Wolf Creek

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Horrorphile - May 2009

Wolf Creek

May 29th 2009 02:23

Arguably the cruelest Australian horror movie of all time, Wolf Creek (2005),Greg Mclean’s stunning debut feature (which he wrote, produced and directed) set a new benchmark for low-budget genre filmmaking down under. Shot on digital HD on a budget of just one million bucks, it made close to five million in the States on opening weekend alone.

It’s 1999, Western Australia, and Ben Mitchell (Nathan Phillips) buys a dirt cheap used car and hooks up with his two British backpacker mates Liz Hunter (Cassandra Magrath) and Kristy Earl (Kestie Morassi). The plan is to travel on the smell of an oily rag through the outback of Australia before the girls fly back home. They party hard the night before and next morning hit the road with hangovers, but in good spirits. These three have fun together, and it even seems Liz has a crush on Ben.

Wolf Creek Nathan Phillips, Kestie Morassi, Cassandra McGrath

Ben (Nathan Phillips), Kirsty (Kestie Morassi) and Liz (Cassandra Magrath)

After a pit-stop for fuel and some unwanted harassment from the local rednecks the three continue on their way into Wolf Creek National Park and turn off the beaten track heading for famous Wolf Creek crater, a massive meteorite site. The weather turns rotten, and all three of their watches stop. Then the car won’t start. Ben makes reference to UFOs, but Liz is not amused. Thankfully assistance arrives in the form of local hillbilly Mick Taylor (John Jarrat) who tows them back to his camp where he’s offered to replace the broken engine coil.

Right turn, wrong turn

At movie's start a statement reads: "The following is based on actual events", a series of facts follow; "30,000 people are reported missing in Australia every year, 90% are found within a month, some are never seen again". Although the characters and everything that happens in Wolf Creek is fictionalized the events are loosely based on some of the murders of serial killer Ivan Milat. At movie’s end in an attempt to cement the previous events as real truths a statement reads: “Early investigations into the case were disorganized, hampered by confusion over the location of the crimes, a lack of physical evidence, and the alleged unreliability of the only witness. After four months in police custody Ben Mitchell was later cleared of all suspicion. He currently lives in Australia.”

The real Wolfe Creek meteorite crator

The truth is no one knows what went on between Ivan Milat and his victims because Milat has never confessed to anything and the only real survivor escaped before Milat could do him any real harm. I’ve read the fascinating, but very disturbing account of Milat, his huge family, and the infamous backpacker murders in the gripping non-fiction book Sins of the Brother by Mark Whittaker and Les Kennedy, which Mick Taylor read as his only substantial research. For the trainspotters, the abandoned mining compound which Mick Taylor uses as his base is called Navithalim Mining Co. (Ivan Milat backwards).

John Jarrat as Mick Taylor

Mick Taylor is a nasty piece of work, and to add insult to injury he gets away with his crimes. But as that old saying goes: life’s a bitch, and then you die. What makes Wolf Creek so damn effective in its palpable atmosphere of horror, the nightmare of which kicks in half way through the movie, is that the characters of Ben, Liz and Kristy are all so likable and we’ve spent quality time with them. These aren’t your normal obnoxious teens from an American slasher movie. The performances from all three are excellent. The English accents from Aussies McGrath and Morassi are convincing. John Jarrat is scarily convincing as the outback boogeyman with his hideous cackle and beady eyes spouting "There's nothing like rain water from the top end" ...

Wolf Creek Kestie Morassi and John Jarrat

This is a fuckn' knife ...

No use crying over spilt fingers

The digital cinematography is vivid, with virtually all of the main action shot handheld. Apparently the shooting schedule was so tight they had to incorporate any weather changes, such as the rain and thunderstorm. In fact it hadn’t rained for ten years in the “Wolf Creek” area, and as soon as crew arrived it began to rain. While the script called for spooky stuff (such as the watches and car going dead - a reference to Picnic at Hanging Rock - and a solar eclipse), the crew had their fair share of real weird stuff, including the appearance of a stranger investigating in the middle of the night who bore an uncanny likeness to the character of Mick Taylor, including the ute.

Silhouette from outback hell

The special effects make-up courtesy of Connelly Make-up FX Team features some gruesome, wince-inducing moments, especially poor Liz’s drawn-out demise, and Ben’s crucifixion. Kirsty might not endure the most agony, but she suffers terribly, and implodes psychologically. Much to my chagrin I noticed the DVD had a very brief, but powerful moment of horror cut out, which was in the original theatrical version: the graphic headshot to the old man standing by the car from Mick’s long-range rifle. Why was that cut?! There are also three deleted scenes on the DVD which were apparently in the theatrical version (Ben buying road maps, Kirsty waking up in bed with Ben the morning after the party, and Liz venturing down into a mining well after coming back to the camp and discovering many of Mick Taylor’s victims rotting, skeletal remains), but none of them I remember. Funny I should specifically remember the missing headshot, but not the three deleted scenes.

In the desert no one can hear you scream

Wolf Creek is a harrowing experience for those not used to such horror fare, but it’s an exceptionally well-made movie. It received a lot of criticism at the time of its release, much of it from indignant Australian critics and moral conservatives who deemed the movie gratuitous “torture porn”. Frank Walker, senior reporter for Sydney Morning Herald, had this to say, “Along with many others, I walked out of the Sydney premiere of the Australian film Wolf Creek on Friday night sickened by the extreme violence, blood and gore … With an hour to go in this shocking film the violence could only get worse. An hour of my life was too precious for this type of pornographic filth. The realistic violence in this movie is truly stomach churning. But it comes with the memory of backpack killer Ivan Milat still fresh and the Falconio trial under way in Darwin … It sickens me to see these terrible murders played out as sadistic entertainment on the big screen … I am ashamed to hear the Australian film industry hail this film as a great Australian achievement. Wolf Creek is an insult to the memories of the victims of those terrifying murders.”

Travel to Wolf Creek yourself, Mick Taylor still hunts there

Dozens and dozens of horror movies are based on real events, whether they state it or not. Part of what makes a horror movie a great horror movie is a sense of realism, even when its dealing with the supernatural. Frank Walker covered both the Milat murders and the Falconio case, and apparently he met the victims’ families, so he has a bone of contention with Wolf Creek as being utterly insensitive. What about all the war movies that have glorified the mass murder of innocent lies? Is the WWII masterpiece Come and See, which deals with the Nazi raping, murdering and plundering of the Russian peasants considered pornographic filth? Shit happens, and movies reflect that. Movies are entertainment, not matter how loose the term is used. In the four years since Wolf Creek came out there have been numerous other movies far dodgier in tone, far more graphically violent, and less intelligently handled.

Torture porn is not everyone’s cup of cold vomit, but it’s a natural direction for desensitized horrorphiles wanting intense visceral gratification. Yes there’s a perverse thrill to it. I don't necessarily get off on it myself, but it has a definite context; adding that extra push onto the sharper edge of the horror purge, and it is the purge of repulsion that provides part of the acute sense of mortification that is the essence of the horror movie experience.

I’m getting up on my high horror horse here, I need to calm down.

Here's the excellent U.S. trailer:

And here's self-righteous U.S. critics Ebert & Roeper damning the movie, showing themselves to have no fucking idea (pardon my French), especially with Ebert comparing Wolf Creek to Rob Zombie's highly over-rated The Devil's Rejects, which I thought was a piece of crap:

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Posted By: Bryn - Category: movie reviews

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Comments

4 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by Damo

May 29th 2009 02:42

"Torture porn is not everyone’s cup of cold vomit"

Not my cup of tea either.
However I can understand why they made this movie so close to the trial of Milat. It was topical and Milat was vicious.

I am not sure if the movie would have succeeded if it did not ramp up the gore fest. Being filmed in HD video may have put most of the crowd off. But HD and gratuitous violence seems acceptable.

Comment by Michelle Sweeney

May 29th 2009 02:44

Competition Queen
Always Learning
Cinema Voyage

Torture porn or not - I thought it was great!

Comment by Bryn

May 29th 2009 02:50

Horrorphile

Damo, it was actually the Falconio trial that it was close to. And curiously a VW van appears at the end of the movie ...
But what everyone doesn't seem to realise is it's not actually that graphic, if you compare it to the dozens of slasher movies of the 80s, or other torture porn movies such as the two Hostel movies, or the Saw series. It's the atmosphere and tone that is realistic, and that's what I think bugs people. Perhaps the HD element added something, I think that's a little tenuous. In all honesty much of the movie had the lush look of film, but HD enabled shooting in low light.

Michelle, cheers.

Comment by Natalina

May 29th 2009 03:12

My Life My Muse
Beta Girl Blog

This movie that gave me nightmares. Perhaps is was the way it was shot. You're right that other movies like Hostel were actually more graphic.

My heart races even now remembering it. Very successful suspense and tension. Yikes, this was a scary one!

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