Brothers' Nest (2018)

Brothers Jeff (Clayton Jacobson) and Terry (Shane Jacobson) have come up with a plan for the perfect murder; they've meticulously organized a sequence of events so that when the body is discovered, it is seen as obviously a suicide. Jeff has even ensured that they won't leave any DNA evidence behind, making sure that they have protective clothing, gloves and shoe covers. But when the intended victim arrives, nothing goes quite to plan....This kind of deeply dark humour either strikes the viewer as wonderfully imaginative and smart and funny, or as producing a "huh?" kind of reaction; fortunately this viewer at least felt the former rather than the latter. The film was directed by Clayton and produced by both real-life brothers, so in addition to the dark humour the comparisons to the Coen Brothers are bound to come up; but these two put a whole new spin on the idea that things never quite go to plan, no matter how meticulous you've been in trying to foresee every contingent. A few violent scenes, nothing more gory than you might see on television today, but a warning to the squeamish on that front; otherwise, just enjoy!

Shane Jacobson emerged as a seriously reliable performer in film and musical comedy in the last decade here in Australia. Through Kenny, the port-a-loo entrepreneur, the chubby chap that many of us Aussies had enjoyed on the musical stage was brought to broader knowledge. I may have misunderstood the attractions of 'stars' - not just that their role will be convincing, more that their presence says 'This must be OK or I wouldn't have signed up."It's somewhat like that with 'Brothers' Nest', but more so. Shane and his real life big brother Clayton have the relationship in this family muck-up story that cannot be acted - it just has to be innate and honed over decades of brotherly rivalry to work this well. The setting, in a western Victorian farmhouse, shot mostly at dusk, overnight and dawn looks the real deal it is.The story is about family relationships - intense, marginal, commonly held and individual, stemming from not so happy families, divorces, new unions, strengths but mostly weaknesses. It isn't pretty, and if your family isn't like this, you'll probably be thankful, but it really does have a lot to say.It's a small cast, and the two bothers plus Kim Gyngell as their step father leave little space for the others, but all click satisfyingly. They are all believable in their roles.The billing was 'black comedy' but I'd allocate this to the thriller category. Few laughs, personally or in our cinema, and virtually none out loud. But it seriously held my attention.Give it a go - it's good.

This movie ticks all the boxes for its genre (which, by the way, is the 90% cocoa kind of dark comedy, so don't expect every laugh to be a belly laugh).Clayton Jacobson shines his directorial expertise at a fabulous script and the end result is deliciously fascinating. There are twists and turns that I didn't see coming (and I'm a pretty savvy predictor of plot twists) - yet from the first frame, we know we're in for a dark and unsettling journey. The tension stays high throughout, except when we're let off the hook with an uncomfortable chuckle. But honestly, from the word go you KNOW we're not in a unicorns-and-puppies kind of world here. The character psychology is utterly consistent and beautifully drawn by both screenwriter and cast. The acting is superb - nuanced and brilliantly paced - and the story builds in a hugely satisfying way, with information being revealed at just the right time, every time.Cinematography, art direction, music and editing are all excellent, supporting the overall mood and story with textured layering that does its work almost invisibly, it's so good.I can't wait to see this movie again. Even though a part of me kinda doesn't want to. (Did I mention, it's dark?)Highly recommended.

After seeing Shane Jacobson's first film 'Kenny' I went into this expecting something similar, a light humored comedy. This is far cry from his earlier work, and although the movie does have its funny moments, it is also quite dark. Definitely worth seeing.