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166 out of 209 people found the following review useful: Surprisingly effective and chilling., 14 January 2006 Author: MattD12027 from United States
Let me preface this by saying that I did not view the trailer before I saw this movie, nor did I really know anything about it. I do not know if that will lessen the impact at all, but it might (not sure what they show in the trailer).Writer/producer/director McLean shot this movie on a digital HD handy cam, giving it an amateurish feel - but it is far from amateur. The first 45 minutes feel like a completely different movie than the last hour or so, and that is one of this movie's many strengths. McLean spends time letting the audience get to know the three main protagonists, who are Liz, Kristy, and Ben. They girls, who are both from Britain, are nearing the end of their Australian excursion, and they set off with their new Aussie mate, Ben, on a road trip/backpacking trip across the country.McLean has an eye for the unsettling, even in the mostly warm first minutes, and he uses the stark colors and landscapes of the deepening outback to give it a slowly building sense of dread. Their are a few ominous signs - a dog barking viciously at something off screen, a rather unpleasant encounter in an out of the way gas station, and an awkward conversation about UFOs and aliens. I knew it was a horror movie, and the slow buildup is a wonderful way to create true and genuine tension.Another thing that creates tension is the fact that the three main characters are so well fleshed out, and feel so real, that the audience begins to care for them. Knowing it is a horror movie, we know that something is eventually going to happen, and beginning segment, in its quiet, tender moments, make you wonder when that is going to happen. It's all part of the extremely good package.Another thing to like about this horror movie is that the characters, for the most part, do not do any stupid things or horror clichés; rather, they are trying to survive and they do respond in believable ways to the horrors around them. And when those horrors finally come, after an particularly amazing segue (going to sleep...sunset...waking up hogtied), they do not let up.Part of the criticism of this movie is that it is realistically violent and brutal, but it's a juxtaposition from the first half. It's also a juxtaposition of civilized vs. uncivilized, and the sterile, uncompromising landscape of the Outback is the perfect place for this to occur. There wasn't an over the top amount of gore, which is good, because the cruelty of what the three endure is enough to churn anyone's stomach. However, the movie is not just simple exploitation - far from it, actually. It's about that deep-seated fear of the unknown, and what could happen in an unfamiliar place.McLean, while following a somewhat formulaic idea, stays far away from the usual stupidity. The fact that we have grown to care for the three main characters is why the second half is so effective, because there are things that happen to them that are so brutal that you feel it right with them.'Wolf Creek' is one of the few good/great horror movies I've ever seen.
162 out of 220 people found the following review useful: Surprisingly Devastating, 3 January 2006 Author: cdrucke1 from United States
I was thrilled to see a movie like "Wolf Creek" come out in theatres: a straightforward horror film not relying on clever twists (except one, small one) or gimmicks. It was the kind of film "High Tension" started off as before that last act mindf*ck. And while I ended up appreciating what that movie did, I would have loved it more without the twist."Wolf Creek" picks up where films like "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and "Last House on the Left" left off, without feeling the need to necessarily "pay homage" to them. I wonder if the fact that it's not American-made has anything to do with that. I also wonder if the non-American influence kept this from becoming predictable or familiar in any way. What you think is going to happen in this film never quite happens. One of the original "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" taglines was, "Who Will Survive and What Will Be Left of Them?" I think this film asks the same question, but doesn't provide so simple an answer.I think it's best to know little about "what happens" here before seeing it. Most people know the basics--three backpackers on a road trip, they stop at remote Wolf Creek, entering an odd Twilight Zone of stopped time and dead car engines. A friendly bushman stops by willing to help, let the nightmare begin.I love that director/writer/producer Greg McLean never offers an explanation for the watches and the car engine. What happens in this film seems almost alien--three humans struggling to survive on what appears like a distant, barren planet, up against a hunter with no semblance of humanity in him. Yes, this movie is very similar to "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," but it is in no way a rip-off. While the early-morning showdown on the barren road may look similar to the climax of TCM, it is its own nightmarish entity. In fact, some of the scene reminded me of "Duel." The acting in this movie is brilliant. The three leads--Ben, Kristi, and Liz--are so wonderfully likable, and there is an odd feeling of improvisation in the acting. It's so natural, it seems impossible to script. When everything goes to hell, you want all three of them to survive, and you'll surely be devastated by the slightest injury any of them endures. Many have complained about the hour or so of build up, but I think it was brilliant on McLean's part to make sure we cared about these people, and then to put them through the