Just finished S2! Really loved both seasons. A great find! Hoping they do a 3rd series!
68 Reviews
Pretty Darn Good
bondbeauty8 November 2018
Mini-Series Doesn't Disappoint
tonya-jarrett2 July 2016
I was leery of watching this series but found it to be far better than both films. There is quite an arc from Episode 1 to Episode 6 and gives the young protagonist ample opportunity to shine as a kind-hearted, smart, yet tough deliverer of justice. There is something so satisfying, watching a character grow the way Eve does. Along the way in the narrative, she has to toughen up even more and grow up quickly to achieve her objective. And there's hardship and a lot of pain along the way.
I appreciated that this is not merely a slice and dice horror series (the films are fine and offer an effective urban legend, but the overwhelming gore and terror wore me out), but something with nuance and back story. The episodes give you time to really care about the people involved in Eve's journey. And how refreshing there is a love story that transcends physical lust; more like two souls that found each other but ultimately couldn't be together.
As to the acting, mostly quite good. Lucy Fry, who has the gravitas and strength of a young Robin Wright, excels as Eve, out to avenge her loss. She is ably supported by a number of characters, particularly Dustin Clare as Sullivan, the police officer compelled to help her at any cost, a kindly female truck driver, and an escaped prisoner who becomes an ally. John Jarratt does his usual believable, sinister performance as the game-playing butcher, Mick, the guy you never want to run into in a dark alley, the Outback or anywhere else.
Great job.
I appreciated that this is not merely a slice and dice horror series (the films are fine and offer an effective urban legend, but the overwhelming gore and terror wore me out), but something with nuance and back story. The episodes give you time to really care about the people involved in Eve's journey. And how refreshing there is a love story that transcends physical lust; more like two souls that found each other but ultimately couldn't be together.
As to the acting, mostly quite good. Lucy Fry, who has the gravitas and strength of a young Robin Wright, excels as Eve, out to avenge her loss. She is ably supported by a number of characters, particularly Dustin Clare as Sullivan, the police officer compelled to help her at any cost, a kindly female truck driver, and an escaped prisoner who becomes an ally. John Jarratt does his usual believable, sinister performance as the game-playing butcher, Mick, the guy you never want to run into in a dark alley, the Outback or anywhere else.
Great job.
Everything I expected
deloudelouvain24 October 2016
Why people would write a negative review about this mini series is a mystery to me. I truly enjoyed it from the beginning till the end. Especially the performance from John Jarratt playing the villain Mick Taylor. To me he's the absolute star of Wolf Creek. With his sadistic laughter and his crazy personality he's the guy you hope you'll never cross on a desert highway in the outback. The rest of the cast was also good with their respective performances. All the characters are fun to watch, so I really don't get why people aren't satisfied with the story. Because the story is everything you ask for when you watch a horror series like this one. The only critic I would have is that it is very unlikely to find people that don't want to be found in the outback. And most of the characters cross paths all the time. But then again if they wouldn't you would not have a decent story. The filming is excellent, especially with the great nature shots. I hope there will be another season.
Plagued with inconsistencies, though it's undeniably great to see Mick Taylor again.
lnvicta1 November 2016
Mick Taylor is a hidden gem in the serial killer horror genre. An Australian marksman who prowls the outback looking for unsuspecting tourists to unleash his brand of sadistic torture and psychological mind games upon. This monster of a human is played to perfection by John Jarratt, and from his dirty hat to his terrifyingly sardonic laugh, you don't disbelieve for a moment that this guy is bad news. This TV mini-series had a lot of potential to become a yearly vehicle showcasing Mick Taylor's crusades against a wide variety of victims. The first season delivers a modicum of brilliance you'd expect from another Wolf Creek installment, followed by inconsistencies and unnecessary plot points that drag down what we really want to see in Wolf Creek - Mick Taylor in his native glory.
