IMDb 4.4 1981 HD

Centrespread

Centrespread

1981
Drama Science Fiction
82 min NC-17 Australia
4.5 / 10
4.4 IMDB

In a world at the brink of the 21st century, where strict social stratification is rigidly enforced, and the only manifestation of violence is in magazine pages, a…

Personnel // Cast & Crew

Director Tony Paterson
Starring
Kylie Foster / Paul Trahair / Mark Watson / Ivor Louis / Jack Neate / Edson Annan / Paula Carter / John Nobbs

How Viewers Describe This Film

Common themes and sentiments

provocative unsettling thought-provoking stark bleak intriguing compelling controlled mediated exploitative curious

Reviews

D
Dorothy Ainsworth
May 23, 2026
3.0 / 5
3.0

The 1981 film 'Centrespread' posits a future where social order is paramount, and aggression finds its sole expression in the printed word and image. At its heart is a photographer whose artistic signature is the potent mix of…

C
Cecil Thorne
May 23, 2026
4.0 / 5
4.0

'Centrespread' is a compellingly bleak exploration of a future society governed by rigid class structures and mediated violence. The film's strength lies in its provocative premise: a photographer whose talent lies in the potent, often disturbing, combination of…

B
Beatrice Holloway
May 23, 2026
2.5 / 5
2.5

In 'Centrespread', we encounter a world teetering on the edge of the 21st century, where social divisions are stark and violence is a curated spectacle. The story centres on a photographer whose métier is the unsettling marriage of…

A
Arthur Penhaligon
May 23, 2026
3.5 / 5
3.5

'Centrespread' presents a thought-provoking, albeit stark, vision of a future defined by extreme social stratification. The film's central conceit – a society where violence is confined to print – is a potent starting point. Our protagonist, a photographer…

E
Eleanor Vance
May 23, 2026
3.0 / 5
3.0

Released in 1981, 'Centrespread' offers a chilling glimpse into a society rigidly controlled, where the only acceptable outlet for aggression resides within magazine pages. The narrative follows a photographer adept at blending sex and violence, tasked with finding…

FAQs

The photographer's specialised skill in merging violence and sex is central to 'Centrespread's' thematic core. It positions him as a key manipulator within the film's world, someone who understands and exploits the desires and anxieties of the audience through visual media. His ability to blend these potent elements suggests a commentary on the titillating and potentially destructive power of imagery in a society that otherwise suppresses overt conflict.