Wolf Creek (DVD)

...they intend to see is Wolf Creek, the site of one of the world's largest meteorite craters, renowned for its remote beauty. The car is bought, the bags are packed and the three youths set off on their travels.

When they eventually reach Wolf Creek, they are not disappointed. Its enormous majesty reigns over the surrounding landscape and in spite of the miserable weather they find themselves transfixed by the stunning views. Having ...
.../> At the start of Wolf Creek, we are told that over 30,000 people go missing in Australia every year. 90% of them are found within a month, we're told, but by default we don't need it spelling out that this means that about 3,000 of them aren't. The chilling reality of these genuine numbers forms the basis of Wolf Creek - the story of what happens / happened to just three of these unfortunate people.

Greg McLean's second production ... more

Two English backpackers, Liz and Kristy, are holidaying in Australia where they hook up with a local guy called Ben. Invited to a big party, they decide to buy an old car and drive across country, stopping off to do some sightseeing on the way. The sight they intend to see is Wolf Creek, the site of one of the world's largest meteorite craters, renowned for its remote beauty. The car is bought, the bags are packed and the three youths set off on their travels.

When they eventually reach Wolf Creek, they are not disappointed. Its enormous majesty reigns over the surrounding landscape and in spite of the miserable weather they find themselves transfixed by the stunning views. Having returned to the car to set off again, however, things don't go so well. The car is completely dead and simply won't start at all. Stuck literally in the middle of nowhere, they struggle to maintain high spirits until, much to their relief, a truck pulls up alongside them and help seems to have arrived. When an offer of assistance is made by a man who seems to be their very own Crocodile Dundee they willingly accept, albeit a little nervously, and take up an offer for shelter for the night whilst the stranger fixes their car. Many miles and hours of driving later, they arrive at an abandoned mine and settle down by the camp fire where the four of them exchanges stories, shortly before they all nod off, warmed by the fire and exhausted by the day's exertions.

It's still night time. The darkness tells her that. Her head hurts. She's tied up. How did that happen? She spits out a filthy gag and looks around the tiny hut that has become her prison. How the hell can she get out? Is the door locked? She peers out the window. The camp fire has burnt out. There is nobody around. Where are Ben and Kristy? She wimpers and cries and suddenly it dawns on her that nobody knows where they are. Hang on a minute. Nobody knows they are missing. That means nobody will be looking.

And then the nightmare begins.

At the start of Wolf Creek, we are told that over 30,000 people go missing in Australia every year. 90% of them are found within a month, we're told, but by default we don't need it spelling out that this means that about 3,000 of them aren't. The chilling reality of these genuine numbers forms the basis of Wolf Creek - the story of what happens / happened to just three of these unfortunate people.

Greg McLean's second production is a raw, uncompromising horror story that plays on our fear of the unknown. Conceptually, it doesn't feel like anything new - three teenagers run into a sadistic maniac in the middle of nowhere - but the whole thing is put together in a new way that makes it feel quite different to anything you've seen before. There is no cliché here, none of that stupid American stuff that pushes plausibility and credibility to such extremes that you know that what you're watching is really nothing more than a gory pantomime. Wolf Creek plays a different tune, which resoundingly has much more effect.

Wolf Creek's obviously limited budget means that the director needed style and substance to attract viewers rather than glitzy effects and action. McLean uses those things that are free, namely the Australian countryside, to great effect. At times, Wolf Creek feels rather like a nature documentary as the camera hovers slowly over the incredible land formations as if to spell out the insignificance of the three teenagers stuck in the middle of it all. Filmed in grainy, virtually colourless film, the whole picture feels as though the blood has been drained from its very heart, leaving a cold, malevolent presence over the rest of it. Wolf Creek is drenched in atmosphere. Everything seems coated in a layer of dread. When the teenagers are partying and cavorting around at the start of the film, it serves only to make their predicted demise even more terrible. When their new-found friend laughs, it isn't funny. It's sinister, which, clearly, is the whole point. McLean knows how to use visuals too. There are some stand-out moments, notably a scene involving the moonlit silhouette of Mick Taylor as he searches for the hiding teenagers.

