I didn't realize this was based on a true story until the end credits when the narrative followed up on the arrest of the two girls. Quite honestly, the story does proceed along as if it were a fictional one, as the obsessive relationship between Pauline (Melanie Lynskey) and Juliet (Kate Winslet) races headlong toward a disaster that doesn't feel quite real. Director Peter Jackson appears to step out of his comfort zone with this film, though a number of scenes portend the grand spectacle that was to become 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy. I was particularly stunned by the the sight of the empty field that miraculously turned into a royal garden, at which point the picture took on an "Alice in Wonderland" like quality. The use of the clay-like characters further inspires one to reflect on the mythical world Pauline and Juliet placed themselves in at the expense of the real one around them. Their imaginary 'Fourth World', filled with music, art and beauty became a mask for the reality the girls refused to face when their relationship was about to come to an end. On the face of it, Jackson directs with an eye toward sensitivity and sympathy between Pauline and Juliet, though their horrible deed to culminate the story reveals just how tragic their obsession became despite the efforts of those around them who could not penetrate their mythical Fourth World.

Jackson tackles the Parker-Hulme murder case. In 1950's New Zealand, two teenage girls formed an intense friendship largely driven by a shared fantasy world they had created populated by a fairy tale royal family and movie stars they were obsessed with. When their parents became concerned that the relationship was too intense (and worries of lesbianism reared their ugly heads), the girls murdered one of their mothers in an effort to stay together. In what is Jackson's best film, he focuses on the intensity of their friendship and the heightened fantasy they lived in. A lot of Jackson's flaws as a filmmaker are present ... the film is too long and he encourages weird comedic overacting from some of his performers ... but it's definitely his most fully developed film, capturing the reasons that drove these girls as well as the tragedy of the story's outcome.

Juliet and Pauline are two girls that become very good friends in a brief period of time, and I couldn't, exactly, understand why. Winslet's character is an arrogant teenager that enjoys being seen as the smartest one. Pauline, on the other hand, seems to be some ordinary girl with some strong anger towards her parents, and the plot never really reveals the reason for it. She's also a naive girl when it comes to sex, which can be noticed in the scenes she shares with an older boy. Even thought a lot of people considered it to be a great film, I didn't like it that much. In my opinion, the plot is too slow and contrived, reason why I felt bored during almost all the way through. However, I'm gonna admit that the final scenes are surprisingly intense and hard to be seen, but that's the only "great" moment in the whole picture. "Titanic" was really a better choice for Kate Winslet...

This film is a staggering 20 years old now and I only got round to watching it a few days ago and I'm glad I eventually got to it.First and most importantly kudos to both Kate Winslet and Melanie Lynskey who carried this whole film, I have a slight and silly gripe and that is Kate's slightly over the top English accent (sounded that way to me). The chemistry between the leads was sensational and totally believable, so much so that when they finally commit the dastardly deed I was truly horrified. The sense of impending doom was almost to much for me to bear but only added to my enjoyment of the film.I also enjoyed the blurring of the real world with their fantasy world, I felt these scenes were shot extremely well and helped me dive deeper into the girls disturbed world view.A twisted, shocking tale of a very disturbed friendship and the consequences when that friendship is threatened, bravo.