Justin Kurzel is attempting a bit of a comeback. After the success of his “Macbeth,” the filmmaker was wooed into making “Assassin’s Creed,” following in the footsteps of so many up-and-coming filmmakers that score an indie hit and then are given the keys to a potential franchise. Well, we know how that worked out (it didn’t), and now Kurzel returns to something closer to his roots with “True History of the Kelly Gang.”
As seen in the new trailer for the film, Kurzel still has an incredible cast, but the story of ‘Kelly Gang’ is nothing like the blockbuster he directed in 2016. His new film tells the story of Ned Kelly, a 19th-century Australian criminal that was raised by an immigrant family and rose to infamy through a series of crimes and his unique style. And that style carries over to Kurzel’s film, which even in the trailer, shows that the filmmaker is willing to use interesting camera angles and techniques to add flair to this legendary character.
We saw the film at last year’s TIFF, and in our review, we said, “Justin Kurzel’s new film adaptation depicts the robber, raider, cop-killer, and general hellraiser in all the outlaw glory that posterity has assigned him. Kurzel’s prismatic view of Kelly’s life and times goes to gnarlier and more vivid places than superficially similar period pieces.”
The film stars George MacKay, Russell Crowe, Nicholas Hoult, Essie Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, and Charlie Hunnam. ‘Kelly Gang’ is directed by Kurzel and written by Shaun Grant, who adapted the novel by Peter Carey.
“True History of the Kelly Gang” begins its international rollout in early 2020, with the US release not yet announced.