User reviews

The Australian film The Mule was well-received in its world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival. It is an entertaining, if not terribly memorable film, based on some version of supposedly true events from the 1980s. The kernel of truth appears to have been the case of a man arrested as a drug mule and retained in custody for an extended period of time during which he refused to defecate and thus expel the packets of heroin from inside his body. The comedic story that the writers concocted around these true events appears to be mostly fictional. The story moves along nicely and is told in an entertaining manner with a heavy dose of Aussie accents. The acting is reasonable with an expected level of grossness that this particular subject matter demands. The best part of the night, however, was when the writer and director appeared on stage after the film completely drunk and went off on ridiculous rants that ended with one-handed push-ups. Since they're Australians, I'm not sure that anyone was all that surprised.

The Mule also known as The Smuggler is a nice, offbeat crime thriller with some black comedy.

It is set in 1983 as as Australia II is making a robust challenge for the Americas Cup Competition.

Nice but dim Ray (Angus Sampson) has been set up to have a trip to Thailand with his football team. In fact the club president who has a sideline in criminal activities plans to have Ray set up as a drugs mule. Ray swallows condoms full of heroine but is detained by the police when he returns to Australia.

He is questioned by detectives. Tom Croft (Hugo Weaving) and Les Paris (Ewen Leslie) who play bad cop and good cop respectively. Croft roughs Ray up but Ray decides not to pass anything through his body much to the detectives displeasure. Also the local criminals are not happy and reckon Ray will grass them up.

The film has a heavy dose of toilet humour as Ray tries to stop himself from defecating. For such as simple tale, the writers have packed quiet a lot of plot and deliver it with a crafty way.

The title is a bit of a giveaway, but only so much. Because the movie might still be able to surprise you. I know it did surprise me a lot. To a certain point it was like "Alright, I know what comes next". But then you have a twist that is very nice. And even though a certain amount of knowledge comes with that and a familiarity that will have people in the know again, it is certainly entertaining. Considering that this really happened (similar to what we get treated to on screen), this is even more amazing.

The actors are having a lot of fun and everything is being laid there for everyone to see. Some material might feel a bit too much, but you can still feel that there is a logic behind it and even the most yucky scene is served for a purpose ... and for fun - and it works most of the time.

This is not a bad film. But if you're watching for its labelling as a comedy you will be sadly disappointed. It is even a big stretch to call it a black comedy. It could stand alone as a crime/drama and would rate higher if it weren't misleadingly tagged

This is a really well made film; the plot surrounds Ray who is a bit on the 'slow' side. He plays a bit of 'footie' at his local club and mends electrical goods for a living. Still at home with his parents who are having financial problems. So when he gets made an offer by one of his closest mates to earn some easy cash – he decides to go for it.

It involves a trip to Thailand and more importantly a return trip with a rather full stomach. What follows is a story that had me totally gripped. There are some truly disgusting scenes here too so really make sure you are nowhere near food while this is on – and for a while after.

The acting is all top notch - Ray is played brilliantly by Angus Samson ('Fargo') but the real plaudits have to go to the perfectly horrible cop – Det. Tom Croft played by the superb Hugo Weaving ('Mystery Road') who oozes bad cop in a way that balances sleaze with old school policing and the tension is pounding for most of thisthriller – completely recommended.

An average man goes to Thailand after winning a holiday through his football team's lottery. What he does not know is that he is being set up and the purpose of his trip is to bring drugs into Australia. When he finally gets back to down under, the police gets hold of him as they suspect he might be smuggling cocaine or heroine into the country. Since he refuses to have an X Ray taken, he is kept in police custody in a hotel room for about 10 days.

Whether or not this sounds like an interesting subject to you, from the fifteenth minute until the end, the only thing you see is a man lying in bed who makes the utmost effort to not go to the loo while the police wait by his bed. Nothing else happens. If you don't believe me, watch it. When you do, you'll agree that the movie should have been called "The longest poop refusal". And as a subject for a movie, after a few minutes it's start to get a little boring. It it's really based on real events, then the original story is not good enough to make it into a film. Sorry!

