Suburban Mayhem


Suburban Mayhem is a 2006 Australian film directed by Paul Goldman, written by Alice Bell, produced by Leah Churchill-Brown and Executive Producer Jan Chapman. It features an ensemble cast including Emily Barclay, Michael Dorman, Anthony Hayes, Robert Morgan and Genevieve Lemon. It was filmed in Sydney and Newcastle, Australia.
Suburban Mayhem had its world premiere at Cannes and its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. It was released in Australia on 26 October 2006, with subsequent release around the world.

Plot

Katrina is a 19-year-old single mum who's planning to get away with murder. Katrina lives in a world of petty crime, fast cars, manicures and blow-jobs. A master manipulator of men living at home with her failure of a father in suburban Golden Grove, Katrina will stop at nothing to get what she wants – even murder. When her father threatens to contact Social Services and take away her child, Katrina sets in motion a plan to wreak suburban mayhem that will leave a community in shock and make Katrina infamous in a way even she never dreamed of.
It is loosely based upon the notorious murders by Mark Valera, and later his sister Belinda van Krevel and her then-partner Keith Schreiber, of Frank Arkell and David O'Hearn, and Jack van Krevel, respectively.

Cast

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Box office

Suburban Mayhem grossed $342,600 at the box office in Australia.

Critical reception

Suburban Mayhem has received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a "rotten" rating of 20%, based on 5 reviews, with an average rating of 4/10. Film scholar Bruno Starrs has critiqued the film with regard to Barbara Creed's notion of the "maternal feminine" monster.