97 reviews
As films go, this was a 5 but as horror films go, this was a 6. This really had everything you would want from a slasher flick: a menacing and monstrous baddie with a sad and weird backstory, a variety of kills and plenty of gore and creepy moments in eerie settings. This isn't one of the great Australian horror films but it is a dependably good one. It does everything you want it to. The build up is nicely paced and then it just kicks off and doesn't relent until it ends.
One of the things I really liked about this film was that it was a horror that wasn't filled with teens and tweens unlike a lot of films in the genre these days.
It was an enjoyable watch and a good way to fill the late night. If you like your horror films then I'd recommend this one to you.
One of the things I really liked about this film was that it was a horror that wasn't filled with teens and tweens unlike a lot of films in the genre these days.
It was an enjoyable watch and a good way to fill the late night. If you like your horror films then I'd recommend this one to you.
- alex_van_beek
- Oct 29, 2015
- Permalink
The reasons for why I opted to sit down and watch "Charlie's Farm" was solely because of two things; of which the first was that it is a horror movie, and the second being that Kane Hodder is in the movie. It turns out that my horror heart skipped a beat when I saw that Bill Moseley also was in this movie - a fact which had eluded me.
"Charlie's Farm" started out quite nicely with some brutality and slayings, so the scene and mood of the movie was established right away. So it was off to an impressive start.
The atmosphere of the movie and the build up of the storyline is very reminiscent of the horror movies from the 1990s, so there is a sense of familiarity and nostalgia to be experienced here. Personally, I think that worked out well in favor of the movie.
The cast was for the most part quite interesting in this movie. I was initially thrilled to have Kane Hodder and Bill Moseley together in a horror movie, but was somewhat disheartened when I came to realize that they didn't actually have any on-screen time together. Also, I feel somewhat bamboozled because Kane Hodder didn't really have that big of a role in this movie. Now, I don't claim to be much of a fan of Tara Reid, and for some reason she looks exactly the same in every movie she is in, exactly the same - so she could potentially just be the same character in all of her movies.
The special effects, props and make-up department had done some pretty good work in bringing the movie to life on the screen, and the gore and mayhem looked rather realistic, which really added to the enjoyment of the movie. Well, at least most of the time anyway, there were moments when it was obviously a prosthetic being used, and was painstakingly visibly so.
I have to admit to having a good laugh when Kane Hodder was standing in the dark and asking "is that you Jason?"
If you enjoy the old school slasher horror genre then you will most definitely get a kick out of "Charlie's Farm". However, the movie does follow that traditional blueprint of how the horror movies were made back then, so on that note don't expect any great surprises in terms of innovation or creativity.
"Charlie's Farm" started out quite nicely with some brutality and slayings, so the scene and mood of the movie was established right away. So it was off to an impressive start.
The atmosphere of the movie and the build up of the storyline is very reminiscent of the horror movies from the 1990s, so there is a sense of familiarity and nostalgia to be experienced here. Personally, I think that worked out well in favor of the movie.
The cast was for the most part quite interesting in this movie. I was initially thrilled to have Kane Hodder and Bill Moseley together in a horror movie, but was somewhat disheartened when I came to realize that they didn't actually have any on-screen time together. Also, I feel somewhat bamboozled because Kane Hodder didn't really have that big of a role in this movie. Now, I don't claim to be much of a fan of Tara Reid, and for some reason she looks exactly the same in every movie she is in, exactly the same - so she could potentially just be the same character in all of her movies.
The special effects, props and make-up department had done some pretty good work in bringing the movie to life on the screen, and the gore and mayhem looked rather realistic, which really added to the enjoyment of the movie. Well, at least most of the time anyway, there were moments when it was obviously a prosthetic being used, and was painstakingly visibly so.
I have to admit to having a good laugh when Kane Hodder was standing in the dark and asking "is that you Jason?"
If you enjoy the old school slasher horror genre then you will most definitely get a kick out of "Charlie's Farm". However, the movie does follow that traditional blueprint of how the horror movies were made back then, so on that note don't expect any great surprises in terms of innovation or creativity.
- paul_haakonsen
- Jul 18, 2017
- Permalink
Sometimes a horror movie doesn't have to overreach with its premise, Charlie's Farm toils away with mindset. It uses the "cabin in the woods" concept down to the creepy antagonist and assembly of clueless annoying characters. The backstory and gore are made pretty well, but with stuttering pace and awkward dialogues, this will resonate better with horror or gore fans.
