuff, really enjoyed it.

Another good follow up by talented director Matt Holmes, I didn't like The Legend of Ben Hall, this was much better,

Most of the actors are good except the guy who plays the Jordan is not the most convincing of actors especially in a role that requires so much emotion because of the themes.

Damon Hunter and Mark Dee are exceptional and should be nominated or win awards at this years AACTA awards.

Overall great storytelling, great locations, great production design and music and great direction.

Congrats to everyone who made this film, its a great Indie effort.

Only lost marks for Jordan's casting and some story holes or plausibility issues like when the girl getting kidnapped at the beginning she's walking in a dark street and doesn't even look around, I found that highly unlikely, most women look around.

Also, its just missing some genuine emotion, it has all the right ingredients, but something was missing, I should have felt more - it needed more heart, to dig even deeper into the soul of losing someone to murder. I found that it was Jordan who let it down, I should have cried for his loss, but something didn't connect.

Some people in the reviews claimed it was THOUGH-PROVOKING I mean to each their own but really this is not the type of film you're going to walk away contemplating life unless you're a murderer.

What this film is pure excellent entertainment.

My first experience with a film from Matthew Holmes, though I've heard good things about The Legend of Ben Hall.

The one thing I liked a lot about this film is that it left us debating. I saw this with a bunch of friends, and the way the story plays out and ends in a somewhat open way caused some fun discussion between us.

Though I can understand complaints about a predictable story, I don't think that necessarily takes away from the film. The story is still told in an engaging and gripping way and the cast delivered strong performances.

I really liked how Aussie Clayton Watson was in the role as the farmer Brian, and the tension in the campfire scene was one of the better moments of the film.

I'd definitely be keen to check more out from Matthew Holmes.