It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

The movie's only flaw is also a virtue: It's jammed with characters, stories, warmth and laughs.

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

The acting in this movie is really good.

Young school teacher Sally Jones (a fine and credible performance by the lovely Rachel Ward) and her nine students are taken hostage by four masked gunmen. The teacher and her students soon realize that in order to survive this grueling ordeal they will have to take action on their own and fight back. Tightly directed by Arch Anderson, with a substantial amount of nerve-wracking suspense, a tough, gritty, take-no-prisoners tone (the climax with the teacher and her students brutally attacking the last remaining gunman with makeshift spears is positively shattering), and startling outbursts of sudden ferocious violence, this very tense and effective little gut-kicker packs a really strong and mean wallop. Everett De Roche's gripping and hard-hitting script delivers a disturbing and provocative central message on how anyone can degenerate into savagery if given the proper stimulus. Ward's protective teacher impresses with her bravery, spunkiness, and resourcefulness. The child thespians do solid and believable work. The masked gunmen are genuinely fierce and frightening, with Peter Hehir in particular a scary stand-out as vicious ring leader Father Christmas. The remote rural Aussie outback locations convey a profoundly unsettling feeling of isolation and vulnerability. David Connell's sharp and lively cinematography offers several striking images. Danny Beckmann's rattling score does the heart-racing trick. A real powerhouse.

A teacher and her class are kidnapped in a remote country town by four ruthless nasties who shut the group in an underground cavern and wait for pay day. However they never reckoned with a bunch of tough Aussie kids and a feisty young mistress.Performances are quite strong, especially from Rachel Ward as the schoolmarm who is thrust headlong into danger and must think and act not only for herself but for all her young charges. The kids themselves are never outdone though, and all impress, including Sean Garlick and Rebecca Rigg as the two older ones upon whom much responsibility also falls. Cinematography is eye catching, capturing the rugged Australian bush very well.The interesting thing is the plot, adapted from Gabrielle Lord's novel by Everett De Roche. Early on the story unfolds carefully and compellingly, with director Arch Nicholson building tension and swaying our emotions with some skill. By the halfway mark we are his for the taking, then the film heads off on a slightly different tangent. The last third of the film takes on a feeling and atmosphere almost comparable to "Lord of the Flies", with the children becoming a bit scary. In fact the finale is like something out of the occult.Not that any of this ruins the movie though, even if it is somewhat surprising. Yes Nicholson loses his grip towards the end, yet this is still enjoyable, occasionally unnerving fare.Saturday, November 30, 1996 - Video

What we have here is a fairly obscure little made for Australian TV movie that takes a common plot (kidnap) and moulds an interesting little morality tale around it. The theme seen in this film was previously seen in classics such as The Virgin Spring, and later The Last House on the Left, except here it arguably more shocking (though much less visceral) as there are children involved. The question that the movie asks is whether or not it is OK to "do unto others as they do unto you", though it never actually makes a judgement on this and the audience is left to decide - which makes the film instantly more interesting than morality tales that preach to the viewer (recent Oscar winner Crash is a good example of how badly that can turn out). The plot focuses on a school teacher and her class. Their ordinary day is ruined when men with guns decide to take them all hostage and hold them for ransom. They manage to escape the kidnappers, but find themselves running out of steam as every escape attempt is thwarted. They soon realise that the best to get away from the villains may not be to run, but to stand and fight...This film works because the plot is kept simple and this allows us to focus on the important points that the story has to make. The characters we are introduced to are all likable and believable also; and this again helps to convey the film's message as we can understand why they have been lured into the situation that they find themselves in. The acting in the film is decent considering it's a TV movie. Rachel Ward plays the part of the school teacher well, and definitely seems to have a rapport with the children. A Problem that often befalls films like this is that the child actors tend to be annoying; but surprisingly, this film manages to avoid slipping into that pitfall as even the kids manage decent performances! The first half of the movie doesn't feature a lot in the way of excitement, but things really hot up in the second half and the ending is certainly worth waiting for. I can't say that this is a great movie, but it's certainly a very good one and one that fans of horror/thrillers will certainly want to check out!

I'm in that group of people that saw this movie as a young teenager back in 1986. I was babysitting some kids in my apartment complex and caught it late at night. For 20 years I have carried this fascination with it. Kind of a love affair, in fact. I've only seen it that one time. I've looked for it a few times, since, but gave up the chase. Glad to know it's out there. I'm looking forward to seeing it again. As a side note, while babysitting those same kids on a different night, I was introduced to Nicholas Cage in a movie called Birdie. If you like Nick's work that falls more on the side of drama and a little less on the flashy lights, this movie is for you. Also starred Krispin Glover.