Cut Snake

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Cut Snake
Cut Snake Film Poster.jpg
Film poster
Directed by Tony Ayres
Written by Blake Ayshford
Produced byTrevor Blainey
Michael McMahon
Starring Sullivan Stapleton
CinematographySimon Chapman
Edited byAndy Canny
Music byCornel Wilczek
Production
company
Release date
  • 9 August 2014 (2014-08-09)
Running time
94 minutes
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish

Cut Snake is a 2014 Australian thriller film written by Blake Ayshford and directed by Tony Ayres. The title comes from the Australian idiom "mad as a cut snake" which describes either insanity or anger so extreme you don't want to get near it. [1] The film was screened in the Contemporary World Cinema section at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. [2]

Contents

Plot

“Twentysomething Paula”(Jessica De Gouw) meets Merv (Alex Russell), her “dream boyfriend” out of nowhere. While not knowing anything about Merv's background, Paula approaches marriage with the mysterious Merv. James (Sullivan Stapleton) aka Pommie comes “fresh out of prison in Sydney” and is looking forward to “pick up where he left off with Merv”. Soon after, Paula finds out that “her fiancé, Merv “whom Pommie calls Sparra, spent four years inside [prison] on manslaughter charges”. Little did Paula know that the relationship between these two ex-cons is more than just a fellowship in Prison. The “sexual tension” between Merv and James “hangs in the air like storm clouds”. The presence of James exposes Merv's “criminal history”, jeopardises his future with Paula and brings many conflicts to Merv's emotions. [3]

“About halfway through Cut Snake there is a twist, which not only ratchets up tension in the plotlines but reshapes the entire perspective of the film. That twist might have been better placed as the trigger for the second act - for some it will arrive too late - though the surprise does play a big part in making Cut Snake a strange and interesting beast.” [4]

Cast

Reception

Cut Snake was met with positive reviews from critics and audiences, earning a 69% approval rating based of 16 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.

Accolades

AwardCategorySubjectResult
AWGIE Award Best Writing in a Feature Film - Original Blake Ayshford Nominated
AACTA Awards
(5th)
Best Original Screenplay Nominated
Best Actor Sullivan Stapleton Nominated
Best Editing Andy CannyNominated
Best Production Design Josephine FordNominated
Best Costume Design Cappi IrelandNominated
AFCA Award Best ActorSullivan StapletonNominated
Byron Bay Film Festival Best Dramatic Feature Tony Ayres Won
FCCA Awards Best ActorSullivan StapletonNominated
Best Production DesignJosephine FordNominated
Best CinematographySimon ChapmanNominated
Best Script/ScreenplayBlake AyshfordNominated
Best EditorAndy CannyNominated

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References

  1. 'Cut Snake': Melbourne Review
  2. "TIFF Adds 'Clouds of Sils Maria' and 'Two Days, One Night,' Reveals 5 More Lineups". Indiewire. 12 August 2014. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  3. "'Cut Snake': Melbourne Review". The Hollywood Reporter. 11 August 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  4. Buckmaster, Luke. “Cut Snake Review – Another Creepily Charismatic Australian Screen Criminal.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 23 September 2015, www.theguardian.com/film/2015/sep/24/cut-snake-review-another-creepily-charismatic-australian-screen-criminal.