Bloody fucking great.
That's pretty much my review for this new series by Greg McLean and company. I mean...if you don't want to read anymore...you can just take my word that this new incarnation of Wolf Creek is bloody fucking great. However, if you do want to read more...I promise that I will not have any spoilers in my discussion of what makes this new series so good. I also promise that this will be a fun read.
Wolf Creek is a film franchise that I adore dearly. I'm not sure exactly why I love it so much because...well...it is a pretty sadistic and depraved premise about a serial killer that stalks the barren outback looking for fresh tourists and such to torture and kill. That's pretty much the entirety of the premise. However, McLean crafts each entry with such artistic precision and careful storytelling that you have no choice but to be drawn into this crazy world that he and his team has created. Not to mention the casting choice of John Jarratt as the cold and calculating Mick Taylor...such a stroke of genius as Jarratt adds a truly unique charm to the otherwise unease of his character. His casting really adds a layer of complexity to this new iconic killer.
All that said...I was a tad mixed when I first heard of the idea to turn this little franchise that I loved so much into a television series. Unfortunately, the series was to be exclusive to Australia when it first aired...so, us Wolf Creek fans stateside would have to wait until some TV network snatched it up here. Well...that time has finally come in the form of a network that I've never heard of before called Pop TV. Yes, friends...Pop TV will be airing the 6-part mini-series on their network and you can find all the details HERE!
Now...is the series actually good? Well...as I said before...at the beginning of all this...it is BLOODY FUCKING GREAT! The show starts off with an attempt at a family vacation in North Western Australia...because papa Thorogood (Robert Taylor) is looking for a way to help bring his family closer, as well as do his best to get his daughter Eve (Lucy Fry) off of pain pills. I mean...what better way to kick a serious drug problem than to take the family out in the middle of nowhere...right? Well...before you know it, the show is off and running. As I mentioned...I won't spoil any of this for you because if you are reading this, I trust that you are a fan of the film series like myself...and I would suggest that you seek this new show out for yourself. I will say that Mick Taylor is as menacing and as usual and Jarratt does fine work of elevating the character to new sadistic heights as the hunter becomes the hunted. I will also say that this new series is full of great standout performances by Lucy Fry in a role that might have been tiresome had someone else attempted it. Fry brings a certain likable energy to the character of Eve that makes it easy to get behind her motives. Speaking of great performances, Dustin Clare is also pretty great as the rogue Aussie cop Sullivan Hill who does his best to help Eve in her quest of vengeance before everything hits the fan. And, boy...does it ever hit the fan.
Wolf Creek is a film series that has its very specific fans...so, I would suggest this mini-series to those particular fans instead of the casual horror-seeking film fan. It is full of tense surprises and great performances, not to mention the usual wince-inducing practical gore that goes along with the films. I highly recommend that you seek out this new incarnation of Wolf Creek.
Here's the trailer for the series:
Thanks for reading,
bryan.
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