Review of Wolf Creek (2005) by Stephanie S — 21 Aug 2008

When I started this film I thought the shaky-cam style was ugly and inappropriate, but as the film went on into more macabre territory I realized it was the best way to do it. The approach works because this is a more realistic and disturbing look at the serial killer. A more smooth and polished look would've made it more artificial, and made the experience less...personal.

Anyway, the main flaws with the film lie in the script. Unlike many viewers, I didn't find the beginning to be too slow or boring. My main criticism is some dumb dialogue and cheesy moments. Namely a certain "shock" scene late in the film which demeaned an otherwise realistic and uncheesy movie (and it wasn't even an original one!). The scene where the killer's truck first approaches them during the night also had some strangely stupid dialogue where the characters were freaking out, wondering what the approaching light was.

Besides all that, I felt certain editing choices were also inappropriate. They kept going from shaky shots to static, beautifully lit close-ups of objects or wide-shots of picturesque landscapes. They were very good shots but it slightly harmed the film's approach to edit them like that.

All in all, I'd highly recommend it. I'm interested in seeing the director's other films, just to know for sure whether the shaky camera was a deliberate choice made to suit the material or if it was just a lucky accident.