wringer. It's sadistic, too, emotionally, but it's the sign of a great director.John Jarratt, as Mick, is unforgettably cruel. Jarratt embodies this character from head to toe, and is fearless in his performance. Mick is an ugly, cruel man, and yet when we first meet him, he seems like the nicest guy in the world. One of the scariest aspects to this film is that you can see yourself falling for all of his tricks.To be honest, I never want to see "Wolf Creek" again. It's not a fun movie. I left wanting to hate it, because I hated what happened. But I admire this movie for what it managed to do. I truly had to keep repeating to myself, "It's only a movie," (the infamous "Last House on the Left" tagline) but it's so realistic and so unflinching in portraying what happens, that you'll feel as if someone was always peeking around a corner with a camera, filming an actual event. Of course, this is based on true events, and frankly, there is some discrepancy to how "true" this film tries to be (obviously, much of the second act had to be dramatized, and you'll realize why once you see the movie) but it didn't need that "based on true events" tag. It's already very real.I hate to end on the old "Jaws" cliché, but as I am going to Australia soon, I can say for a fact that this does do for backpacking what "Jaws" did for swimming. I consider this movie a parable of sorts. Well done.
128 out of 181 people found the following review useful: The only horror film of 2005, 2 January 2006 Author: Subovon from Houston, Texas
I'm a bored horror film fan. I didn't bother going to any this year. They all starred wanna-be blonde pop stars (and one wanna-be porn star), and most were PG 13. Three weeks later the flick is followed by a salacious "unrated" DVD release, but the movie is still bad.That's why I'm thankful we got Wolf Creek. It's serious, it's beautifully crafted on every level, and best of all, it stuck with me for days. I was shaken by the first act of violence in the film and it was a great rush. I loved the rest of it, too. Cassandra Magrath gives one of the best performance of the year. It is burned in my memory, and so is the empathy she made me feel. She is unforgettable. As for John Jarratt, little needs to be said right now because people will be talking about his work in this movie for a long, long time.I also loved the pacing which is the aspect of the film that gets criticized the most. It's slow at the beginning, but it's slow the way Psycho, or Texas Chainsaw were slow. It is so deliberate, it's actually one of the movie's tricks, and it's not surprising it flies right over the head of our young ADDult population. It also doesn't help that the violence is so realistic, you can miss it all if you're talking on your cell phone.My idea of a good time at a horror film is to feel queasy and feel my heart skip a few beats. I like walking out of the theater asking myself "why did I just watch that?" And "am I a sick monkey for enjoying it?" I also like wanting to see it again just to understand how it was done. I like riding roller coasters over and over again for the same reason.If you're a horror fan, go see Greg Mclean's movie. He doesn't turn his camera away when the moment comes. He gives us all the shocking suffering we've come to see. There aren't any cheap tricks – none at all, actually – it's all editing and acting, folks! I'm going back just to see how it was done.DVD edition note: I reviewed the unrated version of the film, and there are a few additions, but everything you've seen in theaters is exactly the same. The extra scenes are good stuff however, especially the one that happens in the killer's camp. Let's just say that if you were wondering where all those victims ended up, this scene is for you, and it's gory! This unrated edition is actually what it says it is, unlike the Hostel-type double dippers. This cut of the film delivers more horror. The making of is also top-notch.Highly recommended for any fan of disturbing and scary material.
204 out of 340 people found the following review useful: completely visceral and far more horrifying, 26 April 2005 Author: jinx_malone from United States
than anything that's come out of h-wood lately.there are going to be detractors who say that it's an Aussie retread of 'the Texas chainsaw massacre'; they might even be partially right. what i loved most about this film is the fact that in an age of sadly predictable horror films, this one kept me on the edge of my seat.not only was i actually frightened, but this film kept pushing the envelope in terms of what horror audiences have come to expect. it goes WAY beyond anything you've seen in the last twenty years. thank god for true indies making real horror. this is a thousand times better than the overrated and ultimately idiotic 'saw' precisely because it keeps on showing you things you don't think you're going to see.things that make you really, really uncomfortable. things that are very, very upsetting.when we finished watching i felt as though i had been hit by a truck, much the same way i felt when i watched Texas chainsaw for the first time when i was fourteen. that was a long time ago. i think this film has the potential to become a similar rite of passage for up-and-coming horror fans. it's that powerful.having said that, i can't see them releasing this as is. it touches on stuff that no major studio will want to go near.one of the few 'based on a true story...' films that really is, i wonder how aussies felt when they saw this film. also, the lead baddie is a pretty familiar face to you lot down under--i'm curious how that translated? since i had no clue as to who the #$%* he was, he was totally believable as a freaky hick and scared the hell out of me.great, great movie. horror fans? get your hands on a copy somehow.