The premiere's pre-credit sequence sets up the season in a superb fashion. It mirrors some of the greatest moments from the Wolf Creek films; Mick Taylor sharing an innocent chat with his unknowing victims, cracking jokes, laughing inappropriately, and sharing hunting stories to earn their trust before he strikes. Unfortunately, nothing else in the season lives up to the first twenty or so minutes. The final showdown in particular is an enormous disappointment, feeling highly derivative of the movies and severely lacking in tension. This is mainly because the final episode delves into Mick's backstory, a huge no-no for horror villains. In fact, the flashbacks to Mick's childhood reminded me a lot of Rob Zombie's Halloween, which is a terrible, terrible thing. We don't need to know Mick Taylor grew up in a broken home (i.e. why he's doing what he's doing) for him to be scary. He's already bloody terrifying. The less we know about him, the more psychotic he seems, and the finale sucked all the intrigue away by force-feeding us his backstory through broken flashbacks and breaking the tension building in the main narrative in the process.
Aside from Jarratt's arresting performance, the acting is nothing to write home about. The protagonist is bland; she runs into forgettable characters in her journey to search for the man who killed her family. The officer investigating the case could have been handled much better, and he's given subplots that do absolutely nothing to advance the plot (e.g. his family life). As it is, the only reason to watch Wolf Creek is to see Mick Taylor, and aside from the beginning and end, you don't see very much of him. It makes me yearn for Wolf Creek 2's approach of having the entire story revolve around him, since that's far more interesting than him sitting on the sidelines for the majority of the story while we follow a boring heroine run around the continent searching for him.
Hopefully the second season, or third movie, gives Jarratt the screen time he rightfully deserves. I'd support a Luther-esque approach in a second series; maybe have Mick terrorize a certain set of victims for a couple episodes, then move on to another group for the next two, then another, etc. Following one character for over five hours is simply not engaging enough, especially when one of horror's greatest and most charismatic antagonists is involved. If you're a fan of the Wolf Creek movies, I'd recommend watching the first episode and stopping there. It's not a bad series by any means, it just hasn't found its proper footing yet. Hopefully it's given the chance to; or maybe Mick Taylor is just better suited for the big screen.
The premiere's pre-credit sequence sets up the season in a superb fashion. It mirrors some of the greatest moments from the Wolf Creek films; Mick Taylor sharing an innocent chat with his unknowing victims, cracking jokes, laughing inappropriately, and sharing hunting stories to earn their trust before he strikes. Unfortunately, nothing else in the season lives up to the first twenty or so minutes. The final showdown in particular is an enormous disappointment, feeling highly derivative of the movies and severely lacking in tension. This is mainly because the final episode delves into Mick's backstory, a huge no-no for horror villains. In fact, the flashbacks to Mick's childhood reminded me a lot of Rob Zombie's Halloween, which is a terrible, terrible thing. We don't need to know Mick Taylor grew up in a broken home (i.e. why he's doing what he's doing) for him to be scary. He's already bloody terrifying. The less we know about him, the more psychotic he seems, and the finale sucked all the intrigue away by force-feeding us his backstory through broken flashbacks and breaking the tension building in the main narrative in the process.
Aside from Jarratt's arresting performance, the acting is nothing to write home about. The protagonist is bland; she runs into forgettable characters in her journey to search for the man who killed her family. The officer investigating the case could have been handled much better, and he's given subplots that do absolutely nothing to advance the plot (e.g. his family life). As it is, the only reason to watch Wolf Creek is to see Mick Taylor, and aside from the beginning and end, you don't see very much of him. It makes me yearn for Wolf Creek 2's approach of having the entire story revolve around him, since that's far more interesting than him sitting on the sidelines for the majority of the story while we follow a boring heroine run around the continent searching for him.
Hopefully the second season, or third movie, gives Jarratt the screen time he rightfully deserves. I'd support a Luther-esque approach in a second series; maybe have Mick terrorize a certain set of victims for a couple episodes, then move on to another group for the next two, then another, etc. Following one character for over five hours is simply not engaging enough, especially when one of horror's greatest and most charismatic antagonists is involved. If you're a fan of the Wolf Creek movies, I'd recommend watching the first episode and stopping there. It's not a bad series by any means, it just hasn't found its proper footing yet. Hopefully it's given the chance to; or maybe Mick Taylor is just better suited for the big screen.
I'm never going to Australia!
coronitasc19 December 2017
Decent at best but disappointing and unfocused
Seth_Rogue_One24 October 2016
Based on the Wolf Creek movies: "Wolf Creek (2005)" and "Wolf Creek 2 (2013)" which I liked so I had high hopes for the series, but unfortunately it didn't quite deliver.
