Format: Streaming video from Tubi on Fire!
There are some lessons that I am slow to learn when it comes to this blog. The They Shoot Zombies list is a cast in point. Sometimes I will watch a horror or horror-adjacent movie and won’t write up a full review or any review at all, and then it shows upon the Zombies list, and I’m forced to rewatch it. Some time ago, I watched a documentary on Ozploitation films that included some highlights of Aussie horror films. One of the ones discussed at length was Next of Kin, a film that I watched and then didn’t review. Well, now it’s on the Zombies list, and here we are.
Next of Kin has a pretty standard set-up for a horror movie, albeit with a twist or two. Linda (Jacki Kerin) inherits the estate of her estranged mother, but it’s not just a simple ramshackle mansion that Linda has inherited. The structure, called Montclare, is a retirement community, so Linda hasn’t just inherited a house, but has a bunch of elderly boarders there on the day she moves in. On that same day, an old woman named Mrs. Ryan moves in as well, brought in by her son Kelvin (Bernadette Gibson and Robert Ratti). Shortly thereafter, one of the elderly residents is discovered drowned in a bathtub.
As she gets settled in her house, Linda starts reading the diaries left by her mother, who complains that there is someone in the house watching her. She also finds the medical records of her Aunt Rita, which appear to have been written after Linda was told that Rita had died. During this time, Linda also reconnects with Barney (John Jarratt), an old flame who still lives in the area.
Things seem to be going oddly at the house, as other residents appear to be having accidents and medical emergencies. Linda wants to sell the place, something she confesses to Dr. Barton (Alex Scott), the resident medical professional. As the unusual incidents continue, Linda becomes convinced that her Aunt Rita might still be alive and in the house despite being told by Barton that she died in a psychiatric hospital. The more she looks into the past, the more she discovers that people dying under mysterious circumstances is the nature of the retirement community, and that drowning seems to be one of the most common causes of death, which leads Linda to some uncomfortable conclusions.
Next of Kin isn’t the kind of film that is going to get people to suddenly love horror movies, but for fans of the genre, it’s very much like putting on a very comfortable pair of slippers. The details are going to be different from a lot of other movies, of course, but the basics of the genre are here and are going to feel very natural to slip back into.
What sets Next of Kin apart is the cinematography. While a lot of it feels like standard horror fare (and there are a few sections where the sound is absolutely terrible and sounds like it was recorded in an echo chamber made of tin), there are moments here that approach high art. The final confrontation in the house is a thing of absolute beauty, the kind of camera work that gets studied. The final sequence—the closing 15 seconds or so—are the stuff of legend.
Honestly, aside from the camera work, there’s not a lot here that you haven’t seen. There are elements of films like The Changeling here, or The House on Haunted Hill and The Legend of Hell House. In fact, any film that features a creepy old house feels like it influenced this one, and films like The Orphanage build on what this film did.
The film is a bit of a slow burn. It takes some time to ramp up and get going, but the final act has enough murder and blood in it to cover the entire film. If you’re willing to sit through some set up to get there, the final act really pays off.
Why to watch Next of Kin: The final shot might be the single greatest closing shot in horror movie history.
Why not to watch: It’s a bit of a slow burn.
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