Sainsbury plays it smart by not keeping the audience in the dark on dark matters. As the audience understands the different threats early on, there is an instant dread felt when watching people who don’t know they are teetering on an edge. The brilliant screenplay by Stanford then starts rearranging the game board, changing everything we thought we were looking at. Each trap door that drops takes you deeper and deeper, which ramps the suspense levels to tidal wave heights. This is intensified by Sainsbury’s straight razor direction, getting down to business without hyper-stylization, giving the story the spotlight, instead of the storyteller. And what Sainsbury pulls off from the shadows is eyebrow-raising, as 13th Summer has cinematic firepower without relying on lighting tricks or special FX.
Ben (Nathan Phillips) broods quietly inside the surf shack in 13th Summer.
“The brilliant screenplay by Stanford then starts rearranging the game board, changing everything we thought we were looking at.”
Another brilliant move is one of the best locations for a film destination I have seen this year. I love watching movies set in places that I have always wanted to go to. When I lived in Brisbane, I never had enough money to make my way further up Queensland to places like Fraser Coast (I couldn’t even afford Dracula’s Dinner Theatre on the nearby Gold Coast). So I really relished a chance to finally get the sand between my toes, even if it was just through a movie screen. My wife has been dreaming of finding a secluded beach just like the one in 13th Summer, making this an easy sell for a great night’s entertainment. It is also fascinating how the setting relaxes you, while the suspense sends your heart racing, hitting your system like a speedball on the barbie.
Without a bunch of flashy tricks to fall back on, 13th Summer rises high on the backs of some great performances. Turland is so threatening yet so desirable, like that cliff your parents asked if you would jump off if all your friends did. You immediately suspect him of terrible things, but then Turland punishes you for daring to think such a thing. You will have bruises from how hard Turland wraps you around his little finger. Levien gives us very strong dramatics, bringing a genuine feel to some very complicated emotions. She also knows how to get s**t scared when she needs to, but also delightfully frustrates you when she doesn’t. It’s a blast seeing her walk along the invisible shark’s teeth unknowingly. Phillips kicks it right out of the stadium, simply the rawest emotional performance of a law enforcer since Bad Lieutenant. 13th Summer is more proof that sunny Australia is the land of chills. This one will snap your spine without needing to be fancy about it.
For screening information, visit the 13th Summer official website.
"…ramps the suspense levels to tidal wave heights."
