In 2014, Jennifer Kent made the transition from character TV actress to director of a feature-length film. That film was The Babadook, not only one of the best horror films of the decade but one of the very best films of the decade period. The film was showered with critical praise and landed Kent on the shortlist of "it" directors. Then nothing.
Kent could have easily jumped at the first studio horror film or blockbuster that came her way. Instead, she decided to write and direct The Nightingale about a young Irish convict woman named Clare who is hell-bent on revenge for a terrible act of violence committed against her family.
What follows is one of the most brutal and unflinching films I've ever seen. There were some reports that during its festival run, there were counselors present for audience members after they left the theater. If hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, then you don't even want to know what happens to a woman that is way more than scorned.
What makes The Nightingale stand out from other revenge films is how we see how the main character's actions affect her. No matter how vengeful Clare is, it doesn't make her feel any better once she gets her revenge. I really appreciated the climax of the film because it didn't go where I thought it was going to go.
The other major theme in The Nightingale is race. Throughout the film, we see how the British Troops treat the Aboriginal population. Those aspects of the film might feel heavy-handed, but I couldn't help but think that the way the aboriginals were treated was probably even more brutal than depicted in the film. Jennifer Kent is a really talented filmmaker and if it takes her 4 years to make her next film, I will be patient.
Kent could have easily jumped at the first studio horror film or blockbuster that came her way. Instead, she decided to write and direct The Nightingale about a young Irish convict woman named Clare who is hell-bent on revenge for a terrible act of violence committed against her family.
What follows is one of the most brutal and unflinching films I've ever seen. There were some reports that during its festival run, there were counselors present for audience members after they left the theater. If hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, then you don't even want to know what happens to a woman that is way more than scorned.
What makes The Nightingale stand out from other revenge films is how we see how the main character's actions affect her. No matter how vengeful Clare is, it doesn't make her feel any better once she gets her revenge. I really appreciated the climax of the film because it didn't go where I thought it was going to go.
The other major theme in The Nightingale is race. Throughout the film, we see how the British Troops treat the Aboriginal population. Those aspects of the film might feel heavy-handed, but I couldn't help but think that the way the aboriginals were treated was probably even more brutal than depicted in the film. Jennifer Kent is a really talented filmmaker and if it takes her 4 years to make her next film, I will be patient.