It has it's moments particularly in the first and last episodes but the road there is a bit sketchy with far too many detours adding multiple characters to the mix which takes away from the main story.
John Jarrat is back as the bad guy Mick Taylor and that's great but for some reason the creators doesn't think that he's enough of a threat in the series so they randomly throw in a biker-gang as well.
Lucy Fry is our heroine in the saga, everything about her just screamed "model" to me when I saw her, from the lack of emotion in expression down to her walk, so it was unsurprised when I now googled her and found out that she in fact was a model before she took up acting.
I mean she's not at like Claudia Schiffer level of acting or anything but the character she plays undergoes a transition that need to be dealt with by an actress with a little more experience.
A direct quote from hers in real life is "I am enough - you don't need to do anything. The simplicity of how easy acting can be." And that would explain why her performance became what it is and I would probably tell her to rethink that idea.
Anyway, overall the series is okay but in the end somewhat pointless and it could have been a lot better if they didn't lose focus as often as they did.
It has it's moments particularly in the first and last episodes but the road there is a bit sketchy with far too many detours adding multiple characters to the mix which takes away from the main story.
John Jarrat is back as the bad guy Mick Taylor and that's great but for some reason the creators doesn't think that he's enough of a threat in the series so they randomly throw in a biker-gang as well.
Lucy Fry is our heroine in the saga, everything about her just screamed "model" to me when I saw her, from the lack of emotion in expression down to her walk, so it was unsurprised when I now googled her and found out that she in fact was a model before she took up acting.
I mean she's not at like Claudia Schiffer level of acting or anything but the character she plays undergoes a transition that need to be dealt with by an actress with a little more experience.
A direct quote from hers in real life is "I am enough - you don't need to do anything. The simplicity of how easy acting can be." And that would explain why her performance became what it is and I would probably tell her to rethink that idea.
Anyway, overall the series is okay but in the end somewhat pointless and it could have been a lot better if they didn't lose focus as often as they did.
Continuing Wolf Creek
darryl-jason22 April 2019
... & so the movies continue into this great TV series. It's nice to see John Jarratt back as Mick. The series makes for number of episodes that follow on from each other. When you watch these episodes you forget you're watching a TV series, you still think you're watching another "Wolf Creek" movie.
The cast are brilliant. I especially like the character Sullivan Hill (played by Dustin Clare).
All in all a great series and I hope this continues its great success.
S1 - 5 Stars ; S2 - 8 Stars
timsaunders237 January 2021
Series 1 got off to a great start but then it was just...meh. A fairly uninspiring female lead, incompetent police, completely unrealistic scenarios, a cast of walking cliches. Has its moments but overall, pretty disappointing.
Series 2 I really liked. A diverse cast of characters, some humour, and much more Mick Taylor.
I'm hoping Season 3 will maintain the quality of season 2 or improve on it.
Series 2 I really liked. A diverse cast of characters, some humour, and much more Mick Taylor.
I'm hoping Season 3 will maintain the quality of season 2 or improve on it.
A short review of Season 1 of the "Wolf Creek" TV series (2016)
ericrnolan18 March 2017
"Wolf Creek" (2005) and "Wolf Creek 2" (2013) are among the most chilling and effective horror films out there. (They can be difficult for even seasoned fans of the genre to watch.) And last year's follow-up television series faithfully channeled so much of their mood, tone and atmosphere that it should have been just as effective. What a shame that its first season falls short due to tremendous problems with pacing and story structure. I'd rate it a 6 out of 10.
The six-episode arc has the feel of the films. It was written, directed and produced by Greg McLean, as they were. Once again, the forbidding Australian outback is itself a central character, gorgeously captured and lovingly presented by the show's cinematography. I think it's been a long time since I saw a horror film or series so successfully project a mood. Also returning, of course, is John Jarrett in his perfect and perfectly frightening portrayal of the serial killer Mick Taylor.
Lucy Fry's young American antihero, Eve, is the latest to face off against him, but there's a twist — after surviving the slaughter of her family, she resolves to find and kill him. Fry is just great in the role; Dustin Clare is well cast as the nice-guy cop who alternately pursues and tries to rescue her from danger. The rest of the cast is also roundly terrific. The soundtrack and scoring are beautifully atmospheric.
