Jack Be Nimble (film)

Lore & Background

The film centers on Jack (Alexis Arquette), who decides to put an end to the abuse he has received from his adoptive parents and runs away to find his long-lost sister, Dora (Sarah Smuts-Kennedy). Although Dora has fared much better since their abandonment and subsequent adoption, she is also drawn to use her telepathic powers to find him. Along the way, Jack is constantly pursued by the four daughters of his adoptive parents, seeking revenge for their parents' demise at the hands of Jack and his invention.

Reader's Guide

Jack Be Nimble has garnered a mixed but notable critical reception. Stephen Holden of The New York Times wrote that 'the film cuts back and forth between scenes of their childhood and adolescence, it evokes their misery and isolation with a feverish intensity that recalls scenes from Hitchcock and De Palma'. Dominic Corry of the New Zealand Herald described the film as 'one of the strangest New Zealand films ever made' and thought that it 'deserves way more of a cult reputation than it currently enjoys'. Kim Newman of Empire Online said it was 'Not a film likely to please everyone, but strong stuff nonetheless'. However, other critics were less favorable: Jami Bernard of Daily News gave it 2 1/2 stars, noting 'there is a coldness and distance to the movie that never allows the audience to feel for Jack'. Christopher Harris of The Globe and Mail gave it 2 stars, calling it 'a half-formed thing'. The film remains available on DVD and Blu-ray and is noted for its striking visuals and supernatural elements.

Did You Know?

• The film includes one of the final movie appearances of British/New Zealand actor and musician Bruno Lawrence.
• Director Garth Maxwell described the film as 'a stylised supernatural tale'.
• The plot involves Jack using an invention to cause the demise of his adoptive parents, leading to pursuit by their four daughters.
• The film is available on DVD and Blu-ray.