Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Heavy gore, language, and clichés in dumb slasher sequel.
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Wolf Creek 2
What's the Story?
A loving German couple enjoys a backpacking trip through the Australian outback, headed for the famous Wolfe Creek crater. Unfortunately, serial killer Mick Taylor (John Jarratt) returns, discovers their camp, and slaughters Rutger (Phillipe Klaus). Rutger's girlfriend, Katarina (Shannon Ashlyn), gets away, and a British tourist, Paul (Ryan Corr), picks her up. But Mick is in hot pursuit, and eventually he gets Paul in his torture chamber. Paul buys himself some time by singing an classic Australian song but winds up playing a deadly trivia game that pits his 10 fingers against 10 questions about Australian history. Can Paul escape, or will he become another of Mick's mutilated victims?
Is It Any Good?
The clichés return and totally take over in the needless sequel WOLF CREEK 2, which brings back serial killer Mick Taylor. Fans of Wolf Creek (2005) admired its stripped-down gory realism, its devotion to characters, and its cruel existentialism: Bad things simply happen to good people. But many others saw it as a pack of old slasher movie clichés dressed up as a "based on a true story" allegory, and this is more of the same.
The movie still wears its "based on a true story" badge, which seems ridiculous since Mick is practically a supernatural killer, like Freddy and Jason, able to know exactly where his prey is at all times. The victims, as would be expected in this kind of movie, aren't very bright and tend to make all the mistakes that slasher movie victims usually make, such as running down the middle of a road while being pursued by a vehicle. The raw gore and the prickly string music score are old hat, too. Actor Jarratt is the only interesting thing here, though he'd be better used in a different kind of movie.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Wolf Creek 2's extreme gore and violence. How did it affect you? Did it make you feel excited or squeamish? What other kinds of violence have you seen in movies, and how does it compare? Which kind has the biggest impact?
Is this movie scary? Why is it classified as a horror movie? Are the events of the movie realistic or supernatural? Does that make it scarier or less scary?
What makes a character like Mick Taylor interesting?
If you were in any of these situations, what would you have done differently?
Movie Details
- In theaters : May 16, 2014
- On DVD or streaming : June 24, 2014
- Cast : John Jarratt , Ryan Corr , Shannon Ashlyn
- Director : Greg McLean
- Studio : Image Entertainment
- Genre : Horror
- Run time : 106 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : February 15, 2023
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