One day two friends just decide to visit a harrowing site of murder, and they take mandatory attractive girls there. Soon we follow character with nickname such as Donkey in a ridiculous road trip as a build up for the story. To its credit, Charlie's past is told thoroughly by on-screen characters, which is a nice foundation for the antagonist.
Script consists of blatantly uninspiring jokes and quips. Aside from Natasha (Tara Reid), who seems to be the only one with common sense, there's barely any identifiable character. Fart jokes or stupid decisions in crude display, it looks like the movie wants audience to root for the villain.
Apparently, this particular site is infamous in attracting backpackers. When the murder spree begins there are ample amount of victims and the ways they are dispatched are admittedly creative. There's plenty of gore between the slow trudging plot. Practical effect and make-up definitely produce very nasty sequences. The shock value surprisingly goes a long way.
Unfortunately, some of the scenes in dark lighting are poorly captured, so it may hamper the thrill. That's basically everything Charlie's Farm has to offer, only a couple decent bits from the story and lots of blood for the rest. Horror fans might find some delight, but others would probably be reluctant to visit Charlie's Farm.
One day two friends just decide to visit a harrowing site of murder, and they take mandatory attractive girls there. Soon we follow character with nickname such as Donkey in a ridiculous road trip as a build up for the story. To its credit, Charlie's past is told thoroughly by on-screen characters, which is a nice foundation for the antagonist.
Script consists of blatantly uninspiring jokes and quips. Aside from Natasha (Tara Reid), who seems to be the only one with common sense, there's barely any identifiable character. Fart jokes or stupid decisions in crude display, it looks like the movie wants audience to root for the villain.
Apparently, this particular site is infamous in attracting backpackers. When the murder spree begins there are ample amount of victims and the ways they are dispatched are admittedly creative. There's plenty of gore between the slow trudging plot. Practical effect and make-up definitely produce very nasty sequences. The shock value surprisingly goes a long way.
Unfortunately, some of the scenes in dark lighting are poorly captured, so it may hamper the thrill. That's basically everything Charlie's Farm has to offer, only a couple decent bits from the story and lots of blood for the rest. Horror fans might find some delight, but others would probably be reluctant to visit Charlie's Farm.
- quincytheodore
- Jun 24, 2015
- Permalink
The movie wasn't great by any means, but it was certainly watchable. The acting was pretty good for what the movie needed. However, after they're at the farm, two other people show up. I figured they were thrown in to be the first killed so the audience could have more time with the original four characters.
Charlie's backstory wasn't too bad. However, why did he have yellow eyes? lol. I can understand the crooked back, but the eye color was a bit silly.
Much of the movie happened as I thought it would, except for the end. I won't spoil it other than to say it was...not expected.
Tara Reid was pretty good in the movie, but she really does need to put on some weight. When she was crossing over the fence in the beginning of the film, it looked like she had no bicep muscle. She's a pretty girl and a fair actress, but she needs to take care of herself.
There is a bit of nudity in this. In Charlie's backstory, a woman is tied to a bed, and one of her breasts is visible. Later in the movie, Donkey is getting out of a lake, and his butt is shown.
The kills were...gross. So, if that's your thing when you watch this type of movie, you'll like this. I don't usually cringe about death scenes in horror films, but I did in this one. As I said, they were gross.
I gave this a 5-star rating. If you like horror films, and you're sick of the 1-star low-budgets that have awful actors/actresses, this will be a refreshing change. Mind you, it's not great, but it's good enough if you've got 90-minutes to blow.
Charlie's backstory wasn't too bad. However, why did he have yellow eyes? lol. I can understand the crooked back, but the eye color was a bit silly.
Much of the movie happened as I thought it would, except for the end. I won't spoil it other than to say it was...not expected.
Tara Reid was pretty good in the movie, but she really does need to put on some weight. When she was crossing over the fence in the beginning of the film, it looked like she had no bicep muscle. She's a pretty girl and a fair actress, but she needs to take care of herself.
There is a bit of nudity in this. In Charlie's backstory, a woman is tied to a bed, and one of her breasts is visible. Later in the movie, Donkey is getting out of a lake, and his butt is shown.
The kills were...gross. So, if that's your thing when you watch this type of movie, you'll like this. I don't usually cringe about death scenes in horror films, but I did in this one. As I said, they were gross.
I gave this a 5-star rating. If you like horror films, and you're sick of the 1-star low-budgets that have awful actors/actresses, this will be a refreshing change. Mind you, it's not great, but it's good enough if you've got 90-minutes to blow.
