Review of The Horseman (2009) by Garrett R — 23 Jul 2010

THE HORSEMAN is a bruising, down-and-dirty Australian revenge thriller. Its audacious use of brutal violence in order to portray how far one man will go to satiate his appetite for vengeance is very shocking and compelling. Director/producer/writer Steven Kastrissios has made an up-close and personal revenge thriller that pulls only a few punches in its graphic violence, and none whatsoever in its unflinching grasp on the reality of the overall situation.

Peter Marshall breathes and takes in the role of Christian, a juxtaposition of a name for the horror of his deeds, as a lone father who is exacting revenge against a group of young bucks. They filmed a dirty video of his daughter getting with them, and she ended up dead afterwards. When he heard the news, and the toxicology reports, he was broken inside. So his pain turned into anger and anger turned into hatred, so now Christian is on his way to becoming a unmerciful vigilante.

THE HORSEMAN often feels like an exploitation movie, what with all of the graphic violence and intense torture on display. I suppose it is, but this film is also a examination of the lengths to which a grieving father will take to feel at peace with himself.

Steven Kastrissios's Australian revenge thriller is not for everyone, as you can already tell. Only for those with a strong tolerance for violence and those willing to look deeper into THE HORSEMAN for its character examination will be heavily rewarded. Just don't expect to feel great after seeing this film. It's as downbeat and bruising as any movie out there, so be wary. Let's say it goes down like the acids in orange juice, acidic and sharp. At least that's what it tastes like if you don't have a strong stomach. Be ready for more Critiques and Opinions on Every Movie I Can Get My Hands On!