Direction: Ivan Sen
Country: Australia
Limbo is a haunting neo-noir slow burner written, directed, edited, co-produced, photographed, and scored by the multifaceted Ivan Sen (Mystery Road, 2013; Goldstone, 2016). The film offers a captivating re-examination of an unsolved murder case that victimized a young Aboriginal woman two decades ago. Travis Hurley (Simon Baker), a benumbed cop with a violent past and a heavy drug addiction, arrives in a small, barren mining town in outback Australia to investigate deeper. He contacts the victim’s depressed family members - half-siblings Charlie Hayes (Rob Collins) and Emma (Natasha Wanganeen) - as well as Joseph (Nicholas Hope), the brother of the main suspect at the time. All of them seem to know more than what they say.
Building up slowly but with a hypnotic spell, the film looks like a canvas painted in monochrome style - the unique arid landscape and compelling black-and-white photography make a wonderful match. It exposes not only the current existential emptiness but also the lack of opportunities and injustices endured by the indigenous Australians.
Carrying all the ingredients of a solid film noir, Limbo has a startlingly unusual climax, shrouded in thick mystery and a sulfurous tone that, at the end, suddenly veers to bittersweet. Despite the shattering suggestions, the film ends on an optimistic note that is both quite surprising and welcoming. With no sensational scenes or thrills, Limbo penetrates our minds with a piercing lethargy.
