Review of Heavenly Creatures (1994) by Tibor B — 10 Oct 2011

An extremely powerful film, as beautiful and touching as it is disturbing. Jackson shakes off his low-budget gorehound prior credentials to fashion a stunning slice of true crime, here a scandalous tale of two outcast New Zealand schoolgirls who murdered one of their mothers.

All the elements add up in this film, from the perfect casting of the then unknown Winslet and Lynskey, Jackson and writer Walsh's impeccably researched script to Jackson's own mastery of tension and flair at visually recreating the girls' extremely private and intimate relationship and the fantasy world which becomes their retreat from reality.

Also exceptionally strong are the supporting cast, and although the girls' relationship is the focus, the parental bonds, especially between mother/daughter are equally,if not more important and complex.

This adds up to a psychologically rich backdrop. The final minutes contain one of the most distressing murders in film, but what is testament to the power of the final scene is how complex the viewers' relationship is with the girls.

Winslet and Lynskey build up such an immensely powerful bond, which although builds to intimacy seems to transcend sexuality, that one of the final epilogue lines that the girls' prison release was under condition they never see each other again is almost as sad and moving as the final burst of all too real violence is disturbing.