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.
348 Reviews
Interesting crime drama
grantss4 October 2021
A policeman, Aaron Falk, returns to his small home town for a funeral. Three people from the same family died in what appears to be a murder-suicide. Falk was best friends at school with Luke, the husband accused of the murders. The return, his first in over 20 years is not a happy one, bringing up memories of and anger from another death, one he was accused of.
Interesting Australian crime drama. Decent plot and reasonably engaging. The whodunnit side is not obvious, making for an intriguing journey.
Solid performance from Eric Bana in the lead role and decent supporting performances.
Not brilliant though: is a bit long-winded and the plot isn't entirely watertight. While reasonably intriguing, the tension is lacking, giving the feeling that things are happening in a vacuum. The drawn-out nature of proceedings doesn't help the momentum or tension.
Still very watchable though.
Interesting Australian crime drama. Decent plot and reasonably engaging. The whodunnit side is not obvious, making for an intriguing journey.
Solid performance from Eric Bana in the lead role and decent supporting performances.
Not brilliant though: is a bit long-winded and the plot isn't entirely watertight. While reasonably intriguing, the tension is lacking, giving the feeling that things are happening in a vacuum. The drawn-out nature of proceedings doesn't help the momentum or tension.
Still very watchable though.
Aussie Awesome
omarcantbestopped16 July 2021
Seriously guys I am a sucker for murder mysteries. No matter how bad the script is and even if it's predictable which in this movie I had no idea and couldn't see it coming at all. It's the way the direction and cinematography is done plus suspenseful music all goes well hand in hand to tell a beautiful story. The acting is fantastic from everyone especially Eric BANA. Maybe a bit long but kept me engaging the entire time. Great movie 👌👍
Noot bad at all
greenhouse35051 April 2021
Good solid package. Acting, cinematography, story, balance, musical score... all come together seamlessly.
Only thing missing was a definitive ending. There is enough information to wrap things up 100%. But still, there was enough room for another scene or two just to round it off. If they spent 2 more minutes, I'd had rounded it off to an 8. Not enough credit given to Aussie movies these days. But not surprised really as the bulk are cheesy horrish crap.
This one is worth a watch.
Only thing missing was a definitive ending. There is enough information to wrap things up 100%. But still, there was enough room for another scene or two just to round it off. If they spent 2 more minutes, I'd had rounded it off to an 8. Not enough credit given to Aussie movies these days. But not surprised really as the bulk are cheesy horrish crap.
This one is worth a watch.
The Dry
henry8-39 August 2021
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.
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.
Two rules for good movie-making - Does it evoke emotion from the viewer? and would you watch it again?
omendata7 June 2021
I have to admit, it is very rare that i watch an Aussie movie and find it is a bad one and this is no exception to the rule!
This film literally drips with atmosphere and a pervading sense of sadness mixed with regret and soupçon of futility but with superb acting from all the cast weaving a rather languorous but stylish web of intrigue to hold the viewers gaze. Great photography and spellbinding music score that really conjures up the dry dustbowl that is the archetypal, central Australia backwater town, with its hidden dark secrets and creepy bill-hilly descendants of Botany Bay; so much so you can almost feel the oppressive heat and stifling atmosphere hemming you into your seat; just like PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK (1975) did all those year ago and with the same serious aplomb.
It is a basic whodunnit story and not for the crash, bang , wallop brigade but for those who like to sit back and be absorbed into the landscape and watch from a distance and it unfolds so methodically and with such a well paced, directed, photographed and acted ensemble that it is hard to stop watching. With a masterful performance and perfect casting of the always on form Eric Bana. I actually had a tear in my eye at the final denouement; always a great sign that a movie has done its job well. It made a superb nights viewing and a film I could watch again - for me that is another sign of a good movie!!!
Highly recommended, one of the best films this year and anyone who has read Jan Harper's book will be happy as it has not been hacked to death as usually happens in the Hollywood movie-zone!
