''Jack Be Nimble'' is a 1993

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

gothic horror movie directed by Garth Maxwell, who later described it as "a stylised supernatural tale". The film stars the American

Alexis Arquette Alexis Arquette (born Robert Arquette; July 28, 1969 – September 11, 2016) was an American actress. Early life Arquette was born in Los Angeles, the fourth of five children of Lewis Arquette, an actor and director, and Brenda Olivia "Mardi ...

and the New Zealand actor Sarah Smuts-Kennedy. It includes one of the final movie appearances of the legendary British/New Zealand actor and musician

Bruno Lawrence David Charles Lawrence (12 February 194110 June 1995) known as Bruno Lawrence was an English-born musician and actor, who was active in the industry in New Zealand and Australia. Initially notable as a musician and founder of 1970s ensemble Bl ...

Plot

Jack (Arquette) decides to put an end to the abuse he has received from his adoptive parents, and runs away to find his long lost sister, Dora (Smuts-Kennedy). Although Dora has fared much better since their abandonment and subsequent adoption, she is also drawn to use her telepathic powers to find him. Along the way, Jack is constantly pursued by the four daughters of his adoptive parents, seeking revenge for their parents' demise at the hands of Jack and his invention.

Home release

The film is available on DVD and Blu-ray.

Critical reception

The film has received many positive reviews. Stephen Holden of ''The New York Times'' wrote that "the film cuts back and forth between scenes of their childhood and adolescence, it evokes their misery and isolation with a feverish intensity that recalls scenes from Hitchcock and De Palma". Dominic Corry of the ''New Zealand Herald'' described the film as "one of the strangest New Zealand films ever made" and thought that it "deserves way more of a cult reputation than it currently enjoys". Kim Newman of Empire Online said that Jack be Nimble was, "Not a film likely to please everyone, but strong stuff nonetheless".

References

External links

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''Jack Be Nimble''
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NZ On Screen NZ On Screen is a state-funded online promotional showcase of New Zealand television and film. Funded by NZ On Air, it provides free worldwide access to NZ-produced television, film and music videos. Content is streamed and the webpages provide ...

''Jack Be Nimble''
at

Empire Online ''Empire'' is a British film magazine published monthly by Bauer Consumer Media. The first issue was published in May 1989. History David Hepworth of Emap, the publisher of British music magazines '' Q'' and ''Smash Hits'', among other titles ...

1993 films New Zealand horror films 1993 horror films Films scored by Chris Neal (songwriter) 1990s New Zealand films 1990s English-language films {{1990s-horror-film-stub