Revenge is a dish best served cold… and violently bloody. The next most satisfying revenge story, “Penny Lane is dead“, by writer/director Mia’kate Russell, had its international premiere at Fantasy Festivalhe is 30 years oldth annual edition.
Australia. Summer. 1986. Penny Lane (Bailey Spalding; TV series “Scrublands”) has just been accepted to a prestigious university and is ready to party the night away at her home with her best friends, Toni (Tahlee Fereday; “Blue Canaries” (2023)) and Amy (Alexandra Jensen; “Talk to Me” (2022)). Unfortunately, she also invited her rebellious and out-of-touch cousin, Kat (Sophia Wright-Mendelsohn; TV series “Year Of”), thinking she wouldn’t show up anyway. She shows up, okay, and when she wreaks havoc and gets kicked out, she shows up a second time with a bunch of vicious, useless scoundrels. This evening is about to change the lives of everyone involved.
Penny Lane is dead
Giving off the vibe of “The Last House on the Left” (albeit a lighter shade of darkness), Mia’kate Russell’s debut feature works its way into the r*pe/revenge subgenre of horror. Make no mistake: “This ‘Penny Lane is Dead’ is far from a sweet Beatles song. Russell, a successful makeup artist in countless films and television series, concocts a plot engulfed in violence and recklessness, all motivated by the most extreme of jealousies. His story is typical, where drug-fueled, sex-crazed, morally bereft crooks invade the home of innocents and prey to them; until the victims try to revolt However, Russell exploits this déjà vu scenario to the fullest with despicable and charismatic villains (notably Sophia Wright-Mendelsohn, as well as Ben O’Toole; “Bloody Hell” (2020), “Nekrotronic” (2018)), a healthy mix of practical effects and CGI, and a valiant hero that the audience cannot help but cheer for. Tahlee Fereday’s storyline is brutal, doesn’t shy away from (literally) pulling the trigger, and thankfully, at times, doesn’t even need to reveal everything visually to disgust its audience. Make no mistake, though: it’s truly a gore-fest of stabbing, slashing, and more.
Penny Lane is dead
Casting director Leigh Pickford definitely nailed every actor she cast for the entire cast, which makes “perfect casting” so simple. Viewers will barely recognize Alexandra Jensen who plays a nerdy introvert; the complete opposite of his role in “Talk to Me”.
Penny Lane is dead
Every great hero needs a great villain, and that’s where Kat (Wright-Mendelsohn) and Angus (O’Toole) come in. Viewers will grit their teeth in disgust and frustration at the carnage they unleash on the trio of young women. They have no conscience, no morals, and do not think twice about the legal repercussions of their actions, making them feared in unpredictable ways. During the Q&A after the film’s international premiere screening, Wright-Mendelsohn was truly unrecognizable from her character, appearing so sweet and charming in front of the huge, admiring Fantasia crowd.
Penny Lane is dead
With loud applause during the credits from the first non-Australian audience to witness her feature debut, Mia’kate Russell heard loud and clear that Fantasia loves her damn movie fun and can’t wait to see what’s next for her. Fans of vicious scoundrels who get what’s coming to them should absolutely enjoy this Australian gem. “Penny Lane is dead” receives a rating of 4 out of 5 eyes.
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