This film literally drips with atmosphere and a pervading sense of sadness mixed with regret and soupçon of futility but with superb acting from all the cast weaving a rather languorous but stylish web of intrigue to hold the viewers gaze. Great photography and spellbinding music score that really conjures up the dry dustbowl that is the archetypal, central Australia backwater town, with its hidden dark secrets and creepy bill-hilly descendants of Botany Bay; so much so you can almost feel the oppressive heat and stifling atmosphere hemming you into your seat; just like PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK (1975) did all those year ago and with the same serious aplomb.
It is a basic whodunnit story and not for the crash, bang , wallop brigade but for those who like to sit back and be absorbed into the landscape and watch from a distance and it unfolds so methodically and with such a well paced, directed, photographed and acted ensemble that it is hard to stop watching. With a masterful performance and perfect casting of the always on form Eric Bana. I actually had a tear in my eye at the final denouement; always a great sign that a movie has done its job well. It made a superb nights viewing and a film I could watch again - for me that is another sign of a good movie!!!
Highly recommended, one of the best films this year and anyone who has read Jan Harper's book will be happy as it has not been hacked to death as usually happens in the Hollywood movie-zone!
Echoes of Picnic at Hanging Rock
Phil_M_A_Kerr19 December 2020
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.
A missed opportunity
xaapaas13 February 2021
Unfortunately, we make very few films here in Australia, and we rarely make great films, that's why when a fairly ok movie comes out, we all get excited. Our local movie critics are also incapable of judging local films without bias. They too, get overexcited and rave on about a film like "The Dry". This is not a boring film, or am awful experience, however, it's really not that great. Of course, we all get sentimental when we see the Australian landscape photographed in a movie, it's close to our hearts and we get touched by it. This film has all the ingredients to potentially have been a great film, but that opportunity was missed. The story has many holes, the constant flashbacks get confusing, the performances are not that great, Eric Bana has no chemistry with anyone on the screen, the soundtrack is nonstop and aimless, and annoying. The dialogue is also poorly done. Very basic screenwriting, nothing sophisticated, very much on-the-nose. I understand the desire to portray the simplicity of the characters being a country/rural setting, however, films like Coen Brothers' "Fargo" achieve this without compromising the integrity of the dialogue. This definitely didn't live up to the hype. Watch it of course to support our home-grown. film industry, but we really need to up our game.
As great as the book by Jan Harper
johncranberry-1622719 December 2020
Eric Bana is perfectly cast and carries this movie so well. The story is emotional but grounded. So often movie adaptions from best selling books are butchered by directors who feel that they need to make changes to make it their own. Not this time. The director was excellent and the cast was awesome. Did not take my eyes of the screen the entire time. Well done, proud to be an Aussie. Bana will win AFI. Jan Harper should be proud.
Captivating
Gordon-1116 May 2021
Smouldering Lead, Undercooked Direction.
bobbsaunders20 February 2021
Eric Bana commands the screen, ably supported by Genevieve O'Reilly but the direction just lacked spark. This was a film that begged to be evocative, yet it just plodded through, getting the job done with no standout atmosphere. Robert Connelly is a journeyman director. Solid but unremarkable. If it were not for Bana, this film would have passed by unnoticed. By comparison Iven Sen creates slow burn, outback, damaged detective films that burst with atmosphere and leave you with red dust up your nose.
And the Dead
kosmasp26 June 2021
I do not know the book this is based on - so I can't compare how faithful it is to the book. It does seem to take certain characters and manages to put them in the film though - I can imagine that the hotel owner is in the book too ... and what a fine casting they did on him - and all the other people too of course. Eric Banas father in this ... I could see him as his real father (judging from the last names it does not seem to be the case though).
