So many thrillers these days just don’t cut the mustard so it’s good to see one arrive at cinemas that actually not only keeps its audience wondering what will happen next but also does literally have you on the edge of your seat. Even better is that Blame doesn’t rely on elevated noises on the soundtrack to spook it’s audience… instead it delivers its suspense through a well-written script that relies on psychological suspense much in the vein of Michael Haneke’s Funny Games.
Blame follows a group of school-friends, Natalie (Sophie Lowe – Kiss, Moth), Cate (Kestie Morassi – The Wedding Party, TV’S Offspring), Nick (Simon Stone – A Love Story, Balibo), John (Mark Leonard Winter –Balibo, Van Diemen’s Land) and Anthony (Ashley Zuckermann – TV’S Rush & The Slap) as they seek revenge on teacher, Bernard (Damian de Montemas – TV’s Cops LAC & Rescue Special Ops) whom they believe is partly responsible for the death of their friend, Alice (Saskia Hampele – Arctic Blast, TV’S City Homicide).
First time writer and director, Michael Henry sets a great pace with Blame, and it’s impossible to tell where the film is heading. There are enough unpredictable twists and turns to keep even the most hardened thriller fan happy, while the storyline of a relationship between a student and her teacher is modern enough to appear like it has been ripped from the headlines. Henry also does an amazing job with his script, as while the main characters may appear to be bumbling teenagers who haven’t thought their crimes through they are still unhinged enough to be a constant threat to Bernard’s life. In one way this actually enhances the story as you are never really sure when one of them is going to just snap and pull the trigger. Henry also has an amazing talent for stretching the suspense out during a scene without going overboard… this mentions the audience does actually have scenes that will leave your heart in your mouth.
Acting-wise Blame gives some of Australia’s lesser-known stars a chance to star on the big screen. Damian de Montemas has been promising big things since his role in The Secret Life Of Us and here he steps up amazingly well in a role that would have been quite challenging to act out. He is also well supported by Sophie Lowe (who has shown in films like Beautiful Kate that she is Australia’s next big thing), Kestie Morassi and Ashley Zuckermann who certainly make this film truly memorable.
If you have been waiting a while for a thriller that really will captivate you then you certainly shouldn’t miss Blame. This is a terrific thriller that is guaranteed to keep you guessing.
Year: 2010
Director: Michael Henry
Stars: Ashley Zuckermann, Damian de Montemas, Kestie Morassi, Mark Leonard Winter, Saskia Hampele, Simon Stone, Sophie Lowe
Classification: MA15+
Runtime: 89 mins
Rating: