‘She was good for months, until she lost her head!’
Inspired by the real-life cases of Ivan ‘Backpacker Murderer’ Millat and the 2001 disappearance of British tourist Peter Falconio, Wolf Creek is a 2005 Australian horror film that will put you off an outback holiday forever.
Ben (Nathan Phillips) Liz (Cassandra Magrath) and Kristie (Kestie Morassi) are three tourists on a road-trip to see Wolfe Creek Crater. Setting off the morning after a party with the kind of hangover that has you saying ‘I’m never drinking again’, the friends are disappointed by the gloomy, overcast day and bored by the long drive. The trip appears worth it, though, and Ben and Liz share a sneaky kiss when Kristie pops off for a al fresco shit.
There’s no-one else around, and when Ben’s fifth-hand rusty heap-of-shit car won’t start, they are very grateful that local Mick Taylor (John Jarratt) appears and offers to tow them to his place and do the repairs needed to get them back on the road.
At first Mick appears friendly, though a tad...off. He makes ribald comments and sexist, racist and homophobic jokes. Despite their apprehension the three friends try and dismiss this as Mick being an old-school rough and ready mucker type; a little creepy but ultimately harmless. Stranded hours from anywhere, they need his help and so accept his offer.
Mick of course, is a sadistic serial killer with a taste for rape and torture, and this ain’t his first rodeo. He takes them to what is possibly just one of his kill sites, a desolate and dirty assortment of make-shift buildings littered with the cars and belongings of his previous victims.
It’s not just Mick Taylor that makes this film scary. John Jarratt is great, playing Mick as the kind of person we’ve probably all met in real life. Not a serial killer, of course, but the kind of person whose 0-60 unpredictability leaves you unsure as to exactly how to behave around them.
The deeper fear lies in the vast remoteness of the Australian outback, the seemingly endless roads snaking through miles of barren, scrubby land and the stark, leafless trees. Even if you did escape Mick, where would you go? He knows this place much better than you do, and there’s nowhere to hide. If he doesn't get you, the wilderness will.
Content warning: all bets are off after the first 30 minutes.
Final thoughts: stay at home.