- chrismackey1972
- Jun 22, 2015
- Permalink
- cannot-self-terminate
- Jun 23, 2015
- Permalink
- storm_mica
- Aug 18, 2015
- Permalink
- Flick_Reviews
- Jul 5, 2015
- Permalink
I'll keep this short, this is just a B-slasher, nothing more nothing less. A group of 20 somethings go in search of some infamous location with a brutal past, only to encounter someone from said past and all hell breaks loose.
There is violence, gore, language, sexual undertones, and not much else. Any Tom, Dick, or Harry could make something like this, it's a very straightforward story.
The only redeeming qualities are Nathan Jones who is 7 feet tall and 350 plus. He's huge and the movie takes advantage of it! He's pretty damn intense. There is also a VERY well done throat slit scene that looks fantastic. Slow motion with phenomenal effects, one of the most intense graphic scenes I've seen. Bravo
But outside of that, we've seen this type of movie done before and far better. But if you are someone who enjoys cabin-in-the-woods type movies with very little subtext, this is something you will surely enjoy.
There is violence, gore, language, sexual undertones, and not much else. Any Tom, Dick, or Harry could make something like this, it's a very straightforward story.
The only redeeming qualities are Nathan Jones who is 7 feet tall and 350 plus. He's huge and the movie takes advantage of it! He's pretty damn intense. There is also a VERY well done throat slit scene that looks fantastic. Slow motion with phenomenal effects, one of the most intense graphic scenes I've seen. Bravo
But outside of that, we've seen this type of movie done before and far better. But if you are someone who enjoys cabin-in-the-woods type movies with very little subtext, this is something you will surely enjoy.
You know, I'm awaiting something that can really show us, what this new and talented director can bring to the table. CF is a really well made film, and the first of Sun's to hit cinema. After almost scarring and scaring us with the overindulgence, and in one sense, brilliance of Daddy's little girl, CF is too much of what we've seen before in other horrors. There are some truly, repulsive and nasty moments in the early half, again with violence so overdone, it's laughable and unbelievable. The opening music score, and opening credit sequence was awesome, where even here, there are familiarities. The early part, where Charlie's cannibalistic parents, are killed by townsfolk in retribution for eating all of the missing employees, is very Texas Chainsaw Masssacre'st, chiefly as in the last TC, but the others in the resurrected franchise. Little Charlie of course survived and is believed to be possibly lurking around. You know how these urban legends and campfire tales ensue. You been to horror school. Now Charlie, a seven foot guy, built like a brick s..thouse wants revenge, and gets it. There wasn't much suspense here I found with this frightener pic, chiefly, because you could tell the moment, each victim, was gonna buy it, and where, especially one couple in a lake, where the male party, a real gross out guy, is deprived of his donkey d..k. I spotted their demise here a mile off. They're part of a foursome. Two hotties + one not bad looking guy, plus gross out guy, who has possibly scored with hottie Alina Jacques. Watching Tara Reid, yeah the main star? near the start, sunbathe in a black bra and bikini was arousing, and genuinely they're were some good performances, but the gross guy was very good. Another couple who we don't care much about, tag along later in the film, as if desperate attempt to add more suspense, gore, or duration. The grueling finale was quite intense which had me again, familiarizing myself with the nearing of the Friday 13th remake. On the whole, the film isn't badly shot, some scenes of our inner outback, wonderfully and beautifully captured, with some nice slow zoom in shots. Sun just has to now get serious and bring something of higher quality to the cinema screen. Charlie's Farm fails on the basis of not being original where we've been there too much, and seen too much of that before. Again I drawer heavy reference to the catalyst in the last TC.
