Next of Kin

Plot synopsis:
Truman Gates (Patrick Swayze), raised in Appalachia, has migrated to Chicago to become a police officer. Married to Jessie (Helen Hunt), who is pregnant, he seems to have made the transition from hillbilly to respectable lawman. When the local coal mine closes, Truman persuades his younger brother Gerald (Bill Paxton) to look for work in Chicago. But things take a turn for the worse when soon after landing a job as a truck driver, Gerald's vehicle is hijacked by mobsters and Gerald is killed by Joey Rosellini (Adam Baldwin), the nephew of mob boss Poppa John Isabella (Andreas Katsulas).
Truman returns to Kentucky for the funeral. When his surviving brother, Briar Gates (Liam Neeson), insists on a traditional mountain blood feud, Truman urges his family to let the police deal with Gerald's murder. Briar finds Truman's reluctance to be disgraceful. Determined to deal with the murderers in his own way, Briar travels to Chicago in search of his youngest brother's killer.
Meanwhile, Truman desperately tries to solve the crime before Briar takes revenge on his own. He approaches John Isabella and explains the mountain code to him. He suggests that if Gerald's murderer surrenders peacefully, it would save them both a lot of trouble. John, however, refuses on general principle, and Truman is left to continue his investigation.
After arriving in town, Briar gets a room at a flop house. Before he leaves, he gives the front desk clerk the phone number of his cousin back home and asks him to call the number if he doesn't return by morning.
Not wasting any time, Briar goes looking for information on the man who killed Gerald and, during his search, shoots up a local mob hangout. When Truman arrives a little later, Joey, embarrassed by the attack, says he is not pressing charges against Briar. He intends to "handle things" himself. When Poppa John says he feels things are getting out of hand, Joey dismisses the threat, saying that the Gates family, "plow rocks for a living." John responds, "That's what they said about 'our' people back in (Sicily)."
Working together for a time, Briar and Truman learn the identity of the hijackers from a witness. Truman pressures Lawrence (Ben Stiller), the son of Poppa John, to turn state's evidence against Joey. Lawrence goes to Joey for help, only to have Joey betray him. Lawrence's body is found with evidence of being tortured and evidence found at the scene points to Briar. Joey goes to Poppa John, who devastated by his son's death, sanctions a hit on the supposed culprit. Before he can, Briar breaks into Rosellini's trucking company and engages in a gunfight with Joey's crew and kills two of Joey's guys before Joey shoots Briar twice. Fatally wounded, Briar dies in Truman's arms.
When the flop house desk clerk hears about the deaths at the Trucking Company on the news, he calls Briar's next of kin.
Even though both Truman and the police know the evidence against Briar was planted, and Briar's death was an ambush, there is no proof. Truman resigns from the police force and goes after the Rosellini mob himself. As the Gates family gathers together and travels to Chicago to begin a war against the Outfit, Truman goes on the offensive and throws one of Joey's guys into the window of a restaurant. When Joey comes out, he finds "You forgot one," painted on Joey's car and vows to murder Truman without his uncle's permission.
Truman lures the Rosellini crew to a darkened cemetery, where an extended battle ensues, including the arrival of the Gates clan (and their hound dogs and rattlesnakes). In the end, Truman has Joey pinned on the ground with a knife to his throat only to be stopped by Poppa John Isabella arrives with members of the Gates family held at gunpoint. He orders Truman to drop the knife and move out of the way. But Poppa John has learned the truth about Lawrence's murder, and to Joey's horror, he points the gun not at Truman, but at him. Joey asks him what is he going to do. The Don tells Joey, "This is for killing my son," and shoots him dead.
The Gates and Isabella families call a truce. Back at the police station, Truman finds Jessie and tells her, "You're my family."

Tags: violence, murder

Review:
Following the death of her mother, Linda inherits the retirement home that she ran.
Bizarre occurrences begin taking place as well, almost as if someone were toying with her.I've seen this Aussie gem referred to as a slasher film on more than one occasion, though I wouldn't necessarily call it a slasher myself.
It's also effectively creepy, one of my favorite scenes involving a figure watching Linda just out of her eye range as she roams the woods in search of her boyfriend.
Said boyfriend is played by John Jarratt, a mainstay in Australian horror, and his presence here is a welcome one as always.
Jacki Kerin is Linda, and she's solid as the isolated heroine who doesn't feel completely at home back in her old stomping grounds.Naturally, the filming locations are gorgeous and the cinematography does a fine job of catching them in all of their glory.
The film is complimented by a unique score and some stylish sequences, such as one terrific slow-motion bit where Linda is rushing down a flight of stairs.
