Review of Wolf Creek (2005) by Ven-Wede — 15 Jan 2012

Torture? Gore? Horror? It's fine to describe a movie with buzzwords, but only when they are applicable. Wolf Creek is just an incredibly tame exploitation film that fails to both shock and scare. Some genuinely good acting and atmosphere does not hide the fact that it is quite simply an average piece of cinema.

It follows many basic horror cliches, even when there's no reason for it. There are many points when the characters will do something silly and questionable, completely undermining the hard work the actors put in to make themselves believable, three-dimensional human beings in the first act.

The resolution of the movie is unsatisfying, and feels more like a cop-out than a conclusion. It was in no way necessary for this to be 'based on true events', and much less have text closing out the story, telling us what becomes of the characters.

Also, even though it is wholly produced in Australia, it does nothing but reinforce Australian stereotypes by pandering to an international audience. Overall, Wolf Creek is a very forgettable horror film that will not affect a horror fan in any way, but can be quite enjoyable thanks to Jarratt's over-the-top performance.