Hounds Of Love

Those living in a small town in Perth, Australia, haven’t a clue that there’s a serial killer couple abducting teenage girls and abusing them for cruel, sadistic pleasures. Their latest victim is Vicki Maloney (Cummings), who adores her boyfriend, Jason, but, like most teenagers, is at odds with her mother. Vicki is kidnapped by Evelyn (Booth) and John (Curry) while sneaking out to meet Jason one night. Though all seems hopeless, Vicki remains determined to escape from the couple’s house…

Atmospheric, intriguing, intense, and suspenseful - there isn’t a single dull moment in Hounds of Love, though it is often a challenge to watch. The movie marks the feature debut of Ben Young, and his direction here is assured and relentless.

The three Aussie actors who take the leads – Emma Booth, Ashleigh Cummings and Stephen Curry – are all extraordinary and the haunting ambience that is established is owed in equal parts to their fine acting as it is to the cinematography. Cummings deserves credit for creating such a genial character in Vicki, which makes it all the more horrific when we’re forced to watch her undergo such horrors. Curry, best-known for his comedic work, is terrifying in the role of John while Booth effortlessly maintains the indispensable enigma surrounding her character right up to the film’s finale.

The film is visually distinct in the way it is shot and lit, so kudos to cinematographer Michael McDermott as well as to Young for establishing from an early stage that he’s carving out a style that is all his own. At the same time, historical cinematic influences can be seen, such as when the camera looks away to foreign objects, which is Hitchcock-like in the way it distracts the audience from horrors that are happening off-screen. The audience can still hear Vicki’s screaming, and viewers are forced to fill in the blanks to what is happening in their imaginations. The way Young frames his characters in mirrors and against windows and doors also feels classic Hollywood in its style, while still maintaining a sense of freshness.

Production design wise, the creative team have done a good job of creating 1980s Australia, as you can see how American pop culture of the time has influenced the look in subtle ways. Both for interior and exterior scenes, you can almost feel the unrelenting heat of the country, which compliments the potent atmosphere of the story itself.

The only flaw with the film is that its ending feels a little too dependent on sentimentality and isn’t totally believable. Still, Hounds of Love remains an outstanding debut from writer-director Ben Young, and there’s a bright future ahead for the rising talent.