SLIFF 2019 Review – LOCUSTS

LOCUSTS will screen at The Tivoli Theater (6350 Delmar) Thursday, Nov 14 at 9:30pm as part of this year’s St. Louis International Film Festival.. Ticket information can be found HERE

In “Locusts,” a dark thriller set in Australia’s Outback, estranged tech entrepreneur Ryan Black returns to his desert hometown — the ironically named Serenity Crossing — for his father’s funeral. Ryan is reluctantly reunited with his ex-con brother, and the pair soon becomes the target of an extortion scam at the hands of desperate criminal associates of their reprobate dad. The Aussie movie site FilmInk writes: “Boasting a tight and twisting script and stunning imagery, ‘Locusts’ is the kind of film that we don’t see nearly enough of in Australia: a classy crime B-movie in the style of John Dahl or (early) James Foley. It’s elevated even further, however, by the stellar performances. Ben Geurens is totally empathetic as the harried hero, while Alan Dukes, Steve Le Marquand, Justin Rosniak, Ryan Morgan and Damian Hill (in his final screen performance) are absolutely stunning as the bad guys, bringing a wonderfully wild eyed brand of menace and madness to their characters.”

Review by Michael Haffner

If the biblical symbolism of the title wasn’t enough to signal a bad omen, religious billboards on the side of the road serve as an ominous warning of the turmoil ahead for the lead character in LOCUSTS. The Australian landscape is laid out like a hostile barren landscape, resembling a nuclear wasteland home to only cockroaches. Dead animals and rotten people plague the surrounding town, and cinematographer Chris Bland captures every gritty detail while balancing it all out with lush sunsets and dusty open roads.

The story, centered on wayward brothers in over their heads, bears a slight resemblance to the recent crime masterpiece HELL OR HIGH WATER. Both films show the economic disparity between the country and the big city where our lead has grown accustomed to, now heading back to his rural hometown to bury his father. Ryan Black (Ben Geurens) may come across as a slick city kid on first impression, but by the end of his turmoil-filled trip, he bears the same rough and ragged scars and appearance of the town he was born into.

Soaking in the Outback sun during the day and the neon stripclub lights at night, director Heath Davis finds comfort in exploring unsavory characters and playing in the pulp sandbox. Kidnapping, extortion, secrets, the prodigal son returning, all add up to a crime thriller that leans heavily into its genre label. Complete with expected dialogue like, “Whatever issues you had with my dad, died with him,” LOCUSTS is not quite the riveting page-turner like the stories it’s inspired by, but fits comfortably in the entertaining Liam Neeson revenge category.

What the film lacks in originality it makes up for in a quiet, moody bravado. Like a long, atmospheric drive through the desert at night, you know what the road looks like ahead, but that doesn’t mean you don’t enjoy the ride. Directed with confidence and supported by strong, unnerving performances, LOCUSTS will satisfy those hungry for a gritty crime-thriller, even if it’s simply a quick fix while passing through to the next town.