Nathan Hill is a powerhouse for Australian cinema. I was introduced to Nathan not long ago and I knew nothing about him, in fact I still don’t know much, but now I look forward to seeing more of his work and after reading about some of his previous work’s success, I’m starting to think that there is hope for Australian indie filmmakers.
Hill has definitely kept himself busy over the last couple of decades and it’s so assuring to see that most projects have been his own. This year alone will see the completion of five films, three of which he has written and directed. I need to be that productive! The first of these films we’re likely see is Colourblind.
Immediately following his most recent film Revenge of The Gweilo, Colourblind is written, directed and starring Nathan Hill and is described as a thriller, mystery, drama and I’m sure it’s going to be a great watch. I had a look at the teaser trailer, which is currently available on YouTube (check it out at the end), and my first impression is that it feels like a Murder On The Orient Express style mystery, and personally, I love movies that encourage the viewer to try figure out ‘whodunit’. These kinds of movies allow us to feel like we’re part of the story; they let us participate, at least that’s how I feel, and then I leave at the end telling myself, “damn, I’d make an excellent detective!” So I’m definitely intrigued.
I had the pleasure of chatting with Nathan Hill recently in the hopes of finding out more about the film, which I’ve learned has been top secret so far, so for all you fans out there that have been anxiously waiting for Hill’s next big feature, here is your first look!
Apparently, I’ve hit the nail on the head about what style the film is going for and I’m annoyingly proud of it! Hill explains, “it’s a drama, thriller, whodunit…there’s definitely some Agatha Christie and Hitchcock, and actually it’s very much inspired by Hitchcock’s film Vertigo.” Well, there you go!
“I try to make movies that you have to watch twice…movies that make you think; that are clever.” We talked about how some genres come and go in waves of popularity. The Golden Age of Superheroes in Pop Culture was during the 1940s and currently, I’m going to be bold and say there is a new Golden Age of Superheroes with the Marvel Cinematic Universe and now the DC Universe, perhaps the same could happen with detective mysteries again? I think Hill, with his interest in clever storytelling and respect for viewer intelligence wants to resurrect, or better yet lead a new Golden Age of detective mysteries and thrillers in Australia. I want this to happen to be quite honest, because I can’t believe the lack of creative content we have here, and I think everyone will agree that we have way too many reality shows.
Ok, getting back on track!
Now, he couldn’t reveal much else about the film as it is still in post-production and therefore still top secret, but I can tell you that it’s going to be exciting purely because of who is involved and specifically, who Nathan will be sharing the screen with.
Many of you will know American actress Jane Badler, most notably from the show V (1984 and 2011) and long time friend of Nathan Hill. She is our adopted Australian actress with roles across many Australian shows and feature films, including Neighbours and Offspring and most recently, taking the lead in Colourblind. Badler and Hill have done three films together and now come together again to star in Colourblind and later in Cult Girls.
I’m lucky enough to have been told and now share with all of you that there is no stopping this year for Nathan! The same team that’s bringing us this mysterious title is also working on bringing us Cult Girls, which of course I know nothing about just yet, sorry guys! All I can say is I’m already trying to analyse the title for clues about what it could be, but all I’ve got is cult and girls. Mind blowing, I know. I doubt I’ll guess anything remotely true for a while, so I’m back to being one of you again, waiting ever so patiently for the next teaser, then trailer then finally the film itself!
Don’t forget to check out Nathan Hill’s other films! Currently there are seven titles of his available for streaming on OzFlix. For anyone who doesn’t yet know, OzFlix is a new Australian streaming service, full of Australian content that has just successfully held their inaugural Ozzie Awards 2018 in Melbourne, Australia! Lot’s of fantastic content available, make sure you sign up, have a browse, and until Colourblind is released, catch up on Nathan Hill films!