The Horseman is Australia’s version of Taken without the star power and filmed with a much lower budget. It stars Peter Marshall (pretty much an unknown in the United States) in his first starring role as Christian Forteski, a distraught father who goes on a killing rampage after discovering clues that have led to the death of his 20-something-year-old daughter. It’s a revenge flick, and while there isn’t anything new offered when compared to similar movies, it still holds the viewer’s attention. Some of that might have to do with an unknown cast because it was shot exclusively with handheld cameras or not produced in America. So, while you’ve seen this plot in hundreds of different movies if you can stomach the torture scenes, you’ll be entertained. And while you might not remember anything about this movie two weeks from now, you’ll remember that it did hold your interest.

The movie has a determined tenacity. The characters don’t have the normal Hollywood good looks, nor is there anything glamorous about this movie. Most scenes are shot in moving vehicles, dingy motel rooms, warehouses, or small houses shacks. The use of handheld cameras contributed to the grittiness that the movie was trying to show. The close-up scenes of Forteskis torturing anybody and everybody who believes he may have contributed to his daughter’s death. Concerning the torture scenes, I found one thing I liked and one that I found a little unbelievable.

What I found believable was how a regular guy could flip out when presented with such an event. We can see the gentle side of Christian quite a few times, most notably with Alice (Caroline Marohasy in her first role), a teenage drifter who spends a few days traveling with Christian. She does not know what he does when he leaves to go on his “business meetings,” nor does she ask. Alice is the same age that his daughter was at the time of her death. Directly or indirectly, he is grateful to have her on the trip with him. His love for his daughter is evident. When he isn’t able to protect her, it seems that he sees protecting Alice as a second chance. The two share motel rooms, but there is never any sexual tension or anything. It is just the opposite. If you didn’t know better, you’d think Alice was his daughter.

What I found to be a bit unbelievable was how skilled in human torture Christian was. An exterminator by trade, we never learn how Christian acquired all his fighting skills. While we understand his motive from what he does, this doesn’t necessarily make him capable of fighting four men simultaneously. Human adrenalin can only carry a person so far. I would have either liked to have learned where he picked up these skills or would have liked to have seen him struggle more during the torture scenes, which seemed a little too easy for him, or any other “regular guy.”

The scenes with Alice provide a striking contrast to the person Christian is when he questions those whom he identifies as being responsible for his daughter’s death. Rarely is he satisfied with anything he is told from those he is holding hostage. He quickly goes from inquisitor to madman as he becomes increasingly upset with people denying that they had anything to do with these events. He wants those involved to tell him the whole story and to admit guilt.

If you’re interested in a slasher film, you can do better. If you are interested in a movie about avenging the death of a loved one, you can do better. If you are interested in diving into the depths of what man is capable of doing, if he believes that his child has been unlawfully murdered, you’ll probably be affected. If you enjoyed Taken but wonder how a man without Liam Neeson’s skill set could still get the same result, you’ll probably be interested. If you like the torture and gore of a Saw movie without the horror aspect, you’ll probably enjoy this movie.

Plot 6/10
Character Development 6/10
Character Chemistry 6/10
Acting 6.5/10
Screenplay 6/10
Directing 6/10
Cinematography 6/10
Sound6/10
Hook and Reel 6.5/10
Universal Relevance 6/10
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