Wolf Creek does not deserve to be called a horror movie. It is essentially a snuff film with art-house cinematography, and only the thinnest, barest premise of a story. Three tourists in the Australian outback are captured, tortured, and humiliated by a bully. That's it. No plot development, no surprises, and thus not a lot of fun. You get to watch people cry, suffer, and eventually die.
What's truly sad? Even the fans of this movie won't dispute the claim that there is no plot, but rather they'll rebut by complimenting Wolf Creek for being so "uncompromising" in its depiction of sadistic murders. Essentially, they're employing a kind of dimwitted bizarro-logic that goes something like this: if someone who sets out to make a fun, enjoyable movie deserves praise if they succeed, then by de facto reasoning, the creators of a detestable, unenjoyable movie should also be praised if their actual intent was to produce something detestable and unenjoyable. If after the credits start rolling you find yourself feeling lousy, applaud enthusiastically and give them their due credit. What a pathetic way to judge the merits of a film, or any medium.
Reality check: if movies like Wolf Creek only come along once in a while, it isn't because Hollywood's not bold or innovative enough to make films like this, it's just that most people don't have time to waste on creating mean-spirited trash. Wolf Creek is about a guy with weapons bullying some kids who don't have the means to defend themselves. You'll find there's nothing bold or innovative about that if you pick up a newspaper once in a while. Maybe Wolf Creek fans should schedule there next vacation in Rwanda, so they can enjoy watching some brilliant, uncompromising guerrillas hack up helpless victims with machetes.
I love a good horror film, and violence can really spice up a movie when there's some effort to express an idea, or just provide pure entertainment. But Wolf Creek has nothing to say about anything, and its purpose is not to provide any kind of thrill. Beyond cruelty for cruelty's sake, this plate of garbage is devoid of any ambition other than to make a few million bucks off of anyone who's lived such a sheltered, boring existence that they find the waste of human life to be titillating rather than depressing. One star.
What's truly sad? Even the fans of this movie won't dispute the claim that there is no plot, but rather they'll rebut by complimenting Wolf Creek for being so "uncompromising" in its depiction of sadistic murders. Essentially, they're employing a kind of dimwitted bizarro-logic that goes something like this: if someone who sets out to make a fun, enjoyable movie deserves praise if they succeed, then by de facto reasoning, the creators of a detestable, unenjoyable movie should also be praised if their actual intent was to produce something detestable and unenjoyable. If after the credits start rolling you find yourself feeling lousy, applaud enthusiastically and give them their due credit. What a pathetic way to judge the merits of a film, or any medium.
Reality check: if movies like Wolf Creek only come along once in a while, it isn't because Hollywood's not bold or innovative enough to make films like this, it's just that most people don't have time to waste on creating mean-spirited trash. Wolf Creek is about a guy with weapons bullying some kids who don't have the means to defend themselves. You'll find there's nothing bold or innovative about that if you pick up a newspaper once in a while. Maybe Wolf Creek fans should schedule there next vacation in Rwanda, so they can enjoy watching some brilliant, uncompromising guerrillas hack up helpless victims with machetes.
I love a good horror film, and violence can really spice up a movie when there's some effort to express an idea, or just provide pure entertainment. But Wolf Creek has nothing to say about anything, and its purpose is not to provide any kind of thrill. Beyond cruelty for cruelty's sake, this plate of garbage is devoid of any ambition other than to make a few million bucks off of anyone who's lived such a sheltered, boring existence that they find the waste of human life to be titillating rather than depressing. One star.
