User reviews

I thought that this movie was perfectly fine with some really nice performances. The movie looked great with some really nice shots. Visually it was a pleasure to watch. The plot was nothing wildly original.. or really original at all. Yet, still did a good job at keeping you engaged with a certain amount of thrill while still moving a little slowly/building tension.

The three main actors really did a great job, the two crazies and the young girl. Their performances were grounded and visceral on multiple levels, the best of the three being the crazy woman, bravo. The parents paled in comparison and their delivery in their one scene together was honestly cringe and probably should have been cut.

All in all I thought most everything was well done, and if it had just had a bit more of originality sprinkled into the plot I think it could have been even more successful. Well done regardless, would recommend.

I have always been a fan of Australian Horror/Thrillers. Let's face it, with the vast outback and big Cities Down under, there is a lot of room for varying plots and story lines that make for great entertainment.

"Hounds of Love" is a story set in the late 80's about a psychotic couple who kidnap and abuse young women. Without giving too much away about the story, it follows a common theme often seen in Horror/Thriller Genra's made these days but, to its credit, there are sub plots and other mysterious factors going on beneath the surface of the main story.

I thought the acting was above par and the low light settings in the home and quirky behavior of the main characters (the kidnappers) lends an eerie air to the film that works well to bolster the uneasy feeling you get watching the film.

There are many frustrating points in the film, which are by design. It is no easy task pulling off scenes that get under your skin so much you want to scream at the television or movie screen. This film does so on several occasions thanks to the talent and ability of the director and actors.

What I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that a commonly told story had many sub plot variations happening as well as sticking to the main thematic plot. This, I found, was unique to the modern day Kidnap/torture stories film production companies pump out as often as a McDonald's commercial.

Of course, you be the judge but I definitely recommend this film for fans of the Genra/s. Anyone who has ever read any of my reviews will know I am not one to hold back when a film stinks to high Heaven. I tell it as it is. With that, you will get your $'s worth with this film.

Oof, that was brutal. It's movies like this that make me question why I keep watching movies like this.

The story is quite simple, boiling down to a murderous couple tormenting their latest victim. As a Canadian, it brought to mind the relationship between Karla Homolka and Paul Bernardo, but upon researching the film, it seems it more closely shadows the case of Australian couple David and Catherine Birnie. Which is to say that I suppose every country has a similar tale that lives in local infamy, while the world at large tries to tune out how frequently these things actually happen.

Attempting to turn this kind of tragedy into a piece of entertainment puts you on shaky ground. Even the survivor of the real life case has called out the film for needlessly drawing attention to these horrible people. The movie does go out of it's way to avoid the gore porn tag, with a lot of the violence being implied and appearing off-screen, and the tone never approaching a glorification of the situation. The filmmakers do understand the gravity of the circumstances and make you uncomfortable by design. There is a mastery in how they deliver this, and many of the scenes are chillingly effective.

The movie also justifies it's existence through it's exploration of the relationship dynamic of the killers. It poignantly portrays domestic abuse and the kind of conditioning that emotionally shackles people to situations that externally seem obviously bad. It handles this subject matter well, with a believable dynamic between leads Emma Booth and Stephen Curry.

Nevertheless, the very nature of the premise is grotesque, regardless of how much tact you approach it with. It's brutal exposition of misery is sure to leave you feeling icky, and will be of little value to all but the most calloused moviegoers.

"Never talk to strangers. If someone ever tries to take you, fight with everything you have." ― Lisa Unger, Ink and Bone

Young writer-director Ben Young must have watched Jonathan Demme's Silence of the Lambs at least once because his Hounds of Love has earmarks of brilliant thriller/horror ultimately hinging on character and not blood. Young even introduces his film by observing that the real terror comes from what is not seen.

Much of this film, set in Perth, Australia, at Christmas time, 1987, is about the idea of a psychotic couple abducting and killing young women who happen to be stupid enough to get in the car of strangers. I say "idea" because once the girl is chained to a bed, the couple begins to reveal their psychoses, almost exclusively about the loss of children in their lives.

Although John White (Stephen Curry) does most of the physical heavy lifting as he abuses the girl, his partner, Evelyn (Emma Booth), is the tormented one and the object of abducted teen Vicki's (Ashleigh Cummings) campaign to drive a wedge between the two. The home and neighborhood is working class Perth, where similar events actually happened; the atmosphere is joyless living, not impoverished, just not nourished by the better angels of culture.

