#42 - Wolf Creek (2005)
(dir. Greg McLean)
Three friends go hiking in an extremely remote area of the Australian Outback. When their car breaks down, a friendly local offers them a tow back to his camp where he has the tools and parts to fix it up. Unfortunately he turns out to be not so friendly, and they suddenly find themselves fighting to survive while being hunted by a maniac.
This came out right around the same time as Saw and Hostel, as well as the New French Extremity movement (Martyrs, Inside, etc), and just like those films it got labelled "torture porn". I dislike that term, but this does have a mean streak to it that I associate with a lot of the more brutal splatter films of the 2000s. The film establishes the characters as capable and likable (especially Liz) and then is cruel as hell to them. It's uncomfortable and certainly not fun, but also undeniably effective. It feels genuinely harrowing in a way that most films don't, for better or worse.
Definitely not for everyone, but if you enjoy this type of movie then I think this is a good one. If you aren't into this style though I doubt this'll be the film to win you over.
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