New trailer unveiled for Matthew Holmes’ nail-biting thriller, The Cost

Jordan Fraser-Trumble and Damon Hunter in The Cost.

Bronte Pictures has unveiled the trailer for its nail-biting feature film, The Cost ahead of the film’s upcoming Queensland Premiere at Vision Splendid Outback Film Festival on June 23.

Directed by Matthew Holmes, The Cost is a thriller with the intensity of Wolf Creek and Deliverance and was a hit at Monsterfest 2022, where it had its World Premiere.

“I’m beyond excited to finally reveal the trailer for The Cost and very honoured that it’s been included in the amazing line-up at this year’s Vision Splendid Outback Film Festival,” Matthew tells Cinema Australia.

Matthew – who also co-wrote the screenplay with Gregory Moss – started his career as a stop-motion animator, sculptor and story board artist on TVCs and award-winning short films. His feature film credits include The Legend of Ben Hall and he has multiple feature screenplays in various stages of development.

“The Cost is a very personal film in many ways and a sharp departure from the films I normally make. I’m so proud of what my cast and crew achieved. They all threw themselves into this film with such dedication. We shot the film periodically over 13 months during the height of the pandemic, which sounds problematic – but what it gave us was the ability to reflect on what we’d done and try new things as we went along. There was no sense of trying to hit a strict deadline, so it allowed us time and freedom to craft the film exactly as we wanted it to be. I think that’s evident in the final results,” Holmes continues.

“The Cost was designed to be a cinematic experience that confronts the audience and gets them thinking about a very fundamental question – what is true justice? Judging by the reviews and feedback we’ve had so far, it’s having that effect. We achieved what we set out to do and that is a very rewarding feeling.”

Kevin Dee and Damon Hunter in The Cost.

The film stars Jordan Fraser-Trumble (Lawless: The Real Bushrangers; The Legend of Ben Hall), Damon Hunter (The Party Bus, Lawless: The Real Bushrangers), Kevin Dee (The Disappearance of Willie Bingham; Underbelly), Clayton Watson (The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions) and Nicole Pastor (Ruby’s Choice and the upcoming Freelance).

“This story directly challenges our social construction of masculinity and its close link with violence whilst delivering an on-the-edge-of-your-seat-thriller,” Jordan Fraser-Trumble, who plays David in the film, tells Cinema Australia. “It raises important questions that we as a society must confront within ourselves. I can’t wait to share it with everyone.”

The Cost tells the story of David (Jordan Fraser-Tumble) and Aaron (Damon Hunter), two ordinary blokes who abduct a convicted felon (Kevin Dee) who committed a horrific crime many years before. Intent on dispensing their own brutal form of justice against the man who shattered their families lives, what unfolds is a morally grey tale about vigilante justice and nightmarish ride as the men contend with the ramifications of their actions and the complexities of “an eye for an eye” mentality.

“After a long and gruelling shoot with blood, sweat and tears – literally all three – it’s thrilling to be seeing everyone’s hard work coming to life with the release of this trailer and the announcement of the film’s Queensland premiere. There’s no denying that there are big things ahead for this Aussie flick,” says Damon Hunter.

Kevin Dee, who’s brilliant as the film’s antagonist, tells Cinema Australia that he can’t wait to see how local audiences react to the film.

“This is an intense film that deals with some very heavy subject matter. It was an extremely challenging role for me and I am very proud of what we all managed to create during the pandemic,” says Kevin.

Nicole Pastor, a dynamic and dedicated actor who is currently thriving on the adrenaline of a fast-paced industry, plays Stephanie in a brief role which has a major effect on the film.

“I am so thrilled that The Cost is finally getting the attention it deserves. Everyone worked very hard on this film, so to be able to finally share it with the world means everything. The Cost was very well received at last year’s Monster Fest, so I’m glad it will also be appearing at Vision Splendid Outback Film Festival. This film will make audiences think and feel. It’s one hell of a ride,” Pastor tells Cinema Australia.

The partnership between Bronte Pictures and the team of Holmes and Moss continues with a second film currently in post-production, a thriller/creature feature, Fear Below.

The Cost is produced by Blake Northfield, Kurt Royan, Russell Cunningham and Matthew Holmes via Bronte Pictures, Two Tone Pictures, RLC Motion Picture Entertainment and La Rosa Productions. The feature completed post production at The Post Lounge.

Tickets for the Queensland Premiere of The Cost at Vision Splendid Outback Film Festival, held in Winton – a region often referred to as Hollywood of the Outback – are available now throughvisionsplendidfilmfest.com