Greg McLean’s brilliantly nasty horror, the most disquieting Aussie debut this side of Bad Boy Bubby, is guaranteed to make you squirm like you’ve never squirmed before. As outback madman Mick Taylor (Jarratt) gets his claws into three bright young backpackers in a part of Australia where no one can hear you scream, every squelch with a machete seems horrendously amplified.
Filmed in queasy verite as inspired by Dogme’s digital revolution, McLean’s unholy naturalism lends the quality of holiday from hell snapshots while evoking the golden exploitation years of the '70s.
An absolute triumph of ill-will and the most terrifying road-trip flick since Chevy Chase stopped taking National Lampoon vacations.