79 out of 112 people found the following review useful: Surprisingly brutal and horrifying horror flick., 29 January 2006 Author: HumanoidOfFlesh from Chyby, Poland
"Wolf Creek" is very loosely based on a true story of the real-life serial killer Ivan Milat,who was convicted of killing 7 backpackers and dumping their bodies in the Belangalo Forest,Australia.One of his intended victims,a young British guy,managed to escape and was instrumental in identifying the killer.The filmmakers have used a lot of key points from this case for the movie,for example the physical description of Ivan Milat,the fact that he used a hunting knife and was a gun fanatic.Also he sliced through the spinal cord of most of his victims,paralyzing them before stabbing,shooting,beating and or sexually assaulting them.The personal belongings of his victims were eventually found in a police raid on his home,sleeping bags,tents,backpacks,etc.So the actual story of Wolf Creek isn't true,but the psychopath is a reality.That's why "Wolf Creek" is so terrifying and intense.Director McLean perfectly uses the environment to create an atmosphere of total dread and hopelessness.The film is grainy and offers some fairly brutal scenes of violence and torture,especially towards the female characters.John Jarratt is perfect as Mick Taylor,a sadistic psychopath who stalks tourists.The story is pure,uncluttered and horribly believable,gripping the viewer and never allowing for one second any doubt that the horrors we are witnessing could indeed happen to anyone.Overall,"Wolf Creek" is an intense,decidedly visceral experience that should satisfy fans of relentless horror.9 out of 10.
120 out of 194 people found the following review useful: ...as terrifying as anything I have seen., 17 September 2005 Author: christopher-underwood from Greenwich - London
How good to be able to report that a current horror film is as terrifying as anything I have seen. I'm not sure how much the slow build helped. With limp violence to come, certainly a thorough introduction to the participants can help the consequent action seem more involving but when the visceral action is as shattering and disturbing as this I'm not so sure. In any event, this modern day, Australian, Texas Chainsaw Massacre achieves all it sets out to and will give nobody a comfortable ride. Unrelenting and truly scary this is a monumental piece of work. The editing is particularly effective and helpful in keeping the tension going. There is no dull moment at all in this movie, only stand out scenes and the best of these is the central and very hard to watch, treatment of the first captive. This scene is made all the worse for the most part because the 'rescuer' is like us stunned by the ferocity of the violence and reduced to simple watching and we are made even more aware of the voyeuristic nature of the situation as we watch horrific torture and killing. Not a bundle of fun then but an extremely well told tale. I just won't be watching it again right away.
62 out of 81 people found the following review useful: a terrifying non psychological horror? thats a first, 4 March 2006 Author: Stryde22 from Australia
wow! like many other movies i review, i literally only just saw this. and i must say that I'm impressed with the SAFC, this is a truly horrific movie. The highlights: * Unknown cast- gave the movie a very realistic atmosphere. i was so happy to realise that none of the actors were remotely familiar. * Low Budget- the obvious low budget gave the film a gritty and unsettling appearance. the locations were convincing and didn't look too perfected for cinema. * Character Development- This was my favorite aspect of the movie. unlike the corny Hollywood slasher/horrors that jump straight into the gore, this movie gave about an hour of very carefully planned events made solely to adapt to the characters. it was strange because although nothing was really happening during that hour, it still seemed interesting. I've come to realise that this was because of how realistic it was to show non-eventful scenes. not every second of life has something interesting. * Psycho- Mick Taylor was a very creepy character because of how familiar his behaviour is. before we see his psychopathic ways, he comes across as just some friendly bloke trying to lend a hand. and his creepy smile is still terrifying long after the movie has ended.Negative points: * a couple of factual mistakes, none too bad though * only loosely based on true stories, therefore not as scaryApart from that, this was actually one of the best horror movies out there. definitely the best gore-fest horror, anyway.Congrats to the South Australian Film Corporation!
