Wolf Creek 2005

Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: As the situation grows more dire, and the film turns the screws, you remain thoroughly invested in the plight of its protagonists, because McLean has taken the time to make you care about each of his three main characters. Read more

Jessica Reaves, Chicago Tribune: As horror movies go, this is a pretty good one, at once a tense, visceral and tightly woven tale. Read more

G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle: This is some horror flick. Read more

Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper: It's a depressing exercise in just mutilation and torture. Read more

Bob Longino, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: A shade better than a lot of the current crop of Hollywood horror movies (Saw II) and remakes and redos of Japanese terror films. Read more

Richard Nilsen, Arizona Republic: A very unpleasant movie. Read more

Janice Page, Boston Globe: At least as unnerving as it is gratuitously sadistic, skin deep, and full of plot holes the size of Ayers Rock. Read more

Kevin Crust, Los Angeles Times: An initially promising horror film that turns exploitive, Wolf Creek fails to deliver the requisite payoff considering its leisurely pace. Read more

Bruce Westbrook, Houston Chronicle: Wolf Creek is wicked and witless -- cruel for the sake of cruelty. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: An unusually crisp and boldly shot Texas Chainsaw Massacre knockoff. Read more

Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press: As a purely visceral -- in both senses of the word -- exercise, Australian import Wolf Creek is extremely effective. Read more

Tom Maurstad, Dallas Morning News: Mr. McLean uses all sorts of storytelling tricks to keep you guessing while the quartet of unknown actors deliver deeply affecting performances. Read more

John Patterson, L.A. Weekly: Consummately well-crafted, unapologetically vicious and leavened with moments of humor that merely intensify the horror. Read more

John Anderson, Newsday: Shoehorning predictable parable and pallid allegory into a hobnail boot full of horror and sadism. Read more

Lisa Rose, Newark Star-Ledger: It's not your typical holiday attraction, but it should lift the spirits of horror devotees, if no one else. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: Just because Dimension considered Greg McLean's nasty exploitation flick worthy of their time and money doesn't mean it deserves yours. Read more

Manohla Dargis, New York Times: The vogue for retro-horror, particularly the stripped-down shivers of 1970's slasher flicks, continues apace in this nasty little piece of work from Australia. Read more

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: Killers don't need motivation anymore, just opportunity. And despite game efforts to throw us off the scene, to surprise us into who will live and tell the tale, there aren't any surprises. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: What Wolf Creek offers is a competently made horror excursion with an unfortunate reliance upon cliches balanced off by some legitimate shocks. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: There is a line and this movie crosses it. I don't know where the line is, but it's way north of Wolf Creek. Read more

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Read more

Jennie Punter, Globe and Mail: You want to close your eyes but can't -- a sure sign the horror is working. Read more

Tony Wong, Toronto Star: Australian writer and director McLean produces what is likely the most riveting horror movie you will see this year. Read more

Time Out: Read more

Mike Clark, USA Today: There's no substitute for bad taste. And this one has it double-barreled, both in the timing of its release and as a movie, one said to be loosely based on fact. Read more

Dennis Harvey, Variety: [It's] scary cinema pushed to the brink of punishment. But there's no question that what it sets out to do, it does alarmingly well. Read more

Michael Atkinson, Village Voice: Wolf Creek is unimaginative, light on the grue and heavy on the faux-serious desperation. Read more

Stephen Hunter, Washington Post: And that's it: The bad guy with the sideburns tortures them and lets them have it one at a time. Read more