The ending gets really wild, leaving the film's more subdued nature behind for an extravagant finale.I first discovered this film back in the early 90's when I stumbled across the VHS in H.E.B.'s video rental section of all places, that memorable cover art catching my eye.
Even now, the film is just as effective an experience as it was way back then.
There isn't much of a death count and Tony Williams doesn't waste time with constant self references to other genre pieces.
However, the plot resolves around a psychotic intruder that's murdering the inmates of an old people's home, although the deaths are sporadic enough (we only see one) to keep the heroine believing that they're actually accidents.
The things that lift Next of Kin above its contempararies is the superb, noteworthy direction and great atmosphere.
It's beautifully photographed, with some instantly exquisite camera movements that add a supreme energy and sense of professionalism that's rarely found in slasher movies from New Zealand or Australia.
It's fairly well acted - although not superbly -, and it works well to set up a creepy suspense fuelled environment.
When the nut-job reveals himself, there's some brilliant chases and a few surprises.Like I said, don't expect slasher cliches by the dozen, but if you keep your options open, you'll find Next of Kin to be fairly rewarding.
This Australian horror film is a fine addition to the massive genre.
The story is about a woman named Linda who comes back to her home town in order to take possession of a home for the elderly which she has inherited as a result of her mother's death.
As Linda adjusts to moving back home and catching up with old friends, her troubled past begins to haunt her.
Things get even harder for her when she finds her mother's diary and begins to read through it.
She learns that her mother had feared that someone was watching and following her.
Soon Linda begins experiencing the same fears and events her mother wrote about in the diary.
She learns the truth of what is happening in the films tense and devastating conclusion.Next of Kin's plot is handled very well by the entire cast.
Although dismissed by some as a basic slasher movie, co-writer/director Tony Williams use of music, shadows and slow-motion add much style giving the film a unique edge.
The stalking scenes and action laced conclusion are very well done and bound to satisfy any horror fan out there.
So, YEAH, forget the holes in logic (some) and concentrate on the good acting, beautiful framing of scenes, above-average cinematography, lurid jolts and that slam-BANG ending.
This one's a treat from beginning to end, for anybody who treasures superbly done horror (and let's face it, people, how many undiscovered gems like this remain out there?).
I like this film SO MUCH, that I will not divulge details of the plot to you in any manner, whatsoever.
I think that the rating given to this movie is far below what it deserves.
The acting is better than in your common horror film.
And i believe that anything below a five rating is given by people who don't appreciate a good horror movie..
A stylish, creepy, overlooked horror film..
This film continues to scare the hell out of me.It has been dismissed by some as a routine slasher film, but I whole-heartedly disagree, for a few reasons:SUSPENSE: Much of the movie IS suspense...slow walks down hallways, heads looking around corners, far-off shots of indistinct figures.
Importantly, the suspenseful moments never cop-out, they do usually end in a satisfying chill...but the climax is wonderfully held off for the end.MUSIC: The music is absolutely incredible in that early-80's, Tangerine Dream meets John Carpenter sort of way.
But when it comes time for the climax, the lead actress really lets loose, and it is most disturbing to be witness to such a total frenzy.STYLISH CINEMATOGRAPHY: Moody hallways, strange camera angles & movements (particularly the long wall-hugging draw away from Linda's nervous eyes as she peers into the hallway, and the cameraman following the nonchalant cat down the hall), creepy focus changes and slow-motion moments.SURPRISES: The ending will blow your head off.
Particularly weak is the link between the suspenseful bulk of the movie and the frantic climax...the storyline falls completely apart when it comes time to explain why everything has happened.
Especially if you like horror films populated by realistic human beings (the old man Lance, telling endlessly dull stories about the war...Linda's fork tricks and sugar-cube pyramid...the father in the restaurant threatening to smack his son into the middle of next week).
Effective Australian horror film that deserves a look.
Not to be confused with the Patrick Swayze vehicle or Atom Egoyan film with the same title, this Australian production from 1982 is a superb horror film.
Featuring fantastic cinematography and good performances, NEXT OF KIN is one of those great $3 finds (on the US Virgin Vision label) and definitely deserves more attention.The film's biggest asset is the direction by Tony Williams.
Despite Virgin's blood drenched cover, NEXT OF KIN isn't really a slasher film.
The first 2/3 of the film unfolds in a very slow and deliberate manner that allows the audience to experience the unfolding mystery as Linda (Jacki Kerin) begins to do so on her own.
Williams builds the atmosphere effectively over this time.
The last 1/3 is a straight up horror/action finale that, with the mystery revealed, places the heroine in an adrenaline-pumping chase.
