Heavenly Creatures (1994)

The critic welcomes Peter Jackson's shift from splatter films to this drama based on a real New Zealand murder case, focusing on the intense friendship between two teenagers rather than the violence itself. The film is distinguished by its immersive depiction of the girls' secretive relationship and is acted with conviction and directed with febrile vibrancy, though some camera movements are noted as irritating.

The review criticizes the director for filming the story from the girls' hysterical perspective, glamorizing their warped view and treating the murderers with suspicious tenderness instead of critical distance.

The film is taut and clever, fronted by two excellent performances and a strong choice for Jackson's move into mainstream filmmaking. It singles out the sustained dreamlike state that makes the crime plotting feel like part of the girls' fantasy world.

The film is praised as an adventurous, accomplished work burning with cinematic energy that presents the inevitable story without romanticizing or excusing the events.

The critic finds the film an eccentric exploration of the girls' fantasy world that captures their detachment from reality but ultimately loses tension by staying too close to their point of view.

The review calls it an exhilarating retelling that combines original vision with a complex portrait of the out-of-control relationship, though it may divide audiences with its flashy style.

The film is Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh at their most confident, beautifully capturing the emotional ties and teenage angst between the two girls in their screen debuts. It remains Jackson's most honest film, with breathtaking fantasy sequences from the fledgling Weta workshop.