Australian Vengeance is Sweet in the International Premiere of ‘Penny Lane is Dead’ at Fantasia Festival [Movie Review]

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Revenge is a dish best served cold… and violently bloody. The next most satisfying tale of vengeance, “Penny Lane is Dead,” from writer/director Mia’kate Russell, made its international premiere at Fantasia Festival’s 30^th annual edition.

Australia. Summer. 1986. Penny Lane (Bailey Spalding; “Scrublands” TV series) just got accepted in a prestigious university and is ready to celebrate all night, at her home, with her best friends, Toni (Tahlee Fereday; “Blue Canaries” (2023)) and Amy (Alexandra Jensen; “Talk to Me” (2022)). Unfortunately, she also invited her rebellious, out-of-touch cousin, Kat (Sophia Wright-Mendelsohn; “Year Of” TV series), thinking she wouldn’t show up, anyway. She shows up, alright, and when she wreaks havoc and gets kicked out, she shows up a second time with a group of vicious, no-good scoundrels. This night is about to change the lives of everyone involved.

Penny Lane is Dead

Giving off “Last House on the Left” vibes (although a lighter shade of darkness), Mia’kate Russell’s feature film debut slices its way into the home invasion/revenge subgenre of horror. Make no mistake: “this “Penny Lane is Dead” is nowhere near a sweet Beatles’ song. Russell, a very successful make-up artist in countless films and television series, concocts a plot engulfed in violence and carelessness, all motivated by the most extreme of jealousies. Her story is a typical one, where drug-fueled, sex-crazed, moral-lacking crooks invade the home of the innocent and get their way with them; until the victims attempt to revolt. However, Russell exploits this déja-vu script to the fullest with despicably charismatic villains (notably Sophia Wright-Mendelsohn, as well as Ben O’Toole; “Bloody Hell” (2020), “Nekrotronic” (2018)), a healthy mixture of practical and CGI effects, and a valiant hero that the audience can’t help but cheer for, portrayed by Tahlee Fereday. The scenario is brutal, doesn’t hesitate to (literally) pull the trigger, and thankfully, sometimes, doesn’t even need to visually reveal everything to gross out its audience. Don’t be mistaken, though: it truly is a gorefest of stabbings, slicings, and more.

Penny Lane is Dead

Casting Director Leigh Pickford definitely hits each nail on the head with every actor she chose for the entirety of the cast, making “a perfect cast” look so simple. Viewers will barely recognize Alexandra Jensen who portrays a nerdy introvert; the complete opposite of her role in “Talk to Me.”

Penny Lane is Dead

Every great hero needs a great villain, and that’s where Kat (Wright-Mendelsohn) and Angus (O’Toole) step in. They’ll have viewers clenching their teeth in disgust and frustration at the sheer carnage they unleash on the trio of young women. They have no conscience, no morals, and don’t think twice of the legal repercussions of their actions, making them unpredictably feared. During the post-screening Q & A of the film’s international premiere, Wright-Mendelsohn was truly unrecognizable from her character, seeming so sweet and charming in front of the massive Fantasia crowd in awe.

Penny Lane is Dead

With a raucous applause during the rolling credits from the first non-Australian audience to witness her first feature film, Mia’kate Russell got the message loud and clear that Fantasia adored her bloody entertainment of a film and can’t wait to see what is next for her. Fans of vicious scoundrels getting what’s coming to them should definitely have a blast with this Australian gem. “Penny Lane is Dead” receives a score of 4 eyes out of 5.

Look out for its Shudder release on August 28^th.