Every Peter Jackson Film Ranked Worst To Best

Not only was Heavenly Creatures Jackson's first foray into serious Hollywood filmmaking, but it was also the feature film debut of Kate Winslet and Melanie Lynskey. Based on the infamous murder of Honora Parker by her own daughter, Pauline, and Pauline's friend, Juliet. Despite the source material, the film is never exploitative, and captures the horror of the murder perfectly.

Both Winslet and Lynskey shine in the lead roles, whilst the true standout remains the script, thoughtfully penned by both Jackson and his long-time partner Fran Walsh. Between the script and the acting, the film makes for a captivating and intelligent character study, and a near-perfect assessment of tragedy, murder and social consciousness.

With the brilliance of Heavenly Creatures, Jackson set himself for some big things in Hollywood, and though he reverted to comedy-horror type with The Frighteners a couple of years later, it wasn't long before Jackson was ready to hit fans with the project that would make him one of the best directors of his generation.