I was supposed to watch another valentine's day horror but ended up watching another film from Peter Weir. I'm glad I did. This is one of the most unique films I've seen. It's quite ambitious when it comes to blending multiple genres, but they all surprisingly mesh together quite seamlessly. It's so unsettling and chilling, filled with supremely creepy imagery. There's a sense of dread and inevitability that is present from the beginning that makes this film really terrifying. The awkwardness and racial tensions that exist because of the cultural divide and the colonial guilt is perfectly captured in here. The performances are fantastic all around and the soundtrack is unique and dark as hell! I think what makes this film and Picnic at Hanging Rock work as well as they do is the refusal to fully explain the mystery. I also appreciate that it uses Aboriginal actors and incorporates some of their culture into the film.

I love Peter Weir's brand of dreamy, ethereal, magical realism, but this one didn't grab me quite as much as Hanging Rock. The treatment of Aboriginal mythology rubbed me the wrong way and honestly didn't make a ton of sense, so the stakes never felt as real as the film wanted to make them. Always love to see the great David Gulpilil.

A wave ends all the problems.