Just so...so bad

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

This low-budget horror film from New Zealand is, for me, a textbook example of why I love the genre.It has everything a quality horror movie needs, including the elements which big-budget and "typical American" horror all too often lack.The film looks great, using the natural beauty of NZ alongside impressive cityscapes, but also showing us the very ordinary and (of course) the dark and ugly side of both the rural and urban environments.The plot is straightforward but intelligently thought through and far from simple, resting on the characters and the tragic events in which they're embroiled.There is violence and death, disturbing rather than gory, and an insidious tension which builds slowly and isn't allowed to dissipate until the very end.The characters are sharply defined and individual, yet at the same time convincingly complex.The dialogue is unpretty (sometimes even crude), but direct and often powerful - in many ways watching this was like discovering an unknown early Cronenberg flick, but in place of Cronenberg's cool intellectualism Garth Maxwell has crafted a highly emotional film which isn't afraid to take its viewers into uncomfortable territory.Some of the performances might perhaps have been a little more fluid but Alexis Arquette (as the titular Jack) and especially Sarah Smuts-Kennedy as Dora are exceptionally honest in their portrayals of a damaged brother and sister. Mention must also be made of the blunt, persuasive presence of Bruno Lawrence, bringing to life a character who could easily have been badly mishandled.Mainly, though, it's the ideas which make this shine. There are more surprises in this film than in the last dozen Hollywood horrors I watched... and thankfully they're the kind of surprised which make you think, not the kind which make you jump! There are very few FX beyond straight-up film techniques and a little fake blood, and that too is to the film's credit. This is a film about people whose lives have spiralled out of control and into the dark side, and while the paranormal elements are ever-present they're never the meat of the meal.There are a few rough edges. As I mentioned in passing, the script has its clunky moments and not all the acting matches the quality of the standout roles. There were also some heavy-handed edits, and the sound design wasn't as accomplished as the visual aspects of the movie.These are, however, minor quibbles, which didn't detract in the slightest from my enjoyment.If you have an interest in the more sombre, conceptual side of the horror genre, this is an underrated modern classic, and comes highly recommended.

Abandoned by their drunken and disturbed mother at a very young age, Jack and Dora are soon adopted by different families. Dora is taken in by a caring well-to-do couple while Jack is sent to live with a country family, consisting of a cruel mother, an abusive father and their four creepy daughters. Dora, an introvert with psychic abilities, leads a mostly normal life, though it's a mostly friendless one. Jack, beaten and tormented every day, grows up hostile and explosive. With the help of a weird, shop-class constructed hypnosis machine, Jack kills his adopted parents and flees the farm. Dora, with the help of her abilities, is able to find Jack and bring him back with her. But the reunion is not a happy one. Jack is seriously emotionally disturbed, lashing out at everyone that his sister loves and violently confronting their natural parents once the two are able to track them down. The increasingly emotionally distraught Dora tries desperately to hold onto her life and those she loves. To make matters worse, the four creepy sisters show up, determined to find Jack and take their revenge upon him. When Jack is indeed kidnapped by the freaky foursome, it is up to Dora to find him and save him. This is both a horror movie, a grim fairy tale and a tense emotional drama, sometimes difficult to watch but always just intense enough to keep you from looking away. The performances are awesome, especially by the two leads. Alexis Arquette is frightening and sympathetic, turning in an incredibly harrowing performance as the scarred Jack and doing a great accent to boot. Sarah Smuts-Kennedy is equally awesome as the conflicted Dora. The storyline may be somewhat thin, but the emotions of the characters are plenty strong enough to fill in the gaps. There is little violence, but that which is shown is brutal and merciless, especially the shocker ending. A weird little gem of a film - not for everyone, but definitely worth catching at least once.

~Spoiler~Jack Be Nimble can be summed up in one word: weird. This is a strange import from New Zealand revolving around twin siblings who are separated at a young age. One leads a decent life while the other, Jack, is tortured and belittled by his adopted parents. This humiliation leads Jack (played by Alexis Arquette) to build a machine in metal shop that allows him to kill his new parents in particularly nasty ways. Don't worry, these people had it coming. He then sets out to find his long lost sister. I would have been very pleased and fulfilled if the movie had ended there. But it doesn't. Jack finds his sister and runs into a whole new set of troubles to kill, er, deal with. If you enjoy a good abnormal creepfest, this won't disappoint you.

This is a slick, weird film about a guy who gets gruesome revenge on his abusive family and sets out to find his sister. I thought it was okay, and Leonard Maltin gave it a good review, but you will need to see it to get your own opinion. Watch for New Zealand actor Bruno Lawrence as Teddy. ** 1/2 out of ****