Notable Cast: Mavournee Hazel, Diesel La Torraca, Josh
McConville, Genevieve Lemon, Harry Greenwood, Iolanthe, Glenda Kalyk
I can already see it now. The comments that will cascade
down from the internet as horror fans react to Cruel Hands and its 1970s-inspired
stylistic choices. Comments about how it's ‘not horror enough’ or that ‘it's
not a real horror film’ will garner thousands of reactions and probably just as
many arguments around the spectrum of genre labels.
You know what? Good. Cause quite frankly, Cruel Hands
is the kind of film that will need a bit of online discourse to push it further
into the genre fans’ circles for viewing. Call it what you will, horror,
thriller, dark drama, or whatever other sub-genre you want. This 1970s-inspired
slice of atmospheric tension and visceral domestic horror is worth watching.
It’s one of those palpable, character-driven, slow-burning old-school horror
films that manages to curdle into the crevices of your heart and mind. Powered
by some incredible performances, a steady hand at tone and atmosphere, and a
real sense of grounded grit to its writing, Cruel Hands manages to be
both subtle and impactfully hard-hitting. It’s the kind of throwback film that
should be garnering some real fans when it finds a full release.