Wolf Creek
(2005)
review by Mickey Juice

Wolf Creek is perhaps one of the nastiest Aussie horror movies to come out in years, and it’s good too see the return of the Aussie ‘OZploitation’ that was prevalent in the 70’s and early 80’s. Greg McLean has made the movie on a shoestring budget of only 1.4 Million and it stands up as one of the best of the genre.

Wolf Creek provides a great bloody postcard of the Aussie outback, and presents it in all its vastness and ruthlessness. This movie won’t do any favours for the tourist trade down under!

This is no rollercoaster ride of ups and downs like your typical slasher movie; it’s more like a one way descent. Rather than blasting the audience with loud audio cues, cheap CGI, and flashy editing like so many of the recent horror fare, Wolf Creek sets up the story and the characters early and brings the audience along for the ride, then when we’re all feeling comfortable with our tour of the Aussie outback, the director unleashes the beast. From then on it’s all downhill (in a good horror way).

Those that have been brought up on a diet of humorous ‘Scream’ movies and teen slashers will get one hell of a shock. There’s no cheering for the bad guy or laughing at the kills; watching can almost be unbearable at times. On the other hand, those who are horror veterans who have gorged themselves on a feast of Miike, Fulci, Pekinpah and even Argento, will be a little disappointed. There is minimal claret on the big screen, and most of the horror is psychological. Women will probably be affected the most, with most of the violence being targeted at the female characters of the movie.

Some reviewers have actually been taking marks off because of the nastiness and suffering depicted in the film, which I think is wrong. This is a horror movie! So what the hell is the point of thinking this is a bad thing?

As Leigh Whannell said a few years ago, when a good horror movie comes along and goes mainstream, everyone declares “Horror’s back!!” but we fans know it never went away! It’s the same with the violence; this isn’t the only violent film out there, but because it’s a popular film they’re bringing attention to it (the violence). You have to wonder about film critics these days ;)

Wolf Creek is loosely based on the notorious ‘Backpacker Murders’ case, where the bodies of seven missing young people were discovered partly buried in the Belanglo State Forest in New South Wales. Ivan Milat was later charged with the killings and was sentenced to life in prison.
The movie also can be also said to reference the recent Peter Falconio disappearance, where British tourist Peter Falconio went missing after encountering a man whilst travelling with his girlfriend Joanne Lees along the Sturt Highway in the Northern Territory. The release of Wolf Creek has actually been delayed in the Northern Territory because the trial of the accused is currently underway.

If you’re familiar with either of these cases you can spot the resemblances in the film’s storyline.

The movie begins with the Ben (Nathan Phillips) buying a cheap car he can use for the trip through the outback on the way to Cairns. Ben, the Aussie of the crew has been travelling with 2 British backpackers, Kristy (Kestie Morassi) and Liz (Cassandra Magrath) and he has convinced them to go on a road trip North, with a stop at the Wolf Creek National Park. After a night of partying at the backpacker hostel, the trio head off the following morning.

Early in the film, seeds are planted for a potential relationship between Ben and Liz (although the potential for a 3 way love triangle could have been explored a bit more too). The trio all act and talk like normal people; we could easily know people just like them. This is what helps the audience relate to the characters and even form a bond with them. It makes the realistic horror that is to follow even more unbearable.

After a tense encounter with the local truckers during a stop for fuel at an outback service station, they make their way to Wolf Creek National Park to see the site of a crater caused by a 50,000 ton meteorite 300,000 years ago.

Before we put a human face to the monster with the entrance of the killer, there is almost a supernatural quality to the movie during this period; it’s very much like Peter Weir’s ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock’. There is a very eerie ambience around the Wolf Creek crater; this has been created with the help of Ben’s earlier stories about UFOs and a moment where everyone’s clocks stop (another obvious reference to Picnic) along with the ambient soundtrack.

After spending a few hours at the crater, they all decide to depart… but alas, like all good horror movie clichés, their car won’t start. As they are preparing to spend the night in the car, enter a Crocodile Dundee type character named Mick Taylor (played by Tarantino’s favourite Aussie actor John Jarratt), he offers them all a tow back to his place. And this is where the fun starts.

