Linda Stevens inherited more than a house when her mother passed away; she also came into a wealth of fear. In the 1982 film Next of Kin, darkness closes in on Jackie Kerin’s character as she moves back to her rural hometown and honors her mother’s last wishes. Yet the longer she stays and digs into the past, the more Linda puts herself in danger. Death lurks around every corner of this Ozploitation classic.
There was a stretch of time where Australian horror was not commercially successful in its own homeland. The cinematic renaissance of the ‘70s and ‘80s (also known as the Australian New Wave) produced a number of homegrown horror films, yet the immediate public was not all that receptive. In fact, some of these films ended up being more beloved and victorious outside their birthplace. Next of Kin certainly did not find its audience until years later, but now the general consensus is overall positive. Tony Williams’ sole horror film is considered by many to be one of the most atmospheric and beautiful slashers in the history of this long and varied subgenre.
According to Williams, he did not intentionally set out to make a slasher when co-writing Next of Kin with Michael Heath. The film, which was originally a New Zealand production before finally moving to Australia, was modeled more after European horror than the likes of Friday the 13th. Williams particularly looked to Roger Vadim’s Blood and Roses as a source of inspiration. Nevertheless, this film has the makings of a traditional slasher along with a mood and aesthetic not always associated with Australian cinema.
While the Australian Gothic movement was in effect by the time Next of Kin was first released, Williams’ film deviated from the standard model being cultivated at that moment. A great deal of Australian Gothic films discover dread outside in nature rather than in the home, and they examine the dark side of Australian life. Next of Kin, on the other hand, primarily takes place in a Victorian setting. And unlike the Euro-horrors from which Williams took inspiration, the looming threat is not uncanny. There are no ghosts or vampires here.
Horror films from the Land Down Under tend to pull back the fabric of the Australian experience and reveal something uncomfortable and sinister underneath. From violent colonization to the merciless Outback to the continent’s menagerie of dangerous fauna, Australian horror routinely looks at itself when searching for terror. The “other” is frequently seen as something menacing in the genre, but many times over in film, Australia is its own source of frights. Next of Kin is then a complete change in routine because it offers a more universal hazard for its protagonist to contend with.
In her perilous attempt to bridge the gap between herself and her late mother, Linda maintains the family estate that has since been converted into a retirement home. By preserving the run-down Montclare as an old-age house, Linda can, in a way, keep her mother alive. Maybe make things right after years of estrangement. And after leaving her mother behind, selling the house and putting all the elderly residents seems out of the question for Linda. In the end, though, the film is a reminder about the pitfalls of clinging to the past and fixing what is inherently broken.
Although this is indeed a slasher, that revelation is hidden until the last act. Before then, this film is more consistent with old ghost stories. Stormy nights, dark corridors and spaces, and a nearly constant feeling of dread come with most scenes set inside Montclare. One second Linda finds herself seeing someone outside her window or across a patch of woods, and the next she is questioning both her sight and sanity. Linda also experiences uncomfortable dreams that do not necessarily contribute to the house’s current goings-on, yet they deepen her uneasiness. Williams channeling two-thirds of a classic haunted house film makes Next of Kin stand out from its Australian contemporaries.
When not being stalked by her unseen assailant, Linda is chased by death and old age. The mere sight of Montclare’s residents conjure up thoughts of mortality, even before they all start to die of unnatural causes. A man presumably drowns in the bathtub, and another suffers a stroke. Connie (Gerda Nicolson), an employee at Montclare, has the fortitude to withstand the anxiety attached to working around old folks, but Linda is clearly bothered. If she continues to carry on about vanishing visitors and water taps left running, perhaps she too would be sentenced to live in a place like this. Mix that penetrating fear of aging with unresolved issues with her mother, and Linda’s frantic state of mind is quite relatable.
“And now I know there is evil here in this house.” Not too long after Linda reads that ominous statement in her mother’s diary, the story confirms her suspicions. The film has so far moved at a deliberate pace, but once Linda and childhood sweetheart Barney (John Jarratt) go check out Montclare following Linda’s near breakdown at the town hall, Next of Kin steps on the gas. Bit by bit, Linda’s inevitable nightmare unfolds and the culprit behind all the killings is exposed. The discoveries of each new victim from here on out feel straight out of a giallo film; the Italianate quality of this film’s final phase is hard to deny. A lawn fountain and bathtub are each filled with blood and perfectly arranged corpses, and a menacing eyeball is seen through a keyhole. For sure Williams pipes in a hefty amount of European influences, however there are moments in the denouement that evoke comparisons to American horrors like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.
In a film already loaded with striking and exact visuals, Next of Kin outdoes itself in those last ten minutes. Linda’s momentous escape from the killer is boosted by a guttural soundtrack and spectacular overhead shots. Linda’s delirium is on full display here as she descends the spiral staircase seen all throughout. And as she holes up at a local diner with the owner’s son, waiting for her enemy, Linda builds tension by stacking a pyramid of sugar cubes. Lastly, the stunning explosion in the very end did not go as planned behind the scenes, but it worked out in the film’s favor.
Next of Kin went unnoticed for a number of years in Australia, but fans kept its memory alive. Quentin Tarantino, one of the film’s most vocal admirers, called it wonderful and compared it favorably to The Shining. High praise indeed, but also right on the mark.
Next of Kin is currently available on Blu-ray from Umbrella Entertainment, Severin Films and Second Sight Films, and it is streaming on services including SCREAMBOX.
Horrors Elsewhere is a recurring column that spotlights a variety of movies from all around the globe, particularly those not from the United States. Fears may not be universal, but one thing is for sure — a scream is understood, always and everywhere.
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