Last Stop Larrimah

Ok, weird anomaly watching "Last stop in Larrimah", after watching "Pain Hustlers", "Transparent" inadvertently!!. I'm a true blue Aussie and obviously now a Jay Duplass fan without knowing it. I'd heard the podcast and the visual will hope help find the culprit. Worth the watch!

Pure coincidence in hitting the button to watch this informative documentary but insightful to the going's of the outback especially where a missing person/murder has occurred (think Pete Falconio) for us regional mob or the city slickers and I guess the rest of the world. Maybe they'll keep us updated on news as it comes, but won't hold my breath!!!!

So, I watched this yesterday, and I really enjoyed it. It starts off with some interesting characters living in a very uninteresting town in the middle of nowhere. Early on we get a closer look at the characters (11 in total) and their backgrounds. There's Fran the pie lady that's lived there forever and who lays claim to establishing the town, and Paddy the Irishman who arrived from Ireland years ago, who on his way to wherever on arriving in Australia decided the trip was taking too long so stop and decided to settle down in Larrimah. Initially it seems Paddy is liked by everyone. Problem is it's hard to find anyone Paddy has a good word to say about! What is revealed about the townsfolk when the police arrive to investigate Paddy's subsequent disappearance is eye-opening. All is not what it seems in this seemingly chummy little town. Very well put together with lots of things you just can't help laugh about. The ending is unexpected, though not surprising, and for me at least it pointed the finger clearly at the murderer. There should be more doco's like this one that keep you guessing right to very end.

Last Stop Larrimah is a well made true crime documentary about the disappearance of Paddy, an Irish immigrant, in Larrimah, situated in Australia, in the middle of nowhere. Larrimah: population eleven... that says already enough about the locals you will encounter there. I immediately had to think about Wrong Turn or The Hills Have Eyes. No need to say the people living there are a bit "special". Only eleven people but still a lot of hatred towards each other, not really the idyllic lifestyle you would imagine. Almost every single person is interviewed and they brought some smiles on my face. I actually found a lot of their stories funny even if there's obviously a serious crime commited. It's all very well shot, interesting to follow. I always dreamed about living off grid somewhere in the middle of nowhere, but there? No, thank you, I'll pass for that.

I love stories about small towns. So, this one really intrigued me from the get-go. The piece begins with the (ten) inhabitants talking about their decision to move to Larrimah in the first place, and what they love about it. We then move to the mystery of a missing man and the filters of suspicion suddenly switch on. Frankly, the slow-burn reveals of the townsfolk surprised me one after the other. Not only do some hold major grudges against the rest, but they're also completely open about it.

The aesthetics of the place (and its people) had my attention throughout. The pub with the crocodile, the pie shop, the bush, the stilt houses, the large open spaces, the dogs, the sunsets - there's something about the place that even a complete outsider like me can get drawn to. The interviews are spread out between all of the residents of the town, and everyone gets to voice their thoughts. The place, the story of the missing man, the people (their ongoing grudges and motives) - I feel this has everything needed for a neo-noir crime drama, at least on paper. It's predominantly Australian too - like, where else do you see folks candidly talk about murder while chugging beer, smoking, or laughing their butt off?

This was great. They way the story is told, will keep you guessing. Guessing which side you're on. They cinematography is really well excecuted and the line up of real life characters is unbeliveable. A gem for the true crime audiences out there. But it also tells the tale of humans- humans with too much time on their hands, living in the middle of nowhere, drinking the day away, just being.

I kind of want to go visit the town now, that i feel like i know everybody there. Meet the colorful characters, have a beer, and talk about what REALLY happened that night Paddy went missing. Great, great documentary.