Red Hill

Emerging from the small but strong Aussie cinema, RED HILL stands as an example of the current Australian practice, while also being quite a good film. Given the lack of cinematic strength in Australia up until the late 2000's, filmmakers like the Edgington's have slowly begun to cultivate the cinema. With films like ANIMAL KINGDOM or the excellent THE SQUARE, Australian filmmakers have revealed themselves to be extremely referential. THE SQUARE was very reminiscent of American noir, but it was unique in its own, dark way, and ANIMAL KINGDOM was reminiscent of American gangster  films. RED HILL is more referential of old American westerns, and American horror films. Much of it is referencing this, but a lot of it relies on performance, delivery, and tone. The film stars "True Blood"'s Ryan Kwanten as a policeman who's moved to the outback with his pregnant wife for a more peaceful background. But when he goes off to work by foot, and meets an ornery group of inner-loyal cops, he senses something is awry. This is not a town that is specifically Aussie, but specifically of itself, encompassing a farm terror in the form of an escaped jaguar from a circus, and hidden truths beneath dirty faces. Kwanten is seen reading a book of baby boy names in his cop car, and receives a call of an escaped prisoner (a cop killer). This man moves through the town like NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN's Anton Chigurh: unstoppable. As the film progresses, Kwanten's cop discovers a hidden mystery involving much of the local populace, centered around the escaped prisoner. RED HILL is a fine thriller, knowledgable about where it wants to go with its story, and how it wants to burrow in.
Red Hill: ★★★1/2