Hounds of Love follows a young woman who is abducted by a sadistic couple. As their plans for her become clear, she uses every single thing she has at her disposal to get out alive.
Hounds of Love Review
When it comes to painting a visceral picture of the disturbed nature of man, Australia has it down to a science. They are so effective at it, I've grown concerned for the safety of the people that live there. How much of this stuff is based on real cases? I hope not much.
Hounds of Love is another masterpiece in this vein that takes you down the rabbit hole of humanity's moral void. The acting is superb and the writing great, which is par for the course. Perhaps the only flaw is in the story itself, which isn't overwhelmingly unique. While the acting and script takes everything to a morbidly real place, the place isn't original to this film.
It feels like nitpicking to attack this film for its premise. "A kidnapped girl must find a way to escape her sadistic captors". That's half the dark thrillers in the world, isn't it? But, this film deserves praise for doing it with an emotional tone that puts you in the situation and has you squirming for her survival.
The gritty nature of the movie makes it all the more impactful. I can't stress enough how much it stressed me out. The plot's unoriginality be damned, the film is so good, I can't focus on the story for long. The disturbing performances of the captors puts you in a place of real dread unlike any slasher or ghost ever could. The film isn't classified as pure horror, but is more horrific than many serial killer flicks.
There is a categorical feel to the film. Even without the conspicuous accents, you can tell you're watching an Australian thriller. It has that vibe. It's a genre of horror that is all its own, and as its library continues to grow, it becomes more legitimate. It has gotten to the point that I've kept my ear to the ground for anything horror related coming from the land Down Under.
Horror Qualifier: 7/10
Horror Quality: 5/10
Film Quality: 7/10