The Dry (2021)
“Born and bred here, or forever an outsider, seems to be the Kiewarra way.” – Gretchen
The Dry (2021)
Directed by: Robert Connolly
Written by: Robert Connolly, Harry Cripps
Starring: Eric Bana, Genevieve O’Reilly, Keir O’Donnell, Bruce Spence
A 2021 movie! Woohoo! Going back to the movies is BACK (post/mid-Covid) and what better way to get back into the swing of things than with a homegrown Aussie crime drama. Now, full disclosure, I hadn’t heard of this movie or seen any previews for this prior to seeing it on the ‘Now Showing’ page, so cheers to mum for exploding with “THAT’S A GREAT BOOK YOU HAVE TO SEE IT” as soon as I brought it up. And full credit to mum, it’s a great movie.
Originally a Jane Harper bestselling novel (I bet your mum’s read it too), then adapted for the big-screen by director Connolly and co-writer Cripps, The Dry follows big-city detective Aaron Falk (Bana), who returns to his hometown of Kiewarra for the funeral of his childhood best friend, Luke Hadley. Diagnosed as a murder-suicide (Luke’s wife and small child were also murdered), Falk is engaged by Luke’s parents to clear his name, believing their son incapable of such brutality. Wading into the town he’d left behind, Falk is forced to negotiate the pressures facing the drought-stricken farming town while confronting old friends and foes alike. As he digs deeper into the events leading up to the Hadler’s death, old wounds are reopened, and similarities with the current case and the unsolved death of a teenage girl twenty years earlier begin to surface.
I clearly won’t ruin the fantastic ending of this for you (or any other who-dunnit for that matter) but it’s bloody good. I didn’t pick the ending, but it’s one of those movies that is so well laid out that when it’s revealed it isn’t unbelievable (it’s not an “Oh yeah, Dan is Gossip Girl everyone” last gasp wrap-up) – you can reverse engineer the story and look for the breadcrumbs and get annoyed that you missed it. Which is to say – amazing adaptation of an amazing story. There are too many crime or thriller movies where the ‘big reveal’ at the end is either too stupid or too obvious that it crushes the rest of the movie (i.e. every Liam Neeson movie since Taken). This is not one of these. The pacing is fantastic, with enough depth to the story without it being too complex. It also legitimately feels like every character is a suspect, with motives all over the place. Connolly has also done a great job utilising speedy flashbacks to explain Falk’s childhood and his relationship with Luke, rather than meaty dialogue that would slow the movie down.
A review of the casting is simple: Eric Bana carries this movie. And that’s not to say the ancillary pieces are bad (they’re actually all really well cast), he’s just SO GOOD in this. [Speaking of Eric Bana, he’s another one of those actors with a super high approval rating – have you ever heard anyone say “Geez, I can’t stand Eric Bana”? If you have, probably stop being friends with that person.] Commanding and magnetic, Bana’s portrayal of Falk provides the audience with a hero they can root for, but can’t fully trust. The ensemble is strong, with a number of actors you’ll recognise, but probably won’t be able to name. This includes Genevieve O’Reilly as Gretchen (had supplementary roles in Star Wars/Matrix films), Bruce Spence as Luke’s father (has been in sooo many films, including Star Wars, Matrix, Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Carribean – what a list!), and Keir O’Connell as the local sheriff (I recognise him as the creepy goth kid brother in Wedding Crashers).
It’s fun to explore the ‘city slicker visits a country town’ trope through Falk’s perspective, with Connolly highlighting the dichotomy with city living without beating the audience over the head with it. All the characters know each other, there’s open hostility to outsiders, and most importantly – all members of the town are at the mercy of the elements; an extended drought will impact everything. Shot in the Mallee Wimmera region of northwest Victoria, the cinematography emphasises how relevant this message is for modern day Australia, with the brown and dusty landscapes of the town juxtaposed with the greenery and water in the flashbacks to Falk’s youth.
All in all, this was an awesome movie. The only pity about this film is that more people won’t see it, as it’s not a big Hollywood production. If you’re into crime thrillers/dramas, make sure to check this out.
Rating: 8/10