Laughing At My Pain. 4 / 5
Directed by Justin Kurzel.
Nitram lives with his mother and father in suburban Australia in the Mid 1990s. He lives a life of isolation and frustration at never being able to fit in. That is until he unexpectedly finds a close friend in a reclusive heiress, Helen.
I had no idea what I was in for going into Nitram. Completely unaware of the plot or where it was heading, I was completely blindsided by this harrowing drama.
An obviously difficult subject, I feel like this was the best way to experience Nitram. As the sense of dread builds, I didn't have the inevitability of the conclusion affecting my judgement but that didn't make the final act any easier to stomach.
Caleb Landry Jones gives an unnerving performance as the titular character, playing the role with such chilling spontaneity, it really gets under your skin.
It's odd to say that the highest compliment I could pay this film is how uncomfortable it makes you, but it's a testament to Justin Kurzel's direction - showing the workings of a deranged mind but never glorifying the destructive nature of the film. A film that will stay with you for better or for worse.
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