From the producers of Road Train and Black Water, this story takes place on land where being a farmer has its unexpected risks.
Set on a remote sheep farm, the last of Adam Wilson’s (Jack Campbell) livestock have been mauled to death with no significant clues as to what exactly is causing such devastation. Dwindling stock has caused hardship for his family, and his wife Carla (Anna-Lise Phillips) is trying to make ends meet by operating a veterinary clinic and pet hotel to avoid foreclosure. When darkness falls, the Wilson family are the next victims of the pack. Through a series of bloody encounters and close calls, Adam and his family are forced into survival mode.
Directed by Nick Robertson (who has won various awards for other commercial work), The Pack is his first feature film. Robertson has been able to salvage a relatively average script (written by Evan Randall Green) which frustratingly almost hits the Thriller markers but doesn’t quite get there. While there are moments of suspense and anticipation, a touch more gore and guts would have made the story more fulfilling and really demonstrate the true killing nature of the pack.
Being a relatively low budget film, make up and effects are realistic (especially by not making the dogs as hulking mutant beasts), and the main cast delivers believable performances even in their time of danger. Robertson has been able to avoid many of the tropes that this particular genre can suffer from.
With the minimal use of music, instead relying on the ambient sounds of the surrounding environment, this adds a sense of isolation and allows the audience to feel the creepiness of the night as things lurk around in the periphery.
Filming was done right here in South Australia in an initiative called Breakout Movies to support new and existing independent filmmakers, with a focus on genre-driven films. If you’re a stickler for B-grade films or enjoyed movies like The Reef and The Grey, this could be for you.
Reviewed by Adriana Allman
Rating out of 10: 6
The Pack will be released on DVD 14 October 2015.
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