As the film moves assuredly to the climax, the characters' arcs move toward their deserved fate: Vicki shows a presence her initial bratty teen side did not evidence, John becomes more vulnerable because he is visceral rather than cerebral, and Evelyn struggles with her desire to have her children back in her life and her desire to be loved by John.

The title, Hounds of Love, ingeniously plays off the couple's dog and everyone's hunt for love, even Vicki's wounded but intrepid mother. Yes, life can have its moments of horror beyond the terrors of abuse and abduction.

Hounds of Love is meaty film from a talented filmmaker and a delight to see in a summer sure to be filled with explosions not of the mind.

Hounds of love is a brutal, needlessly revolting exploration of the minds and deeds of psychopaths. No spoiler needed there. It is brilliantly acted, but as I sat and gave nearly 2 hours of my time to it, i wondered why it was made? With 'Snowtown' a few years back, and an endless number of overseas films dealing with this content, the Australian film industry is not going to stay afloat with horrific scenes as ones captured in this film. I''m not sure I am ever going to be able to laugh at Stephen Curry again; he plays the truly evil lead character here. Emma Booth who came to prominence a decade ago in the industry is impressive here; no doubt; it is guttural and devastating her performance. Ashleigh Cummings as the poor teenager violated by the couple is scaringly believable. The film recreates the look and feel of Western Australia in late 1987 and is creatively shot, edited and directed, but again I ask - why? This is not entertainment. It is torture porn. It is based on real life serial killers as was Snowtown but it has no real purpose.

I am viewing it as part of the 2017 AACTA screening process for the Australian film awards. Certainly Cummings and Booth deserve nods for their work, and Susie Porter is always sturdy and believable; here in a supporting role. Judging by the several pages of reviews already submitted for this film, my entry is probably not required, but this viewer is obviously not impressed by such horror and torture. No matter how brilliantly acted.

I write as an escaped West Australian. We've all got something to live down.

Like Adelaide, Perth has had classic serial killers with an eerie Australian twist. Riffing on a grim 1980s case, Ben Young delivers a fine first feature, for which the Metacritic 72% is not far off the mark. The cinematography is great, capturing the endless hot sky and bleaker suburbs (read Coolbellup or Hamilton Hill) of the 1980s. Also a fine score. The three key players are excellent. The script maybe needed a little more rounding for the ending to gel properly, but I sure felt the tension.

As with Don't Tell and Berlin Syndrome, here's a rare Aussie feature that captures Australia but which I'd be proud to show overseas. Discouragingly, I wonder if the three taken together will pull much more than $1-2m.

Actually uses a real street name, no kidding. Hope it doesn't lead to disaster tourism. Meanwhile, some eagle has already spotted the curious anomaly of the 7-character number plate, never issued in Perth before the 1990s.

Great movie about horrific stuff. There ya go. Evelyn and John cruise Perth school yards, fishing for teenage girls with friendly Aussie banter and car ride offers. The pleasantries end right there.

As the secret predator couple in the neighbourhood, Emma Booth and Stephen Curry are spectacular in their complicated performances. Charming and congenial, slick and methodical, brutal and sadistic, vulnerable and suspicious; all bases are covered. "Hounds of Love" is about serial sexual homicide, and it is as brutal as that sounds. Not in an exploitative manner (most of the cruelty is off screen), but in its believable depiction of perversion, and the matter of fact execution by the monsters.

Sporting a cheesy mustache, Curry presents a tiny, unassuming wimp - he is humiliated and berated about money owing. Yet deep inside he is a tight wound ball of explosion, and the creepy manipulator of all crimes. Evelyn is a more than wiling accomplice, but she has a wounded past, shows some semblance of sympathy, and is thus the weak link in the monster couple. How all this plays out in the most recent triangle is expertly framed by newbie filmmaker Ben Young.

"Hounds of Love" is a difficult watch, but it's also difficult to ignore.

Australian gem about a sexual-predator serial killer couple that is so wrought with realistic emotion and purpose that it appears to be based on a real couple though it's a fiction. And that Emma Booth is ridiculous good. Her emotions play across her face for all the world to see, just as I would guess her character to be like. And for the most part the emotion playing across her face is anger, an anger that is just short of red-hot exploding anger. It's only for her man that she has love all over her. And that's her tough luck. He's the one who wants to kidnap girls and rape them. He's the one who wants to bind them, keep them for days, torture them and then kill them. They both get all hot and bothered by the dominating and overwhelming of their captives but he's the one who murders.

