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[Review] “Wolf Creek” Series is Scary, Flawed Mayhem, Just Like the Films

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Your favorite maniac from the Outback is back! But does an expanded look at ‘Wolf Creek’ help or hinder the material?

Let’s begin this with the giant caveat that I’m not a big fan of the original film, Wolf Creek. I think it falls into the same trappings that a lot of “horror” from that time during the early 2000s do, where it amounts to torture porn and not anything higher. That being said, I was excited to watch this television adaptation of the film series (there’s a sequel) simply because I was hopeful that a serialized approach to the horror would give me a deeper appreciation for the source material.

Well, it’s about the same.

This six-part series continues the relentless slayings of Australian Outback serial killer, Mick Taylor, who John Jarratt continues to play with delicious glee. He’s like a kid in a machete store. Jarratt continues to give it his all and it’s clear that he’s got a real love for this sadistic monster. Rather than this just being a series that chronicles Mick’s murders, it wisely introduces Eve, a compelling Final Girl who loses her family at Mick’s hands. Accordingly, the show adopts a split perspective as Mick continues on with his laissez faire destructive lifestyle and Eve tries to track the bastard down and get revenge for what he did to her.

Eve is by far the best thing to come out of this series and Lucy Fry does a wonderful job in the role. This is a character that you actually care for who is smart, doesn’t take bullshit, and knows how to take care of herself. There’s a certain inevitable lack of suspense in a set-up like this one where you know that Eve isn’t going to die before her confrontation with Mick, but Eve being a capable character that can kick ass is just as likely for her survival. At the same time, she could have had two or three friends with her—or met up with some people on her journey—that could have acted as fodder for Mick and increase the tension a little bit in their relationship. The show also does a great job at making Eve appropriately flawed too, with a steady addiction to painkillers and other vices to flesh out the character. She also goes through a steady trial by fire where Mick is not the only one after her, forcing her to undergo some trauma and harden up by proxy. In a lot of ways the series acts as her training for her inevitable showdown with Mick.

As Eve is investigating murders and trying to figure out where Mick is, we get to see Mick moving through the Outback in his own element, plaguing areas as he drives through. There’s such a bluntness to the violence in this world, like it’s nothing at all, and it just all happens without flinching. Even to Eve. The execution of her family is perhaps the most brutal, numb killing of the whole series and it’s just thrown at you. The final episodes especially turn up the horror aspect of Mick’s rampage with there being some particularly gruesome images that shouldn’t leave you any time soon. There’s an added dimension to all of this where the police are also on the scene trying to catch Mick too, with it all amounting to this interesting hot pursuit and cat-and-mouse game between everyone involved. This police angle might not exactly be necessary, and it might even de-personalize Eve’s story here, but it’s again a realistic dimension present here. There’s no denying that the police would be a presence in all of this, so why not play with that?

The series does decide to gives us Mick’s backstory (in the one episode that Wolf Creek films’ writer/director Greg McLean helms), explaining how he has become as callous as he is. Whether we needed to get this or not, it’s perfectly serviceable material, but it’s pretty much what you’d expect it to be. If we are going to get this glimpse into Mick’s past, I’d at least prefer it to be something rather than the typical serial killer origin story. I suppose it’s one that rings true, which is why we do see it so often, but in that case, spend that time on something else. Show us Mick’s first kill instead. There are still other formative moments in his path to homicidal legend.

The series also boasts some straight-up gorgeous cinematography too, that at times looks like stuff from right out of Breaking Bad or Better Call Saul’s Albuquerque. It’s a dream to look at a lot of the time, even if there are some horrific things going on beneath the glowing skylines.

The thing is, this is probably exactly what a Wolf Creek series should be. It follows the blueprint of the movie perfectly, introduces a strong new protagonist that you actually care about, and still expands upon the source material in its own way. While a lot of this falling flat on me seems to be for the same reasons that I wasn’t raving about the film while other people were, I think I can still objectively see when something is doing compelling or flawed storytelling. Wolf Creek certainly meanders and wastes a lot of time that could be applied in many more productive ways. A six-episode series cannot allow any fat. This padding slows down any momentum that Mick or Eve are building and is what ultimately has the series falling short in the end. I’m highlighting a lot of what works in this series, but it doesn’t change that in spite of these things I was still bored a number of times throughout the show.

What’s frustrating here is that I think there’s a great deal of merit to taking a horror film and turning it into a limited six-episode series. A new film in the Jeepers Creepers saga is finally happening much to its fans excitement, but can you imagine that being done as something like this instead? Or what about Hellraiser? I’d even be more into a Hostel or Cabin Fever limited series than more features in those franchises. If anything I hope this exercise opens the doors for more niche horror to go this route. Even if it has to remain foreign horror in order to satisfy certain tax credits or international TV stations, there’s still titles like The Loved Ones or Berberian Sound Studio that fit the bill.

Wolf Creek is a mixed bag of a series that honors up Greg McLean’s original films in a way that will satisfy you if you were a fan of the movies. The series triumphs off of letting Jarratt loose as Mick and embracing the character, while also creating a worthy adversary for the villain. The violence of the films remains, but an unfocused narrative that drags in areas holds it back from the adrenaline ride that it wants to be.

