CAUGHT INSIDE

Australia, 2010, 93 minutes, Colour.
Ben Oxenbould, Daisy Betts, Sam Lyndon, Simon Lyndon, Leeanna Walsman, Harry Cook, Peter Phelps.
Directed by Adam Blaiklock.

A small-budget Australian thriller which starts out like a holiday story for young adults surfing around the Maldives and then turns into a variation of Dead Calm and other menace on boats tales.

The young men and women are more or less the usual suspects, out for a good time. Peter Phelps is the ship’s captain who reads them the riot act before they leave. All goes well at first, sea, waves, tropical islands.

One of the men seems an old hand at this but when he loses his temper and beats up an unwary tourist, his true pathological personality begins to emerge. He certainly has a short fuse. But then he molests one of the women, who has had some problems with images of her being put up on the internet. She reacts very strongly, setting up the film for clashes, fights, vengeance. All very melodramatic rather than any real exploration of what has happened, why and what might be done rather than just resorting to revenge.

1. Psychological thriller? Melodrama? The psychosexual dimensions? Violence?

2. The intended audience, young, holidaymakers, the interest in sex, violence?

3. The locations, the sea, the boat, the island and reef, the musical score?

4. The title, the group, the individuals in the boat?

5. The introduction to the group, their arrival on the island, age, relationships, sense of adventure, surfing, the men, the women? Relationships?

6. The captain and his crew, the locals, the captain and his issuing the orders? Discipline?

7. The voyage, the open sea, swimming, surfing, the ordinary adventure?

8. Bull and his stances, his character, friendly at first, his experiences, helping Archie with the bunk, interactions with the captain? Fighting and his anger, the shock of the others, bashing? Revealing his character? The interaction with Sam, the lotion, touching her, her reaction, his defence? The reactions of the others? The captain, his eruption, going ashore, .......... (**? Couldn’t hear) free, coming back, the violence and his being isolated, coming on board, the threats, the sense of menace, the fighting, the end?

9. Sam, going on the adventure, her bad internet experience and exposure, the effect, with Alex? Their bonding? With Rob, the relationship, her provocative sunbathing, the issue of the lotion, Bull and his touching her, her response, her violent reaction, going to the cabin, her wariness of the others, her vengeful feelings, her regaining her strength, fighting back?

10. Alex and Toobs, being together, their sympathy, Toobs trying to help, his being injured, locked in the cabin?

11. Rob, with Sam, the attack, his being cast adrift, climbing back on the boat, the final confrontation?

12. The captain, the crew, trying to handle the discipline, cast adrift?

13. The reality of sexism, sexual assault, the reactions of the women, the victims, the men? Sexual violence?