Birdeater

Billed as an Australian psychological thriller, whose inspiration clearly and proudly comes from one of the great grandfathers of iconic Oz cinema in the form of Wake in Fright (eagle eyed viewers will spot that films poster appearing in this film), filmmakers Jack Clark and Jim Weir herald in their directional debuts with the impressive if equally frustrating experience that is Birdeater.

Celebrating successful festival runs over the last 12 months and launching recently into select Australian cinemas, Birdeater embraces its "feral" moniker in parts as a planned to be quiet bachelor/bucks party weekend goes off the rails when past and present trauma between soon to be married couple Louie and Irene comes to the surface in a stereotypically boys only environment that has on this occasion become something else.

Building its early foundation with a great set-up, with Clark and Weir beginning their debut affair with some fantastic mood setting courtesy of memorable work by DOP Roger Stonehouse and some hugely atmospheric score work by composer Andreas Dominguez, Birdeater really races out of the blocks with a narrative loaded with potential but sadly the narrative juice at the core of this exploration of toxic relationships, mental health, male fragility and psychological warfare runs out of steam well before the half-way mark, a huge problem for this two hour exercise that is unable to sustain its early momentum.

There's still a lot to like here and it's not hard to see why the film became an audience favourite with attendees at festivals such as SXSW Austin, the Melbourne International Film Festival and the Sydney Film Festival as Birdeater is unafraid to tackle some fairly weighty (if perhaps overly used themes in Australian products) and the performances and filmmaking craft on display here are undeniably above average for a low-budget independent film made on Australian shores.

Getting a lot to work with in a feature that prioritizes dialogue above all else, all cast members of Weir and Clark's darkly comedic dramatic thriller acquit themselves well with leads Mackenzie Fearnley and Shabana Azeez in particular standing out with some well-rounded performances while Ben Hunter as wildcard and the slightly unhinged Dylan making a mark as a character that you're never sure of motivational wise or ability wise.

Standing out from a crowded marketplace filled with similarly aimed independent offerings that often struggle to find notice in Australia's not always welcoming local marketplace, Birdeater can be commended in a multitude of ways but there's no escaping that there's a noticeable inability to maximise what could've been as this initially gripping feature gives way to one you will be anticipating finishing more than once throughout.

Final Say -

There's a lot to like about Birdeater and there's evidence on display here that Jack Clark and Jim Weir have what it takes to make a mark locally and abroad but after a bright starting point, their film becomes more of what could have been not a contender, disappointingly failing to become a must-see it at times showcases to be.

3 dinner toasts out of 5

Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)