- videorama-759-859391
- Dec 10, 2014
- Permalink
Firstly I'm not a horror fan but saw this movie the special effects were really gruesome which made my stomach churn and some of the murders were excessive to the extreme which happens to be exactly the audience for this film is wanting .The dark humour was sick but the audience laughed in the right places .Nathan Jones is scary and reminded me of a cat catching a mouse and while playing with it kills it for fun . The tone of the film is just right for the slasher genre and would make s great boys night out . Once the journey begins its not stop action .Tara Reid has a scene that would give me nightmares and still makes me cringe which is credit to the props and fx . If you like gratuitous violence set in the Australian outback with demented Aussie Humour you will enjoy this but for me I'm a little sensitive
- Mjaklofsky
- Dec 4, 2014
- Permalink
Just in case there still are some backpackers crazy enough to go out hiking in the Aussie Outback after "Wolf Creek" and "Wolf Creek 2", there is now "Charlie's Farm", which must be located somewhere West of Bundanyabba, where the people seemingly all turn psychopathic due to the heat and drought! "Charlie's Farm" is exactly what you expect it to be, namely an extremely brutal and visceral '80s throwback-slasher with an undefeatable killer, plenty of disposable victims and excruciatingly painful death sequences. Top of the bill, genre fanatics are treated with guest appearances of beloved horror icons Bill Moseley ("Texas Chainsaw Massacre II", "House of 1.000 Corpses") and Kane Hodder ("Hatchet", "Friday the 13th"). Horror geeks Jason and Mick mislead their girlfriends and plan a camping trip to the notorious murder site Charlie's Farm. The deranged Wilson family who used to own the farm were maniacal rapists, murders and cannibals. Farmer John and his wife eventually got murdered by an angry mob, but their mentally underdeveloped son Charlie fled into the woods and was never found. More than 30 years later, there naturally are many urban legends and campfire tales about Charlie going around, as well as stories about tourists who went out to farm and never returned. As you can see, "Charlie's Farm" literally hangs together from traditional slasher clichés, stereotypes and homages to genre classics. The film is a lot of fun, although admittedly it takes a little too long before hell fully breaks loose, and the ideal type of entertainment to watch in group with beer and pizza (or at a Film Festival after midnight, like I did). The gore and make-up effects are very professionally handled and the film definitely contains some of the nastiest murder scenes I've seen in a slasher since a long time. Just to give a few examples, there's a girl whose jaw is ripped off and another poor girl has her whole head squished underneath the wheel of a tractor. Ouch! After Glen Jacobs in "See No Evil", Nathan Jones is another wrestler to depict a crazed killer in a gory horror movie. I can easily understand writer/director Chris Sun's choice to cast Nathan Jones, considering his gigantic posture and menacing grimaces. "Charlie's Farm" represents purely rancid and shameless trashy horror entertainment from Down Under; nothing more and certainly nothing less.
The low rating of this movie motivated me to post my first ever review ,,, It is truly one of the best horror movies I've seen! It takes quite a lot to creep me out & this one actually scared me ... Special effects were pretty good...especially the riverbank scene ...I'm a long time ER Nurse & I'm pretty picky when it comes to gore scenes ...This particular segment was pretty realistic anatomically ( ask me about the man & the Filter Queen Vacuum accident / the kid & the dog & the peanut butter ) ...There's also a "jaw " incident that looked quite authentic. I love these Australian movies because there is an element of psychotic behaviour that lends plausibility to the plot. Unlike Vampires & Demons, this could actually happen! If you liked High Tension & Wolf Creek, you'll love this one!
- divadoodledoo
- Jul 11, 2015
- Permalink
- spookyrat1
- Dec 21, 2018
- Permalink
- Maleplatypus
- Sep 1, 2015
- Permalink
I've seen my fair share of low budget horror movies and horror movies in general and a lot of the recent ones are really bad. But Charlie's Farm must be one of the worst I've ever seen.
If i had to sum up everything that was bad about this movie, the 1000 word maximum wouldn't be enough, so I'll just keep it short.
The movie is extremely boring, it takes about an hour of mindless wondering and some of the worst dialogue I've ever heard in a film before something even remotely exciting happens.
The characters are so dumb and so shallow that it isn't even fun to watch anymore. Low budget slashers tend to have generic and just plain lazy character decisions, but I haven't seen it as bad as this in a while. They have no back story, no depth and are constantly doing the opposite of believable.
The 'crazy bad guy' is really just the same as in every horror movie ever done and he first has to get his teddy bear back before he starts killing them and hunting them down?! What on earth was that?
I could go on and on with examples of why this movie is just utter crap, but I'll spare everyone the trouble. Please don't go see this movie, you will definitely be disappointed. The only good things about this movie were the great scenery and locations and there were some pretty cool kills in it. But other then that, it's not worth the watch. Just stay away from it.
If i had to sum up everything that was bad about this movie, the 1000 word maximum wouldn't be enough, so I'll just keep it short.
The movie is extremely boring, it takes about an hour of mindless wondering and some of the worst dialogue I've ever heard in a film before something even remotely exciting happens.
The characters are so dumb and so shallow that it isn't even fun to watch anymore. Low budget slashers tend to have generic and just plain lazy character decisions, but I haven't seen it as bad as this in a while. They have no back story, no depth and are constantly doing the opposite of believable.