It is one of those films where you have to watch every little detail.
The writers (director Williams and Michael Heath) deliberately lead the audience down the wrong path so that, like Linda, we think we know it all but are completely in the dark.
The final revelation is quite surprising and makes complete sense given everything seen previous in the film.
Kerin is very good as the investigative Linda.
A cult-horror classic from Australia.
"Next of Kin" is a cult horror classic from Australia.
It is effective at building suspense, and has some genuinely frightening, shocking moments.The plot concerns a young woman who inherits her mother's nursing home.
Strange deaths occur at the home and when the lady reads her mother's diary, finds that events in the past are mirrored in the present.The movie is less a slasher than an Aussie giallo.
It's a violent murder mystery with Hitchcockian suspense touches, rather than the typical hallmarks of the slasher genre, eg.
a masked killer stalking victims who split up to be offed one by one, and sex leading to a grisly death.The film is far more interested in atmosphere, which it provides really well..
"Next of Kin" is a superior Australian horror film set in a large retirement home.
A young woman named Linda returns to take ownership of it after her mother's death, but soon after arriving she finds that there are several mysteries concerning what happened while her mother was in charge, plus she begins to feel threatened by a malevolent presence that creeps about the house after dark.First off, this is a very good looking movie.
Despite the unglamourous locations of scrubby Australian countryside, a shabby diner and the austere retirement home, the direction and camera work ensures that every shot counts.
Everything looks real, and I would bet that all the shooting was done on location in the big old house that serves as the retirement home.
All the supporting players do equally well, from Linda's amiable boyfriend Barney, to the other staff and inmates of the home, and even a friendly teenage boy who lives in the local diner/gas station is well played.The combined effect of these achievements is that the film's plot is vividly played out, and the tension is really racked up as events start to turn increasingly more macabre.
One of the elderly inmates dies unexpectedly quite early on in the film, and this scene and it's aftermath are filmed for maximum creepiness, which gives a running thread of weirdness to Linda's experiences in the house.
I won't reveal any more of the plot, because the film benefits hugely from it's sense of bewilderment, but hold on to your seats, as, after building slowly the story finally culminates in a gripping struggle for survival as Linda finally learns the truth behind the mystery.
Although the majority of the film works on a purely "mystery" level, if you're not sure whether "Next of Kin" qualifies as a horror movie, the final fifteen minutes alone should convince you.Once again, I find myself praising the quiet intensity of an Australian thriller.
The ability to draw in the viewer without relying on action set pieces and pyrotechnics seems to be a particular skill of film makers hailing from this continent.
I have a similar high regard for other films of the late 17970's/early 1980's, such as "Long Weekend" and "Picnic at Hanging Rock".
"Next of Kin" should be ranked alongside the best of Australian horror cinema, and it probably would be, if only it weren't so darned hard to get hold of.
If this film was an American release it would be held in the same esteem as The Omen, Halloween and Last House on the Left.
It is not simply a horror film and utilises elements of surrealism and thriller to good effect.
Linda(Jackie Kerin)inherits Montclare,a large Gothic mansion converted into nursing home.As the plot moves slowly Linda discovers terrible secrets hidden in the darkness of Montclare.There is something truly sinister in this house.Linda discovers her mother's diary where the truth is slowly revealed.The climax turns into effective bloodbath...John "Wolf Creek" Jarrat plays sympathetic boyfriend of the main protagonist."Next of Kin" is pretty creepy.People are mysteriously dying drowned in the bathtub.A mysterious figure watches Linda from the shadows.Obviously influenced by giallo sub-genre "Next of Kin" relies on eerie mood instead of gore and violence.The pace is lethargic with the atmosphere being built up very slowly.The last 10 minutes are surprisingly violent and spectacular.8 nursing homes out of 10..
A horror low on gore, in a not much happening land.
Next of Kin was something of a disappointment to me in terms of the horror quota of gore.
There are long periods throughout this film where virtually nothing happens.
A 24 year old girl, Linda, slightly creepy looking too, takes over her mother's business, a elderly restoration home in this big old building.
Strange things start happening as mentioned exactly in her mother's diary.
Yes something evil looms in the eerie hallways and empty rooms of this old historic place, that takes the lives eight patients if I can remember, none of the deaths hardly violent.
A much younger John Jarratt, way before his Wolf Creek killing days, adds some spark as Linda's loopy, laid back boyfriend, you feel thankful for his presence, which is not that much.
The teaser for it, is a teaser, showing you all the good bits, a real deception in what was a real horror disappointment for me..
