The Snowtown Murders
Metascore
66 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 13 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 13
  3. Negative: 2 out of 13
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  1. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Jeannette Catsoulis
    Mar 1, 2012
    90
    The Snowtown Murders reminds us that sometimes evil is immediately recognizable, but at other times it comes bearing bacon and beer.
  2. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    Mar 14, 2012
    88
    The film is a chilling study of an evil, dominant personality and his victims. It works primarily through an astonishingly good performance by Daniel Henshall as Bunting.
  3. Salon.com
    Reviewed by: Andrew O'Hehir
    Mar 2, 2012
    80
    An impressive but exceptionally disturbing feature debut from Australian director Justin Kurzel that pushes the new wave of Aussie crime films up a notch.
  4. Movieline
    Reviewed by: Alison Willmore
    Mar 1, 2012
    80
    The Snowtown Murders is the latest and bleakest in a string of Australian crime films showing flashes of virtuoso talent, and has more than a little in common with David Michôd's 2010 hit "Animal Kingdom."
  5. Empire
    Reviewed by: Kim Newman
    Feb 26, 2012
    80
    Terrific performances, especially from the menacing, lazily charismatic Henshall, and debut director Kurzel's expressionist storytelling make for an Aussie film well worth hunting down. A tough but seriously rewarding watch.
  6. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Megan Lehmann
    Feb 26, 2012
    70
    Only the truly ghoulish will find any pleasure in Snowtown, Justin Kurzel's well-crafted but hard-to-watch true-crime debut.
  7. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Noel Murray
    Feb 29, 2012
    67
    The sense of enervation that creeps into the movie's second half is bothersome mainly because The Snowtown Murders is often brilliant in its depiction of the mundanity of evil.
  8. indieWIRE
    Reviewed by: Eric Kohn
    Feb 29, 2012
    67
    The Snowtown Murders manages to become a compelling exercise that excels at making horrible acts look shockingly listless.
  9. Slant Magazine
    Reviewed by: Kenji Fujishima
    Feb 26, 2012
    63
    Whatever one ends up thinking about The Snowtown Murders, it's difficult to deny that it's a deeply impressive work.
  10. Time Out New York
    Reviewed by: Joshua Rothkopf
    Feb 28, 2012
    60
    Cigarettes are sucked hungrily by all involved, old and young, in the trashscape of this depressing Australian crime film - a movie that heaps so much dank atmosphere on its suburbanites, you can't help but sigh with relief when events turn to serial killing (finally?).
  11. Variety
    Reviewed by: Richard Kuipers
    Feb 26, 2012
    60
    The result is a movie that can be admired in many respects from a distance but is progressively less emotionally engaging.
  12. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Lou Lumenick
    Mar 2, 2012
    38
    Overlong and grim to the point where some scenes are virtually unwatchable.
  13. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Karina Longworth
    Feb 28, 2012
    30
    This slog adds up to nothing other than the shocking truism that average people will do horrible things primarily because someone tells them to.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.1 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 14 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. thejoker_5
    10
    Beautifully done. Really makes you feel like you were there, even though I live in USA. On the same par as the movie "Michael." Just wow! But not for the faint of heart (as a previous poster mentioned). If you have an interest in twisted (at least somewhat true) stories, then this is for you! Well acted. My only con is that I feel like I need to Wiki this story to find out the actual details, not that the movie deviated from them, just so I know how it went down according to Aussie historical accounts....BRAVO!… Full Review »
  2. nutterjr
    7
    A disturbing depiction of Australia's most notorious killer brilliantly portrayed by Daniel Henshall. On the surface he seems friendly, with his calm approach and his seemingly genuine smile on his face. But don't be fooled; he is the face of evil. The soundtrack is eerie and adds and extra chill factor to this artfully directed film.… Full Review »
  3. Nesbitt10
    8
    Justin Kruzel's remarkable feature debut takes a very visceral look into what the media dubbed, 'the bodies in the barrels' murders. What it reveals is as equally horrifying--as it is heartbreakingly mundane. The film follows Elizabeth Harvey, a mother raising her three boys in a poor suburb. After her latest boyfriend displays pedophilic tendencies, she takes up with a new man, hoping for security--but instead welcoming an even more vicious predator into her home. John Bunting (Daniel Henshall) is the moral compass of a self-appointed neighborhood watch who, fueled by cigarettes and beer, cast judgments on those living around them. Bunting enlists his crew in acts of sadistic vigilantism on those he considers deviants, and in the process takes Elizabeth's son Jamie under his wing. "The Snowtown Murders" is an uncompromising film focuses on the relationship between vulnerable teenager and a father figure--who is revealed to be the worst kind of bully. John's friendly demeanor hides a coldness that's unfathomable. It slowly reveals itself at impromptu "neighborhood watch" meetings at the dinner table, where John holds court and proselytizes about the other supposed molesters, perverts, and undesirables in the town. It becomes clear that he wants to rid the village of the people he views as objectionable, and he doesn't find much argument from his neighbors. Soon, talk turns to action. John becomes a killer (maybe he already was one), quietly murdering random townsfolk who he has deemed expendable, with some of his neighbors turning a blind eye to his actions or actively assisting in the crimes. Jamie's involvement goes even further. It's the unhealthy relationship between John and Jaime that is the centerpiece of "The Snowtown Murders"-- the mentor-protege pairing is sad, and in a helpless way, inevitable, because of how easily John manipulates the younger man. Abused and neglected for so long, Jaime can't help but be swayed by anything resembling a father figure, and John's overtures of trying to "toughen up" the boy are a transparent ruse to mold him into an accomplice and disciple. As the main character, Jamie (Lucas Pittaway), slowly accepts and eventually becomes complicit with serial killer of John Bunting's savagery, the camera departs from a documentary style of coverage and lingers more and more on Jamie. This means that by the time the film reaches it's climax the audience is placed in an awfully intimate and unsettling position with dismal hope for any release. However, the combination of Adam Arkapaw's voyeuristic cinematography, the decision to actually shoot in Snowtown and a cast of almost entirely non-professional actors, make Snowtown unique in its ability to convey such a convincing reality. The film generates most of its tension from the uneasiness from it's placement of viewpoint consideration in terms of violence of what to show and what to cut away from. The movie isn't structured like most true crime stories. The plot and characters are slightly muddled. Not everything is explained. It's not a procedural. The film is a chilling study of an evil, dominant personality and his victims. It works primarily through an astonishingly good performance by Daniel Henshall as Bunting. Compact, stout, muscular, he has beady eyes that twinkle as he plays the provider and protector. Serial killers are often described as loners--hunting is sociable, pleasant, and friendly. He likes company. One wonders how the people in his life feel as they realize he has charmed his way into ruling their lives. "The Snowtown Murders" is distressing and almost disturbing--the most frightening film about a psychopath I've seen. There are very difficult scenes to sit through, and that's saying something. There is no way to understand John Bunting. He is quite simply evil.… Full Review »
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