The Horror Show
Killing Ground
by Damien Power
Thirteen years since the striking Wolf Creek, Australian cinema strikes again; this time with Killing Ground, dropping jaws and unveiling once again the hidden gems of the Aussie outback. Damien Power’s Killing Ground spreads a serious case of terror, securing a spot in the pantheon of survival thrillers.
Power’s suspense story follows young couple Sam (Harriet Dyer) and Ian (Ian Meadows) who drive down a long road in order to spend some quality time on a remote lakefront. To their disappointment, once they arrive at their destination they realize they are not the first ones to get there. Curious and somewhat naive, the couple has no clue that their idyllic trip to the woods will eventually culminate in a dreadful affair. Bearing in mind what Australian horror cinema has taught us, there is great evil lurking in the outback.
Even though Killing Ground underlines a rather familiar look and feel, Tasmanian-born Power’s feature is impressive in a sense that it seamlessly weaves together intertwining stories and effectively builds up narrative tension. Looking at the storyline from a wider perspective, it is an effort to explore extreme and irrational violence. This is perfectly portrayed by the movie’s villain duo, who are plain nasty and straight up vile. However, if there’s one thing Power turned a blind eye to, that’s the characters. The whole narrative suffers from indifferent personas - bad guys who are just bad, with no background story to justify even a little bit of their revolting actions.
Although not as gruesome as Greg Mclean’s unforgettable Wolf Creek, Killing Ground is indeed a remarkable flick. Despite being his first feature, Power found an effective way to turn standard tropes into smart touches, laying down a solid hour of fierce buildup, ultimately reaching a much-anticipated peak. And, of course, special shout out to Simon Chapman for excellently capturing the Australian landscape and creating such gasp-worthy cinematography.
Give Killing Ground a chance and let the Australian vista take you on a fun trip to horror-land.
Maria Kriva, HMS
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