Looking for a movie that contains a group of masked maniacs and lots of gore? Then look no further than THE FURIES. An Australian horror film written and directed by Tony D’Aquino.
The opening scene introduces us to Kayla (Airlie Dodds) and Maddie (Ebony Vagulans) who are having a disagreement, as they part ways, the girls end up being kidnapped and drugged, only to wake up in a coffin-like box in the middle of nowhere. Soon after escaping the box, Kayla is discovered by other girls who found themselves in the same situation. Confused and scared, Kayla must fight for her life as she finds herself amid a brutal game which pits psychopaths against women. Where women are called the beauties and the killers are the beasts.
As she attempts to find her friend and outsmart the masked killers, Kayla discovers that her new allies are turning against each other in order to save themselves. Making the cat and mouse game that much more dangerous.
The Furies is not for the faint-hearted, it doesn’t shy away from gore and wastes no time in introducing as much blood and guts as it can. The director prolongs these scenes to make the most of the brutality we witness on the screen and it works. The gory scenes are some of the best in this film and will satisfy fans of the genre.
The story is a combination of mystery and horror that purposely leaves you with a lot of unanswered questions in the end. Without giving away spoilers, I will say that the concept is not unique, but it does offer up an alternative view of the cat and mouse game.
It is smarter than most “slasher” horror films, but it does lack a bit in tension. The narrative would have benefited from allowing tension to build between characters longer in certain scenarios. As it stands, it’s hard to connect with anyone else other than the main protagonist, so viewers won’t care who else dies along the way. In fact, one might cheer when particular beauties die instead of a beast.
The Furies is not meant to have some sort of deep meaning behind its story, it is gory entertainment with a twist for “slasher” lovers. There are some clear signs along the film that a sequel has been planned. The way it ends makes me look forward to a sequel. 6.5/10
The Furies comes out in Australia on the 7th of November.
