Heavenly Creatures

Composite Score: 81.83

Starring: Melanie Lynskey, Kate Winslet, Sarah Peirse, Diana Kent, Clive Merrison, and Simon O’Connor

Director: Peter Jackson

Writers: Fran Walsh and Peter Jackson

Genres: Biography, Crime, Drama, Thriller

MPAA Rating: R for a chilling murder and some sexuality

Box Office: $3.05 million worldwide

Why should you Watch This Film?

                Heavenly Creatures tells the story of two teenage girls living in Christchurch, New Zealand, in the 1950s whose strong friendship (and maybe more) makes their parents nervous and leads to some drastic consequences. It is based on the true story of a murder from the 1950s and is largely told from the diary entries of one of the two girls. It features a breakout performance from Kate Winslet as Juliet Hulme and the introductory performance (almost equally as strong I might add) of Melanie Lynskey as Pauline Parker. The story of teenage angst and imagination comes through well thanks to the direction of Peter Jackson and the writing of Fran Walsh who help turn these two young murderers into almost manic pixie dream girls and sympathetic protagonists whose actions, though clearly wrong, do not seem quite as insane by the film’s end.

Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?

                The film making the girls into sympathetic figures does not necessarily mean that its protagonists become instantly likeable. The two girls have highly eccentric tastes and fantasies that probably don’t resonate with many audiences, like Italian tenors and fantasy worlds and insisting on going by the names of their own fictional characters. Pauline’s narration even goes so far as to fess up to madness and embrace it – again, not necessarily off in terms of accuracy but also not the most relatable trait in a protagonist. The two also are given to fits of screaming, which pierce through the film’s otherwise typically soft and suspenseful sound-mixing, creating a feeling of manic terror whenever it occurs. These moments help solidify the characters as definitely teen girls but do little to endear them to the audience.

                As such, the film struggles a bit on where it comes down on the girls from a morality standpoint. On the one hand, they are the film’s protagonists, so it must make them somewhat sympathetic and does so by celebrating and embracing their independent spirit, creativity, and imagination. At the same time, both girls are convicted murderers historically speaking, so the film has to include those moments of madness to distance the audience from its protagonists, creating a paradoxical sympathy and horror at the two girls in the minds of the audience.

So wait, why should you Watch This Film?

                Both Winslet’s and Lynskey’s performances leave the audience in awe at their capabilities. Both actresses were only recently removed from the ages of the girls that they portrayed, which no doubt helped them get into character easily, but their portrayals go beyond just looking the part. Lynskey’s Pauline is repressed and curious and genuinely enthusiastic about the things she loves in a way that somehow manages to endear a murderous teenager to the audience, an impressive feat. Winslet’s Juliet is aloof and passionate and strangely knowledgeable and naïve at the same time, crafting a secondary protagonist that is mysterious and loveable and innocent and guilty all at once. It becomes easy to see how both young women stepped into their future careers from their performances in this film – Lynskey as a bit of an indie darling who adds greatly to each project that she is a part of and Winslet as an award-winning performer throughout her career.

                The other major success for Heavenly Creatures comes from Peter Jackson’s directorial choices. He dives fully into the fantasies of these two girls, bringing the audience with them into Borovnia, giving the world its own unique fantasy feel, and bringing in some fascinating visuals in the process. The use of “clay” people to flesh out the world’s characters when the girls step into it creates an equal feeling of otherworldliness and unease on the part of the audience as they are invited in to this otherwise beautiful fantasy world that the girls have created. The almost grotesque nature of the characters that inhabit the gorgeous fantasy world adds to the feeling of something being off as the film progresses and helps to build the tension that leads to the film’s violent conclusion.

                Gutsy directorial choices and incredible breakout performances from its leads are the elements that shine forth and make Heavenly Creatures worthy of its place among the Greatest Films of All Time. The film’s struggle to take a firm stance on its enigmatic protagonists detracts only slightly from an otherwise phenomenal murder thriller combined with coming-of-age tale. This is certainly one worth checking out for fans of good thrills, good fantasy, good teen films, and fans of the actresses and Peter Jackson.