Amanda Crew looks stunning being Ferocious…
Ferocious’ writer/director Robert Cuffley, is no stranger to having strong leading ladies, and his last two films have featured the talents of beautiful, Leelee Sobieski and Katharine Isabelle (American Mary). This time, Cuffley uses the skills of Amanda Crew, in his new psychological thriller Ferocious, and again, produces a film that stays with you. Crew’s performance, along with the story, keeps this film intense, and not once did it let up its grip. We also had the skilled, off-centered acting chops of Kim Coates (Sons of Anarchy) and Michael Eklund (The Call). These are two actors who excel at these types of character, and bring something extra to the table when in any production.
- Ferocious
- Written & Directed by
Robert Cuffley - Cast
Amanda Crew, Kim Coates, Dustin Milligan - Release Date
30 September 2013 - Grade: B
Amanda plays a famous TV celeb, Leigh Parrish, who returns home for the holidays. Everyone thinks she’s just like her squeaky-clean TV image, but she has a secret (don’t they all?) that she will do almost anything to protect. Now, that in itself is very much standard thriller fare, but the story is far from a simple one. From her past is the sleazy club owner (Kim Coates), who has been extorting cash from Leigh over a number of years. This type of character is something of a specialty for Coates, and would have been a tad samey if we were to see another of his two dimensional creations enter the fray, but this isn’t Cuffley’s style. Instead, this character, while certainly off-kilter and very recognisable to anyone who knows Coates’ work, is also complex and interesting.
[widgets_on_pages id=”AdSenseArticleBanner”]
Then there’s Eric, who works in the club where most of the action takes place, performed perfectly by Michael Eklund, another player of the oddball and off-key. His character is more jester than vicious killer, yet, he easily straddles the two, and ends up being a pathetic creature, that you can’t help feeling sorry for. The talented Katie Boland (Looking Is the Original Sin) is Tess, one of Leigh’s biggest fans, who can quote almost everything Leigh has ever said. Tess ends up working alongside Leigh, and even when she starts to learn that the woman she holds in high regard is more flawed than most, she never gives up believing in her.
Lastly is Leigh’s manager, Callum, who is played by someone Crew has worked with before, in the excellent Repeaters, Dustin Milligan. Milligan’s character is not as key as the others, but certainly not a spare. In fact, each character balances out this entire production well, helping only to add to this clever tale.
What you get from Cuffley’s Ferocious, is that nothing is wasted; no character is superfluous, and almost everything within each scene has meaning for us and Leigh Parrish. The pace was one of the best features of the film, and once it starts in earnest, it doesn’t let up till the final frame. I can’t think of a single bad thing to say about Cuffley’s latest effort, other than to say it’s almost the perfect psych thriller, that is hard to take your eyes from, thanks to brilliant performances, and a tale that keeps you guessing.
Review by Nav Qateel
Visit, and “like” us on Facebook
