Suburban Mayhem (2006)

Director:

Paul Goldman

Writer:

Alice Bell (written by)

Release Date:

26 October 2006 (Australia)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

There are some things in life you can't control. Fame. Lust. Murder . . . And Katrina.

Plot:

Why does a 19 year-old girl plot to kill her own father? Katrina Skinner is stuck in suburbia with her toddler daughter and her devoted dad...

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Mayhem | Suburb | Family Relationships | Fractured Narrative

Awards:

8 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

Emily Barclay	...	Katrina Skinner
Steve Bastoni	...	Detective Andretti
Laurence Breuls	...	Danny
Michael Dorman	...	Rusty
Anthony Hayes	...	Kenny
Geneviève Lemon	...	Auntie Dianne
Robert Morgan	...	John Skinner
Susan Prior	...	Christine Andretti
Mia Wasikowska	...	Lilya
Lawrence Aitchson	...	Welfare Man (as Lawrence Aitchison)
Rod Ansell	...	Angry Neighbour
Christine Armstrong	...	Defence Lawyer
Phillip Ayoub	...	Sergeant Harris
Callan Boys	...	Random Guy
Nigel Castellum	...	Junior Policeman

Also Known As:

Külvárosi ámokfutás (Hungary) [hu]
Le feu sous la peau (France) [fr]
Violência em Família (Brazil) (festival title) [pt]

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexual content, pervasive language, some violence and drug use.

Runtime:

Australia:95 min | UK:89 min | Canada:90 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

UK:15 | Australia:MA | New Zealand:R16 | France:-12 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Maitland Gaol, Maitland, New South Wales, Australia

Company:

Australian Film Finance Corporation (AFFC)

Trivia:

Alice Bell was Emily Barclay's body double for the film. Driving, texting and snorting cornflour instead of speed.

Quotes:

Dianne: I knew the mother, she was mad. I knew the grandmother, she was madder. It's genetics I reckon. That's the only thing I can come up with. You just can't get clean water from a dirty tank.

Movie Connections:

Features "Mr. Squiggle and Friends" (1959)

Soundtrack:

Devil Song

Wow, have we been watching the same film?

Having just seen Suburban Mayhem at a screening event, and really enjoyed it, I was a little shocked to read the first two reviews here! Sure the film doesn't have a major budget, but I thought in general the acting was very good. Michael Dorman as Rusty and Genevieve Lemon as "Aunt" Dianne were particularly good, whilst Emily Barclay was always believable as the thoroughly rotten Katrina.

Katrina is not a character you can empathise with - let alone like, but the movie makes for good car-crash watching. How far will she go to get what she wants? What exactly is the relationship between Kat and Danny? Overall a very dark and comedic movie, with some wicked dialogue. The closing line of the movie was genius, and possibly the best I've seen yet!