59 out of 87 people found the following review useful: Best Horror Film in Years., 25 February 2006 Author: youshotandywarhol from Oregon
Wolf Creek is one of the best horror films of 2005 in my opinion. The film starts off with our three protagonists - Ben, Kristy, and Liz. Liz and Kristy are both British girls who are traveling in Australia, and before leaving, they decide to go on a backpacking trip across the country with their new Aussie mate, Ben.After traveling a few days, they finally reach the Wolf Creek crater. After a day of hiking, they return to find their car in disrepair. Stranded with nobody around, they face the fact that they may have to spend the night in the car. While lying there, a car pulls up, and out comes an old Aussie redneck named Mick. He offers them a ride to his garage where he can fix the car, and while he seems a little strange, he is nonetheless a friendly old fellow. After being being towed to the old mining campsite, they fall asleep by the fire while he works on their car. But when they awake, it is very apparent that Mick has much more in mind than just fixing their car, and the audience is pulled into our characters' dreadful nightmare.To put it plain and simple, Wolf Creek is a disturbing film. The cinematography is excellent, the entire movie has an amateurish feel to it, and is gritty and raw. It captures that realism that films like "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and "Last House on the Left" both have, and achieves a level of horror and reality that most films fail to do nowadays. Many people complain about the slow beginning, but overall the film benefits from it, because we get to know our characters before seeing them go through a world of dread - which is another rarity in modern horror cinema.Australian director Greg McClean gives the audience many eerie shots, primarily of nature in the outback, that adds an unsettling tone to the film, even when something horrifying isn't going on. Other mysterious events are tacked on to make things even more unsettling, including campfire stories of UFOs, and the group's watches not working after reaching the crater. Although these events have nothing to do with the actual horror that awaits the characters, they still give the viewer a feeling that something isn't quite right. All of the actors give believable performances, they all seem like actual people, unlike many of the cardboard cutout characters we see in film today.To sum things up, Wolf Creek relies more on suspense and tension than all-out gore, which I personally find to be more effective. This film is probably one of the few great horror films in the past 10 years, at least from what I have seen. Wolf Creek left me feeling unsettled with a bitter taste in my mouth, and any movie that has the power to do that is a good one in my book. I'd say this is destined to become the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" of our generation. Wolf Creek is everything that a horror film should be. 10/10.
53 out of 82 people found the following review useful: Destined to be a genre favorite, 12 January 2006 Author: BroadswordCallinDannyBoy from Boston, MA
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
72 out of 129 people found the following review useful: Solid Oz genre flick, 9 August 2005 Author: Sergio_Falco from Australia
Wolf Creek has a completely standard basic story for this kind of genre movie - travelers in isolated location encounter sadistic nut. Despite this, it's what writer/director Greg McLean does with the details which makes a difference.The outback locations are rendered with a nice eye and evoke a sense of spooky isolation - anything could happen to you out here and no-one would know, much less be able to help. There is also the much discussed 'dark side of Crocodile Dundee' element - frankly, I can't believe it's taken so long for someone to conjure this one up, and McLean clearly delights in stabbing a knife through the heart of the mythical Aussie archetype. I think he's actually gotten to an uncomfortable, close-to-the-bone truth about the psyche of certain Aussie males, and John Jarret is eerily similar to the kind of individual one would encounter in many a country pub down under.The fact that this is an Australian film also makes it a rare bird indeed. For some unfathomable reason, the Oz industry rarely does genre, and when it does, usually doesn't do it well. With this in mind, Wolf Creek is something of a breath of fresh air. Yes, it hews pretty closely to the codes and rules of its genre, but for the most part it does it well, and for my money, what works about the film is strong enough to make some of the weaker plot moments forgivable.Will Gibson's HD camera-work is impressive, maintaining a consistent style from start to finish, aided by solid editing, score and sound design. Now maybe people will stop whining about how 'we can't make genre films here' and we might see some imagination and variety creep into Australian cinema.
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