When people form opinions about Australian Cinema, they generally base that opinion on previous Australian films with successful backgrounds, i.e.; Animal Kingdom, Chopper etc. What Angus Sampson has created here is a fantastic, moody, brooding black comedy/drama that surpasses most of the tripe that comes out of the US and Australia, but also that stands alone as a film that really works on all levels. Ignore Sampson's past achievements in the form of 100 Bloody Acres and the Insidious franchise etc. This film is a winner, and it's completely different. It is a stand alone film that pulls all the right triggers at all the right times. Sampson, having written, produced, starred and co-directed shines here as a shy and humble first time drug mule. His reluctance to be a participant in the smuggling leads to his fumbling through airport gates leading him to a minor cavity search that lands him locked up in a hotel for 7 days, guarded by Federal Police, waiting for the contents to pass through. The premise has been done before, however Angus Sampson brings the character to life and watching him hold on to number 2's for days is both uncomfortable and hilarious. This film is by no means a comedy. But throughout the film, the banality of simple Australians can't be helped but laughed at as they stumble through the complications of their lives. This film is a great Aussie crime drama that will stand up to the test of time like Animal Kingdom and Two Hands.

Definitely worth the watch and Angus Sampson is also one to watch in the future.

Simple and to the point. It's about a man who is suspected of importing drugs, and the police need him to take a $h*t so they have evidence to prove their suspicions..they are allowed to take him to a hospital for an x ray, but decide to take him to a hotel and wait it out(until he takes a **** )....They can keep him for ten days. He's smuggling a known drug dealers heroin batch, and the drug dealer is out looking for him and his friend.The camera work is fantastic, the acting is great, and the dialog is catchy.. watch it, you wont regret it.

Watchable but mislabeled. Just not funny enough to be a comedy.

On the back of the Insidious horror series, Leigh Whannell and Angus Sampson share the screen (and writing duties) again for an insidious horror of a different kind, one that's actually real for almost every human on the planet who appreciates the pain of severe constipation, or alternately that of holding the beast bashing at the door, promising to unleash hell.

Cleverly aligned with the underdog story and slow aching crawl and tension of the Americas Cup yacht race as a backdrop, it's a shame The Mule was erroneously positioned as a comedy. Inspired by a true drug importation scenario, The Mule manages to hold attention through a solid, genre-crossing screenplay and acting performances.

The at-times extreme grossness of the central premise won't be to everyone's taste, not least a scene where the mule (played by Angus Sampson) re-ingests his cargo with such excruciating effect viewers like me might want to repurpose their bucket of popcorn.

An entertaining and engaging Aussie flick, The Mule is worth holding on for until the satisfying end.

he Mule is another one of the quirky and odd Australian movies that are released every year that involves characters who are way over the top . This the the story of a football player who is coerced into going to Thailand to bring back heroin inside his body and when he gets back he is hauled up in a hotel room by police who wait til the packages come out naturally. I think this is supposed to be a black comedy but i don't remember laughing once. The lead actor has a face you want to smack and there is only so much of his grimacing you can put up with. It's obviously not a movie that takes itself too seriously but falls down due to casting problems. It's not terrible but it's not a film i could recommend either.

4 out of 10

This is a team from the insidious franchise so yous think horror but no not this time this black comedy is a very fun and worth your time film to see. Great ending to a really good story and based on actual events so even better!!

Ok movie (5/10) but at times revolting, so much so we all felt physically sick. It's entertaining enough if you've got nothing else to watch, but wouldn't really recommend it. But overall predictable and a little cringey.

Ok movie (5/10) but at times revolting, so much so we all felt physically sick. It's entertaining enough if you've got nothing else to watch, but wouldn't really recommend it. But overall predictable and a little cringey.