So great actors and a really good story to say the least. It may start off quite dry ... and it does take its sweet time. But it uses the time to introduce us to the people involved and makes us second guess every move, every word and everyone we see ... is there more to him or her? Very likely ... a town/village full of lies ... lies to protect oneself or a loved one ... secrets that haunt almost everyone. Secrets that seem laughable, but could hurt someones reputation ... and other sins (not just from the father(s)) ... a really well done, dry movie, with a powerhouse performance by Eric Bana, but also anyone else that is on screen at any given time!
So great actors and a really good story to say the least. It may start off quite dry ... and it does take its sweet time. But it uses the time to introduce us to the people involved and makes us second guess every move, every word and everyone we see ... is there more to him or her? Very likely ... a town/village full of lies ... lies to protect oneself or a loved one ... secrets that haunt almost everyone. Secrets that seem laughable, but could hurt someones reputation ... and other sins (not just from the father(s)) ... a really well done, dry movie, with a powerhouse performance by Eric Bana, but also anyone else that is on screen at any given time!
Its Rabbit Season!
damianphelps8 September 2021
I hooked right into this one, the acting was great and the story slowly drip fed to an audience yearning to find out just what did happen.
As an Australian movie it hits the sweet spot, honestly Aussie without hammering the cliches.
Grab a beer and enjoy :)
As an Australian movie it hits the sweet spot, honestly Aussie without hammering the cliches.
Grab a beer and enjoy :)
Disappointing both as a crime and as an Australian outback movie.
snshami18 January 2021
I watched this movie with great anticipation. I had read the book which did a great job painting a distressed town in the grip of a devastating drought. In the book one could feel the heat and hear the desiccated undergrowth crackle. Emotional conflicts were also handled nicely. The writing and the way the book paints the landscape and the people masks the weakness in the plot and the poorly developed unveiling of the perpetrator
Sadly the movie fails to show any emotional depth in any characters. The town is greener and far less bleak than shown in the book.
To make matters worse the way the crime is solved is even more abbreviated than in the book.
As a consequence it fails as both an Australian outback movies as well as a crime movie. My adult son who had not read the book described it as boring.
not a dry Aussie whodunit
ferguson-620 May 2021
Greetings again from the darkness. Remember when an exonerated OJ Simpson vowed to dedicate his time to finding "the real killer" of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman? For some reason that memory came back in the early stages of this film as a Melbourne-based Australian Federal Police agent returns to his isolated hometown after his childhood friend is implicated in a murder-suicide. See, that agent left town as a teenager when he was suspected of being involved in the murder of a local teenage girl.
Eric Bana (MUNICH, 2005) stars as that AFP agent Aaron Falk. He's been gone for 20 years, but agrees to return for the funeral of his friend Luke (Martin Dingall Wall) at the request of Luke's parents (Bruce Spence, Julia Blake). The parents don't believe Luke would have killed his wife and one of his two kids and then committed suicide, and they want Aaron to investigate. Of course, the rest of the town believes Luke did it, and most are none too happy that Aaron has returned, as they haven't forgotten the suspicion tied to him for the tragedy that took the life of his friend Ellie (BeBe Bettencourt) so many years ago.
The stark contrast of glass and steel Melbourne towers and the drought-stricken cracked soil of (fictional) Kiewarra are as distinct as the comparison of today's Kiewarra with Aaron's flashbacks to those carefree days of swimming in the river with Ellie, Luke and their friend Gretchen - who is now a single mom played by Genevieve O'Reilly, and one of the few to welcome Aaron back. The film is based on the 2016 international best-selling novel by Jane Harper, and there is a lot to keep up with, despite a pace that never feels rushed. The two cases may be separated by twenty years, but they seem connected, even though we aren't sure how murder and suicide and a slew of suspects all fit together. Aaron works with local police officer Greg Raco (an excellent Keir O'Donnell) in an attempt to make sense of what's happened.
