Film Review: Snatchers (2025) - Australia
Reviewed by Andrew Chan (Film Critic Circle of Australia)
I rated it 6.5/10
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A Gritty Aussie Chamber Piece Where Desperation Meets the Undead - There’s a particular brand of sweaty, claustrophobic dread that Australian cinema often brews so well, a sense of moral decay festering under the harsh sun or, in the case of Aussie directing duo Craig Alexander and Shelly Higgs' “Snatchers”, within the fluorescent-lit sterility of a forgotten basement. Transplanting the grim essence of body snatchers to a near-future Canberra dystopia, “Snatchers” presents us with Mac and Fettes. Forget grave robbers; these are hospital orderlies, played with a frantic, bumbling energy by co-director Alexander and Justin Hosking. Their get-rich-quick scheme? Harvesting premium organs from a conveniently fresh Jane Doe for the black market. It’s a premise soaked in desperation and dark humor, the kind where you chuckle nervously at the sheer, stupid audacity of it all.
And chuckle you will, initially. Alexander and Hosking have a genuine, lived-in chemistry. Their early scenes crackle with the frantic energy of profoundly inept men stumbling headlong into a situation far beyond their meager capacities. The sterile, oppressive basement set – a character in itself – becomes a petri dish for their mounting panic and darkly comic missteps. Who knew organ harvesting could be such a clown show? The lighting, harsh and unflinching, perfectly complements this chamber piece setup, making every bead of sweat and flicker of fear palpable.
The film’s engine truly roars to life, however, when the table shifts beneath them. Hannah McKenzie, as the titular Jane Doe, doesn’t just wake up; she arrives. Her performance is interesting in chilling, manipulative stillness. With little more than a glance and a softly spoken barb, she turns the dynamic on its head. No longer are Mac and Fettes merely incompetent criminals; they become pawns in a deadly psychological game orchestrated by a force they cannot comprehend. McKenzie is electric, radiating a terrifying intelligence and malice that elevates the film beyond its grimy premise. This mid-point pivot is the film’s undeniable strength, injecting pure, uncut suspense.
Alas, “Snatchers” doesn’t quite maintain this newfound momentum. While the dialogue remains sharp, the gears begin to grind in the second act. The script leans heavily on repetitive cycles of argument and betrayal between Mac and Fettes. What felt frantic and authentic early on starts to feel like narrative stalling, circling the drain before the inevitable plunge. Furthermore, the film’s ambitious tonal gear-shift – from absurdist bumbling to supernatural-tinged psychological horror – isn't always handled with finesse. The transition can feel jarring, leaving the audience momentarily adrift, unsure whether the next moment demands a nervous laugh or a genuine shudder. It’s a bold choice, but the seams sometimes show.
The ending, while functional within its genre constraints, feels a touch rushed, lacking the profound resonance the setup l seemed to promise. It delivers the required laughs but perhaps not the lingering dread it might have achieved with a slightly more assured hand in the final stretch. (Neo, 2025)