Unfortunately, though, all of these elements appear within a plot that moves at a snail's pace. We actually don't see much of Mick for many episodes — the story focuses on Eve's haphazard, calamitous odyssey through rural Australia, encountering criminals, good Samaritans and just plain lunatics. McLean scripts a protagonist that is compelling and cool, and Fry is a good actress. But many of the events of her journey are only tangentially related to the story's central conflict, which is her duel with Mick. I get the sense that fans might tune in to see a horror film, but might be disappointed by a moody, loosely plotted travelogue through McLean's brutal fictional interpretation of the Australian outback.
I wondered how the screenwriter here could make such a major miscalculation. Then I remembered that the "Wolf Creek" films, despite their brilliance, were also quite slow. They contained what seem like lots of supporting or ancillary material connected with Mick's victims, which were ultimately interspersed with the intense violence that made them terrifying movies (not to mention Jarratt's flawless portrayal of a violent sociopath).
But those movies both had an hour-and-forty-minutes running time. These six episodes add up to four full hours. The slow pace of films was a forgivable flaw — it even came across as deliberate pacing. It's frustrating, though, for any on screen story lasting more time than that. I honestly think I would have enjoyed Season 1 much more if it had been edited down to half its length — into maybe three episodes or one feature film.
Oh, well. This series is still remarkably well made, and I do think it will please many fans of the films. If you enjoyed those, I would recommend giving this series a shot.
The six-episode arc has the feel of the films. It was written, directed and produced by Greg McLean, as they were. Once again, the forbidding Australian outback is itself a central character, gorgeously captured and lovingly presented by the show's cinematography. I think it's been a long time since I saw a horror film or series so successfully project a mood. Also returning, of course, is John Jarrett in his perfect and perfectly frightening portrayal of the serial killer Mick Taylor.
Lucy Fry's young American antihero, Eve, is the latest to face off against him, but there's a twist — after surviving the slaughter of her family, she resolves to find and kill him. Fry is just great in the role; Dustin Clare is well cast as the nice-guy cop who alternately pursues and tries to rescue her from danger. The rest of the cast is also roundly terrific. The soundtrack and scoring are beautifully atmospheric.
Unfortunately, though, all of these elements appear within a plot that moves at a snail's pace. We actually don't see much of Mick for many episodes — the story focuses on Eve's haphazard, calamitous odyssey through rural Australia, encountering criminals, good Samaritans and just plain lunatics. McLean scripts a protagonist that is compelling and cool, and Fry is a good actress. But many of the events of her journey are only tangentially related to the story's central conflict, which is her duel with Mick. I get the sense that fans might tune in to see a horror film, but might be disappointed by a moody, loosely plotted travelogue through McLean's brutal fictional interpretation of the Australian outback.
I wondered how the screenwriter here could make such a major miscalculation. Then I remembered that the "Wolf Creek" films, despite their brilliance, were also quite slow. They contained what seem like lots of supporting or ancillary material connected with Mick's victims, which were ultimately interspersed with the intense violence that made them terrifying movies (not to mention Jarratt's flawless portrayal of a violent sociopath).
But those movies both had an hour-and-forty-minutes running time. These six episodes add up to four full hours. The slow pace of films was a forgivable flaw — it even came across as deliberate pacing. It's frustrating, though, for any on screen story lasting more time than that. I honestly think I would have enjoyed Season 1 much more if it had been edited down to half its length — into maybe three episodes or one feature film.
Oh, well. This series is still remarkably well made, and I do think it will please many fans of the films. If you enjoyed those, I would recommend giving this series a shot.
I'm surprised nobody has heard about this show, I quite enjoyed it.
prolelol7 May 2020
I'm a fan of Wolf Creek films, I just watched the show released in 2016 with only 2 seasons and 12 episodes and also with the same killer. The first season is surprising, amazing and beautifully shot. I have to admit it's better than the first film. It has a new great characters added, cinematography and style. John Jarratt as Mick wasn't a big part of the first season, but damn, he is just crazy like no one else. He looks like a real killer and he was still brilliant. I believe he's considered one of the most realistic villains in horror films ever written. Lucy Fry played as the main character/blonde girl, she begins a journey to hunt down Mick to bring him to justice after killing her family. I thought she did a bloody good job, she was excellent in it.
