The Aussies have had recent success using the nation’s most notorious crimes as the inspiration for films. This is true of the original Wolf Creek film before it turned into a horror franchise, as well as other successful true-crime films like Animal Kingdom and Snowtown. So, following this great Australian tradition, first-time director director Ben Young loosely adapted the real crimes of suburban abduction, murder rapists Davis and Catherine Birnie in his debut film Hounds of Love.

Hounds of Love begins with an extremely slow motion shot of a group of teenage girls outside during a gym class. The scene is disturbing because of its voyeuristic nature. Soon after, we meet our film’s antagonists, John (Stephen Curry) and Evelyn (Emma Booth), as they offer one of the girls a ride home on a hot day. Even in 1987, this girl knows better than to get in the car, but Evelyn is particularly disarming. And so ends the last good moments of her life.

Subsequently, the film follows Vicki (Ashleigh Cummings), a rebellious teen who gets her boyfriend to complete her assignments. She flips back and forth between the homes of her recently separated parents, but directs most of her angst at her mother for inexplicably, at least in her mind, abandoning her father.

One night, while staying at her mother’s place, Vicki gets into an argument that ends in her mother forbidding her from going out to a party that night. But Vicki easily sneaks out the window and goes anyway. This, of course, sets up her chance encounter of John and Evelyn who just happen to be looking for a new girl to replace the one they just killed.

Hounds of Love is grounded in a realism that elevates it from the typical abduction film. John and Evelyn feel like real people with real lives. They look like the type of people you might find lurking about the fringes of a suburb. It is a depiction of serial killer abductors that is a far cry from the psychotic criminal masterminds that usually stock these films. Their whiff of “white trash” has drawn negative attention in the neighborhood. People suspect John of abusing Evelyn and the couple exploits this perception as cover to avoid getting caught with their abductions when they come knocking after mistaking the screams of victims as Evelyn’s own. But Evelyn is always there at the door, ready to respond to accusations with the reliable “mind our own business.” 

Of course, Evelyn really is a victim of John’s abuse, so her use of this cover story, like the rest of her story, contains many interesting layers.

I cannot stress enough how expertly Young handles his material. Hounds of Love disturbs without ever needing to get overly graphic and uncomfortable. Young knows that he doesn’t need to show us all the morbid details for us to get the point. But he also doesn’t shy away from just how awful John really is. 

However, the most remarkable thing about Hounds of Love is its evolving treatment of Evelyn’s character. In fact, it is fair to argue that she, and to a lesser extent Vicki’s mother, become the real protagonists after the halfway point. There is no denying that Evelyn has done undeniably terrible stuff for years, so I understand if some people may find the sudden, sympathetic shift in Evelyn’s portrayal morally reprehensible. I am Canadian and we have our own version of the Birnies in Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka. And trust me, Homolka- currently out of prison and on parole- does not deserve the redemptive treatment Evelyn gets in this story. The plea bargain she accepted to testify against Bernardo remains extremely controversial. (Chatherine Birnie, on the other hand, remains in prison.) But regardless of its real-world implications, as a horror fan I found Hounds of Love‘s Evelyn character arc to be one of the film’s strengths. I am always a fan of ethically compromised characters. In Hounds of Love, Ben Young puts in the effort early, so when the plights of the film’s three main female leads starts to thematically intertwine, it feels organic- even though one of these females has also been a pedophile-enabling, rapist murderer. Of course, the complex empathy Young offers Evelyn’s character only works because Emma Booth gives a stand out performance in a film littered with terrific performances.

For a film that centers around horrible acts of depravity, Hounds of Love contains a surprising amount of humanity.  Young’s handling of difficult subjects is innovative and refreshing, so there’s no wonder why many considered this to be one of the must-see horrors of 2016. Hounds of Love serves as just another reminder that the Australians, who also brought us classics such as Wolf Creek, The Babadook, Lake Mungo, The Loved Ones and Relic. are seriously overlooked and underappreciated collectively for their contributions to modern horror.

This one is a must-see for those that can stomach the subject matter.