Eric_Cubed This is a spectacular movie, nearly perfect. It tells the tale of a father's revenge in a way that Taken could not have fathomed. It's gritty, it's realistic, it's relatable and most importantly well acted. From Australia, the country of awesome independent films, comes the story of one man's relentless pursuit of the men who murdered his daughter, after drugging her and forcing her into the porn industry. I can't understand why this movie isn't rated higher. It's like "Near Dark" without the Vampires. Then again, I do have a weak spot for violent revenge thrillers, with the typical ass-kicking Jason Statham movies being high on my list of guilty pleasures. So maybe I'm a bit biased. But it's something we can all relate to, except those of us who are psychopaths of course, the tale of a vulnerable, young woman being exploited and killed/kidnapped by evil forces. As conscientious people, we secretly cheer when these people have their fingernails pulled, their pinky fingers chopped off and their testicles shoved down their throat. Who didn't cheer when Liam put a big fat hole in the princes head in taken. No one, that's who. Watch this movie, it's great.

HumanoidOfFlesh Peter Marshall plays a pest control technician and revenge driven father who tortures and kills men who are responsible for the death of his daughter.The girl died just after shooting a threesome in an underground gonzo porn film."The Horseman" by Steve Kasrtissios is one hell of a brutal revenge thriller.The scenes of violence are extremely harsh and unflinching.The film is loaded with nasty fights and sadistic torture.The people are beaten with crowbar,claw hammer,sledgehammer,throats are slashed,genitals mutilated and nipples severed.The finale is incredibly violent.The central performance by Peter Marshall is exceptional.His wounded character oozes grief and retribution.9 crowbars out of 10.

Cinema_Fan The Horseman, a product of Australian cinema, is simply an amazing piece of work; it is a grim and stark journey. Centring around the aftershock of the death of layman Christian's (played here by Peter Marshall with astonishing composure and calm, and too, his first major lead role in a movie) teenage daughter from a drug overdose, her somewhat voluntary involvement in an extremely seedy part of the sex industry and the progression of a father's wrath and bloodletting fury of revenge and retribution.It's a reflective look into the plight of an anguished father and the road trip he must take to find the parasites that took a part in the exploitation of innocence and the poetic justice one must serve upon the guilty.The subject matter is done with a scent of finesse that holds an air of admiration and respect for this guilt-ridden father, he's nasty, he's mean but he's also driven and director, writer, producer and editor Steven Kastrissios, along with cinematographer Mark Broadbent, and in particular the stunt department, have shown, once again, that Australian cinema is a tour de force to be recognised, and respected.With its magnificent and complex fight sequences, tight direction and empathetic undercurrent, the overall tone is not done to the extremes that it may seem an overdose of violence for the sake of violence. Not for one-minute does the slaughter, both visually and physically, feel too contrived, it may be a harrowing experience, and journey too, for the viewer, as too the father who has now crossed the line, but its pacing between each bloody action brings the film back to the point of honesty.We are left viewing, literally, on the edge of our seats as the plight runs a wry and we are constantly left unknowing as to what may happen next, and to whom and how. It's all an adrenalin rush of mixed emotions of revelation, sympathy, disgust, shock and compassion, such is the power of the delivery of Steven Kastrissios's work here.Transcending beyond the blurred sanity, The Horseman is a brutal reminder of a subculture that tests the morals of those who dare to question its ethics' and looks into the mind of those who have found the answer; crossing boundaries and finding new strengths, it's a rude wakening that in the murky mist of illicit brutality, at times even the wrong answer may be the only alternative.

ptb-8 Novice Australian film maker Steven Kastrissios in his first feature has managed to cram a lot of anger into his revenge film THE HORSEMAN, in limited release in Australia. Why so limited? well, it's a sort of BAISE MOI level road film with WOLF CREEK ideology and a lot of people tied to chairs being tortured while they scream. Quentin and Eli (of HOSTEL infamy) no doubt would be very pleased with this spawn of their school of revenge cinema. It is all sad really; not just the heartbreaking back-story but that visual atrocity insistence by our young Steven. I really cannot imagine his Mum and Dad being too happy... maybe some psychiatric sessions might delve into his dark recesses since this is a first film and he is a young man stained with the quest to put visual cruelty, misery, humiliation and vicious beatings so prominently. For me it smacks (no pun intended) of a lack of talent. Really, just where does a revenge flick go? and why one so pulverizing... after all it can only be a shopping list of killing scenes padded with male bashings, pipe clubbings, stabbings... truly, in the end I was laughing at the absurdity of the fights and the cruelty. It lost all meaning. The film is far too long, too violent and relentlessly downward spiral. In a new generation of young film makers Mr Kastrissios has made an extreme film, unbalanced in its immature depiction of the worst depravity as if that is "creative drama". He has a lot to learn and you are warned that he will make more and herald it as clever. It is all sad, even the bloody existence of this attempt at porno cruelty revenge horror. It is as if he made a list of depraved things and connected violent screaming acts between them. The last 30 minutes of the film is so cruelly stupid you will likely laugh out loud especially during the strangulation with the garden hose. I bet the premiere was a doozy with the guests vomiting in the toilets at the after party and Mum and Dad looking to escape. The real test of his film making maturity will come in another film that simply has to be about something that offers value for time spent watching. THE HORSEMAN was occasionally interesting until it went so completely off the rails in the last act. And all from someone so young and bright but preferring (like the victim daughter of the film) to dive immediately into filth and brutality.