Wolf Creek (2005)

The Age of Commercialism

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

Don't let my headline lead you to believe that I'm squeamish. I love horror movies, even the ones that really push the envelope. The kind of horror I can't stand is when the narrative is leaning towards the perspective of the killer. This movie is exactly that. You know right from the start that this guy (the killer) is a piece of garbage, and yet the movie is trying to imply that he's a pretty cool dude when he's not murdering people.. and the fact that he gets so much screen time is a complete insult. This is the dude that every waitress that's worked at TGI Friday's vehemently avoids because he's always saying something gross/pervy and he never leaves a gratuity, in fact he'll most likely throw 2 dollars on the table and scram.. how is an audience supposed to be scared of some bozo that's introduced to us like an Aussie Uncle Buck? Sorry, but Crocodile Dundee with Diabetes killing for fun is just not scary, nor enticing, unless of course you're into just watching people get killed for the hell of it.

WOLF CREEK is one of those modern-day, pared-down horror films that rely on action for suspense and deliver a new brand of extreme horror in which the terror comes, not from the supernatural, but from the sadistic mind of a relentless killer. What makes WOLF CREEK different is that it's Australian, which means it comes with its own distinctive visual flavour, and director Gary McLean is bright enough to make the eerie wilderness of the Australian outback a character just as important as the three protagonists of the story. An isolated landscape, full of rusting barbed wire, the lonely barks of solitary dogs, and a creepy giant meteorite crater, this is a film designed to put you off ever wanting to visit Australia ever again.The first half of the film is the best, a slow-burning build up populated by creepy cameo characters and an ever-increasing sense of foreboding. Rather than creating likable characters, McLean pretends the backpackers just as they are, so we get Nathan Phillips as a bit of a jock and Kestie Morassi as somebody incessantly whiny and annoying; Cassandra Magrath does better as the genuinely fragile Liz. Best of all, though, is John Jarratt, who gives one of the best bad guy performances I've ever seen in a movie; he's so evil because he's so NICE, and only by watching this film will you see what I mean. Jarratt is horrifying and far more frightening than Freddy or Jason ever can be.The film seems to have achieved some controversy because of its violent content, but in a world full of SAW movies, it's nothing much; a few flashes of brutal violence and a nasty stabbing, that's it. It's disturbing, though, because McLean is good at filming horror, building up the suspense incessantly before thumping you in the chest with something you don't want to see happen. The similarly-themed HILLS HAVE EYES remake and HOSTEL may have more bloodshed and depravity, but the more subtle terrors of WOLF CREEK are just as powerful as any big bucks horror flick with Hollywood's backing.

Dear Greg Mclean, you are no Ted Kotcheff. You are not even a Richard Franklin.Talk about flogging a dead horse. How many more Australian films about weird happenings in the outback will get made? Many more I hope. I loved the scenery of this film.What this film needed was Billy Connolly. But instead you had a weak Billy Connolly look alike as the villain.Cassandra Mcgrath was very pretty. The two other actors were forgettable.You are a very average writer and director. The plot resolutions were so damn unimaginative. You borrowed so many tropes from older Aussie films. Try to create something new, man.Anyway, I hope more Aussie films set in the outback gets made. But I wish somebody else would do the writing and directing.Best Regards, Pimpin.(6/10)

After reading both the critics' and IMDb user's reviews, I expected an unusually gruesome horror movie full of controversial scenes. I did not get the slightest bit of that. Instead, I got to see a boring movie that mostly consists of filler scenes that show people doing ordinary holiday activities. The last third of the movie is somewhat exciting because it shows the main villain, who has a cool Australian accent, chase and kill very few people, but nothing is above average.It is important to know that the entire first half of the movie is about 3 young people on a holiday in Australia doing trivial stuff. They have some fun at the pool, drive a car, get insulted by some thugs in a bar, visit the Wolf Creek Crater etc. Then their car mysteriously breaks down and they meet weird dirty loaner (played efficiently by John Jarrat) driving a truck. He drives them to a nearby abandoned settlement where they have a very long conservation by a bonfire. After this, the screen goes black for some time, and then the horror starts. Due to the low budget and small cast, there are only a few action scenes, but they are executed decently. A girl gets tortured by the mad Australian loaner, he gets wounded by her friend, several huge plot conveniences occur, some gore is shown, and that's about it. There is one exciting chase scene on a desert road that I liked, but nothing more.On the whole, I do not recommend this movie. You may like it only if you are a huge slasher find and don't mind having to watch 50 minutes of pointless filler scenes before the actual movie starts. Additionally Wolf Creek could not have been based on a true story like it claims to be, because the movie does not contain any story. I actually wonder what all the fuss related to this movie is about.