There's so many long pauses and lingering shots of nothing that had this been edited down better it would've been a 45 minute film. The plot is good, but it's overshadowed by all the padding with the lingering shots of scenery or characters just staring into space for minutes on end, and even random lingering shots of objects in the room or of trees or clothes blowing in the breeze. I used the FF button way too much to get past all the waste of time filler shots. Whoever directed this has no clue how to make a movie.

I will confess to often finding Australia to be a haunting place. I have a strange fascination with it. It's hard to explain, but I really enjoy watching Australian films, because of that.

Hounds Of Love is a well made psychological drama. It's harrowing, because of it's subject matter, but I also find it quite subtle, in the way it's handled. The central characters are all well played, but Emma Booth as tormented wife Evelyn White, I found pretty mesmerising.

It was also refreshing to see the male protagonist (Stephen Curry) portrayed as a streak-of-piss coward, as I feel many of these types of individuals are, in real life.

Class.

It's Perth 1987. Schoolgirl Vicki Maloney's home is breaking up. She sneaks out to a party. She gets lost and gets a ride from a seemingly nice couple, John and Evelyn White. It turns out that they're not so nice.

This movie starts creepy right from the beginning with the slow motion leering of young women's bodies. It's notable that the girls' faces aren't shown as if their identities don't matter. They are just objects to be used by the couple. This is such a disturbing film. The screaming is awful. This is basically an artistic exploitation flick. I reluctantly agree that this is well-made with great performances. The story is pretty simple. Apparently, there was a real life couple doing this. It's disturbing.

2 stars due to the ending. Started off promising then went downhill. This was so boring and drawn out. I don't think I would have even watched this had I known about the dog.

Take this as a bit of a warning if you're easily triggered or just a very anxious person. I myself am anxious and am diagnosed to have anxiety and this movie just took the cake at making me feel nervous and all sorts of uncomfortableness in my stomach. Now that's what I call a good movie. If it makes you feel something - especially something it was intending to cause, it means it has done its job. And its job was perfectly done and executed. Wouldn't say I enjoyed this movie, but it's extremely powerful.

What at first seems to be a boring conventional kidnapping thriller with a teenage girl, who disobeys her mother and gets in trouble just because of that, soon becomes a quite good psychological play between the main three characters.

Vicki is a teenage girl, who is not coping well with the divorce of her parents. While dining with her mum, Vicki angrily admits that she resents her leaving her family and she mentions, that she is going to a party. Mum disallows. Next, there is the sequence, which kidnapping movies evidently can't live without. Vicki sneakes out of her mum's house and goes to a party. On her way, a car starts driving next to her...

From that point on, story develops many drama elements (gore scenes aside). There are 4 key characters that generate the story. One is a not-give-up fighter who is trapped with a manipulative psychopath and a confused life-scarred individual. Another important character is Vicki's mum, who does not get as much screen time as the other three, but just enough to add another aspect of tension - tension that only mother's unconditional love can provide.

This movie is about mother's love and care for their children. On one hand there is a mother, who chooses to leave her husband, but still wants to stay in touch with her daughter; and on the other hand, there is a mother who 'does not yet deserve to be a mother and must first prove it that she can be one.' The movie manages to show the incompatibility between the purest form of love and evilness in it's most twisted way.

The acting of the main cast is absolutely brilliant, especially Emma Booth's. How she manages to portray the most nuanced character of the story is extraordinary and worth pointing out.

Every act of violance is there for a reason and the movie without it would not get the same effect out of the scenes. It is a movie well worth watching because it manages to be optimistic even when researching the lowest hollow of a human nature.

Reading the reviews about torture porn I wasn't sure if this film was going to be for me. It's not like the Aussies can't do a nasty bit of onscreen torture when they put their minds to it.

To be fair some of it was really heavy going, but nothing is explicit, and nothing qualifies as gratuitous. Instead, we are taken on a rollercoaster ride with the two (well, three) female characters as they engage with their common tormentor.

It's remarkable that none of the main characters is sympathetic in the traditional sense but the movie manages to elicit an intense emotional response. I cried at the end and was gripped throughout.

No, we don't learn much and it's not an intellectual masterpiece, but there's some fine acting and shooting which conjures a rare intensity of narrative within the bounds of this genre's plausibility.

