The mid-2000s were steeped in nihilistic destruction. Films such as Eden Lake, Martyrs, Inside, and Wolf Creek knew how to devastate, effectively exhibiting the darkest and grimmest parts of humanity. Mia-kate Russell’s Penny Lane is Dead crushes the soul with the tone and feel of its most notable predecessors. Damaged human beings so often perpetuate sadistic behaviors without consequence. There’s a reason growing distrust of others became such a prevalent part of modern society. With Penny Lane is Dead, willful ignorance, petty jealousies, and brokenness weave through a genius take on the classic rape/revenge subgenre. Russell carefully exposes the wolf in sheep’s clothing, tearing away female camaraderie and exposing maggot-infested corpses underneath.
Penny (Bailey Spalding), Toni (Tahlee Fereday), and Amy (Alexandra Jensen) head to a summer house on the outskirts of town for a much-needed girls’ night. It’s their last big get-together before adulthood sets in, with Penny going off to college. When they arrive, Penny’s troubled cousin Kat (Sophia Wright-Mendelsohn) crashes the party and makes herself at home. She forces the group to smoke pot and enjoy one of her hot-pink cupcakes. She’s a bad girl and unfraid of dragging down her friends in the process. Kat and Penny couldn’t be more different, both in ambition, looks, and sexuality. Secretly, Penny and Toni have started a queer romance, which becomes a thorn in Kat’s side.
Kat’s gleeful envy spirals out of control. What should have been a cozy night of friendship turns deadly when some from Kat’s unsavory crowd, including her bleach-blonde, misogynist boyfriend Angus (Ben O’Toole), join in on the fun. For Penny, Toni, and Amy, it’ll be a night they will never forget. Angus recently got out of jail, and his barbaric tendencies lead to unimaginable tragedy, sparking fearless fighting back, bloodthirsty vengeance, and tests of willpower. Russell gives voice to queerness in savagely, wonderfully wicked ways. Her characters feel lived-in, and the ’80s setting doesn’t misrepresent the decade, from the aesthetic to the increasing anti-establishment attitude of the era’s youth.
When Penny Lane is Dead inevitably takes that hard left turn into fatalistic territory, Russell makes damn sure the audience feels every ounce of disgust and rage, throbbing like a headache after a weekend bender. Cinematographer Liam Gilmour joins Russell in a perfectly gritty visual style that makes the story even dirtier and more uncomfortable. Performances, especially Fereday’s and Wright-Mendelsohn’s, agonizingly shove bamboo under the fingernails in shocking ways. Fereday trembles in even the subtle moments, while Wright-Mendelsohn impressively oscillates between playful cruelty and pure mania.
Mia-kate Russell’s Penny Lane is Dead doesn’t shy away from twists, either, snapping like an agitated python until the bitter end. When it comes to rape/revenge films, horror has experienced a bit of a renaissance in recent years, with numerous filmmakers such as Coralie Fargeat, Mary Beth McAdrews, and now Russell injecting some fresh, exciting perspectives on themes of abuse, retaliation, and justice. Penny Lane is Dead tightens the format by flipping conventions on their head and leaves it all bloody and pulsating on the ground. It’s the kind of film that might take time to find its audience, but it’ll undoubtedly become a cult classic.
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