Ok movie (5/10) but at times revolting, so much so we all felt physically sick. It's entertaining enough if you've got nothing else to watch, but wouldn't really recommend it. But overall predictable and a little cringey.

Tony Mahony and star Angus Sampson tag team this oddball crime-drama that is sure to show audiences an intelligent plot, well acted characters, and no shortage of humor. The characters are all lovable in their own unique ways due to the performances from...well everyone, really. The characters, plot, and cinematography show a healthy mix of influence from the Coen Brothers ("Fargo," "Raising Arizona"), Wes Anderson ("The Grand Budapest Hotel"), and even AMC's "Breaking Bad."

Reading a quick synopsis or plot summary of this film will reflect poorly on the actual depth and cleverness of it all. Despite the seemingly simple and goofy (maybe even downright stupid) story of a man trying not to crap his pants for seven days because he swallowed drugs, "The Mule" is sure to impress audiences with its suspense and unfolding plot. Watching this movie is like being in a room with a time bomb; you don't know when it's going to blow, you can't escape it, and the bomb just happens to be a man doing his very best to not defecate himself.

Angus Sampson, an actor who usually prefers to stay out of the spotlight, shines in his role as Ray Jenkins, a quiet, introverted, momma's boy, soccer player who finds himself making the wrong decisions for the right reasons. John Noble plays as this Australian town's cut- throat kingpin. Hugo Weaving and Ewen Leslie are the typical "bad cop - good cop" detective duo that keep us guessing as to whether they want to help Ray through this or (quite literally) beat the **** out of him.

While I'm sure this movie will receive low scores because of how "drawn out" it may seem or because of...well..."shock factor"... I urge fans of crime-dramas and thrillers to see this film. You will be pleased with its twists and turns right up until the happy ending.

This is one of those rarely seen movies that just leaves and indelible image in your mind! There are some horrific scenes that are totally unexpected.

The story is a little slow to start but once the hotel part starts you will be stuck to the screen. There are some truly despicable characters to deal with and you will wonder how this will finish.

The dialog and writing becomes more wonderful as the story progresses. I do not want to insert a spoiler because this movie was totally unknown to me and I wasn't expecting much. It delivered more than I ever expected and it's a crime/action surprise.

Brilliantly made film, best independent indie film of 2014. The film was great from start to finish, very engaging and highly enjoyable for all. The lines were not only sarcastic and serious but also extremely comical at points. The directing was done perfectly and showed the audience the lovable character that is a typical mummy's boy as we followed him on his drug-induced journey that was highly enjoyable.

The acting was phenomenal and literally has you mouth opened at several point sin the film because it is just that shocking. A beautifully produced film and highly enjoyable for anyone to watch. Would definitely recommend this to anyone. 10/10.

8.8 of 10. Taking the elements of gross-out humor and applying it to a crime drama/thriller provides something new, insightful, scary, and amusing, but does require a strong stomach.

The grossing-out starts quickly, so there's very little time to prep yourself. Just when you think the gross stuff is easing up, something more subtly gross from real life gets introduced. As a result, the film is continually immersive while still providing no shortage of strange situations.

The characters and actors also do an exceptional job of providing the yucks. There's only 1 attractive main character with the rest being disgusting in either or both form and action. It all builds up to smart and surprising ending that should also impress crime mystery lovers.

This was a really great movie - a unique story told mostly in the bed of a hotel room . There is no sex but some violence. Our mule does not speak much but that the point. Mules are not very smart -they are good and carrying though. The cops are cast well and the Australian production is very enjoyable. I would caution anyone watching this film to not eat any food during the film. The mule's mum and dad play there parts so well and the mob boss who is wound up with aggression -its just a matter of time before someone gets waked. I think the Mule's boss is badly stereotyped as the Jewish TV repair owner,but he is so funny and callous when he wont allow the Mule to take his 30 minute lunch - The Mule quits and owner says Come back - take 35 minutes for lunch. This movie is full of wit and humor while it deals with a very deadly subject.