User Reviews

There are already a number of Australian films that made an indelible impression on me. Even such an impression that I've become a little fan of movies originating from this part of the world. Perhaps "Crushed" is the first minor disappointment. Not because it's an ordinary murder mystery with all associated developments and necessary turns. But simply because there was something missing to make a perfect investigators story. And that's suspense, tension and mystery. It wasn't so to speak exciting and the outcome of the whole story was just predictable. The only surprising part was the quite violent and bloody ending. Actually, I didn't see that one coming.

Ellia (Sarah Bishops) returns to her family after hearing the terrible news of her father's death. Apparently a heavy barrel fell on the head of this vineyard owner in Australia. The result isn't a persistent hangover, but a fatal skull fracture. Ellia left quietly after the death of her twin brother and she has been incommunicado with her family since then. Not surprisingly, the initial contacts appeared to be rather coolly. Not to say hostile. As it turns out that her dad seems to be murdered, her mother Sophie (Roxane Wilson) started to mess around with an uncle (Les Hill) in the Australian bushes and gets arrested because the police finds it suspicious that she wants to sell the family business, Ellia gets caught up in a complicated puzzle.

The first positive side of this film. They don't beat around the bush. Before you know it, you're looking at a murder mystery, a family dynasty shaking on its foundations, an unexplained drama out of the past and an erroneous environmental decision causing trouble for plants on the surrounding lands and hostile neighbours. Indeed, it's a lot. And yet it's a matter of logical elimination to find out who did it. In "Crushed" the simple rule of most murder mysteries is maintained. Those who look most suspicious, are usually the ones who ultimately didn't do it. So take a close look at the individuals that surround Ellia and choose the person you'd never expect to be the suspect. Bingo.

Despite the abundance of subjects and the sometimes disappointing acting, there were also some good sides to this film. The used images were excellent from time to time. And the denouement was surprisingly brutal with an unprecedented number of casualties as a result. Most notable and outstanding role was played by Remy Brand as the timid and emotionally hurt brother Zac. The only thing that started to annoy me were the amount of consumed glasses of wine. I realize that there is a link with a vineyard, but at one point I had the feeling that wine was the only beverage they could drink there. Or the climate is causing an insufferable thirst. It wasn't exactly real added value. It's just that I constantly wondered whether she had a drinking problem or not. Are you a fan of a typical detective story, now happening in the land of kangaroos, then it is worth to see it.

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Over the years, so many films have utilized the Australian landscape as a moody, atmospheric backdrop. It's such a gorgeous place steeped in mysterious natural history that filmmakers hailing from down under have no choice but to exploit its vast photogenic qualities - and they'd be silly not to use it in an attempt to give their work added visual gravitas.

Megan Riakos' debut feature "Crushed" is no exception, setting its story in the beautiful Mudgee wine region of New South Wales. Our protagonist, Ellia, returns home after her father is crushed and killed by a barrel in the family's winery under suspicious circumstances. Soon, her mother becomes the prime suspect in the murder investigation, and Ellia finds herself embroiled in an ever-deepening web of mystery, tragedy and family secrets.

The film starts off in a slow burn, with lingering shots and scenes that last that little bit longer than they should. Soon, we realize that there's something off about the pacing for a film that's billed as a thriller. We need to get to the meat of the story, and quick, but it's not happening. We spend time with Ellia, who drinks wine. A lot of wine.

The performances reveal themselves as uneven - at best melodramatic, and at worst amateurish. The film focuses in on these characters as a family, but we never feel convinced that they have real chemistry. To work, this film desperately needed believable familial interaction between the actors, and it's just not there. Ellia doesn't even seem particularly phased by the fact that her father has been crushed to death, but perhaps we're meant to attribute that to her being numbed by her constant wine- guzzling.

Between swigs, the plot devolves into Ellia's less-than-riveting investigation of rotting wheat and poisoned soil - and how that may have a connection to her father's death - mostly consisting of internet searches on a fake version of Google. She questions a line of insultingly incompetent sleazy men and the story gets sillier and sillier until it almost implodes during a scene where Ellia uses her seductive feminine wiles to extract information from a local drunkard about the kind of farming soil he laid at the winery. Oh yeah baby, tell me 'bout that hot, hot soil.

Speaking of drunkards... did I mention Ellia drinks a lot of wine?

STOP DRINKING!

Anyway, the plot reaches its denouement in a way that is, frankly, predictable and cringeworthy in its execution. It's unbelievably melodramatic and solidifies the feeling that this two hour affair would have been far more comfortable on midday TV, rather than blown up to a big screen feature film.

"Crushed" takes itself too seriously, and I can't help but think injecting a little Aussie humor may have helped. It's hard to accept this film and its dreary tone without some levity. It's just not very good - but not bad enough to recommend for the midnight movie crowd because it doesn't go far enough in any direction. It's just dull and unengaging.

If I could think of a couple of positives, they would be that it's shot decently (if somewhat artlessly) and that the score is decent, but unremarkable and overdramatic for what's happening on screen. There is potential talent inside the crew of "Crushed", but this film is a stumble perhaps hindered by its financial limitations. I guess as an Australian, I should be grateful that anyone is able to get a film off the ground at all in the country. For that alone, congratulations is in order, since that's more than half of the filmmaking battle these days.

But that doesn't mean I can't hope for a higher standard. Gems like "The Babadook" and "Wolf Creek" are painfully few and far between, but their very existence means IT IS possible to make genre films of international quality in Australia. As it stands, we're stuck with limited budgets and resources, and our industry will continue to wallow in the mud if "Crushed" is anything to go by.