There are angry and suspicious people throughout the town. William Zappa plays Mal, Ellie's grudge-bearing father, while Matt Nable plays her obnoxious and quick-to-accuse cousin Grant. James Frecheville (ANIMAL KINGDOM, 2010) is local farmer with a motive Jamie Sullivan, while John Polson plays school Principal Scott Whitlam who isn't quite as put together as he'd like everyone to believe. Farmer Sullivan remarks (with the film's best line), "You think you're gonna get the truth in a town like this?" And by that time, we know exactly what he means.
The flashbacks to Aaron's teenage years provide much of the context to the story and his character, and they are handled beautifully. It's a small town whose residents hold an abundance of secrets, rumors, and grudges, creating a web of misinformation that challenges Aaron and Officer Raco. The two cases (past and present) collide, and cinematographer Stefan Duscio does terrific work with the vast, dusty landscape, as well as the many interior shots where the characters reveal their true selves. Writer-director Robert Connolly (a heavy TV workload recently) co-wrote the script with Harry Cripps and Samantha Strauss, and they have created a suspenseful and entertaining whodunit. With the heavy dose of crime shows on TV these days, it's a pleasure to see a well done film with high production value and a cohesive story. Just remember to use an alibi other than "shooting rabbits", if you are ever working on a cover story.
Opening in theaters and on VOD on May 21, 2021.
Eric Bana (MUNICH, 2005) stars as that AFP agent Aaron Falk. He's been gone for 20 years, but agrees to return for the funeral of his friend Luke (Martin Dingall Wall) at the request of Luke's parents (Bruce Spence, Julia Blake). The parents don't believe Luke would have killed his wife and one of his two kids and then committed suicide, and they want Aaron to investigate. Of course, the rest of the town believes Luke did it, and most are none too happy that Aaron has returned, as they haven't forgotten the suspicion tied to him for the tragedy that took the life of his friend Ellie (BeBe Bettencourt) so many years ago.
The stark contrast of glass and steel Melbourne towers and the drought-stricken cracked soil of (fictional) Kiewarra are as distinct as the comparison of today's Kiewarra with Aaron's flashbacks to those carefree days of swimming in the river with Ellie, Luke and their friend Gretchen - who is now a single mom played by Genevieve O'Reilly, and one of the few to welcome Aaron back. The film is based on the 2016 international best-selling novel by Jane Harper, and there is a lot to keep up with, despite a pace that never feels rushed. The two cases may be separated by twenty years, but they seem connected, even though we aren't sure how murder and suicide and a slew of suspects all fit together. Aaron works with local police officer Greg Raco (an excellent Keir O'Donnell) in an attempt to make sense of what's happened.
There are angry and suspicious people throughout the town. William Zappa plays Mal, Ellie's grudge-bearing father, while Matt Nable plays her obnoxious and quick-to-accuse cousin Grant. James Frecheville (ANIMAL KINGDOM, 2010) is local farmer with a motive Jamie Sullivan, while John Polson plays school Principal Scott Whitlam who isn't quite as put together as he'd like everyone to believe. Farmer Sullivan remarks (with the film's best line), "You think you're gonna get the truth in a town like this?" And by that time, we know exactly what he means.
The flashbacks to Aaron's teenage years provide much of the context to the story and his character, and they are handled beautifully. It's a small town whose residents hold an abundance of secrets, rumors, and grudges, creating a web of misinformation that challenges Aaron and Officer Raco. The two cases (past and present) collide, and cinematographer Stefan Duscio does terrific work with the vast, dusty landscape, as well as the many interior shots where the characters reveal their true selves. Writer-director Robert Connolly (a heavy TV workload recently) co-wrote the script with Harry Cripps and Samantha Strauss, and they have created a suspenseful and entertaining whodunit. With the heavy dose of crime shows on TV these days, it's a pleasure to see a well done film with high production value and a cohesive story. Just remember to use an alibi other than "shooting rabbits", if you are ever working on a cover story.
Opening in theaters and on VOD on May 21, 2021.
