The Dressmaker

Director: Jocelyn Moorhouse
Writer: Screenplay by Jocelyn Moorhouse & P.J Hogan. Based on the book by Rosalie Ham.
Released: September 2015
Starring: Kate Winslet, Judy Davis, Liam Hemsworth and Hugo Weaving
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What I thought was going to be a quirky, enchanting, and uplifting story, turned out to be a dark and twisted tale.

Despite Kate Winslet’s beauty and surprisingly accurate Australian accent, this story was far from a sweet and innocent drama. The Dressmaker is about a woman returning home from Europe to the rural Australian village she grew up in. She endeavors to discover the secrets of her childhood.

Who knew that the secrets would be so tragic and dark. I watched The Dressmaker while home alone, and I couldn’t get to sleep for hours afterward. The violence, black humour and horrifically tragic deaths that occurred scarred me!

Probably because I was expecting a light-weight drama, and didn’t foresee the horrors that unfolded. But it was still a tad sadistic, and I felt a little ripped-off because nothing good happens to the supposedly ‘cursed’ main character, Tilly (Winslet).

I am a fan of Kate Winslet, but the unfortunate surprises and twists in this movie were not pleasant. But then again, I’m not a fan of dark humour. Especially when the DVD cover in no way hints at the horror that unfolds. Good grief.

It’s not a poor movie, but it certainly wasn’t for me. So, I would say, watch The Dressmaker by all means! But be warned that this is not a rom/com/drama. It’s more of a horror/thriller/creepy kind of movie… You’ll never want to trust anyone again after seeing what the creepy villagers in the movie get up to.

Jodie’s rating: 6/10