OBSERVER: Snatchers
The Australian dark comedy feature film Snatchers, a debut comedy feature film from married duo Craig Alexander and Shelly Higgs, had its premiere in June in London at the largest independent film festival – Raindance Film Festival – with a nomination for Best Debut Feature.
Reviews have hailed the film as “unashamedly Aussie”, “entertaining” and “darkly comic”, with the film set for an Australian premiere this Spring.
The film follows a pair of lifelong friends and hospital orderlies trying to make a quick buck in the organ-selling trade. They’re thrown a curveball when a corpse wakes up on the operating table, with comedic chaos the result.
“It was a great experience to premiere at a film festival that champions bold, unapologetic storytelling – as this is exactly the spirit in which Snatchers was made.
“Audiences responded to the humour, the social commentary and the theatricality of the storytelling,” said Shelly Higgs, Producer.
Starring Craig Alexander, Justin Hosking and Hannah McKenzie, Snatchers is a dark comedy film with a deeper message, intertwining irreverence, humour, and vibrant characters “to deliver a thrilling experience with a distinct social conscience”.
At its core, the film confronts the issue of exploitation, shedding light on the harsh reality of a late-stage capitalist society where the working class bears the brunt of inequality, whilst examining the inherently toxic structures that perpetuate the class divide.
“It’s been a long journey and a lot of blind faith to get through to this point when pretty much everything says it’s not going to happen,” said Craig Alexander, writer, director, producer and editor.
“You really just have to see it through and hope for the best – this is a validation of that journey.”
The film has been shot with a 90 per cent Canberra crew and filmed entirely in the capital city, delivering (ironically) a wickedly entertaining tale of greed, deception and the raw unpredictability of humans.
Snatchers is described as “a rollercoaster ride filled with unexpected twists, dark humour and a chilling game of survival.”
Produced by Canberra-based production company The Horse, Snatchers was made on a small budget but said to pack a big comedy punch.
Music is composed by Jay Cameron.
ScreenInc has recently been appointed as distributor and will release the film in Australia this coming Spring.
Duration: 82 minutes
Cheryl Threadgold