Slow Paced Mystery Drama
SameirAli5 July 2021
Overblown melodrama for the easy to please
mosquitobite8 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Eric Bana adds some much needed gravitas to Ms Harpers concocted feeling little boiler which does its best to stuff itself full as a Christmas turkey. I really did laugh out loud when we managed to fit in a gay couple alongside the indigenous and Asian spouses, the ultimately strangely disconnected, non- satisfying side story of gambling addiction and a man apparently gone mad to the point of losing all perspective manifesting in unfettered murder and self immolation, and of course, the incestuous murderous dad. A tawdry trite unskilled work. Open spaces very nicely filmed.
A captivating movie which will stay with u.
Fella_shibby31 March 2021
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.
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.
The Dry, stale and mundane.
Top_Dawg_Critic7 September 2021
There's nothing exciting about this film, and it's easily forgettable by the next day. The writing is convoluted with many plot and technical issues. The 117 min runtime and dragged out slow pacing felt endless, I was begging for the end, and it wasn't a rewarding one. The directing was all over the place and lacked urgency and continuity. There was just too much filler for the little substance, of which only became apparent towards the end, and you'll say "that's it?". Writer and director Robert Connolly needed more "oomph" and less "clunk" in this film. The performances were decent, although Bana seemed bored for the most part. The cinematography, landscape and score were excellent, and the only real highlights of this film. Had Connolly cut and trimmed many scenes to make this no more than a 90 min film, I may have liked it more. It's a 6/10 from me.
Australian cinema at its finest
maccas-563671 September 2021
This completely exceeded my expectations and has to be Erica Bana's best performance in years.
It's definitely a slow-burner but I was engaged from the start. Everything feels very well-developed - the small town, the unique characters, the mysteries and the backdrop of drought.
If you enjoy small towns filled with mysteries, secrets and lies, then you will enjoy this. The Dry has a very authentic atmosphere and captures rural Australia well. Its use of flashbacks was never jarring and the past and present complemented eachother effectively.
The intertwined stories worked fantastically, with the result being a very powerful film and ending. Not a film I'll forget in a hurry.
It's definitely a slow-burner but I was engaged from the start. Everything feels very well-developed - the small town, the unique characters, the mysteries and the backdrop of drought.
If you enjoy small towns filled with mysteries, secrets and lies, then you will enjoy this. The Dry has a very authentic atmosphere and captures rural Australia well. Its use of flashbacks was never jarring and the past and present complemented eachother effectively.
The intertwined stories worked fantastically, with the result being a very powerful film and ending. Not a film I'll forget in a hurry.
Under the Milky Way tonight
gedikreverdi18 September 2021
Warning: Spoilers
It was a very good crime film. True Detective would make a whole season out of this film. The visuals were stunning. Draught is really worrying and with the sun scorched vast fields with very scarce vegetation, the little town looked spooky. The bad locals doing heinous things in a little town feels so southern gothic. I really enjoyed it except for young Aaron didn't look like Aaron at all and it could have been about 20 minutes shorter.
The motive was very infuriating. The principal was a gambler and he owed money to some dangerous people so he killed Luke, his son and his wife who worked as an account at the school. And Ellie didn't commit suicide and none of her friends were responsible, either. It was his father who killed her. Aaron found her bad in the crack between the rock tree by the lake. He read her diary and made sure it was her father. They kept blaming Aaron for her death when he came back for investigation the deaths. I thought it was Gretchen because she had a son from Luke and she might have been jealous to kill.
The actors were good and I was impressed by how the town, the surroundings, the lake and the rock tree looked.
The motive was very infuriating. The principal was a gambler and he owed money to some dangerous people so he killed Luke, his son and his wife who worked as an account at the school. And Ellie didn't commit suicide and none of her friends were responsible, either. It was his father who killed her. Aaron found her bad in the crack between the rock tree by the lake. He read her diary and made sure it was her father. They kept blaming Aaron for her death when he came back for investigation the deaths. I thought it was Gretchen because she had a son from Luke and she might have been jealous to kill.
