Birdeater ★★1⁄2 (MA15+) 113 minutes There’s something about the Australian outback that, when captured correctly, can evoke a sense of claustrophobia and dread. Perhaps it’s the quiet isolation of it – a beautiful landscape that could suddenly turn harsh, and no one can hear you scream. The cast of Birdeater (from left), Mackenzie Fearnley, Harley Wilson, Clementine Anderson, Ben Hunter, Shabana Azeez and Alfie Gledhill.
Credit: Roger Stonehouse Birdeater uses the seclusion of the landscape to build and sustain a deep psychological unease. The Australian feature debut, which premiered at the Sydney Film Festival last year, opens with a young engaged couple, Irene (Shabana Azeez) and Louie (Mackenzie Fearnley), going about their regular home routines. There are subtle hints that their relationship has an element of unhealthy codependency; a repeated motif of water pouring into a glass is a clue that eventually becomes explicit.
In what he describes as a “super modern” decision, Louie invites Irene along to his bucks weekend in the bush, appeasing the separation anxiety that defines his relationship. Louie’s friends, particularly the boorish Dylan (Ben Hunter), epitomise the blokey Australian pack mentality. The presence of women – another friend, Charlie (Jack Bannister), also brings his partner, Grace (Clementine Anderson) – complicates the dynamic of the typically male ritual.
Irene and Grace are passive viewers of both their own degradation and the sub.
