DVD review
Directed by The Butcher Brothers
Starring Cory Knauf, Samuel Child, Jospeh McKelheer, MacKenzie Firgens
Released 2 July 2007

Three brothers and their sister move into a middle class American suburb and begin capturing and killing local women. But youngest brother Francis grows ever more impatient with his family’s murderous ways…

The Hamiltons starts off looking like another venture to the horror porn territory of Hostel, Wolf Creek, Captivity and the like, but things quickly take a turn for the surreal (and the supernatural) as the secrets behind the family come to light.

Perhaps best described as a horror version of hit 80s TV show Family Ties, it's part spoof and part gross-out horror, and was evidently made on a low budget. But the no-name cast and first time directors do a great job in cranking up the suspense, and garner a few chuckles in the process.

In fact, The Hamiltons may well be the best indie shocker of the year – even though its nihilistic ending is hard to like. It comes in a worthy DVD package that includes a directors' commentary and some deleted scenes. Calum Waddell

VERDICT: 7/10
Horror comedies are never the easiest things to pull off, but The Hamiltons has the right mix of lacerations and laughs.