The 'crazy bad guy' is really just the same as in every horror movie ever done and he first has to get his teddy bear back before he starts killing them and hunting them down?! What on earth was that?
I could go on and on with examples of why this movie is just utter crap, but I'll spare everyone the trouble. Please don't go see this movie, you will definitely be disappointed. The only good things about this movie were the great scenery and locations and there were some pretty cool kills in it. But other then that, it's not worth the watch. Just stay away from it.
- MisterAwesome
- Aug 1, 2015
- Permalink
I first watched Charlie's Farm not long after it came out on DVD and really enjoyed it. Roll on six years or so and I have just given it a second viewing, sadly this time it didn't have quite the same effect. Let's be honest any movie that has B-movie queen Tara Reid get top billing is never going to be great. Acting isn't her best asset and without sounding ageist I felt that she looked too old for her part as one of the "youths" looking for the farm of the title (she would have been late 30's at the time). This is an Australian slasher movie set in the bush and has some great scenery. Among the cast are two American titans of horror, Bill Moseley and Kane Hodder. Moseley plays Charlie's drunken, murderous father and puts in the best performance of the film, constantly referring to his son as "retard". Hodder, best know for playing Jason Vorhees, is a bit more out of place, he plays a boxing coach who adds very little to the story. Charlie himself is played by man mountain Nathan Jones. I do like Australian movies and the Aussie wit is very much here but overall the acting isn't great and, with a few exceptions, the first half of the film does plod. When the gore and brutal killings do come later on it was worth the wait. Some really gory kills and thankfully no horrible CGI. As a splatter movie it delivers but is low on nudity, just a single female breast and the rear view of a butt naked dude. To date there has been no sequel so for now at least it is a fairly reasonable stand alone title in the modern stalk and slash genre.
- Stevieboy666
- Sep 2, 2022
- Permalink
The "monster" of the movie is pretty decent (even though "pretty" should not be taken literally). It's also nice to see Kane Hodder without Make-p and acting. And if you're aware of him you can guess what kind of will happen during the course of the movie (and yes that is kind of cool too). The problem is the same old story, boring characters, changes of attitude or mentality in a blink of an eye without explanation and further things that only happen in horror movies.
Not to mention that almost every lead character is kind of despicable. Maybe that was planned, you never know where your sympathies are supposed to lie with some of these slasher movies. The effects are decent too for a low budget movie (also graphic at times). But nothing you actually need to see ...
Not to mention that almost every lead character is kind of despicable. Maybe that was planned, you never know where your sympathies are supposed to lie with some of these slasher movies. The effects are decent too for a low budget movie (also graphic at times). But nothing you actually need to see ...
an amazing local film to Australia, going back to the classic slasher films like Friday the 13th. With Nathan Jones playing Charlie he is an imposing figure in this film and one you wouldn't wanna run in to at any time of the the day. The special effects are beyond amazing with no CGI in this all props are hand made and make this an instant classic. Bringing in local unknown talent on Chris' part is amazing and refreshing for the movie and the industry. Chris is a force to be reckoned with as an up and coming director, he has big plans and won't stop for anyone keep an eye out on his next films and this man. If your a horror/gore fan I recommend you go out and but this ASAP.
- Fella_shibby
- Mar 4, 2016
- Permalink
Few of the main reasons I sat through this movie was hearing good things about it from friends and also being a huge horror buff, especially the slashers plus Kane Hodder, one of my favorite horror movie actors comes out. Who doesn't love him as Jason Voorhees and Victor Crowley? This movie while having a predictable plot and mediocre acting at best, didn't suck as much as I expected it to. Some scenes surprisingly shocked me despite the editing being very choppy and slow, the kills are very gorish and fantastic which is a must for any slasher. The first hour of the story dragged on for wayyy too long and took awhile to pickup the kills and action but Nathan Jones gives a fine performance as Charlie and Tara Reid and the rest of the actors are fine. I appreciate the writers giving a backstory to Charlie but when a slasher movie drags on for a whole hour before getting to the kills it becomes pretty generic.
A solid 5/10, nothing special but definitely worth watching a couple of times especially if you're a horror fan.
A solid 5/10, nothing special but definitely worth watching a couple of times especially if you're a horror fan.
- gaelcerda-35225
- Feb 25, 2023
- Permalink
- dcarsonhagy
- Dec 31, 2015
- Permalink