Big-screen presentation of a vengeance drama directed by a Halifax filmmaker
Compulsus has been well-received by festival audiences, with comparisons to the Death Wish films of the 1970s or even Batman, though not in a comic book sense.
A Halifax-shot film with an all-East Coast crew, Compulsus, is set to hit the big screen this Friday. The queer revenge drama, directed by Tara Thorne, follows its protagonist as she embarks on a vigilante crime spree to avenge women who have been sexually assaulted.
The film will premiere at Park Lane Cinemas in Halifax and in Toronto, with plans for it to open in other Canadian cities in the coming weeks.
Thorne, who also wrote the film, emphasizes the significance of the opening weekend for Canadian films. "I feel like we hear about box office a lot," says Thorne.
"But for Canadian films specifically, it is so important because theatres base the second, third, whatever week on how the first weekend does." She notes that the film's performance in Halifax will affect how the distributor rolls it out across the country.
Compulsus has been well-received by festival audiences, with comparisons to the Death Wish films of the 1970s or even Batman, though not in a comic book sense.
It centers on Lesley Smith's character, who takes justice into her own hands by confronting abusive men on behalf of survivors who cannot defend themselves.
Thorne describes the film as an emotional response to anger, though she says her next project, Lakeview, which recently premiered at the Atlantic International Film Festival, takes on a much lighter tone as a "dramedy" about women bonding and talking.
Compulsus was nominated for Best Feature Film at last year’s Screen Nova Scotia Awards, further building excitement for its wider release.