I’ll leave the rest of the story for you to discover, but this is about where the road trip across the country starts to go downhill and the tension and terror ramp up to 11.

I thought some parts of the story were a bit predictable, and others were pretty surprising. I also thought there were a few too many ‘breathers’ provided for the audience. Mr Joe Public probably would be relieved to have the horror scenes cut short, but horror fans may feel cheated to have a tense build up, and the final payoff ending just that little bit early, maybe even before the good bits. This is only a minor shortcoming, as the scenes of horror are well done. Much like Texas Chainsaw, there is minimal on-screen blood, the voyeuristic nature of the filming, and the realism are what makes it scary.

It took me a long time to decide what I thought about the ending of the film, and in the end I thought it was a little disappointing. Maybe after a second viewing it will sit a bit better, much like The Blair Witch Project’s ending. It was too abrupt for me, but I won’t comment any further and let you decide.

A good horror movie can rise above the cliché with its characters; if they’re depicted well and are believable, than the movie will be much better for it. Hey the bogeyman may not be real, but if the characters onscreen convince you he is, than you start to believe. With such a long introduction we get to know the characters very well, as I mentioned earlier they’re just like normal people. They’re not fantasy superheroes or cardboard cut-outs, and I think it’s a credit to the actors and the direction of Greg McLean.

The character of Mick Taylor might not be the total opposite to the tourists, but he’s still pretty much off centre. A larger than life character if you will. Knowing audiences will quickly compare him to Mick ‘Crocodile’ Dundee, the McLean deliberately throws in the odd homage to the Dundee movies. The “That’s not a knife, THIS is a knife” line will have totally different meaning after you see this movie!

He can come over as a little camp at times and initially you’re laughing at the guy, from his strange laugh to his over-the-top Aussie outback farmer persona. But before long you start to question his sanity. As the credits roll, he will have become a right royal bastard in the eyes of the audience.

Wolf Creek was shot on high definition video and then transferred to 35mm (not that you’d really notice) and it holds up really well. There is only the odd blurry shot to remind you it was shot on DV, but this isn’t too distracting. The DP has managed to capture the beauty of the Aussie outback, as well as the vast and harsh conditions. The ol’ digital camera also gives a slightly different type of lens flare compared to a film camera, particularly with night shots of car headlights. The use of a handheld camera also gives the movie a mock-documentary feel, which has been used to good effect in the past (eg The Blair Witch Project), lending to the sense that we are watching something that is real. It also helps sell the ‘based on a ‘true story’ idea.

Along with the visual, I thought the audio used in the movie was really good. From the sound of the wind or the rumbling of thunder, ambient sounds were very effective, especially when establishing that they’re all out in the middle of nowhere.

Some people are calling Wolf Creek the ‘Aussie Texas Chainsaw’, I don’t really agree. I think the movie stands on its own. It’s like when ‘Saw’ was getting comparisons to ‘Se7en’. The similarities between the movies are merely in the tone and dread they both convey. You’re not laughing at the violence on the screen, you’re extremely uncomfortable.

I just liked the fact I could see a good R18+ rated (Aust. rating) film in the theatre, minus the giggling 14 year old girls. In the theatre I was in, it was pretty much silent. Although I don’t think the rating is really warranted- films like the Texas Chainsaw remake were just as harrowing, and had a lot more gore- but I think it received the high rating more for the tone of the film, as well as the fact that it may have hit a little close to home for the ratings board in regards to the Ivan Milat case.

The main thing when seeing Wolf Creek is to try and not let the hype get to you, you will only be disappointed, especially if you’re from blood-spattered horror mould, which I know a lot of you are. If you let yourself get sucked into the story and the characters, it can have an affect on you. Much like the first time you see ‘Audition’ (although probably not that extreme!). It might be a little over hyped, but it’s still a solidly made horror movie, and one of the best to come out of Australia in the last few years.

I will quote Mick Taylor in my comparison between Wolf Creek and other recent horror movies by saying they’re “weak as piss”. Highly recommended!