After a violent home invasion leaves him in a coma and his wife deeply traumatized, a mild-mannered husband awakens to find out that one of the attackers is still on the loose. As they try to move on with their lives, one day his nearly-despondent wife spots the attacker, opening up a twisted tale of brutal revenge where all isn’t as it seems.
Revenge films come and go every month but they generally lack a modicum of suspense or originality. While visiting the popular genre I prefer a thoughtful narrative that’s the polar opposite of say “Death Wish.”
During “Rage’s” intriguing first moments, I was glad to see a different approach. The opening features a couple getting rid of an unknown body before the story jumps back in time to reveal how they got here. The couple, Noah (Matt Theo) and Madeline (Haley Beveridge) are upper-middle-class, living in a nice townhouse around the outskirts of Melbourne. They have an obvious distance between them that’s veiled with agreeable replies or frivolous bickering about which end of the toothpaste one should squeeze from.
Unbeknownst to them, in the distance, two men are watching their every move. In these early moments, Kai Chen Lim’s score quietly swells with ominous tones and horns into a thundering soundscape. Madeline works for a dentist‘s office where she’s approached by a new patient Randy (Jasper Bagg). After asking some very forward questions Randy leaves his card stating he’s a private detective. He conveys a mysterious persona that feels sleazy and trustworthy all at the same time.
Afterward, Madeline leaves work and invites her sister for some drinks when suddenly their night turns tragic. They endure a brutal home invasion and Theo arrives just in time to become another victim in the heinous attack. Ending his short-lived sabbatical, Detective Bennet (Richard Norton) is assigned to the case which feels familiar to him. He’s tall and clean-shaven resembling a cross between actors Bill Nighy and Liam Neeson. Bennet is clever but refreshingly not written as an ingenious Sherlock Homes-type. Upon further investigation, the hidden secrets from the past and present impact everyone in unexpected ways.
For a first feature, director John Balazs handles the material quite well. He effectively keeps the camera movement to a minimum with wide panning shots increasing the emotional heft onscreen. Balazs stated he’s unimpressed with the current state of Australian filmmaking and wanted to make something original. Yes, he’s somewhat succeeded but frankly, Australian cinema and television have been wonderful for decades. As a warning, Michael J. Kospiah‘s screenplay is quite violent and not for the faint of heart. Although he doesn’t break new ground, his script is smarter than the average Hollywood outing. And clocking in at a lengthy two and a half hours, I was impressed to be in suspense for the duration. I’m planning to keep an eye on this relatively unknown cast and crew.
Available on Digital and On-Demand February 23rd
