Hulkeasexo it is the rare 'crazy' movie that actually has something to say.

ChanFamous I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Siflutter It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Kamila Bell This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

paq5528 Although one might charitably call the plot believable from the revenge point of view, that logic does not hold water as the trio had no original initial plan when they decided not to tell police. You find a dead body in the forest, you know details about the murderer, why not tell police? Why not tell parents? The one girl supposedly has a close connection to a previous girl who went missing, yet she is callous enough not to tell police about the body that might be her friend's. The group is able to find the man responsible, yet still do not tell police. All through this movie I was screaming at the screen, where are the parents?? One boy gets shot through the arm with an arrow, the sleeping arrangements are communal at best, and the parent of none of these kids seems to care where they are or where they sleep. It's just too unbelievable to be a thriller, too annoying to be enjoyable. A shame...

cmoyton This Australian movie presents a watchable take on the well worn serial killer thriller path. When one of three teenage school children stumbles upon the body of one of the killers victims he along with his two friends make a reckless and ill conceived attempt to blackmail the killer into murdering their own childhood nemesis. (That being the thug who abused them as young children and who has been released from prison). This plot reveal regarding the abuse the boys suffered is not immediately introduced and may help explain the somewhat disenfranchised attitude of the two teenage boys who come across as dreary anti social misfits. Their personalities in fact are really unlikeable and along with the thug and the killer this leaves room only for the third teenage character of Chasely (played nicely by young actress Hanna Lawrence) to empathise with.The killer as usual appears as a normal family man but beneath the facade lies the heart of darkness. Those critical of the movie have derided the teenage characters actions. Why not tell the authorities about the body for example- but then of course there would be no story to tell.The plot though is entirely predictable and when the wheels easily come off the children's plan the movie climaxes with the all too common bloodbath. I have seen the DVD release of the movie marketed as a horror movie which it certainly is not but if you are a fan of the serial killer genre its worth at least a rent.

ihrtfilms Whilst the film is beautifully shot and the two adult leads are very good, there was a lot I struggled with. To start, the 3 young teenage actors seemed like they were straight from drama school, but not a good one. The young girl was okay, but the guys were dreadful. Then there was the fact that they as characters were just not right in this film, they seemed out of place and doing things that young middle class school kids just wouldn't do. Would you imagine 3 young well educated kids digging up a body and then rebury it and all done with the same ease as making a cup of tea......Read more at my website: http://iheartfilms.weebly.com/acolytes.html

Richardm777 I saw what I believe to be the best Australian film of the year so far, Jon Hewitt's Acolytes.Acolytes is a stylish thriller with a killer premise. Get this…two bullied and molested teens discover a local serial killer in their suburb AND then set about blackmailing him to kill the bully who molested them. Hewitt has picked a top notch cast including excellent new comers Sebastian Gregory, Josua Payne and Hanna Mangan Lawrence to play the teens. Add to that three, yes, thats right three great psycho's! Lead by Joel Edgerton in an outstanding performance of serial killer du jour, Belinda McClory his deranged spouse and Michael Dorman as the teen raping bully, with swastika tattoos. Once you add these teens and these menacing adults, all hell breaks loose… Hewitt has crafted a balls to the wall serial thriller thats damn original and accomplished. You can see the influence of Larry Clark and David Lynch's Twin Peaks but Hewitt makes it all his own, in a Qld suburban back water, always ringing with the drones of emptiness. The script by Shayne Armstong, Shane Krouse and Hewitt is tight.If marketed correctly this film could be a break out hit with teens. The next Wolf Creek? It could well be. It makes all the right moves. The teens are real ala Larry Clark. They don't suck and have an attached PC agenda, they are non communicative, good looking and hip. The killers are dark with real menace. Joel Edgerton steals his scenes as the mild mannered local Ted Bundy, who sports a butterfly on his 4WD spare ala John Fowles The Collector. Dorman's petrol head rapist pours on the menace that tops Suburban Mayhem and provides a creepy thug who you can't wait to see buy the farm.The film is fast paced, tough and brutal. Not only that, it displays a confidence and directorial mastery from Hewitt that is surely to win him an IF or AFI nomination, if not award! Its nuanced and poetic mise en scene, brilliant sound design, excellent cinematography and tight structure mark it as clearly one of the best directed Oz features I have seen so far this year.The film leaves you shaken, thinking and unsettled. Its a truly great edition to the return to genre going on in Australian cinema at present. It will surely garner the interest of Hollywood. Oh, and did I mention it got into Toronto? What other Oz feature films can say that much? The world should get ready for a new auteur, Jon Hewitt.