To capitalise further on public interest, McLean has opted for small touches akin to The Blair Witch Project. Wolf Creek is supposedly based on (unspecified) true events, although clearly by the time things draw to a close, you would be unable to explain exactly how they knew what happened actually did happen. This is never forced down your throat, but McLean stays well away from the fantastic on the basis that he wants you to believe that you are watching a true story. Brief sequences of camcorder footage are used to suggest that these are real people who are really on holiday. The jumpy camerawork used in earlier scenes almost seems to suggest that they are being filmed for a documentary and even the closing credits further labour the point that this is based on something that really happened. It's all very effective and very real - and therefore rather frightening.

The skill in making a good horror film is to convince the audience that this could happen to them. You can pour endless amounts of blood and gore all over a film, but if it's too far-fetched it can only be appreciated as a bizarre fantasy being played out for entertainment. Wolf Creek is a warning. It is a cautionary tale for teenagers to expose the risks to which they are exposed when they disappear off into the middle of nowhere. In horror films, there is no safety in numbers and despite Liz, Kristy and Ben's apparent sensibility, this becomes immediately apparent in this film. More importantly, however, Wolf Creek is a cautionary tale for their parents. As mums and dads sit watching the film, knowning that their children may well at that moment in time be off travelling somewhere themselves, they then have to sit and watch unspeakable things happening to three of someone else's children. Suffice it so say that as the final credits roll, you'll be inclined to just pick up that phone and say hello - if you can…..

Wolf Creek is a violent film. The stranger's name is Mick Taylor and his apparently friendly exterior betrays something far less palatable. As he tells the teenagers about his bizarre past you will almost find yourself shouting at the screen, "Get out now!" But they don't, which means rich pickings for Mr Taylor. Taylor's brutality is so extreme that Wolf Creek is often an uncomfortable viewing experience. When I saw this at the cinema, several couples simply got up and walked out when thing started to go bad and you can't blame them for it. McLean masterfully sets us up to like these three teenagers and therefore we find ourselves inherently distressed when Mick Taylor starts preying upon them. If you wondered what the title of this review was referring to, I suggest you watch Wolf Creek and learn - and shudder.

McLean does find inspiration from his peers. The concept is not that far removed from Tobe Hooper's legendary Texas Chainsaw Massacre and throughout the latter stages of the film, there are hints of Texas throughout. As Liz picks her way through the abandoned out buildings she finds evidence of the scale of the atrocity in which she has unwittingly become involved - an experience shared by her counterparts in Wrong Turn. The remote Australian setting and abduction concept is reminiscent of Picnic at Hanging Rock. But Wolf Creek never feels like a copy. It is its own film, in its own right.

The cast are excellent too. John Jarratt's Mick Taylor is outstanding, if only because of the way he is able to turn from saviour to slaughterer so starkly. He genuinely is like Crocodile Dundee to start with but the change to sadist is sudden and brutal. This is a man who is completely deranged and the more you find out about him, the more unhinged you know he is. Mick Taylor is very much a one-off though and should never become a horror icon like Leatherface or Chucky. I would hate for there to be a sequel to this film. The teenagers are a good bunch too. Nathan Phillips (Ben Mitchell), former Neighbours star, is endearingly watchable as the two girls' travelling companion. Cassandra McGrath (Liz) gets, by far, the worst deal of the three of them and is probably the strongest of the trio. Kestie Morassi (Kristy) is hysterically hysterical and capably offsets Liz's maturity and apparent calm.

Press reviews have said that Wolf Creek is this year's horror phenomenon and there is some truth in this. Everyone seems to rave about it, and let's be clear, Wolf Creek is a very good horror film. It is not, however, perfect. The film is virtually split into two distinct parts - before Wolf Creek and after and the first part of the film does start to drag along. It's also worth noting that in totality, there isn't a great deal that actually happens in this film. The low budget at times seems to wear a bit thin and you do wonder whether parts of the story could have been explored further - and better. These are fairly minor criticisms and won't detract from your overall appreciation of the proceedings but if we're talking about the horror phenomenon of 2005, then that will remain solely with The Descent, which is by far the more exciting product.

Still highly recommended though.
 

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