Synopsis – Two teenage girls share a unique bond; their parents, concerned that the friendship is too intense, separate them, and the girls take revenge.
Director – Peter Jackson
Starring – Melanie Lynskey, Kate Winslet, Sarah Peirse
Released – 1994
If you liked: Mulholland Drive, Cruel Intentions, Election
In retrospect, you’d never know this is a Peter Jackson film. Not after becoming familiar with his recent work, anyway. Heavenly Creatures isn’t the CGI-heavy extravagance that we now associate with his name, but a more personal movie filled with a level of subtlety and nuances lacking in later work.
Based on a real-life murder from the ’50s, Kate Winslet makes her film debut as Juliet Hulme, one of the two girls whose close friendship leads to some dark events. This was Winslet’s breakout role, and it’s easy to see why. Shining with youthful exuberance, you find it hard to imagine anyone so angelic-looking could be capable of such cruelty. However, it’s the performance of Melanie Lynskey as Pauline Parker that I found the most enjoyable. She’s the true opposite of Winslet’s character, in both looks and mannerisms. Building on from the excellent performances, Jackson’s skill as a talented director was clear for all to see. Helping to create an atmosphere of cuteness that stops you from noticing the tension of what is slowly building, before hitting you with a sucker punch of an ending (even for those of you familiar with the real-life events that the film is based around).
If you’re into drama, real-life crime, or coming-of-age stories gone wrong, the deceivingly sweet and innocent, Heavenly Creatures is definitely not for the faint-hearted, especially the brutal ending that contrasts wonderfully with the atmosphere created in the minds of these two girls throughout the rest of the movie.
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