The Dry

I saw this without watching the trailer or reading anything bah it.

Eric Bana and a mystery movie set in the dry Australian outbacks were suffice to pull me in.

The film moves at a slow pace but it never gets boring.

Picnic at Hanging Rock, Flashbacks of a Fool, Chinatown, etc came to my mind while viewing this.

I was expecting a lot more from The Dry, but unfortunately, it didn't deliver. While the Aussie outback setting is brilliant and Eric Bana gives a solid performance, the film as a whole just didn't hit the mark. The pacing was painfully slow, and the mystery felt more forced than intriguing. Bana's character should have been more compelling, but he just felt flat and emotionally distant. The plot's twists weren't particularly surprising and by the time everything came together I wasn't as invested as I should have been. It's got its moments but overall it's not the gripping crime thriller I was hoping for. If you're into slow-burn dramas you might enjoy it but it's a bit of a letdown for me.

Eric Bana plays a federal cop drawn back to his home town where he is persuaded to investigate the massacre of a family apparently by an old friend. His presence is largely unwelcome though as he is believed to be responsible for the death of a girl 20 years earlier.

Set in a tinder dry Australian township, this is an assured, solid mystery thriller which cleverly displays possible suspects so you never really sure what the answer is and where it lies as it twists and weaves as Bana finds new pieces of evidence. Bana is sharp and relatively reserved throughout with a good supporting cast rekindling old romances or wanting him gone for the crime he allegedly committed. It is all set in this dry world - you can almost feel the heat - reminiscent of the seventies Australian film renaissance films and particularly of course Picnic at Hanging Rock. I was particularly pleased as well that in the end the solutions to both crimes are laid properly bare, with the main crime featuring a particularly impressive piece of stunt / effects work to bring it to a satisfactory conclusion. Good film.

There is something uniquely Australian about this film. I think it's the overall country feel. A small country town, struggling with drought, small town syndrome and past mysteries that dog community members - especially one who has just returned after 20 years absence. A really good Australian ensemble hold together the intriguing storyline. And just when you decide it's bleeding obvious who the obsessive killer is and what links two crimes 20 years apart, they throw in some extra ingredients to throw the viewer off the scent. That's the part I actually quite enjoyed. I love this sort of movie that relies on great acting, a solid story and characters in an unforgiving outback setting. Really good work here.

Taps into something elemental about growing up around the Australian bush. Well-paced direction from the steady hand of Robert Connelly. Bana underplays his character to let the story do the talking. No slouches whatsoever in the plentiful supporting cast either. Matthew Nable & Genevieve O'Rielly on top of their game. Haven't seen John Polson act since Mission Impossible 2. He seems to relish the craft. A layered whodunnit with a harsh drought as a backdrop. Flashbacks of youth, a rekindled romance of sorts, and interesting townsfolk provide temporary respite from the surreal bleakness. Do yourselves a favour.