Like a lot of people, I was dubious of how Wolf Creek would play as a series.
Greg McLean's original 2005 breakout indie slasher landed sledgehammer blows of sadism and violence as much as it gave you characters and performances that were a cut above those usually seen in the genre, and while Hostel was released that same year, "Wolf Creek" kept throwing you off your spiked pony as you watched, never delivering *exactly* what you expected. The 2013 sequel was a disappointing parody of itself, more of a warmed-over croc 'o' dundee crap that gave John Jarrett far too much screen time to racist rant without developing his character in any genuine or interesting way.
Jarrett returns in the first series of the TV spin-off playing usual cat-and-mouse games with Lucy Fry, doing the misunderstood-damaged-teenage-ninja heroine to good effect (complete with happy panting Dingo), though almost every aspect of the revenge story-line was cribbed from every expected source from Star Wars to Game of Thrones. It was hard to get especially excited about it. But McLean was definitely back on point in S1, even finally giving Jarrett's chuckling psycho a backstory and (almost) three dimensions. The acting was steadfast throughout and the only tiring point was the portrayal of all Aussie Outback men as druggies, rapists, and thugs who assault women physically, verbally, or both from noon through night.
Season 2 is well worth the wait. I bought the first episode, then quickly bought the rest and binged it all in about two days... it was that fresh, ingenious, and unexpected. Unlike many series, Wolf Creek pretty much trashes the first season insofar as it barely acknowledges it's occurrence (other than a scant reference to a "detective" in the final episode that made me wonder if there was a link between the character of Brian and cop Sullivan Hill --- don't think so).
Two follows a luxury busload of tourists who should rightly be as dull and lifeless as most slasher film targets are, but they're not. Almost all thirteen characters are well filled out and given abundantly rich backgrounds and good dialogue, which pay off in subsequent episodes. I'm not giving anything away (and I wouldn't recommend even watching the trailer for season 2) as once again, as in the 2005 film, nothing really plays out as you expect. What I especially liked is how McLean has peppered the S2 cast with a number of potential adversaries which at least *challenge* Mick in various physical and psychological ways and so prevent Jarrett's character from becoming a bit too Michael Myers-esque (though the plausibility of the ending, as in S1, is highly ripe). A very interesting angle which the large cast in S2 primes is the conflict between the characters which simmers, then boils over as their futures grow more and more grim. McLean's writing team gleefully plays with the idea of otherwise "civilized" mobile-phone junkies who Express Their Feelings With Great Empathy devolving into a pack of rabid Everymutts for Themselves.
That said, Season 2 still has the boundary of Wolf Creek's somewhat limiting premise well within view. There is only so far it can go, but it expends that latitude to it's limit. You'll find it near impossible to turn off.
Greg McLean's original 2005 breakout indie slasher landed sledgehammer blows of sadism and violence as much as it gave you characters and performances that were a cut above those usually seen in the genre, and while Hostel was released that same year, "Wolf Creek" kept throwing you off your spiked pony as you watched, never delivering *exactly* what you expected. The 2013 sequel was a disappointing parody of itself, more of a warmed-over croc 'o' dundee crap that gave John Jarrett far too much screen time to racist rant without developing his character in any genuine or interesting way.
Jarrett returns in the first series of the TV spin-off playing usual cat-and-mouse games with Lucy Fry, doing the misunderstood-damaged-teenage-ninja heroine to good effect (complete with happy panting Dingo), though almost every aspect of the revenge story-line was cribbed from every expected source from Star Wars to Game of Thrones. It was hard to get especially excited about it. But McLean was definitely back on point in S1, even finally giving Jarrett's chuckling psycho a backstory and (almost) three dimensions. The acting was steadfast throughout and the only tiring point was the portrayal of all Aussie Outback men as druggies, rapists, and thugs who assault women physically, verbally, or both from noon through night.
Season 2 is well worth the wait. I bought the first episode, then quickly bought the rest and binged it all in about two days... it was that fresh, ingenious, and unexpected. Unlike many series, Wolf Creek pretty much trashes the first season insofar as it barely acknowledges it's occurrence (other than a scant reference to a "detective" in the final episode that made me wonder if there was a link between the character of Brian and cop Sullivan Hill --- don't think so).
Two follows a luxury busload of tourists who should rightly be as dull and lifeless as most slasher film targets are, but they're not. Almost all thirteen characters are well filled out and given abundantly rich backgrounds and good dialogue, which pay off in subsequent episodes. I'm not giving anything away (and I wouldn't recommend even watching the trailer for season 2) as once again, as in the 2005 film, nothing really plays out as you expect. What I especially liked is how McLean has peppered the S2 cast with a number of potential adversaries which at least *challenge* Mick in various physical and psychological ways and so prevent Jarrett's character from becoming a bit too Michael Myers-esque (though the plausibility of the ending, as in S1, is highly ripe). A very interesting angle which the large cast in S2 primes is the conflict between the characters which simmers, then boils over as their futures grow more and more grim. McLean's writing team gleefully plays with the idea of otherwise "civilized" mobile-phone junkies who Express Their Feelings With Great Empathy devolving into a pack of rabid Everymutts for Themselves.
That said, Season 2 still has the boundary of Wolf Creek's somewhat limiting premise well within view. There is only so far it can go, but it expends that latitude to it's limit. You'll find it near impossible to turn off.