Kick On, the latest from Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism director Nick Kozakis, is an Australian term that means to continue partying after the main club or venue has closed down for the night. It’s also the least of the bad decisions the foursome of young twenty-somethings make in this ultraviolent, intense thriller, landing them in a world of hurt.
Eden (Markella Kavenagh) is blowing off stress, largely caused by financial worries over her sister’s failing health, with her boyfriend (Ras-Samuel) and close friends when pal Zack (Nikita Chronis) gets them kicked out of the club. They decide to “kick on,” but Zack insists on picking up more party favors from a sketchy Melbourne high rise. It’s ok, he assures, because it’s not the Russian crime boss they’re dealing with, but his son, Ray (Nikolai Nikolaeff).
Right.
The volatile drug lord entices them with free samples, but the wild night of revelry quickly spirals into paranoia-induced violence that creates too many witnesses that Ray and his cronies are determined to erase.
Kozakis, working from a script by Phillip Klimek, keeps it simple and straightforward, introducing irresponsible youths prone to making impulsive decisions that yield costly consequences soon enough. As such, it can be tricky to find a relatable foothold in a quartet prone to physical altercations and drunken bathroom breaks between bumps of cocaine. Kick On marks Eden early as the protagonist with a dying sister subplot that provides the narrative thrust.
It’s so truncated to get to the gory goods, and in direct contrast with Eden’s party girl role, that it falls flat as Eden’s entire character motivation. Her friends get even less consideration with their one-note characters, marking them all as fodder for pain and punishment.
Kick On makes it tough to care once the nihilistic violence explodes in Ray’s apartment, with Nikolaeff excelling at keeping audiences and his prey on their toes with unpredictable freakouts, toggling between sinister joker and drugged-out berserker.
But that violence, oh so much exquisite pain and violence. Both sides of the battle lines get put through the wringer in the practical effects-driven carnage. Kozakis maintains full-throttle energy, escalating the violence and stakes as the body count rises. Even more entertaining is the way desperation leads to inventive weaponry and kills.
That sense of nihilistic carnage, combined with the friends being trapped within Ray’s apartment and forced to fight their way out, draws easy comparisons to Green Room. Kick On half-heartedly attempts to broach familial bonds, with Ray’s daddy issues running parallel to Eden’s mommy abandonment issues, but it’s more content to keep it superficial for the sake of nail-biting suspense and action spectacle. That’s also to say that it may arguably be much more violent than Jeremy Saulnier’s siege thrillers.
This Australian siege thriller delivers an adrenaline rush through sleek style, well-staged action, and a much appreciated commitment to spilling eyeballs, arterial spray, and guts as practically as possible. There’s not much there beneath the surface or rootworthy characters, but it’s the exact type of raucous, entertaining midnight movie best watched with a rowdy crowd.
Kick On screened at Fantastic Fest.
