As a filmmaker you really don’t want to hear of people standing up and walking out of the cinema while your piece of art is showing. But there are times when such an extreme negative reaction could entice others to seek out the work in question.
The film is Snowtown, an Australian effort which tells the story of the country’s most notorious serial killer John Bunting and the ‘Bodies in the Barrels’ murders. And many people venturing out to see the movie really haven’t enjoyed the experience.
According to the Herald Sun (via Digital Spy), one woman fainted while watching the film, while many others have fled the theater in visible distress at the scenes showing on the big screen in front of them.
“It’s certainly very rare for people to walk out of a film because it’s too much for them, and I haven’t seen an Australian film before cause this type of reaction. People usually walk out because they’re bored, but this film makes people dash to the exit doors. They can’t even cover their eyes or block their ears. They just want to leave and not return. A scene where it is suggested that a dog is about to be killed has caused the most consistent amount of people leaving the theater, and yet the film has been particularly successful here at Nova.”
This shouldn’t be wholly unexpected for a film of this nature, as the topic of serial killers isn’t exactly a light and cheery one. However, this does suggest something worse than your typical horror flick.
Those of us in the U.S. and the U.K. will have an opportunity to see for ourselves how offensive (or otherwise) Snowtown is, as a strong showing at the Cannes Film Festival saw distributors in both countries pick it up. I must remember to take my sick bag.
