'The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce' depicts a horrific account based on the confession of a petty Irish thief. The movie is just about a mere hour long (pretty tight editing!) and yet it leaves the viewer with an unsettling feeling. Filmed beautifully, the natural Tasmanian landscape looks stunning, isolated, unfriendly and unsympathetic. It still astonished me how the characters were driven to participate in such heinous acts. The way it starts by them selecting the youngest member, sends a chill down the spine. Could their criminal past having something to do with the decision-making? Did their time in prison cause them to become savages? Was it all just hunger driven? Some questions also arise as to why Mather didn't kill Greenhill when he had the chance (since Greenhill clearly intended to finish him off)? Why didn't Pearce and Mather run their separate ways any sooner? The use of not-so-well known actors gives it less of a typical movie-like feel. All the actors look and act authentic. Dunbar and Mcmenamin are brilliant in the conversational scene. Given the short running time, I was surprised as to how quickly it finished and wished it was longer. However I doubt whether it would have been as effective.
