Girl at the Window – movie review
Mark Hartley is a filmmaker whose specialty is the rather niche world of Ozploitation. His latest film, Girl at the Window, is in a similar vein.
Troubled teenager Amy’s (Ella Newton) father died when he fell down a disused mine shaft two years ago. She was nearby when it happened, and blames herself. She’s still having nightmares about it. Since the accident, looking for a fresh start, Amy’s mum Barbara (Radha Mitchell) has relocated the pair to the outskirts of an Australian country town. Mum has also become friendly with the next-door neighbour Craig (Vince Colosimo). But her mum’s views about Craig don’t coincide with Amy’s. Seems Amy believes he’s a serial killer who’s been abducting local girls. She comes to that conclusion after hearing a scream and faithfully noting down the times a van with its lights off appears outside his house in the middle of the night. Amy becomes obsessed with unearthing the truth.
Barbara is dismissive, as are the local police. All feel Amy’s “fixation” and “episodes” relate back to the trauma of her father’s death. Amy’s best friend Lian (Karis Kailani Oka) is far from convinced by Amy’s “truth” either. Something sinister is definitely going on next door, only it’s not what Amy had imagined.
Credibility is thin for this Aussie thriller, written by Terence Hammond and Nicolette Minster. At best, it’s a midday telemovie.
For a couple supposedly still mourning the loss of their husband and father, Amy and Barbara are surprisingly blasé. I can’t say the supporting cast generally moved me either. Mind you, if I had to pick out one who at least gave me a bit of a smile, it would be Karis Kailani Oka as the sassy Lian. I call it acting by the numbers and no-one here is going to win awards. The whole thing looks and feels contrived. The actors’ lack of self-belief will simply translate to similar feelings from an audience.
But if you are prepared to swallow the world of make-believe for a cheap thrill, then – by all means – go for it.
Girl at the Window is currently in limited release
Alex First
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Alex First is a Melbourne based journalist and communications specialist. He contributes to The Blurb on film and theatre.