TRESPASSERS (2019)

Australia has a long history of producing thrillers and horror films. From the classic days of Ozploitation through Wolf Creek and more recent films like Charlie’s Farm and Nazi Undead there’s been plenty of scares come from down under. I recently got a chance to see a 15 minute short, Trespassers which writer/director Jayden Creighton (Kinks) hopes will stir up enough interest to finance a feature version.

Trespassers opens with a shot of a dead kangaroo. It’s a shocking first image and a hat tip to the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. From there we meet Ben (Riley Channells) and his sister Lucy (Dana McNeill). Their car has broken down in the middle of nowhere and they go looking for help. Instead, they find Jack (Andy Sparnon, Battalion) and his human trafficking organization.

Well shot and tense, Trespassers would make an excellent start to a feature, either as a pre-title prologue or the kickoff of the main plot. Sparnon gives of a Mick Taylor vibe as the villain. And while it doesn’t have the gore of his kills, there is a scene with a shovel that is very effective. I can’t help hoping though that a feature would crank up the gore a bit.

It’s hard to say too much about a short without giving to much away. So I’ll simply say that Trespassers is an effective thriller that deserves to be expanded to full length. It’s currently playing festivals and you can check for dates on the Duckpond Productions Facebook page and YouTube channel.