Wolf Creek (2005)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Greg Mclean

Writer:

Greg Mclean (written by)

Release Date:

25 December 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Based on true events

Plot:

Stranded backpackers in remote Australia fall prey to a murderous bushman who offers to fix their car, then takes them captive.

Plot Keywords:

Australia | Outback | Stranded | Australian Outback | Crater

Awards:

3 wins & 17 nominations

Cast

John Jarratt	...	Mick Taylor
Cassandra Magrath	...	Liz Hunter
Kestie Morassi	...	Kristy Earl
Nathan Phillips	...	Ben Mitchell
Gordon Poole	...	Old Man
Guy O'Donnell	...	Car Salesman
Phil Stevenson	...	Mechanic
Geoff Revell	...	Petrol Attendant
Andy McPhee	...	Bazza
Aaron Sterns	...	Bazza's Mate
Michael Moody	...	Bazza's Old Mate
Andrew Reimer	...	Flashback Dad
Vicki Reimer	...	Flashback Mum
Isabella Reimer	...	Flashback Girl
David Rock	...	Irish Backpacker

MPAA:

Rated R for strong gruesome violence, and for language.

Runtime:

99 min | 104 min (unrated version)

Country:

Australia

Language:

English | Swedish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:R | USA:R | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | New Zealand:R18 | Portugal:M/16 | Brazil:16 | Singapore:M18 | Singapore:NC-16 (edited version) | Norway:18 | USA:Unrated (unrated DVD version) | Germany:18 | France:-16 | Philippines:R-18 | Mexico:C (original rating) | Iceland:16 | Argentina:16 | South Korea:18 | Australia:MA (Cable TV rating) | Italy:VM18 (tv rating) | UK:18 | Finland:K-18 | Ireland:18

Filming Locations:

Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Company:

Australian Film Finance Corporation, The

Trivia:

As it was originally filmed, the scene where are Ben (Nathan Phillips), Liz (Cassandra Magrath) and Kristy (Kestie Morassi) are sitting around the campfire and Ben is telling the story about the alien lights, was over seven minutes long, and shot entirely in one take.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The female Swedish backpacker's line is translated in the captions as "Come on, let's get him out of here", when she's actually saying "Hur i helvete kom han hit?", which in English translates into "How the hell did he get here?"

Quotes:

Mick Taylor: Where you from, mate?
Ben Mitchell: Sydney.
Mick Taylor: Poofter capital of Australia!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! (2008)

Soundtrack:

Sunshine

Destined to be a genre favorite

Three young vacationers are traveling through Australia visiting landmarks and such. One of their most anticipated stops is an ancient meteorite crater park called "Wolf Creek." After enjoying the sights the group prepares to leave, but can't start the car. Their watches have also stopped and a strange, almost supernatural, unease rests in on them. They nervously wait until a kindly stranger comes by and tows them to his house and offers to fix their car - for free. However, they soon find out that this "kindly stranger" isn't so kind at all.

The resulting film is a well done tense and tense horror story. Like many other films to come out of Australia the main story element here is the land and its mystery and as each character tries to escape they are literally swallowed up by the land. The open endedness that the film presents is it's main strength - it can be seen as a metaphor for hell, the personification of true hopelessness, and a regular horror film viewer will be able to draw and appreciate many other things from it. Also much like the recent "Haute Tension" from France, the film is told in practically real-time as each character tries to desperately climb out of their horrifying situation and figure out what is going on, but primarily they just want to get the hell out of there.

From a blunt point of view this is a slasher version of "Picnic at Hanging Rock" - creepy landscape feature with weird occurrences going around about it and all sorts of myths, but that doesn't make this little scare-fest not worth seeing. It is very well done, well acted, and very tense throughout. The final shot is particularly enigmatic and chilling. The film's only real weakness it that it is for strictly for horror fans, other steer clear. 7/10

Rated R: brutal ruthless violence, and profanity