Yes, it may sound like a few films you’ve seen before, but the Australian horror thriller Girl at the Window still has a few surprises.

Amy (Ella Newton) and her mother Barbara (Radha Mitchell) have moved into a suburb following the tragic death of Amy’s father. An occurrence Amy blames herself for. She’s awoken one night by a van being driven out by the next-door neighbour, Chris (Vince Colosimo). This is enough to make her suspicious of him, even before he starts dating her mum. There has been a spate of kidnap-murders in the town, and Amy’s money’s on Chris being the culprit. She talks her friend Lian (Karis Kailani) into helping her snoop around Chris’ property to find evidence of the latest missing girl.

Part-Fright Night, part-Rear Window, and a sprinkling of The Woman in the Window, director Mark Hartley’s film has the stifling atmosphere of the Aussie exploitation films of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s (as Hartley made Not Quite Hollywood, the definitive documentary of that style of Oz cinema, it makes perfect sense). While it could be tempting to write the film off as a knock-off of similarly themed movies, there’s a mid-point twist that rivals the recent Barbarian to keep things fresh and interesting. Terence Hammond and Nicolette Minster’s script keeps the characters interesting while knowing of its influences. Ella Newton is dynamic as the teen whose suspicions could put her loved ones in danger, and there are plenty of “get out of there!” moments as she takes to roaming about the neighbour’s property looking for clues that Chris is the Clockwork Killer. She also sells the trauma of reliving her father’s death well, adding a surprising amount of depth to the character.

Rising above expectations while fitting perfectly into the Ozploitation bracket, Girl at the Window is certainly one to check out.

Girl at the Window is on digital and VOD in the US from November 4th.