Mr. Movie reviews: Wolf Creek

The truth is out, the real monsters are people.  There is a trend I have noticed were the scariest monsters are random people that you might meet. These types of monsters make for more disturbing horror films.  The potential for a postal co-worker is so much more probable than any vampire.  This notion makes for the unnerving sensations the well executed film can leave us with.

Wolf Creek, the story of some teens waylaid in the Australian outback is a good example. The film is well executed.  While it starts a little slow, investing you in the relationships in the hero and heroines’ characters, the film eases into creepy.  There are some wonderful moments that everyone will recognize where the characters start to second guess themselves, and they are doomed by their fear of offending someone.  We as viewers reach out and start to construct the narrative at this point. The narrative takes a leap to the very bad for our subjects, and their monster.  

While the ensuing series of events and set pieces are familiar, they are executed with an enthusiastic eye for horror detail.  The characters cease to be individuals at a certain point and become the reactive meat puppets running from the baddy.  At this point though, you like the character are looking for the escape.  Which is to stay you have invested in these characters and are willing them to get out, you are empathizing with their predicament.

Just as you get comfortable and familiar with this mode, it is the narrative that turns on you.  I would have appreciated this film much more if there had been a little more unreliability in the narrator.  This could have made the beginning half of the film not quite so boring.  I could easily be convinced that this film was very well directed, and that what felt wrong or awkward in the acting made sense in the aftermath.  That could just be me helping though.