Snowtown 2011

Nate H. reviewed Snowtown (2011)

Review from the comment

The Snowtown Murders is a disturbing but disjointed look at the true story of John Bunting and James Vlassakis, two of Australia’s most notorious serial killers. The two, along with different accomplices over time, hunted down suspected pedophiles in a misguided witch hunt of sorts. In reality, their actions were based more on the homophobia and sadism of Bunting than anything else. The film closely examines the relationship between the elder Bunting (played brilliantly by Daniel Henshall) and Vlassakis, a victim himself of molestation by both his brother and a boyfriend of his mother’s. When Bunting harasses the boyfriend until he leaves the neighborhood, he inserts himself as patriarch into Vlassakis’s broken home. Where the film succeeds is in the building of the relationship between Bunting and Vlassakis. Henshall successfully portrays Bunting as a master manipulator, a sociable and likeable sociopath in the vein of a Ted Bundy or Kenneth Bianchi. Vlassakis (Lucas Pittaway) has been a victim all his life, but with Bunting he find strength. It is a truly compelling pair of performances in the way the two actors capture the father/son like bond between the two. However, as a chronicle of the actions of the two, Snowtown falters. There is too much ambiguity in what actually happens at times and it took a lot of internet research after watching on my part to put together some of the events. Still, this is a film that will stick with you for a long time. Henshall’s performance is easily one of the most memorable portrayals of a psychopath to date.