Directed
by Michael Petroni, Starring: Adrien Brody, Sam Neill, Robin McLeavy. Supernatural
thriller. Aus, 2015, 87mins. Cert 15.
The
SIXTH SENSE for trainspotters. Still coming to terms with the tragic loss of
his daughter, psychiatrist Peter Bower (Brody) and his wife Carol move out of
Sydney back to his old university town. Accepting referrals for assessment from
his former mentor Duncan Stewart (Sam Neil), Peter is firstly disturbed by a
young girl whose initials correspond with that of his deceased daughter, and
then by the realisation that all his patients are ghosts. As he delves deeper
into their past histories, he begins to realise that his own past is inextricably
linked with theirs – and a suppressed memory must be confronted in order to
achieve resolution and redemption.
Trains figure heavily in writer/director Michael Petroni’s stylish yet satisfyingly old-fashioned spooky mystery. From Peter’s daily commute from the suburbs to the constant thunderous flashes of the railway line right by his office window (hardly conducive for psychiatric analysis you’d have thought). And while the ghostly plot branches off into some well-worn plot points and tropes (some of which are clearly signalled) the consummate storytelling ensures it never comes off the rails even as it rattles and (occasionally) clunks towards its final destination.
The (quite literally) haunted psychiatrist is finely encapsulated by Adrien Brody’s assured performance – even pulling off a convincing Australian accent into the bargain! I know Brody has a best-actor Oscar to his credit, but I’m still traumatised by his work in the truly squirm-inducing awfulness that was Dario Argento’s GIALLO. At least I was until now: he’s terrific in this. Sly old fox Sam Neill provides smoothly reliable support as Brody’s mentor/confidant/conscience and it’s delightful to see Robin (THE LOVED ONES) McLeavy turning up in a small but pivotal role. And, as an added treat, director Petroni even throws in a decidedly creepy turn by MAD MAX 2’s ‘Gyro Captain’ himself; Bruce Spence (is he the Australian Dick Miller?)
Admittedly the plot hinges on a coincidental series of events of gargantuan proportion (even by genre standards), and an inevitable plot hole or two, but the pleasure here is of a tale well-told, complete with all the requisite incremental clues and reveals which aren’t all immediately obvious. The ghostly manifestations are largely generic J-Horror type fare with the occasional ominous throat gargling present and correct. But the supernatural is a means to an end – and the real horror is firmly rooted in the material world.
BACKTRACK doesn’t break new ground. But it’s well-paced, well-crafted and well-performed. It employs jump scares judiciously which reference the story being told rather than merely a means by which to elicit a nervous multiplex titter or two. In short, I found this train-focused yarn was just my ticket.
****(out
of 5*)
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