My quick rating - 3,6/10. Since I have to round up, it is tough even having to put 4 on this. The acting was just that painful to watch. It was almost like the actors and actresses were trying to make all the dialogue sound unrealistic. Cue card reading would've been more convincing than this was. After a supposed accident at a winery (yep, Australia is just known for their vineyards, and now, really bad acting) a daughter heads home to get to the bottom of what looks to be a homicide. In doing so, she uncovers some dark secrets in the murder mystery. Basically all the elements of a murder mystery are missing. I may have cared more if the acting wasn't so distracting. I could get a better conversation having Alexa and Siri going back and forth with Cortana as a mediator. Suffice it to say, you suffer through a lot of wasted time to get to a somewhat surprise ending, but not due to the murder. I should spoil it but I don't do that. Your life will still be complete if you miss this one, don't worry.

The best thing about this film is the locations, other than that the story is weak and the characters are NOT interesting and are 2 dimensional. Found it very hard to watch, very slow and boring. Most of the acting was average or below. Dont waste your time 2 stars for effort.

This movie is a painfully long 111 minutes. Sadly the story is better suited for a one hour TV movie. Even then the awful acting and predictable story would make that seem too long. Not wanting to be totally negative about this movie i will say that the song Washed Away is decently done.

Save yourself the 2 hours and find something better. It shouldn't be too hard.

Australian filmmakers have strong form with thrillers especially when they are set in our natural environment of wide red earth, rock-scapes and bushland as seen in the iconic Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975) and Wolf Creek (2005). Novice writer-director Megan Riakos innovates in the genre by setting Crushed (2015) in a picturesque vineyard in rural New South Wales. This produces a picturesque stage for a gripping thriller that delivers far more than its tiny production budget, dozen or so actors and handful of creatives suggest is possible. Particularly praiseworthy is the beautiful cinematography that captures the ambiance of a vigneron's life and its contrast with the lingering menace of an unexplained death. The crushing of grapes and a daughter's quest for the truth become the binding metaphor for the story.

The plot line is based on estranged young Ellia returning to the family vineyard after learning of her father's apparently accidental death. As she re-enters a world she fled because of family tensions, everyone becomes a possible murder suspect and the web of suspicion grows beyond the family to include police and neighbours. Several red-herrings are dangled in fine Hitchcockian form, like the obvious uncle with the lethal glare who appears well-settled in a relationship with her mother, and it eventually emerges that almost everyone disliked her father. She is increasingly isolated and vulnerable, and even her policeman boyfriend becomes a sinister threat. For a novice director to continue building tension and plot developments throughout most of the film is quite an achievement, and the off-the-shoulder camera work adds a nervy pace that balances some fine classical framing of vineyard landscapes that are visually delightful.

At the film's Sydney preview Q & A session, Riakos enthused that her team opted for independence rather than the usual professional funding and assistance pathways in making Crushed. In some respects it shows. The acting ensemble could have used an experienced star persona who might have lifted and evened out performances where needed.For example, in the film's final moments when three characters are entangled in discussion with a knife against one throat and a rifle ready to fire at others, none plausibly show fear or emotional stress. There are also parts of the narrative arc that show signs of over-cooking. Hitchcock knew that less is more: one death can make a taut thriller but five can make a farce. As with so many films, the ending does little justice to the effort but its high-points clearly hover above its limitations. Overall, its a gripping story in a beautiful place that shows great promise for its creator.

Beautiful landscape makes for an incredible juxtaposition against the heart racing fear this thriller incites. As someone who dislikes thrillers I was apprehensive about seeing this film however a few months on I find myself wanting to watch it again. I think its a very classy 'who done it'. There is also levity to break the tension of the movie without it being too slapstick. Australian movies have typically bad reputations with Australian audiences however the time for that has passed and we need to move on and support our industry and Crushed is a perfect example of the class of Australian writing, acting, directing and cinematography. If you want to start supporting the Australian industry - start with Crushed.

The core of this movie is a well-written script with enough twists to keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. This is a modern take on the Alfred Hitchcock-style thriller. Sarah Bishop is a standout as a young woman, Ellia, who returns home for her father's funeral only to find that he was murdered and her mother is the prime suspect. Alone and isolated, Ellia must not only solve the mystery of her father's murder but also deal with the traumatic event that caused her to flee the family vineyard. Megan Riakos wrote the script and directed it, and the result is a tight, cohesive thriller that is also visually stunning. Crushed is an exciting movie that is a refreshing change from the formulaic action movies and derivative comic book franchises so common in the big multiplexes today.

Set in beautiful Australian wine country, the location almost becomes another character in the film. A young woman returns home after she finds out about her father's death. She begins to realize that his death wasn't an accident and becomes determined to figure out who killed her father and why. You are taken on an emotional journey, as Ellia questions whether she can trust her closest friends and family. This film is brilliantly written and filmed, and keeps the audience questioning everyone's motives until the end.

Written and directed by an Australian woman, with a cast of amazing Australian actors, this film really shows off what the Aussies can do. Definitely a must see!

Crushed received FOUR NOMINATIONS for the Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival: * Best Thriller Feature Film - Crushed * Best Actress - Sarah Bishop * Best Feature Director - Megan Riakos * Best Screenplay - Megan Riakos

An outstanding debut feature from Riakos, that has certainly put her mark on the Australian Indie landscape and one to watch. 'Crushed' has been a strong contribution to the recent genre goodness that has come out of Australia, particularly female directed films. This film takes the viewer on a slowly intensifying journey, as a mystery thriller, shot beautifully showcasing the wine region of Mudgee; where it explores the interrelations of a somewhat disheveled family, and their close associates, uncovering their roles surrounding a death on the family's property. The performances from the cast are solid and engagingly understated, each character lending a piece to the mystery puzzle, while allowing the audience wanting to know more. Viewers are rewarded by exposing a truth that is largely unexpected and satisfying in its presentation.