Review of Hamiltons, The

Introduction

Don`t be put off by the title, this is not a film about the former Conservative MP for Tatton, Neil Hamilton and his wife Christine - Louis Theroux has already made that. The Hamiltons in this film are four orphan siblings, three boys and a girl, who live together, keeping themselves to themselves after their parents die in a car accident. David (Samuel Child) assumes the parents` role and relocates his family, for the sixth time in two years. Along with his sister Darlene (Mackenzie Firgens) and brothers Wendell (Joseph McKelheer) and Francis (Cory Knauf), they live an unassuming life in a quiet Californian suburb.

Francis is a quiet, withdrawn young man and spends most of his time playing around with a camcorder, avoiding school. Darlene and Wendell, (who appear to have an incestuous relationship) have a more exciting life as they, along with David, abduct and murder people: David picks up transient gay men, Darlene invites girl friends back to the house and Wendell picks up two female hitchhikers, whom he knocks out and chains up in the basement. Unsure of whether he fits in with his family, Francis begins talking to one of the captives and begins to question his family`s way of life.

Writer/directors `The Butcher Brothers` real names are Phil Flores and Mitchell Altieri; Flores had previously only made `Long Cut` under his real name, but with Altieri, who had directed several films by himself. This marks their first film as `The Butcher Brothers`, and also their first foray into the horror genre.

Video

Presented in anamorphic 1.78:1, `The Hamiltons` was filmed using a Panasonic HD VariCam and, as with `Miami Vice`, has a slightly grainy look to it.

Audio

The DD 5.1 soundtrack is perfectly fine: there are no issues with the mix but it`s not outstanding given the rather front-loaded nature of the film.

The English HoH subtitles are clear and easy to read.

Features

The commentary with The Butcher Brothers and Cory Knauf is a yak-track, but one that does provide information about filming and how they made the film with such a small budget.

The deleted scenes have no introductions or commentaries so they have no sense of perspective or place - you have to guess where they were cut from.

Conclusion

The Butcher Brothers are obviously horror fans - the family dynamic is clearly influenced by `The Texas Chain Saw Massacre` and they know how to construct a horror film. The family keep two young women chained up in the basement, and you are kept guessing as to why they are kept alive.

The inexperienced cast are perfectly fine, none of them are potential Oscar winners, but in a film of this nature `everyday` people are perhaps more scary than recognised actors. The directors similarly are finding their feet and the camerawork is never top-drawer, but it`s sufficient and suits the tone. The style of the film, with the emphasis on characters and the inclusion of a voyeuristic element reminded me of the low budget `Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer`, although there is much less gore and suspense than in John McNaughton`s classic.

This is an interesting, low-budget horror movie, which is not great but worth a watch.