With the obvious exceptions of Peter Weir's THE CARS THAT ATE Paris (1974) and THE LAST WAVE (1977) - not to mention the recent Texas CHAIN SAW-clone that goes by the name of WOLF CREEK (2004) - I'd say that Australian horror films are pretty rare. Therefore, while I was vaguely aware of this one, I have to say that upon watching it I found the film to be a surprisingly satisfying experience...in fact, quite a "sleeper", if you will!
Made on an obviously low-budget, this deliberately-paced chiller about a married couple on the verge of divorce deciding to spend their last weekend together at a remote beach (which nobody seems too sure if it really exists) could easily have turned out into another lazy DELIVERANCE (1972) rip-off - by way of WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? (1966) - but, while the city people vs. unforgiving nature theme is certainly there, the film adds a genuinely unsettling ambiance of helplessness which is further punctuated by the eerie noises emanating from the soundtrack the more the events take a weirder bent.
The film only has two lead actors but John Hargreaves' performance is particularly impressive as he grows increasingly baffled by his wife's reluctance to go through with the trip and, eventually, outright hostility to him, as well as by the sheer unpredictability of nature's "attacks" on the bickering couple: rotting food; malfunctioning equipment; an unlucky kangaroo is repeatedly trampled early on; a flock of birds inexplicably dives into the windshield of their vehicle; a roving possum; the corpse of a "sea cow" which won't stay still(!) and even an eagle in search of its mislaid egg!! The fact that the animals prey on their human antagonists for no apparent reason brings up comparisons with Alfred Hitchcock's THE BIRDS (1963) and there's even an unexpected dash of symbolism when the wailing cries of the orphaned sea cow pup start to haunt the couple who, we later learn, have gone through an abortion in the past; the fate of the aforementioned eagle's egg also adds to this disquieting element. To this is added a mystery ingredient when the other car the husband saw on his hunting excursions ends up at the bottom of the sea. Anyway, I won't spoil the twist towards the end (which, though I could see coming, is still imaginatively handled) or the terrific conclusion, which I'll just say was effectively bleak!
While I only watched this via Optimum's no-frills R2 DVD, I realize that there is an excellent R1 SE alternative from Synapse which I might decide to add to my collection eventually...
Made on an obviously low-budget, this deliberately-paced chiller about a married couple on the verge of divorce deciding to spend their last weekend together at a remote beach (which nobody seems too sure if it really exists) could easily have turned out into another lazy DELIVERANCE (1972) rip-off - by way of WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? (1966) - but, while the city people vs. unforgiving nature theme is certainly there, the film adds a genuinely unsettling ambiance of helplessness which is further punctuated by the eerie noises emanating from the soundtrack the more the events take a weirder bent.
The film only has two lead actors but John Hargreaves' performance is particularly impressive as he grows increasingly baffled by his wife's reluctance to go through with the trip and, eventually, outright hostility to him, as well as by the sheer unpredictability of nature's "attacks" on the bickering couple: rotting food; malfunctioning equipment; an unlucky kangaroo is repeatedly trampled early on; a flock of birds inexplicably dives into the windshield of their vehicle; a roving possum; the corpse of a "sea cow" which won't stay still(!) and even an eagle in search of its mislaid egg!! The fact that the animals prey on their human antagonists for no apparent reason brings up comparisons with Alfred Hitchcock's THE BIRDS (1963) and there's even an unexpected dash of symbolism when the wailing cries of the orphaned sea cow pup start to haunt the couple who, we later learn, have gone through an abortion in the past; the fate of the aforementioned eagle's egg also adds to this disquieting element. To this is added a mystery ingredient when the other car the husband saw on his hunting excursions ends up at the bottom of the sea. Anyway, I won't spoil the twist towards the end (which, though I could see coming, is still imaginatively handled) or the terrific conclusion, which I'll just say was effectively bleak!
While I only watched this via Optimum's no-frills R2 DVD, I realize that there is an excellent R1 SE alternative from Synapse which I might decide to add to my collection eventually...