Australian Horror Movies We Liked Cinemax
Like many others, I have long dreamed of visiting Australia. Even as I approach 40, it still hasn’t happened. I have visited many countries, one or two trips per year, but I have not yet been to this continent, perhaps because of the astronomical costs, because it is quite difficult to plan a trip there, and perhaps because of the dangers. Australia is considered by many to be a frightening country, perhaps even the most terrifying in the world. After all, it offers a combination of dangerous roads, predatory animals and countless venomous animals. Every few months we see a viral video about what’s happening in Australia that seems like something out of a sci-fi horror movie: for example, millions of giant spiders taking over a city.
For these reasons, Australian horror films have always seemed intriguing to me, and I suspect other horror fans have too. Besides the fact that most of them take place in Australia, one of the most important horror destinations in the world, there are many excellent films there. In the following review you will see the scariest, if not the best, Australian horror films from the recently successful cult films.
Best Australian Horror Movies – Our Picks
Wolf Creek (2005)
“Wolf Creek” might sound like a National Geographic nature film, and a pretty intense one at that. But we are not here to talk about nature, but about a horror film which, unfortunately, is based on a true story. The film focuses on three young people who take a trip to South Australia and plan to visit “Wolf Creek”, which features unique landscapes. But the three men ignored the recommendation to never drive in a horror film and, to their great surprise, their car stopped in the heart of nature.
Luckily, they meet a bus driver named Mick (the great John Jarrett), who seems warm. He offers to drive them to his camp, where he can repair the vehicle so they can continue their happy journey. Unfortunately, it turns out that Mick is the person you don’t want to meet in the middle of nowhere. He kidnaps them and tortures them in a cruel way, which becomes cruel because, for a change, we manage to bond with the characters in a film that starts a little slowly but can turn your stomach.
In 2013 came a reasonable sequel, and in 2016-2017, two seasons of a TV series – in each of them, Jarrett played the character of the villain. If that’s not enough, the third movie is currently in the works, and you already know who the main star will be here.
Here is the trailer for the first “Wolf Creek” film:
Black Water (2007)
You didn’t think we’d review good Australian horror films and ignore the terrifying nature of the continent, with all the predatory creatures it contains, did you? “Black Water” is based on a true story about a continent where about two people die every year due to crocodile attacks. This number may not seem like a lot, but the film shows the fear these situations create.
Grace (Diana Glenn), her boyfriend Adam (Andy Rodoreda) and her younger sister Lee (Maeve Darmody) go on a trip to northern Australia, accompanied by a local guide (Ben Oxenbould). Very quickly, their peace is disturbed when the boat capsizes and the guide disappears. With horror, they realize that they have been victims of a crocodile attack, which does not intend to let them go until the end. This film is far from perfect, but it is undoubtedly suspenseful, frightening at times and immerses us in that atmosphere of horror that we sometimes associate with Australia.
In 2020, “Black Water: Abyss” was released, a standalone sequel that also takes place in the forests of Australia. Five friends arrive to explore a remote cave. The problem is that it starts to rain, the cave is flooded and the friends find themselves stuck, unable to get out. Okay, okay, you already figured out who’s coming to visit them at the cave, right?
The film is very average, so it’s hard to say it should be included in a list of good Australian horror films. But it satisfies those who like survival films against murderous animals and those who want to explore the world of Australian horror films.
Relatives (2009)
We continue the review with “The Loved Ones,” which proves what many young people will agree with: “Prom can be torture,” as the film’s poster declares. The general description of the plot may sound like a movie of a different genre: Lola “the Princess” (the wonderful Robin McLeavy) asks a man to the prom, and he refuses – partly because he has a girlfriend. But our Lola is not ready to take “no” for an answer. If this were a romantic comedy, we’d see the girl’s amusing attempts to get the man’s attention until he realizes he doesn’t really love his girlfriend and kisses the girl he rejected in the final scene, with cheesy 90s music playing in the background. In the horror version, Lola decides to do the next logical thing on the list instead: kidnap the boy and torture him.
The film received excellent reviews (98% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes), and is today considered by many to be a cult film. There’s a mix of good acting, gore, thrills and other surprises here, which creates an impressive combination of a youth drama and a Torture Porn movie. it makes this weird movie enjoyable.
The Babadook (2014)
“The Babadook,” Jennifer Kent’s directorial debut, screened at the Sundance Film Festival in 2014 and received rave reviews – rightly so because it’s one of the most beautiful and profound horror films we’ve seen in the last decade. The plot tells the story of a mother (the fantastic Essie Davis, in a performance that, in a just world, would have earned her an Oscar nomination) who finds a “children’s” book in which a creepy character named “Mr. Babadook” appears. She reads the book to her son, Samuel (Noah Wiseman). Very quickly, they discover that unexplained things are happening in the house linked to the presence of this creature.
It may sound generic, but the result is excellent. Beyond the creepy design of the coat-clad, hat-wearing character who looks like a person but has claws, there’s a lot of depth here. The film addresses complex issues, such as loss and repression, with sensitivity and conviction, and it stays with me even years after seeing it. You won’t find cheap jump scares here, but excellent characters and well-known, scary scenes. The kind of movies that are fun to watch and then try to read and understand all the meanings, hints and analysis.
Relic (2020)
We were a little confused about whether to include “Relic” in the list of best Australian horror films. The main reason is that this intriguing psychological horror thriller is not a film for everyone. This may sound condescending, but there have been countless discussions in forums and Facebook groups dedicated to horror, often with a division between those who really liked it and those who couldn’t stand it. Yes, from these films.
“Relic” was directed by Natalia Erika James, who also wrote the screenplay with Christian White. It deals with a complex Australian family but a painful subject that can concern everyone. A mother (Emily Mortimer) and her daughter (Bella Heathcote) visit the mother/grandmother’s estranged daughter, Edna (Rubyn Nevin, in a chilling role) – depending on whose point of view – to find out where she has gone. They quickly discover that Edna is back, but that’s only the beginning.
If you examine “Relic” as a horror film, you’ll find that the result in the first part is slow and not too impressive, with fairly generic scares. But if you get through the slow start and get to the second part, and especially the final scenes, you suddenly get a punch in the gut. Without spoiling, the film touches on symbolic topics that are easy to ignore, like aging and dementia, questions the place of family members in such cases, and shows that no one is safe.
Talk to me (2023)
We decided to do the current review, in large part, thanks to a new Australian horror film that is already defined by many as the best of 2023. “Talk To Me” is an independent film made by two brothers from the realm of YouTube, which is their first film on the big screen. The film is receiving excellent reviews from critics so far (around 96% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes), creating significant buzz among viewers. Not only is it perhaps one of the best Australian horror films of all time, but it might also be one that we all remember.
In short, the film is about a mysterious and somewhat cursed hand, which allows the person who holds it and utters a specific phrase to communicate with the dead – and the friends around them to make viral videos. An important rule will be broken at some point: you should only hold hands for 90 seconds or less, especially if you’re young and sober.
I was at the premiere of the film and you can read the full review here. This is an impressive horror film done in a meaningful way, with an emphasis on atmosphere and less on ‘cheap’ scares. It includes scenes that can make you lose your mind (Oops). Even though “Talk To Me” isn’t a perfect film – such as some plot issues – it will surely be a solid member of the list of best horror films of 2023.
