There’s a certain appeal of freedom that comes with the notion of freelancing. For most creatives, there’s the feeling of independence in choosing one’s own working conditions, and, to the more corporate minded nine-to-fivers, this may conjure a sense of envy in being able to escape certain confinements. Whilst this isn’t necessarily untrue, freelancing is so often a paycheck-to-paycheck type profession, and as much as there’s the choice in what to work on, turning down opportunities is a rarity – even if said work isn’t remotely desirable.
Such is the case for the lead in John Balazs‘ thriller Freelance, an unnerving Australian effort that highlights the dangers of free agency to the most extreme example. At the centre of the escalating nastiness is Katie (Nicole Pastor), a video editor hoping to break out beyond the sizzle reels and pornographic footage she’s currently working on. A mysterious offer comes through with the promise of thousands of dollars – in USD too, to boot – in a moment that she needs assistance the most, and though she doesn’t appreciate the anonymity of how she’s receiving the work (it’s all via text), she’s not in a position to turn it down, despite the questionable footage at hand.
What she believes is merely a poorly filmed student project soon reveals itself as a violent snuff film, and as the offers increase in their monetary value, so too does the very real threat that starts presenting itself around her existence. Could there be something supernaturally sinister at hand? Or is Katie’s sanity slipping, with no one to help her during her downward spiral?
The uncertainty between what is fact and what is fiction is what assists Freelance in maintaining audience interest across its 100-ish minutes. Whilst it’s evident that it has a lower-end budget, Balazs’ premise never flounders under its limitations, with Pastor easily holding steady as the film’s main anchor in assuring emotional investment. Though her character isn’t always the most welcoming presence, we garner that she’s practically become a product of her environment. We see her desperation and how much she wants to remove herself from such degrading work – and this is even before the snuff films – but she also refuses to back down when her life is threatened, and it’s the actions she takes in the backend of the film that speaks to the very core of how far someone will go to survive.
Though it may feel too lowkey to audiences who need constant physicality on screen to stay interested, and it may not always come together as seamlessly as it deserves to, with Pastor’s commitment and the film adhering to a nasty mentality, Freelance ultimately proves to be another shining example of homegrown genre work.
THREE AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Freelance is now available to rent and/or buy on major digital platforms.