This review is based on all six one-hour episodes of Wolf Creek

Daniel Kurland is a freelance writer, comedian, and critic, whose work can be read on Splitsider, Bloody Disgusting, Den of Geek, ScreenRant, and across the Internet. Daniel knows that "Psycho II" is better than the original and that the last season of "The X-Files" doesn't deserve the bile that it conjures. If you want a drink thrown in your face, talk to him about "Silent Night, Deadly Night Part II," but he'll always happily talk about the "Puppet Master" franchise. The owls are not what they seem.

Books

‘In Search of Darkness’ Book Review: A Must-Have for ’80s Horror Fans

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In 2019, the documentary of 80s horror In Search of Darkness became an instant hit with horror fans. Now, a beautiful coffee table style companion book is available and is a must-own for all fans of one of horror’s greatest eras. The book is a walk down the horror aisle of the best mom and pop video store in the heyday of VHS, featuring full color photos, poster art, insightful essays and more. More than just a nostalgic throwback, In Search of Darkness is the kind of book I wish I’d had back in my years as a burgeoning horror fan but is also satisfying for the film fanatic I have become in the years since.

The format is beautifully and simply laid out, with at least a dozen (usually more) movies from each year of the decade presented in order of release accompanied by informative and insightful essays by the authors Heather Wixson and Patrick Bromley. Both authors have been mainstays of film journalism, specializing in horror, for many years. Wixson began her career in 2007 with Dread Central and has spent the past ten years as the Managing Editor of Daily Dead, from which she recently retired to focus on books and other projects. She has devoted the past several years to interviewing and writing books about the Make-up and Special Effects wizards that have brought so much to film over the years, specifically the horror genre.

Bromley is a film journalist and critic whose work can be found all over the place including right here on Bloody Disgusting. He recently provided the commentary for the Vinegar Syndrome release of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and is known as something of a Tobe Hooper expert. He is also the founder and editor of F this Movie!, an eclectic film website, and host of its accompanying podcast. So, to be clear, the authors know their stuff.

Wixson and Bromley divide writing duties roughly in half and though each has a distinctive voice, their writing styles dovetail beautifully into a cohesive whole. Each author plays to their strengths. Being familiar with both their work I didn’t even have to look at the bylines to know that Heather covered Christine and Terror in the Aisles and Patrick took on The Funhouse and Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers. Wixson’s passion for make-up effects is clear and comes through in many of her contributions. In general, Wixson takes on the “big” titles, the movies that defined the decade the most, and Bromley covers what the more cynical among us might call schlock, but he would likely call pure cinematic bliss. There are exceptions and surprises, of course, as there should be (Patrick covers The Shining for example). Each essay dives into the history behind the film, the major players involved, the reception, and legacy with often surprising aspects drawn from interviews with the filmmakers from various sources and insights from the authors.

For all their in-depth explorations of each film, in general the authors keep their critics’ hats safely stowed, keeping in mind that every entry on the book has its fans. In fact, they may well have sold me on finally hitting play on some of the schlockier offerings of the decade like Evilspeak, Nightbeast, and Blood Diner. Hell, I may even give The Beast Within a spin for shits and giggles. The point is that this book is a celebration through and through. The authors are honest about the critical receptions of the films, which were often unkind, and sometimes let their own opinions shine through, but recognize how beloved even the schlockiest films can become given time and availability. And that is an ongoing theme of In Search of Darkness. What may have been dismissed in its day often becomes revered as the years pass. Variations on the phrase “the years have been kind to…” referring to various maligned projects like The Thing, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, The Blob and many, many others, can be found throughout the book for good reason.

Each chapter of the book also includes a rundown of the top horror movies at the box office for the year as well as the top movies of all genres for context. The final page for each year highlights some of the major news and pop culture events including the top songs, albums, and television shows. There is a large central section that pays tribute to the talent involved with the greatest horror films of the 80s including directors, actors, effects artists, and more. This section includes brief biographies of John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Stephen King, Tom Savini, Barbara Crampton, Robert Englund, and many others presented in a dynamic and engaging fashion.

One of the beauties of the book is that it covers so much ground. Sure, you’ll find Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Hellraiser, and the Halloween sequels in it, but you’ll also find deeper cuts like The Changeling, The Being, and Tetsuo: The Iron Man. I was happy to find the same love given to Frank Henenlotter and Larry Cohen as to George A. Romero and David Cronenberg. In other words, In Search of Darkness is extraordinarily eclectic, highlighting the diversity that truly defined what is often viewed as a homogenous decade. The authors make the case that the 80s was horror’s greatest decade, and with what they lay out throughout this book, it’s tough to argue against that. I even came across a film or two I hadn’t even heard of before, which has become increasingly rare as the years go by.

At just shy of $85, the cover price may give some horror hounds pause, but believe me, it’s worth every penny. This is a beautiful volume that every fan of 80s horror will want on their shelf or prominently displayed on their coffee table. Filled with favorite titles, hundreds of full color photos, insightful and informative writing, this is simply a must own.

You can order your copy now.

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