Durban Poison (2013)
Release Year: 2013
Nation: South Africa
Alternative Title: N/A
Director: Andrew Worsdale
Writer: Andrew Worsdale
Production & Genre
Awards & Similar
Awards:
Similar: N/A
Story
Durban Poison follows a police investigation into four murders, centering around the outlaw lovers Joline and Pieter, who are based on South Africa's real-life Bonnie and Clyde, Charmaine Phillips and Pieter Grundlingh. The story unfolds through flashbacks as the couple guides the police to their crime scenes during a road trip. The savvy officer in charge initially doubts their accounts, but gradually learns the truth about Joline and Pieter's motivations and relationship. The film culminates in a dramatic beach scene where the truth is finally revealed.
Summary
Durban Poison is a noir romance set against the backdrop of South Africa's marginalized white underclass. Directed by Andrew Worsdale, who returns to feature filmmaking after his UCLA graduate thesis film Shot Down was banned and gained cult status, this movie draws inspiration from the real-life crime story of Charmaine Phillips and Pieter Grundlingh, dubbed South Africa's Bonnie and Clyde. Despite being a fictionalized account, it offers insights into their motivations and relationship through a gripping police investigation. The murders serve as a backdrop to the film's core focus on the doomed romance between Joline and Pieter.