This was the first Australian haunted house thriller I ever watched (at least I think it was, unless overlooking another one), but unfortunately I can't claim it was a very good or even remotely memorable experience.
"Next of Kin" is a slower than slow developing thriller with only a few worthwhile moments but sadly a whole lot of pointless filling & meaningless mystery building.
The film benefices slightly from its naturally eerie setting  namely an elderly folks home  and the always secluded Australian outback locations, but the actual storyline is thin and derivative, the lead characters are unsympathetic and  last but not least  the amount of thrills and shocks is unforgivably low.
Linda, a young and not-so-attractive woman returns to her hometown as she inherited her recently deceased mother's resting home.
The discovery of her mother's diary sheds some light on the uncanny situation within the walls of the resting home, but the sinister events carry on.
The attentive and perhaps more experienced horror viewer will notice a detail quite early in the film which will already reveal an important part of the final denouement.
The sight of old, wrinkly people stepping in and out of bathtubs does make me shiver, but it's still not the type of horror I anticipate to see on film.
The last ten minutes of "Next of Kin" suddenly become extremely virulent and outrageous, with a stabbing through the eye and even a genuine head-explosion, but it's too late to save the film as a whole unfortunately.
I agree haunted house movies generally need to rely on atmosphere and suspense instead of graphic gore, but "Next of Kin" has literally nothing..
While touring Australia promoting Kill Bill 2, Tarantino looked up John Jarratt, actor in Next of Kin. He's one of my favorite actors," said Tarantino."He was in all those great movies in the late '70s.
His favorite is Jarratt's 1982 horror film, "Next Of Kin"."That movie was mesmerizing," said Tarantino.
"I've never seen anything that had The Shining's quality without ripping it off.According to a report in The Daily Telegraph, Tarantino is considering actor John Jarratt for a lead role in his next film "Inglorious Bastards"?
Says Jarratt, "I love his stuff, loved Pulp Fiction, but I didn't think he'd have heard of me let alone know my work," Jarratt said."Hopefully something comes of it but I won't be worried if it doesn't.
Effective horror film back in the golden days of Oz cinema.
"Next Of Kin" has become something of a minor cult classic and deservedly so.
This has to be one of the few horror films that I have actually found freaky.
I feel I shouldn't give too much away, but I can tell you this; Tarantino is a huge fan of John Jarratt, and in particular, a huge fan of this movie.
). One Of The Best Aussie Horrors.
The eerie atmosphere and restrained acting set the mood perfectly.
Jacky Kerin was perfect as Linda, a young woman who inherited her mother huge old mansion that was converted into a nursing home.
The dreams and flashes of memory add to the Gothic feel of the film and help set up the also dreamlike state of terror that she begins to feel.
This is Aussie cinema at it's best and I would love to see a return to this kind of film making.
Real suspense instead of blood and real storytelling instead of needless sex violence and gore which seems to be the driving force behind so many horror films today.
Instead maybe it is similar to those old British atmospheric horrors.
Generally though such movies always end up on top of my list.
There has been a great deal of effort in building atmosphere in this movie.
I liked the way the movie slowly reveals the truth of the situation.
In that, it is similar to certain Hammer thriller movies of the 60s and 70s like Taste of fear, Nightmare and so on.
Only in some ways, it is even more subdued than those films.
This movie is about a retirement home.
But the mood that the movie sets is pretty impressive.
To be honest, anybody who has read any mystery authors or watched many mystery movies would be able to guess.
But credit must be given for some stylish sequences, especially towards the end (the sugar cube scene in particular) that would obviously make this a cult movie(if it was more known).The reason why I am not giving it a higher rating is because I feel that it could have been more interesting in the first half.
But still the movie plods on in the first half without much really going on and there isn't much tension being built up.
This would be fine if there was some interesting character development in the first half but I don't think this movie really has that much detail in its story for such character development.
Despite all that, I still feel this is a slow burn movie worth checking, at least for the second half's interesting scenes and the ending.
Linda inherits Montclare, a retirement home that belonged to her mother.
When she comes back to her hometown to settle her affairs, she feels unwelcome, with only Barry, an old boyfriend (John Jarratt, the evil Mick Taylor in the Wolf Creek series of movies), being understanding.Things certainly aren't helped by Montclare's staff, including Connie and Dr. Barton (Alex Scott, The Asphyx), who have been conducting a secret affair and may be conspiring to drive Linda insane.
No matter what, there's something wrong and it's probably due to the years of madness and murder that Linda's mother has covered up.There's an amazing moment near the end where Linda has gone near insane, barricading herself within the diner, where she builds a pyramid of sugar cubes as the forces of evil gather themselves to do her in.