The actors were good and I was impressed by how the town, the surroundings, the lake and the rock tree looked.
Don't miss this.
HerbieStretch18 December 2020
Eye-catching vistas, heroes, villains, red herrings and good-looking actors doing realistic acting. This story runs along nicely with good use of flashbacks to bring storylines together. Having not read the book I did not know what to expect and actually had to clarify a couple of things via a web search afterwards when a crucial discovery went straight over my head. I left the cinema happy to have spent money on this film, knowing that I'd seen a good one.
Did I miss something?
mclartyd16 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Eric certainly carried this film, with a few credible supporting performances. The scenery was well shot and so evocative of the true Australian bush.
That's where it ended for me. Once the token Asian, gay and indigenous characters appeared my cringe factor kicked in and I truly felt sorry for these characters that were given such scant attention. Not much of a whodoneit with the murderer being glaringly obvious and creepy right from the first scene! Glad I had no expectations!
Promising build-up ruined by weak plot twist
marciabaila-801016 February 2021
Warning: Spoilers
'The Dry' had the stage to tell a really difficult and important story in our society about gendered violence and it baulked and chose a limp red herring murder narrative.
For three quarters of the film I was compelled and drawn into the small town environment and the people within it. It was beautiful to see Victorian rivers, gums and dirt roads on the big screen. The settings of the carpet pub corridors, the rusted school fly-wire doors, cane chairs on the porch and yellow crockery behind glass cabinets all felt expressive and lived-in.
I felt the parallel narratives were nicely developing a ratcheting moral tension for Aaron; comparing his inability to accept that his friend Luke killed his family and the suggestion that for years he had lied about Luke's murder of their friend Ellie. These suggestions were drawn from the flashback narrative portraying the young Luke as acting callous and insensitive to Ellie (dunking under the water dangerously) and the guilt that Aaron expressed when the past incident was brought up.
I felt the funeral in the small town hall was an emotionally charged moment with the people having the difficulty of holding both a cruel murder and the loss of a liked community member, grief and judgment in the same space. At this point, I felt that Luke's mother Barb clearly demonstrated how the idea that there was an alternate killer was acting as a protection from the pain of having to consider Luke's culpability.
Murder-suicide family violence is a part of our culture that is very difficult to acknowledge and more common than we accept. The family man is the fulcrum of our domestic imagination and struggles to be outcast as immoral. This has been demonstrated repeatedly by the way these men are portrayed as 'good blokes' in the ensuing media coverage.
I felt that as Aaron's fixation on uncovering the investigation was building, and once the red herrings of various town secrets had been revealed as irrelevant, he would reach a moment of catharsis having to face what his friend had done and his complicity in protecting him from consequences of the murder of Ellie. As Luke's father suggests, if there had been accountability earlier, would Karen and Billie have had their lives taken from them. I felt that it would have been an interesting subverting of the righteous law-enforcer being shown to not be uncovering truth but to be losing his grip on what is right; his behavior becoming desperate as he manipulates the investigation and trespasses in Gretchen's house.
Instead, the narrative chose to completely extinguish the moral tension and create an insipid twist that places all the moral blame on a side character who was 'just trying to save his family'. This shift places Aaron's character into the easily digestible role of virtuous hero who is able to act assertively and literally 'save the town' from fire. In the neat wrap up, Aaron no longer has to contend with moral ambivalence and Luke's character dissolves into irrelevance.
It should be noted that Ellie's father Mal was revealed as being sexually abusive as well as being her murderer. This narrative arc was suggested earlier with some of Ellie's confusion with intimacy. During the film Mal was presented as a gnarled outsider and not given much on an internal narrative to allow space for the meaty moral greyness that I had hoped that Australian films would be interested in depicting.