Definitely worth a watch if you like an all-consuming thriller.

A married couple who happen to be serial killers is the basis for this very dark and depressing film. Evelyn and John White drive throughout their suburb picking up young women dumb enough to accept a ride from the smiling pair. The audio is terrible, and when the Aussie accents are added to the mix, be sure to use the available subtitles in order to understand the dialogue. Into the picture enters a troubled college student, Ashleigh, and her mum (Aussie slang) and dad have separated, causing the girl great distress. She winds up chained to a bed while the happy couple abuse her both physically and mentally. The film drags on for almost two hours and I could not wait for it to end. The story is silly and the acting only adequate. I can recommend two far superior movies with similar themes. "Room," which earned Brie Larson an Academy Award is one and "10 Cloverfield Lane" with John Goodman as a survivalist is the other. The scripts and acting in both are a good lesson in filmmaking done right.

"Vicki Maloney is randomly abducted from a suburban street by a disturbed couple. As she observes the dynamic between her captors she quickly realizes she must drive a wedge between them if she is to survive."

Let us start off by saying that the second this movie starts (slow motion effects) it immediately lets you know you are in for a very unsettling, uncomfortable and disturbing movie. The movie slowly introduces us to each character bit by bit. The main focus is Vicki and her horrible relationship with her Mother. But within the first 20 mins the story wastes no time in getting really tense.

The acting was absolutely brilliantly played by everyone involved. This would not have been an easy role for Ashley Cummings to play Vicki, the girl who went through and goes through hell. Stephen Curry does a great job at playing the childish, yet ringleader of as John White. While he may be skinny and not looking so tough...trust us...actions speak louder than words. And while he maybe childish he is a leader and one not to be messed with, especially if he loses his temper. Last but not least...Emma Booth. She seriously gives an Oscar Worthy Performance here. Her role is so powerful, and yet so terrifying and horrible and disturbed that she is twice as bad as John (Stephen Curry). At times you feel sorry for her then she does the unthinkable! I doubt it will happen but Emma Booth truly deserved an Oscar for this role if the movie gets more recognition, because it's her best role yet. A truly terrifying villain.

Newcomer Ben Young does excellent as this is his first feature Film, and he is off to a magnificent start. While people may complain that this is a student film and it's incredibly low budget...try to look beyond that and see just how disturbing and terrifying and uncomfortable this film will make you feel. Me and Nick (The Autistic Reviewers) wouldn't recommend it to the faint of heart, because so many people would be offended over a film like this. It's a great movie, but only see it if you have a high pain tolerance. 5/5 stars.

In short, surprisingly good. If you like the edge of your seat psychological thriller that simultaneously captures a time of the past perfectly and feels so real that you find yourself researching to find out whether or not it was based on true events, then you'll definitely want to see this one. This definitely feels like you're sitting front and center as part of the film itself, as though you're watching something private that wasn't intended to be seen by anyone but the participants. Atmospheric and keeping you on the edge of your seat the entire time, this movie transports the viewer back to the year 1987. They certainly captured the year perfectly along with character nuances and the emotion of the time. The story was ever so slightly similar to that of the true events of Colleen J. Stan from 1977 California, however this story takes place a decade later in Australia and the kidnapped girl is younger (high school age) and isn't kept in a box. This film, while it certainly FEELS like a true story, is not and is actually a compilation of inspiration from various similar events from true crime writing. This movie felt SO TRUE TO LIFE that I actually felt compelled to look up whether or not it was based on real events and learned that it's a fictional account. That said, the writing is really that good. The ending has a couple of surprises and what you anticipate happening doesn't then changes again, so I felt it was worth the review.

And I don't just mean the movie in its genre/niche, but also the main protagonist and the true stories this is based on. Obviously there are things like this happening. And while this does have a certain quality, I can tell you that this never was something I was able to watch objectively. And I'm not even talking about "enjoying", because that is not what those movies aim to do for the audiences (unless you are sick and have a different understanding of enjoyment ... but yes this still is just a movie - based on real life).

This is not really escapicism, it is quite literally the opposite (no pun intended). So while I was more or less cringing during the screening of this (this played at a festival where I had a pass to watch everything), there is a certain quality to it. You do have really good actors and there are twists and turns that are nicely told. So while I'm clearly not a fan, if you don't mind the premise, this is a quality movie. Not the best, but still decent enough