Wolf Creek (2005)


Directed by Greg McLean
Written by Greg McLean
Edited by Jason Ballantine
Running Time: 99mins

Main Cast:

John Jarratt .... Mick Taylor
Cassandra Magrath .... Liz Hunter
Kestie Morassi .... Kristy Earl
Nathan Phillips .... Ben Mitchell

Synopsis:

An young trio of backpackers travelling through the Australian outback become stranded when their car breaks down. Accepting help from an ostensibly friendly stranger they are soon plunged into a terrifying ordeal.

Comments:

Since being nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival Australian Greg McLean’s debut Wolf Creek has been forced into the limelight. Critically well received and thus heaped with huge expectations, a nomination of this variety invariably ensures that a movie will reach a wide audience and with horror undisputedly riding a peak in the opening decade of the millennium Wolf Creek looks certain to be a cult hit. Of course McLean has done little to divert attention away from himself, his film having garnered further interest by openly emblazing ‘Based on true events’ at the foot of the UK quad poster and by having the opening credits commence with a True Crime Channel logo. You can’t blame the man for trying; it was a marketing decision along these routes that resulted in one of the most successful independent movies of all time: The Blair Witch Project. Pertinently Wolf Creek also deserves attention since despite its ostensible nature as a genre flick it is a riveting take on outback paranoia.

What marks Wolf Creek out from the off is its unexpected high IQ, McLean refuses to place his protagonists in instant jeopardy instead opting to showcase a group of ordinary young people. The movie is prepared, unlike so many others, to hold back the gore until the halfway point allowing for the viewer to empathise with the characters and begin understanding their motivations. The inclusion of an awkward and embarrassing romance highlights the fragility of our cast; the three are just everyday people in no way removed from me or you. McLean’s intention is clear then – Ben, Liz and Kirsty could be anybody, and this is fundamental to creating the fear. As well as an astutely written screenplay the build-up remains compelling thanks to some delightfully manipulative cinematography, all shot on high-definition handheld camera. The lack of any significant event for an extended time and the nature of the filming create a pseudo-documentary aura which does little to undermine the viewer’s predisposition that Wolf Creek is a true story, and suitably feeds the sense of foreboding. This combined with extensive shots of the open desert and our character’s lonely car drifting through skilfully fortifies the intensity of the isolation. Shooting on HD also results in an image that is marked out by its high contrast appearance. When the trio are being towed along by their eventual torturer a number of close-up shots see the faces lit only by a torch creating white glowing skin against a stark and overwhelming blackness aptly portraying once again the continual threat of nothingness as a surrounding as well as the crushing claustrophobia that begin to pervade the whole film once the antagonist has been introduced. Intelligent and thoughtful camera work does much to enhance the compelling and invigorating Wolf Creek.

The story is of course aided by some likeable acting although the females’ British accents are prone to fluctuation in their quality. Ben, Liz and Kirsty competently establish themselves as commendable characters without being overly generic in their approach. They are not at all angelic in their actions but neither do they display traits that render them objectionable thus ensuring the viewer is never encouraged to cheer for the killer. Josh Jarratt as murderous Mick Taylor is a sagacious choice as he gracefully feeds his persona with the stereotypical caricature of a native Australian, detestable in his gratuity yet approachable and humorous in his nature, aptly hiding the sinister side that ultimately defines him. A twisted take on the Crocodile Dundee gag ‘This is a knife!’ provides the character, and the film, with an unforgettable moment in a cruel scene that is harrowing yet guiltily amusing.

Once the gore arrives it is perhaps unfortunate that following the significant set-up the horror is slightly short-lived. What is on offer, despite not being as visceral or savage as Rob Zombie’s recent effort The Devil’s Rejects is certainly formidable, and the brilliant sets bring the extent of the damage to life by lucidly displaying the terror that has preceded the capture of the three depicted in Wolf Creek. McLean keeps the suspense high ensuring that once the terror starts it is a relentless and exhilarating trip to the film’s unexpected conclusion. The reluctance of the screenplay to adhere to formula (a single remaining screaming girl is not gruesomely picked off here) places the film in a completely respectable position as it at least brings some innovation to an already crowded genre. There is no doubt that Wolf Creek deserves the praise that it has been lauded upon it, showcasing some raw Australian talent and providing horror fans with another exceptional piece of entertainment.


Entertainment Value: 8/10
Potential for film-making analysis: 8/10
IMDB Vote: 8/10