I felt viscerally betrayed by what I thought was a weak decision to avoid sitting with the reality of male violence and how a friend processes their role in contributing to a lack of accountability. Given that the Dry was so beautifully made, I felt it was really disappointing that the depiction of gendered violence in a film which such popular reach was only used as a red herring for a lifeless plot twist. In some ways, by validating the disbelief at the existence of a father killing his wife and child, this film contributes to the very social collusion that it hinted it would rawly lay open with an unflinching gaze.
For three quarters of the film I was compelled and drawn into the small town environment and the people within it. It was beautiful to see Victorian rivers, gums and dirt roads on the big screen. The settings of the carpet pub corridors, the rusted school fly-wire doors, cane chairs on the porch and yellow crockery behind glass cabinets all felt expressive and lived-in.
I felt the parallel narratives were nicely developing a ratcheting moral tension for Aaron; comparing his inability to accept that his friend Luke killed his family and the suggestion that for years he had lied about Luke's murder of their friend Ellie. These suggestions were drawn from the flashback narrative portraying the young Luke as acting callous and insensitive to Ellie (dunking under the water dangerously) and the guilt that Aaron expressed when the past incident was brought up.
I felt the funeral in the small town hall was an emotionally charged moment with the people having the difficulty of holding both a cruel murder and the loss of a liked community member, grief and judgment in the same space. At this point, I felt that Luke's mother Barb clearly demonstrated how the idea that there was an alternate killer was acting as a protection from the pain of having to consider Luke's culpability.
Murder-suicide family violence is a part of our culture that is very difficult to acknowledge and more common than we accept. The family man is the fulcrum of our domestic imagination and struggles to be outcast as immoral. This has been demonstrated repeatedly by the way these men are portrayed as 'good blokes' in the ensuing media coverage.
I felt that as Aaron's fixation on uncovering the investigation was building, and once the red herrings of various town secrets had been revealed as irrelevant, he would reach a moment of catharsis having to face what his friend had done and his complicity in protecting him from consequences of the murder of Ellie. As Luke's father suggests, if there had been accountability earlier, would Karen and Billie have had their lives taken from them. I felt that it would have been an interesting subverting of the righteous law-enforcer being shown to not be uncovering truth but to be losing his grip on what is right; his behavior becoming desperate as he manipulates the investigation and trespasses in Gretchen's house.
Instead, the narrative chose to completely extinguish the moral tension and create an insipid twist that places all the moral blame on a side character who was 'just trying to save his family'. This shift places Aaron's character into the easily digestible role of virtuous hero who is able to act assertively and literally 'save the town' from fire. In the neat wrap up, Aaron no longer has to contend with moral ambivalence and Luke's character dissolves into irrelevance.
It should be noted that Ellie's father Mal was revealed as being sexually abusive as well as being her murderer. This narrative arc was suggested earlier with some of Ellie's confusion with intimacy. During the film Mal was presented as a gnarled outsider and not given much on an internal narrative to allow space for the meaty moral greyness that I had hoped that Australian films would be interested in depicting.
I felt viscerally betrayed by what I thought was a weak decision to avoid sitting with the reality of male violence and how a friend processes their role in contributing to a lack of accountability. Given that the Dry was so beautifully made, I felt it was really disappointing that the depiction of gendered violence in a film which such popular reach was only used as a red herring for a lifeless plot twist. In some ways, by validating the disbelief at the existence of a father killing his wife and child, this film contributes to the very social collusion that it hinted it would rawly lay open with an unflinching gaze.
Good but not great
jennifermaryrussell7 January 2021
I've read the other reviews here singing praise for The Dry and while I found the movie to be a good watch, I just didn't find it to be worth rating it more than 6. Cinematography was amazing , it showcased the arid and harsh conditions that engulf remote Australia when it's in full fledged drought. Acting was great, again showing the complexities yet simplicities of the community in a typical remote Australian town. The reason I gave it a six is because the story line was overly predictable and the pace was just a tad too slow. I'm sure the pace was intentional to again reflect what it's like to live in a remote community, no hustle, no bustle, no commute, but for a two cinema experience it somehow took away from the story.
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