Don't let my headline lead you to believe that I'm squeamish. I love horror movies, even the ones that really push the envelope. The kind of horror I can't stand is when the narrative is leaning towards the perspective of the killer. This movie is exactly that. You know right from the start that this guy (the killer) is a piece of garbage, and yet the movie is trying to imply that he's a pretty cool dude when he's not murdering people.. and the fact that he gets so much screen time is a complete insult. This is the dude that every waitress that's worked at TGI Friday's vehemently avoids because he's always saying something gross/pervy and he never leaves a gratuity, in fact he'll most likely throw 2 dollars on the table and scram.. how is an audience supposed to be scared of some bozo that's introduced to us like an Aussie Uncle Buck? Sorry, but Crocodile Dundee with Diabetes killing for fun is just not scary, nor enticing, unless of course you're into just watching people get killed for the hell of it.

If you are looking for the typical Hollywood screamer then go elsewhere. This one just keeps your heart pounding and makes you feel very uneasy. I watched this with my wife and 18 yr old son. About 1/3 of the way in, I was watching it by myself...it actually made them feel THAT uncomfortable. What some people don't realize is the inspiration for this movie, Ivan Milat, is sitting in Goulburn Prison in Australia. He is commonly called the "backpacker killer". One reason it was played down was its direct affect on tourism. One detail was the fact that Police theorized he deliberately paralyzed some of his victims to immobilize them but to keep them conscious. Police are also sure that he killed more but cannot prove it. This movie probably scared Australians more because if you live out in the country... everybody knows a "bloke" like Mick Taylor.

This is the single most horrible movie I've seen in a while. If you want some gruesome action and an actually mediocre horror movie just go (re)watch any of the Wrong Turn movies. If you still for some strange reason decide to watch this sh*t you could easily skip the first 30 minutes because NOTHING HAPPENS! Good luck!

WOLF CREEK is one of those modern-day, pared-down horror films that rely on action for suspense and deliver a new brand of extreme horror in which the terror comes, not from the supernatural, but from the sadistic mind of a relentless killer. What makes WOLF CREEK different is that it's Australian, which means it comes with its own distinctive visual flavour, and director Gary McLean is bright enough to make the eerie wilderness of the Australian outback a character just as important as the three protagonists of the story. An isolated landscape, full of rusting barbed wire, the lonely barks of solitary dogs, and a creepy giant meteorite crater, this is a film designed to put you off ever wanting to visit Australia ever again.The first half of the film is the best, a slow-burning build up populated by creepy cameo characters and an ever-increasing sense of foreboding. Rather than creating likable characters, McLean pretends the backpackers just as they are, so we get Nathan Phillips as a bit of a jock and Kestie Morassi as somebody incessantly whiny and annoying; Cassandra Magrath does better as the genuinely fragile Liz. Best of all, though, is John Jarratt, who gives one of the best bad guy performances I've ever seen in a movie; he's so evil because he's so NICE, and only by watching this film will you see what I mean. Jarratt is horrifying and far more frightening than Freddy or Jason ever can be.The film seems to have achieved some controversy because of its violent content, but in a world full of SAW movies, it's nothing much; a few flashes of brutal violence and a nasty stabbing, that's it. It's disturbing, though, because McLean is good at filming horror, building up the suspense incessantly before thumping you in the chest with something you don't want to see happen. The similarly-themed HILLS HAVE EYES remake and HOSTEL may have more bloodshed and depravity, but the more subtle terrors of WOLF CREEK are just as powerful as any big bucks horror flick with Hollywood's backing.