Now about the 2nd season, it's quite different from the first season like it's an anthology series. This season has interesting ideas, good ending, more Mick and violence. I find it quite good, but compared to Season 1, it's trash. Most of the characters were just plain dumb, Mick was only one fun character to watch and that's it. But this show have some fans who think the second season is better than the first season.
I'm surprised nobody has heard about this show, it's very enjoyable and underrated show. I've also heard there is going to be Wolf Creek 3, but I don't know it will happen for real or just planned. If you haven't seen the films, then watch the films first. I really enjoyed the entire show.
Now about the 2nd season, it's quite different from the first season like it's an anthology series. This season has interesting ideas, good ending, more Mick and violence. I find it quite good, but compared to Season 1, it's trash. Most of the characters were just plain dumb, Mick was only one fun character to watch and that's it. But this show have some fans who think the second season is better than the first season.
I'm surprised nobody has heard about this show, it's very enjoyable and underrated show. I've also heard there is going to be Wolf Creek 3, but I don't know it will happen for real or just planned. If you haven't seen the films, then watch the films first. I really enjoyed the entire show.
Pretty Good, could have been great.
jzathajenious17 May 2016
Warning: Spoilers
The first 4 eps really got me excited for the epic showdown between Eve and Mick, but some really poor writing in the last 2 eps harms what could have been one of the great Aussie TV series.
Lucy Fry is pretty damn great. She is vulnerable, beautiful, fragile when we first meet her, and one of the series greatest strengths is seeing her grow tougher, stronger and more self reliant. However she has to deliver some cringe lines, and some of her actions in the last eps make no sense at all. But Lucy was great, really enjoyed her character. The other characters.....not so much.
Mick is the boogeyman. An unstoppable force who just goes around indiscriminately killing anyone he comes across for no reason other than he is a killer. We get a little backstory about his childhood but this is not really enough to flesh out such a one dimensional monster. Jarrett obviously has fun with the role but he's too normal to be a mythical Jason/Michael Myers monster, yet too unbelievable to be a truly scary serial killer.
The side characters and their stories too are fairly pointless and are pure filler for the most part. Great actors like Deborah Mailman and Gary Sweet have small arcs which are completely inconsequential within the greater Eve vs Mick story. Little B-stories like the cop's relationship troubles with his wife pop up every episode and truly offer nothing but filler. We also have other poorly written characters as Jesus, the bikies, the escaped con and the list goes on. This is the weakest aspect of Wolf Creek by far.
The direction and cinematography on the other hand are superb. Every episode is filled with beautiful sweeping shots of the outback. They really captured the beauty but also the scary isolation of living in the remote parts of WA/SA/NT.
So yeah....its a mixed bag for sure. But in the end i think its definitely worth a watch. It definitely stumbles towards the end but overall it could have been a lot worse.
Lucy Fry is pretty damn great. She is vulnerable, beautiful, fragile when we first meet her, and one of the series greatest strengths is seeing her grow tougher, stronger and more self reliant. However she has to deliver some cringe lines, and some of her actions in the last eps make no sense at all. But Lucy was great, really enjoyed her character. The other characters.....not so much.
Mick is the boogeyman. An unstoppable force who just goes around indiscriminately killing anyone he comes across for no reason other than he is a killer. We get a little backstory about his childhood but this is not really enough to flesh out such a one dimensional monster. Jarrett obviously has fun with the role but he's too normal to be a mythical Jason/Michael Myers monster, yet too unbelievable to be a truly scary serial killer.
The side characters and their stories too are fairly pointless and are pure filler for the most part. Great actors like Deborah Mailman and Gary Sweet have small arcs which are completely inconsequential within the greater Eve vs Mick story. Little B-stories like the cop's relationship troubles with his wife pop up every episode and truly offer nothing but filler. We also have other poorly written characters as Jesus, the bikies, the escaped con and the list goes on. This is the weakest aspect of Wolf Creek by far.
