Hounds of Love

It might be tempting to see Hounds of Love as nothing more than a fictionalized account of several horrific crimes that were committed years ago on the outskirts Perth, Australia, by the Birnies, a couple united by their sadistic tendencies. But Ben Young's film can by no means be considered exploitation of those murders. By tapping into what the viewer expects to see in such a genre film and walking a fine line between painful realism and violence porn, the director uses the psychological relationships between his protagonists as the basis for the film's horror. The web of relations between young Vicki, who is tied to a bed, and the psychopathic couple tightens as John starts showing more interest in her than in his wife. And Evelyn's jealousy points her on the wrong path. While sacrificing any of the literalism that is characteristic of the genre, Young manages to avoid the sort of clichés that literalism tends to impose, creating instead a film that will leave audiences holding their breath.