DEAD EUROPE

After a freak accident kills his father, photographer Isaac Raftis (impressively played by Ewen Leslie) travels back to his father’s homeland of Greece to spread his ashes. GFC-adjacent Athens is a turbulent city of riots, turmoil and squalor. Amidst the chaos Isaac has some drug-fuelled, steamy sexual encounters. But his journey is interrupted when he meets a poor, immigrant boy shrouded in mystery. As Isaac’s voyage of discovery leads him to gritty Paris, and on to an even grubbier Budapest, the boy’s presence continues to haunt him, until their destinies become inextricably linked.

Directed by Australian Tony Krawitz (The Tall Man), and based on Christos Tsiolkas’ novel, this is a dark tale of full of lost souls. Krawitz’s Europe is a sinister and paranoid place, full of ghosts and human shadows. It’s a beautifully shot film, mesmerising and deeply atmospheric. But the shady sex, violence, and dystopian backdrop make it a difficult watch at times. Impressive, but not for the faint-hearted.  (RF) *** 1/2