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Snuff Films and Cats

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Freelance

by Brooklyn Ewing

As a fan of early 2000s horror thrillers, I found myself feeling nostalgic as I watched Freelance.

The opening credits won me over immediately giving Seven vibes with a touch of 8mm, and Feardotcom. 

Katie (Nicole Pastor), a freelance video editor, is in desperate need of a job. Her life seems to be falling apart, until she receives an anonymous offer to edit a bizarre video clip. This snuff film style horror movie clip comes with a lot of cash, and Katie is facing eviction.  She spends most of her time between various men who think they are saving her, as she struggles to make ends meet editing pornography. When she has to decide how far she will go to keep her lights on things start to take a turn for the worst, and that’s when the viewer gets to start playing detective. 

Freelance, from Melbourne-based filmmaker John Balazs, looks gorgeous. The rich color grading, and thoughtful shot choices make this one more than worth giving a chance. 

Pastor is great as the out of work, and obviously talented, Katie. Her love for her cat and hatred for her nasty landlord are extremely relatable, and help make her even more likable. Her ability to attract successful men and use them for free meals and advice helps amp up the tension when we can’t seem to pinpoint who is hiring Katie for these seedy editing jobs.  

For folks who work in freelance type jobs, this one will feel very relatable, especially if you’ve taken on gigs you weren’t proud of, and your parents are always asking if you got a new job. I definitely enjoyed the tension, and cat and mouse game that keeps you guessing throughout the film. 

Freelance feels like it belongs in the early 2000s, but the creative editing, and writing keep us grounded in today’s filmmaking. My only issue is with the almost 2 hour run time, but I think that’s because I just wanted to verify if my theories were correct about who, or what, is behind all the mystery videos. 

This is an exciting independent release from Australia, and will definitely keep people guessing. Give Freelance a chance, especially if you’re into Dark Web focused films. 

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Best Served Cold

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Rage

by Brandon Thomas

Revenge tales are a messy affair. Forget the buckets of blood you’re liable to wade through (metaphorically – of course). No, vengeance cinema revels in discomfort – the more emotionally taxing, the better. Put all of that together in a two-and-a-half-hour movie, and you’ve got something that’s pretty hard to sit through.

That’s what director John Balazs’s film Rage delivers.

Noah (Matt Theo) and Madeline’s (Hayley Beveridge) marriage is already on shaky ground when we meet them. Petty grievances populate their interactions, and the physical component of their relationship is all but forgotten. Their bond is forever fractured when a violent home invasion leaves Noah comatose, Madeline traumatized, and another family member dead. As the two begin to pick up the pieces, the realization that one of their attackers is still out there spurs them into irrational action. 

There’s no shying away from the brutality of violence here. There’s no celebration of it either. Gratuitous isn’t quite the right a word to describe anything in Rage. The violence is meant to make us wince and squirm, not cheer and pump our fists. 

While the ferocity comes in short bursts, the emotional impact is given far more time to breathe. The trauma suffered by Noah and Madeline takes up the bulk of the film’s running time, and it’s here where the real pain is inflicted. Madeline’s near-catatonic state in the latter half of the film is more disturbing than any physical scar could be. 

Rage occasionally abandons Noah and Madeline’s point of view to follow the detective (Richard Norton from Mad Max: Fury Road) working their case. Focusing on the police procedural side of the story takes away some of the urgency around the couple’s crumbling relationship, and, at times, threatens to stop the film dead. As the tension and drama surrounding Noah and Madeline’s actions increase later in the film, it only goes to highlight how unnecessary the police point of view ultimately is. 

Rage isn’t the first film to comment on the never-ending cycle of violence that vengeance can create. It is, however, one of the few films to spend more than a fleeting moment on the emotional ramifications of random brutality.