The Cost

The Cost is a 2022 Australian revenge drama directed by Matthew Holmes from an original screenplay by Matthew Holmes and Gregory Moss. Set over 48 hours, the film follows two men as they seek to enact vengeance on a convicted felon, by taking him deep into the bush to inflict a series of punishments. It stars Jordan Fraser-Trumble, Damon Hunter, Kevin Dee, Nicole Pastor and Clayton Watson. The filmmaker's intentions with The Cost was to produce a film that explored at the moral, ethical and emotional implications surrounding vengeance and vigilante justice. The writers wanted to steer away from the genre tropes typically associated with revenge movies so as to present an act of revenge in a highly realistic way. Some elements within the story, such as the flashbacks to the character of Stephanie, were inspired by the real-life murder of Jill Meagher. Plot The film introduces the three main characters of David, Aaron and Troy as they individually prepare for their weekend. David is purchasing a suspicious assortment of items from a hardware store; Aaron is loading a rifle and hiding it within some camping equipment; Troy is settling into his home for a weekend of drinking and holiday planning.