An outstanding debut feature from Riakos, that has certainly put her mark on the Australian Indie landscape and one to watch. 'Crushed' has been a strong contribution to the recent genre goodness that has come out of Australia, particularly female directed films. This film takes the viewer on a slowly intensifying journey, as a mystery thriller, shot beautifully showcasing the wine region of Mudgee; where it explores the interrelations of a somewhat disheveled family, and their close associates, uncovering their roles surrounding a death on the family's property. The performances from the cast are solid and engagingly understated, each character lending a piece to the mystery puzzle, while allowing the audience wanting to know more. Viewers are rewarded by exposing a truth that is largely unexpected and satisfying in its presentation.

CRUSHED is an indie thriller set in and around an Aussie vineyard. The acting is okay and the plot isn't too shabby, but the film is a bit too slow and low key for its own good; put this down to the lack of available budget which means the filmmakers cut corners at times. As a rule, however, it's a lot better than most independent films which go for a basic, often juvenile approach by comparison.

There are already a number of Australian films that made an indelible impression on me. Even such an impression that I've become a little fan of movies originating from this part of the world. Perhaps "Crushed" is the first minor disappointment. Not because it's an ordinary murder mystery with all associated developments and necessary turns. But simply because there was something missing to make a perfect investigators story. And that's suspense, tension and mystery. It wasn't so to speak exciting and the outcome of the whole story was just predictable. The only surprising part was the quite violent and bloody ending. Actually, I didn't see that one coming.Ellia (Sarah Bishops) returns to her family after hearing the terrible news of her father's death. Apparently a heavy barrel fell on the head of this vineyard owner in Australia. The result isn't a persistent hangover, but a fatal skull fracture. Ellia left quietly after the death of her twin brother and she has been incommunicado with her family since then. Not surprisingly, the initial contacts appeared to be rather coolly. Not to say hostile. As it turns out that her dad seems to be murdered, her mother Sophie (Roxane Wilson) started to mess around with an uncle (Les Hill) in the Australian bushes and gets arrested because the police finds it suspicious that she wants to sell the family business, Ellia gets caught up in a complicated puzzle. The first positive side of this film. They don't beat around the bush. Before you know it, you're looking at a murder mystery, a family dynasty shaking on its foundations, an unexplained drama out of the past and an erroneous environmental decision causing trouble for plants on the surrounding lands and hostile neighbours. Indeed, it's a lot. And yet it's a matter of logical elimination to find out who did it. In "Crushed" the simple rule of most murder mysteries is maintained. Those who look most suspicious, are usually the ones who ultimately didn't do it. So take a close look at the individuals that surround Ellia and choose the person you'd never expect to be the suspect. Bingo.Despite the abundance of subjects and the sometimes disappointing acting, there were also some good sides to this film. The used images were excellent from time to time. And the denouement was surprisingly brutal with an unprecedented number of casualties as a result. Most notable and outstanding role was played by Remy Brand as the timid and emotionally hurt brother Zac. The only thing that started to annoy me were the amount of consumed glasses of wine. I realize that there is a link with a vineyard, but at one point I had the feeling that wine was the only beverage they could drink there. Or the climate is causing an insufferable thirst. It wasn't exactly real added value. It's just that I constantly wondered whether she had a drinking problem or not. Are you a fan of a typical detective story, now happening in the land of kangaroos, then it is worth to see it. More reviews here : http://bit.ly/1KIdQMT

Over the years, so many films have utilized the Australian landscape as a moody, atmospheric backdrop. It's such a gorgeous place steeped in mysterious natural history that filmmakers hailing from down under have no choice but to exploit its vast photogenic qualities - and they'd be silly not to use it in an attempt to give their work added visual gravitas. Megan Riakos' debut feature "Crushed" is no exception, setting its story in the beautiful Mudgee wine region of New South Wales. Our protagonist, Ellia, returns home after her father is crushed and killed by a barrel in the family's winery under suspicious circumstances. Soon, her mother becomes the prime suspect in the murder investigation, and Ellia finds herself embroiled in an ever-deepening web of mystery, tragedy and family secrets.The film starts off in a slow burn, with lingering shots and scenes that last that little bit longer than they should. Soon, we realize that there's something off about the pacing for a film that's billed as a thriller. We need to get to the meat of the story, and quick, but it's not happening. We spend time with Ellia, who drinks wine. A lot of wine. The performances reveal themselves as uneven - at best melodramatic, and at worst amateurish. The film focuses in on these characters as a family, but we never feel convinced that they have real chemistry. To work, this film desperately needed believable familial interaction between the actors, and it's just not there. Ellia doesn't even seem particularly phased by the fact that her father has been crushed to death, but perhaps we're meant to attribute that to her being numbed by her constant wine- guzzling.Between swigs, the plot devolves into Ellia's less-than-riveting investigation of rotting wheat and poisoned soil - and how that may have a connection to her father's death - mostly consisting of internet searches on a fake version of Google. She questions a line of insultingly incompetent sleazy men and the story gets sillier and sillier until it almost implodes during a scene where Ellia uses her seductive feminine wiles to extract information from a local drunkard about the kind of farming soil he laid at the winery. Oh yeah baby, tell me 'bout that hot, hot soil.Speaking of drunkards... did I mention Ellia drinks a lot of wine?STOP DRINKING!Anyway, the plot reaches its denouement in a way that is, frankly, predictable and cringeworthy in its execution. It's unbelievably melodramatic and solidifies the feeling that this two hour affair would have been far more comfortable on midday TV, rather than blown up to a big screen feature film. "Crushed" takes itself too seriously, and I can't help but think injecting a little Aussie humor may have helped. It's hard to accept this film and its dreary tone without some levity. It's just not very good - but not bad enough to recommend for the midnight movie crowd because it doesn't go far enough in any direction. It's just dull and unengaging.If I could think of a couple of positives, they would be that it's shot decently (if somewhat artlessly) and that the score is decent, but unremarkable and overdramatic for what's happening on screen. There is potential talent inside the crew of "Crushed", but this film is a stumble perhaps hindered by its financial limitations. I guess as an Australian, I should be grateful that anyone is able to get a film off the ground at all in the country. For that alone, congratulations is in order, since that's more than half of the filmmaking battle these days.But that doesn't mean I can't hope for a higher standard. Gems like "The Babadook" and "Wolf Creek" are painfully few and far between, but their very existence means IT IS possible to make genre films of international quality in Australia. As it stands, we're stuck with limited budgets and resources, and our industry will continue to wallow in the mud if "Crushed" is anything to go by.