A woman’s search for her missing brother leads her to a disturbing cult and a dark past that blurs the lines between folk horror and allegorical drama.
The Banished is the latest Australian folk horror film from writer/director Joseph Sims-Dennett (Observance, Bad Behaviour). The plot revolves around a woman named Grace, who goes in search of her missing brother, David, in the remote bushlands of Australia.
After learning of her father’s passing, Grace (Meg Eloise-Clarke) heads back to her hometown to reconnect with her family. Along with learning of her brother’s disappearance, she learns of a commune deep in the forests where a so-called utopia exists and functions as a sanctuary for “lost souls,” primarily attracting individuals struggling with drug addiction and homelessness.
Despite her surviving family’s wishes, Grace departs on a mission to find the mysterious Shangri-La and her brother. She is joined by Mr. Green (Leighton Cardno), her former high school geography teacher, whose life, after a series of misfortunes, has led him to work as a utopia sherpa.
Along the way, a series of unsettling discoveries make Grace’s odyssey increasingly sinister…
The film combines genres, mixing significant dramatic content with its horror set-pieces. It also functions on an allegorical level similar to modern horror classics like Hereditary or Bring Her Back (also Australian!) and leaves the viewer with a generous portion of food for thought.
The film is presented through a fractured narrative, which plays into the symbolism of Grace’s broken past and family dynamic. The film starts off at a midway point in the film to build intrigue and then jumps back in time to flesh out the characters and plot devices. Because of the non-linear narrative, the mystery of the story is heightened, as the audience is given the task of connecting the dots, which doesn’t always work to the film’s advantage.
The fractured structure presents a significant problem, as without knowing Grace’s major motivations, it’s hard for the audience to grasp her decisions. Without the understanding of Grace’s past trauma that renders trust unattainable for her, her decision to embark on a dangerous journey to find her brother with the morally questionable Mr. Green, rather than seeking official help, feels initially illogical. It’s clear that the dissemination of information is done by design, but its timing feels detrimental to early audience engagement.
The film deals with the trauma of sexual and domestic abuse, and while these acts are not shown on screen, they are embodied in the character of Grace, and Meg Eloise-Clarke does her best to convey a broad spectrum of emotions to varying degrees of believability.
Despite (and potentially on account of) being largely unfamiliar faces, there is a powerful sense of realism in the supporting cast. Tony Hughes, as Grace’s Uncle Rex, delivered a wonderfully naturalistic performance that reminded me of Michael Parks or Bruce Davison. Ultimately, the other performances in the film serve as background to Grace, who remains firmly in the spotlight.
Where this film is going to lose people is in its pacing. It moves very slowly for the first two thirds. There are very few traditional horror aspects in the first half, leaning heavily into the metaphors and the drama. But knowing this, you might find enjoyment in trying to piece together the puzzle, as the film feeds you morsels of information. If you are expecting a slasher or some serious blood and guts, you might find your bloodlust unquenched.
That said, the film does not shy away from horror or gruesome scenes entirely, they are present, though sparingly deployed.
Another aspect of the film worth praising comes in the way of its clearly limited budget. Sims-Dennett works with what he has in very innovative ways. The Australian bush is the standout aspect of the film with most of the film taking place in the thick of the woods with claustrophobic close-ups of tree branches and leaves, giving both Grace and the viewer a sense of entrapment, while also delivering sweeping aerial drone shots of the sprawling forestry from above, giving the viewer a sense of megalophobia. The camera is almost always handheld, evoking a sense of voyeurism and immersion.
The downside to the limited budget is that some scenes and pivotal moments are too big for the film’s means. There is one scene in particular that leads to a debilitating injury sustained by our protagonist that is almost entirely left to the viewer’s imagination.
Scenes of haunting imagery that make their way into the film towards the end are deserving of merit for both their creativity and nightmarish aesthetic, but at the same time suffer low-budget limitations and feel like they raise more questions than they answer from a plot perspective.
Where the film succeeds is in its ability to make the most out of limited resources, and the exploration of isolation (or banishment) stemming from past trauma.
Despite a handful of positive aspects, the film ultimately suffers from being too long and too disjointed. It felt like a bigger picture was trying to be painted by Sims-Dennett but for reasons perhaps beyond his control, the film feels like an incomplete work of art. With some refinement, The Banished could fit into the same wheelhouse as the modern day allegorical horror films that come from production studios like A24.
The Banished is available on VOD/Digital from July 18th via Vortex Media.
“The Australian bush is the standout aspect of the film with most of the film taking place in the thick of the woods with claustrophobic close-ups of tree branches and leaves, giving both Grace and the viewer a sense of entrapment, while also delivering sweeping aerial drone shots of the sprawling forestry from above, giving the viewer a sense of megalophobia.”
