A One Mann’s Movies review of “The Cost” (2023).
This is a special “Guest Review” by the Aussie reviewer Ronnie Clements who runs the excellent “Screen Gems” site on Facebook. Please check it out and subscribe if you’ve not done already.
Ronnie has told me that the film is scheduled for release in the UK on December 8th 2023.
Ronnie writes….
I approach an assessment of The Cost (2023) with a significant amount of “baggage” (so to speak). Firstly, director and co-writer, Matthew Holmes and co-writer, Gregory Moss are very good Facebook friends of mine. Secondly, I’m not overly into Australian films. My Cinema Studies concentrated on American films and most of my all-time favourites are American ones. Thirdly and most significantly, as a true crime buff, I do often watch revenge thrillers and by default root for those exacting the revenge no matter what. However, I take writing reviews very seriously so I will off-load my “baggage” and appraise The Cost with a completely “cold eye”.
Ronnie Clements Rating:
Plot Summary:
Two regular guys abduct a crim who was given early release from jail for a rape and murder many years before. The husband and brother of the victim are intent on dispensing their own brutal form of justice.
Certification:
UK: NR; US: NR. (This has not yet been rated by the BBFC or the MPA but is rated MA15 in Australia).
Talent:
Starring: Jordan Fraser-Trumble, Damon Hunter, Kevin Dee, Clayton Watson.
Directed by: Matthew Holmes.
Written by: Gregory Moss.
Twitter Handle: -.
Running Time: 1hr 48m.
(Source: Two Tone Pictures).
“The Cost” Review:
The revenge thriller is alive and well! We should be thankful and rejoice!
The sub-genre of the revenge thriller is an interesting one. It is very commonly tackled by American filmmakers but not so often by Australian ones. Of course the many American ones I have seen (1974’s Death Wish, 1982’s Class of 84, etc.) tend to be very “manipulative” and “framed” in such a way that we are consistently on the side of those in the business of getting even. This is where The Cost makes the sub-genre entirely its own!
However, director Matthew Holmes (by way of the script which he co-wrote with Gregory Moss) does not make it easy for us to firmly and consistently root for any one character. We are constantly shifting our allegiances between the perpetrator of the sickening crime and the revenge seekers. This not only makes The Cost different. It makes it riveting! It makes it unforgettable! It makes it superb!
The setup for the film is quickly and clearly established at the very beginning with obligatory flashbacks and slick editing. We are introduced to the three principal characters who will carry us through a very emotional journey as two of them dole out their own payback: the husband, David (Jordan Fraser-Trumble), the brother, Aaron (Damon Hunter), the perpetrator, Troy (Kevin Dee). Then there is “the intruder”, Brian (Clayton Watson) who comes into the story later and enriches the narrative as it goes in different and unexpected directions.
Of course a film with a small number of main characters lives or dies on the strength of the acting performances and in The Cost the performances are stellar. Fraser-Trumble, Hunter, Dee and Watson are equally engaging in their disparate roles and adequately capture the “development” of their characters as the tale unfolds. It needs to be mentioned that all the supporting cast are great too, not one bum performance in the piece.
Overall The Cost is a breath of fresh air in the revenge thriller sub-genre because we are often shifting our allegiances from one character to the other and sometimes even feeling for the crim. We are never being “manipulated”, we are in control. And interestingly enough, The Cost’s violence is relatively restrained too. There is not the over-the-top blood letting as there is in so many American, European and Asian revenge films. There is a particular scene where the violence could have been horrific, but the clever script does not allow that: what we don’t see happen is as effective as what we could have seen happen!
Beautifully lit and shot with a script that is crisp to the core (not one line of dialogue is wasted), The Cost is an important Australian film that is highly recommended. It will definitely have you thinking long after the credits have rolled.
On balance if I had one “issue” with the film, it would be the ending. It is perhaps not quite as “dramatic” as I would have preferred but, to be fair, it still works. We are certainly left with questions and the ending, as it is, makes way for a sequel. I’d certainly love to see that!
Summary Thoughts on “The Cost”
So … I will finish as I began: The revenge thriller is alive and well! We should be thankful and rejoice!
I am and I do!
Where to Watch it (Powered by Justwatch)
Trailer for “The Cost”:
The trailer is here: https://youtu.be/g-6MJu0MJ38.
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