Wolf Creek

MPAA Rating:

for strong gruesome violence, and for language

Moral Rating:

Extremely Offensive

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Moviemaking Quality:

Primary Audience:

Adults

Genre:

Adventure, Crime, Horror, Thriller

Length:

1 hr. 39 min.

Year of Release:

2005

USA Release:

December 25, 2005 (wide); US DVD release: April 11, 2006

Relevant Issues

Every time you buy a movie ticket or rent a video you are casting a vote telling Hollywood “That’s what I want.” Why does Hollywood continue to promote immoral programming? Are YOU part of the problem?

How does viewing violence in movies affect the family? Answer

Featuring:	Cassandra Magrath, John Jarret, Kestie Morassi, Nathan Phillips, Andy McPhee
Director:	Greg McLean
Producer:	Greg McLean, David Lightfoot
Distributor:	Dimension Films

“The thrill is in the hunt.”

Copyrighted, Dimension Films Producer’s Synopsis: “It was supposed to be the vacation of a lifetime in the Australian Outback—full of fun, sun and adventure. But what happened to a trio of twenty-something backpackers took a wrenching detour into the depths of unrelenting terror. Based on true events, Wolf Creek is the haunting story of their unthinkable ordeal—a mounting white-knuckle nightmare so real it was destined to become horror legend.

Trapped in the vast emptiness of the wilderness—all they can do is wait for rescue. Luckily, as night falls, along comes colorful local bushman Mick and his massive truck, offering a tow to safety. But as the sun comes up the next morning, it becomes shockingly apparent that Mick has no intention of fixing their car or letting them leave the Outback… ever again. As Liz, Kristy and Ben search for any conceivable way out, “Wolf Creek” plunges towards an unforgettable climax.”

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.

Neutral—This was a very disturbing film. It follows the mock documentary style of films such as “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” “The Blair Witch Project,” and “Open Water.” However, it is very sadistic, and the violence is gratuitous. The story is simple: Tourists in Australia get stranded in the middle of nowhere. A strange man offers to tow their car to get it fixed. They ride with him, and end up in an old abandoned hut where he tortures them—horribly. It’s a nasty little movie that glorifies the violence on the screen. There is one very graphic scene where the killer severs a woman’s spine with a huge knife, and paralyzes her from the neck down. He proceeds to call her a “head on a stick.” He also attempts to rape one of the girls in a very disturbing scene. This is not a film for the faint-hearted, and I wouldn’t recommend it.

There were some things to like about this film, but they were all overshadowed by the sheer sadism of the movie. It would have been different if there had been some character development. Some, not all, of the characters seemed to be one-dimensional. The scenery was beautiful, and the director of this film has a gift at creating the atmosphere required for this film. The slow pace of the film actually adds to the tension later on. Like I said, there was a lot to like about this film, but it was torture to watch at times. If you must go, go with caution.
My Ratings: Extremely Offensive / 3
—Adam, age 23

Negative—This was the worst movie I think I had ever seen in my entire life. …Parents do not let your kids watch this; it is very bloody, a ton of f*** words in it along with other swear words. Violence was bad; not bad stupid.…
My Ratings: Extremely Offensive / 2
—Kaleb Thomas, age 18

Movie Critics

…baldly exploitative… rivals The Devil’s Rejects as the vilest, most depraved depiction of subhuman behavior in a 2005 film…
—Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Ed Blank

…has a creepily realistic, documentary shooting style that will remind some horror aficionados of the original “Texas Chainsaw Massacre”.…
—St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Joe Williams

…at least as unnerving as it is gratuitously sadistic, skin deep, and full of plot holes the size of Ayers Rock…
—Boston Globe, Janice Page

…full of horror and sadism… “Wolf Creek” becomes exactly the kind of despoiling element the movie otherwise rails against…
—Newsday, John Anderson

…I guess some people out there will want to spend Christmas Day watching a spinal cord get severed by an 18-inch Bowie knife. Unfortunately, theyll have to make it through about an hours worth of nausea-inducing hand-held photography to get there.…
—The Boston Phoenix, Peter Keough