Review of Wolf Creek (2005) by Jake D — 21 Oct 2010

At just over the midway point, "Wolf Creek" had the makings of a modern and equally scary "Texas Chainsaw Massacre". Regrettably scripting issues crept in and this otherwise tense, raw and (in some twisted way) artistically shot horror film takes an unrecoverable black eye.

In yet another tireless example of a story supposedly "based on true events", the movie kicks off with two female tourists Liz (Cassandra Magrath) and Kristie (Kestie Morassi) hooking up with Sydney native Ben (Nathan Phillips) for a carefree tour of the Australian Outback.

After much partying, they venture out to Wolf Creek, site of a massive meteorite crater. After their epic hike they return to their car to discover that their watches have inexplicably stopped and the car won't start.

Almost on cue a colorful and eccentric local named Mick Taylor (John Jarratt) shows up and offers to tow the car to his camp where he can effect repairs and the trio can crash for the night. Trusting this seemingly sincere offer for assistance turns out to be a horrible mistake.

After nodding off, Liz wakes up bound and gagged by herself in a shed. Although she manages to free herself, she's set on a path of terror and misery as she attempts to liberate her friends and escape with their hides and wits intact.

There are a lot of things that work very well in "Wolf Creek". Director Greg McLean's background as an art student serves him well. There are stunningly haunting and beautiful shots of Australian scenery on display here.

He neatly contrasts this with the ugliness of Mick's junkyard camp and his crazed behavior. McLean also wisely allows the audience ample time to get two know his troika of main characters. In fact, fifty minutes of run time clocks by before anything really odd happens, and frankly, that's a welcome decision.

Mick's 180 degree switch from down to earth yokel to raving loon is completely convincing. When signs begin to crop up that Mick isn't all there (like his awkward silence after Ben's "Crocodile" Dundee joke) you just start screaming at the screen: "Run! Get out now! No!!! Don't drink that water!!!" When Mick does over the deep end, John Jarrett does a phenomenal job creating a character ten times more frightening than Jason Vorhees could ever be.

He's repellently real with a slew of creepy personality tics and a laugh that will haunt you long after the credits roll. The three victims are well realized. Nathan Phillips is the perfect foil to Mick, who instantly seems incensed that Ben represents what passes for the modern Aussie male.

Cassandra Magrath is very sympathetic and we really want to see her survive. But its Kestie Morassi who will really pull your heart through the ringer. The scene where she's being tortured by Mick is almost unwatchable.

Her screams are so genuine I'm not surprised to learn (via the "making of" documentary) that the director and crew felt compelled to burst in on the two actors when they were left alone to do a scene together by themselves.

About three quarters of the way through, "Wolf Creek" started to make me very angry. I hoped, no, I PRAYED that the actions of these characters weren't based on real events, since the decisions they make, particularly by Liz, are so inexplicably stupid that it begins to insult the intelligence of the viewer.

I won't spoil anything for you, but I dare you to watch this and not start cursing out the demands that the script forces upon it's characters like a brain dead puppet master. Indeed, Liz takes one action after another that seems designed to pad the film's run time, add needlessly to the backstory or put them all back into unnecessary peril.

And, sadly, it's because of this that I'm trying not to throw the genuinely scary "It's Alive" baby out with the fetid bath water. If you take away the moronic scripting choices you're still left with a tense, memorable, and genuinely frightening film with a villain that is painfully real.

It's too bad that the ill-gauged deviations in the script are a cardinal sin of near-murderous proportions. Tilt: down.