13th Summer

NOW ON TUBI! It’s suns out, guns out in the Australian high-tension beachside thriller 13th Summer, written by Jeremy Stanford and directed by Tam Sainsbury. Vee (Hannah Levien) and her husband, Ben (Nathan Phillips), and their dog, Cocoa, are making their annual trek from Sydney to the Fraser Coast up in Queensland. They have a surf shack by an isolated beach that they won in a game of cards with their mates Patrick (Jeremy Stanford) and Kate (Bec Hewitt), who own the bigger house on the property. All four of them spend the season together each year, having done twelve summers so far on the beach. Ben really needs a rest this year, as he was just acquitted in a trial where the media labeled him a “killer cop”. Vee is struggling as well, with both her literary ambitions and her relationship with Ben. Once they arrive and make themselves at home in the shack, Ben walks the dog while Vee takes a swim.

Ben (Nathan Phillips) and Vee (Hannah Levien) clash with Alex (Ben Turland) inside the beach house in 13th Summer.

“Vee and her husband, Ben, and their dog, Cocoa, are making their annual trek from Sydney to the Fraser Coast up in Queensland.”

They then both go into the big house to greet their friends. Instead of good old Pat and Kate, they find Alex (Ben Turland), a complete stranger from England. Alex informs the couple that Pat and Kate lent him use of the place for the week, and that they hadn’t arrived yet. Ben is immediately suspicious and starts barraging Alex with a lot of questions. Vee is quite embarrassed by Ben’s behavior and scolds him later. However, Ben simply doesn’t trust Alex and tries to contact Pat, but only gets his voicemail. Vee gets a chance to know Alex better, as he makes a sketch of her on the beach. Alex also flirts with Vee, which feels good to her during this rough spot in her marriage. Meanwhile, behind their backs, Ben finds some very disturbing items inside of Alex’s belongings…

At one point in 13th Summer, there is a nifty piece of dialogue about how Australia dominates English sports. England may have invented them, but the Australians are better at playing them. Same goes for thrillers: even though the Englishman Hitchcock laid down the rules of the game, it is the Australians that have consistently been the masters of suspense. First was Road Games by Richard Franklin, a director who could Hitchcock it better than Brian De Palma. Also along the line was Dead Calm, a major tingler that launched several lifelong careers. And now we have 13th Summer, a sun-drenched nerve-shredder of the highest order. Sainsbury has put together a production that plays with your emotions harder than Jerry Lee Lewis hitting the piano keys.