Naive teenage hairdresser (Thornton) is persuaded to try her hand at modelling, and quickly becomes beguiled by the prospect of status and a tantalising financial freedom on offer. It's not long however until the grim realities of a fickle and sordid industry begin to turn her dreams into nightmares.
In her first major film role, Thornton demonstrates acting chops beyond her years, exuding youthful confidence befitting the somewhat feisty, yet insecure debutante 'Angela' taking tentative steps into a creative but rugged world for which she's dangerously unprepared. Wincer similarly in his debut picture effortlessly merges art-house with urban horror, ratcheting up the tension as the glamour is gradually eroded and the sleazy, underbelly exposed. It's hard not to have sympathy for Thornton's tearful innocence, a mere child amid society's moral fringe, entrapped and then harassed by misfits, misogynists - even her own mother (Blake, who is excellent) - each seeking to exploit her for their own devious gain.
Quirky characters, sharp dialogue, colourful interiors and nostalgic exteriors captured with creative cinematography and balanced by a moody post-production soundtrack which includes a pair of Sherbet hits (and A Fifth of Beethoven for good disco measure), 'Snapshot' is a textured artwork, much more than a low-budget pot-boiler although it went largely unnoticed for years.
It's not without faults though; occasional plot weakness and cliches are apparent, whilst Keays-Byrne was sorely under-utilised in the third act, there are some missed opportunities to have made a minor Ozploitation masterpiece. Instead, it's a cult-favourite thriller, and an important milestone for both its star and director who enjoyed huge popularity in their respective careers in the 80s and 90s locally ('Man From Snowy River') and abroad ('Free Willy').
In her first major film role, Thornton demonstrates acting chops beyond her years, exuding youthful confidence befitting the somewhat feisty, yet insecure debutante 'Angela' taking tentative steps into a creative but rugged world for which she's dangerously unprepared. Wincer similarly in his debut picture effortlessly merges art-house with urban horror, ratcheting up the tension as the glamour is gradually eroded and the sleazy, underbelly exposed. It's hard not to have sympathy for Thornton's tearful innocence, a mere child amid society's moral fringe, entrapped and then harassed by misfits, misogynists - even her own mother (Blake, who is excellent) - each seeking to exploit her for their own devious gain.
Quirky characters, sharp dialogue, colourful interiors and nostalgic exteriors captured with creative cinematography and balanced by a moody post-production soundtrack which includes a pair of Sherbet hits (and A Fifth of Beethoven for good disco measure), 'Snapshot' is a textured artwork, much more than a low-budget pot-boiler although it went largely unnoticed for years.
It's not without faults though; occasional plot weakness and cliches are apparent, whilst Keays-Byrne was sorely under-utilised in the third act, there are some missed opportunities to have made a minor Ozploitation masterpiece. Instead, it's a cult-favourite thriller, and an important milestone for both its star and director who enjoyed huge popularity in their respective careers in the 80s and 90s locally ('Man From Snowy River') and abroad ('Free Willy').