"That's a nice-a donut."
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Wolf Creek (2005)
In a time when it seems that there is a cheap horror movie released into theaters every single week, it is getting a bit harder to separate the junk from the not-junk. In fact, many of the so-called horror movies released today, are nothing more than semi-suspenseful, self-aware teen comedy-dramas. But with Wolf Creek, Australian multi-tasking writer, director and producer Greg McLean has crafted a terrifying tale that is, at last, worthy of being called a "horror" flick.
It isn't exactly the most original story in the world; for starters, it has classic 70s slasher The Texas Chainsaw Massacre clearly in its sights. Not to mention the fact that it is loosely based on a true story - a detail which is gladly mentions at the start. We are told that some 30,000 people go missing in the land down under each year and that 90 percent of them are found within a month. But "some are never seen again."
In the story, Ben (Nathan Phillips) and his friends Kristy (Kestie Morassi) and Liz (Cassandra Magrath) are all college-age students on vacation. They are headed on a road trip through the Outback, with the main goal of hiking the beautifully scenic Wolf Creek National Park. After a carefree beginning to their trip, the ominous signs begin at Wolf Creek, when two of the group's watches have stopped, followed by the car mysteriously failing to start. A very shady, but nice, old man (John Jarratt) happens by in his truck and offers to give them a lift. He can fix it, but it'll need a new part or two. From there, their luck goes from poor to deadly. In case you haven't already guessed: the very shady, but nice, old man is a crazy lunatic and a cold-blooded monster.
With good use of the Outback scenery as backdrop, as well as plenty of shots of the deep orange sunshine to give an idea of how hot it is there, you know you're not at home and that Wolf Creek is not a place you'd really want to be. Pleasantly, the acting is all very solid. These are all no-name actors, yet nothing was amateur about it and well, at the very least, I never felt that I was watching an unintentional comedy. It also helps that the light banter in the beginning is realistic and never feels like that found in any of the interchangeable American teen slasher flicks. The female characters do make a couple stupid mistakes, that will have you pulling out your hair, but the tension is so tight that your heart will be pounding away anyway.
It is a very slow build up in tension though, as McLean tries to set the stage and develop the three main characters for the first half hour or so. Some will likely find the beginning too tedious and unnecessary for the most part, though since we already have a pretty good idea that something bad is going to happen eventually, this keeps you alert. One things get rolling, however, they don't stop. It is no exaggeration to say that the final hour-plus is completely unflinching and unrelenting terror. With plenty of moments that will have you biting your nails and averting your gaze, it is also a ruthless rollercoaster ride as the seemingly hopeless travelers are sometimes given hope. Followed soon thereafter by gut-punching agony. Wolf Creek is definitely not recommended for those faint of heart. But for those like me, who are suckers for low budget horror, it will provide some of the better thrills and white-knuckled scares in recent years.
The Verdict: B.
Michael Bentley 7:37 PM
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