Wolf Creek (2005)

Kristy and Liz, two British tourists, are traveling through the Australian Desert with their new Australian friend Ben, when they stop at Wolf Creek Crater - an enormous crater formed when a meteorite hit millennia ago. After a hike to the top of the crater and a view of its natural beauty, the trio return to their car to find that it won't start.

Stranded in the rain, it looks like they might be in a little bit of trouble until a man named Mick shows up in a tow truck. From that point on, they're not just in a little trouble - they're in whole lot of trouble.

Wolf Creek falls into the category of Hillbilly Horror, which I'm happy to see is not just an American thing. Hollywood (or in this case, Aussie-wood, I guess) tells us that wherever there is a wide-open space with no civilization around for miles, there will be creeps living off the grid, preying on anyone unfortunate enough to pass through. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Hills Have Eyes, Wrong Turn, Wolf Creek... I get the hint, movie-makers. I ain't going out there. Not for all the kangaroos in the Outback.

Wolf Creek brings some real tension to the table. You don't go into this movie thinking its just a travelogue showing the natural beauty of a foreign land. You know that at some point, something bad is going to go down. Wolf Creek takes its time getting to the horror, developing the three leads - not fully, but well enough to make us want them to live, even though a savvy audience knows that is an unlikely outcome.

Wolf Creek is a harrowing experience. There are tantalizing moments when escape seems possible, and there is a palpable sense of dread and inevitability when freedom is taken away again. And it's made worse by the murderous Mick putting on a friendly voice and an "aww-shucks" attitude as he explains just how he's going to treat our protagonists. He's an unlikely looking and sounding villain, and that makes him all the more frightening.

While movies like the Hostel series involve very elaborate machinations that put tourists into the clutches of the murderers, Wolf Creek keeps it simple. You unknowingly catch the eye of a killer. Your car breaks down. You find yourself forced to accept help from a stranger. Next thing you know, ropes, gags, torture, death. This is a kind of horror that could happen in the real world - the kind you'll think about next time you're driving in an unfamiliar area. That's a sign of an effective horror movie.