Following the death of her mother, Linda inherits the retirement home that she ran. Once there, reading through her mother's diary sets off a series of unsettling memories. Bizarre occurrences begin taking place as well, almost as if someone were toying with her.I've seen this Aussie gem referred to as a slasher film on more than one occasion, though I wouldn't necessarily call it a slasher myself. It's more of a slow-burning mood piece, one that's quite ambiguous at times. It's also effectively creepy, one of my favorite scenes involving a figure watching Linda just out of her eye range as she roams the woods in search of her boyfriend. Said boyfriend is played by John Jarratt, a mainstay in Australian horror, and his presence here is a welcome one as always. Jacki Kerin is Linda, and she's solid as the isolated heroine who doesn't feel completely at home back in her old stomping grounds.Naturally, the filming locations are gorgeous and the cinematography does a fine job of catching them in all of their glory. The film is complimented by a unique score and some stylish sequences, such as one terrific slow-motion bit where Linda is rushing down a flight of stairs. The ending gets really wild, leaving the film's more subdued nature behind for an extravagant finale.I first discovered this film back in the early 90's when I stumbled across the VHS in H.E.B.'s video rental section of all places, that memorable cover art catching my eye. Even now, the film is just as effective an experience as it was way back then. All said and done, this is one of Australia's finest contributions to the genre. In fact, only "Long Weekend" is on the same level.

"Next Of Kin" has become something of a minor cult classic and deservedly so. This has to be one of the few horror films that I have actually found freaky. Others being "An American Werewolf In London", "Friday The 13th" and "The Thing". I feel I shouldn't give too much away, but I can tell you this; Tarantino is a huge fan of John Jarratt, and in particular, a huge fan of this movie. In short, this has gone under the radar a bit and must be seen. Horror as it should be.

Not to be confused with the Patrick Swayze vehicle or Atom Egoyan film with the same title, this Australian production from 1982 is a superb horror film. Featuring fantastic cinematography and good performances, NEXT OF KIN is one of those great $3 finds (on the US Virgin Vision label) and definitely deserves more attention.The film's biggest asset is the direction by Tony Williams. Despite Virgin's blood drenched cover, NEXT OF KIN isn't really a slasher film. The first 2/3 of the film unfolds in a very slow and deliberate manner that allows the audience to experience the unfolding mystery as Linda (Jacki Kerin) begins to do so on her own. Williams builds the atmosphere effectively over this time. There are several chilling moments involving long crawls down hallways and thoughts of being watched. The last 1/3 is a straight up horror/action finale that, with the mystery revealed, places the heroine in an adrenaline-pumping chase. The tagline on one box for this reads, "Some films take their audience to the brink of terror…this one crosses the border!" I couldn't agree more.Another key to the film's success is the mystery itself. It is one of those films where you have to watch every little detail. The writers (director Williams and Michael Heath) deliberately lead the audience down the wrong path so that, like Linda, we think we know it all but are completely in the dark. The final revelation is quite surprising and makes complete sense given everything seen previous in the film. Of course the stellar cast helps greatly in pulling this off. Kerin is very good as the investigative Linda. Alex Scott, who also appeared in ROMPER STOMPER, is particularly good as the Dr. Barton.

just HAD to put my comment here. I think that the rating given to this movie is far below what it deserves. I first saw this film when i was 17 and it scared the pans of me. Now more than ten years later i still think it works well. The story is simple and has a few holes but it's got a great soundtrack and very nice cinematography. The acting is better than in your common horror film. I rate this one 8 stars out of 10. And i believe that anything below a five rating is given by people who don't appreciate a good horror movie.