The direction and cinematography on the other hand are superb. Every episode is filled with beautiful sweeping shots of the outback. They really captured the beauty but also the scary isolation of living in the remote parts of WA/SA/NT.
So yeah....its a mixed bag for sure. But in the end i think its definitely worth a watch. It definitely stumbles towards the end but overall it could have been a lot worse.
Gleefully torches the rulebook in Season 2 and all the better for it
bob_meg14 August 2019
Like a lot of people, I was dubious of how Wolf Creek would play as a series.
Greg McLean's original 2005 breakout indie slasher landed sledgehammer blows of sadism and violence as much as it gave you characters and performances that were a cut above those usually seen in the genre, and while Hostel was released that same year, "Wolf Creek" kept throwing you off your spiked pony as you watched, never delivering *exactly* what you expected. The 2013 sequel was a disappointing parody of itself, more of a warmed-over croc 'o' dundee crap that gave John Jarrett far too much screen time to racist rant without developing his character in any genuine or interesting way.
Jarrett returns in the first series of the TV spin-off playing usual cat-and-mouse games with Lucy Fry, doing the misunderstood-damaged-teenage-ninja heroine to good effect (complete with happy panting Dingo), though almost every aspect of the revenge story-line was cribbed from every expected source from Star Wars to Game of Thrones. It was hard to get especially excited about it. But McLean was definitely back on point in S1, even finally giving Jarrett's chuckling psycho a backstory and (almost) three dimensions. The acting was steadfast throughout and the only tiring point was the portrayal of all Aussie Outback men as druggies, rapists, and thugs who assault women physically, verbally, or both from noon through night.
Season 2 is well worth the wait. I bought the first episode, then quickly bought the rest and binged it all in about two days... it was that fresh, ingenious, and unexpected. Unlike many series, Wolf Creek pretty much trashes the first season insofar as it barely acknowledges it's occurrence (other than a scant reference to a "detective" in the final episode that made me wonder if there was a link between the character of Brian and cop Sullivan Hill --- don't think so).
Two follows a luxury busload of tourists who should rightly be as dull and lifeless as most slasher film targets are, but they're not. Almost all thirteen characters are well filled out and given abundantly rich backgrounds and good dialogue, which pay off in subsequent episodes. I'm not giving anything away (and I wouldn't recommend even watching the trailer for season 2) as once again, as in the 2005 film, nothing really plays out as you expect. What I especially liked is how McLean has peppered the S2 cast with a number of potential adversaries which at least *challenge* Mick in various physical and psychological ways and so prevent Jarrett's character from becoming a bit too Michael Myers-esque (though the plausibility of the ending, as in S1, is highly ripe). A very interesting angle which the large cast in S2 primes is the conflict between the characters which simmers, then boils over as their futures grow more and more grim. McLean's writing team gleefully plays with the idea of otherwise "civilized" mobile-phone junkies who Express Their Feelings With Great Empathy devolving into a pack of rabid Everymutts for Themselves.
That said, Season 2 still has the boundary of Wolf Creek's somewhat limiting premise well within view. There is only so far it can go, but it expends that latitude to it's limit. You'll find it near impossible to turn off.
Greg McLean's original 2005 breakout indie slasher landed sledgehammer blows of sadism and violence as much as it gave you characters and performances that were a cut above those usually seen in the genre, and while Hostel was released that same year, "Wolf Creek" kept throwing you off your spiked pony as you watched, never delivering *exactly* what you expected. The 2013 sequel was a disappointing parody of itself, more of a warmed-over croc 'o' dundee crap that gave John Jarrett far too much screen time to racist rant without developing his character in any genuine or interesting way.
Jarrett returns in the first series of the TV spin-off playing usual cat-and-mouse games with Lucy Fry, doing the misunderstood-damaged-teenage-ninja heroine to good effect (complete with happy panting Dingo), though almost every aspect of the revenge story-line was cribbed from every expected source from Star Wars to Game of Thrones. It was hard to get especially excited about it. But McLean was definitely back on point in S1, even finally giving Jarrett's chuckling psycho a backstory and (almost) three dimensions. The acting was steadfast throughout and the only tiring point was the portrayal of all Aussie Outback men as druggies, rapists, and thugs who assault women physically, verbally, or both from noon through night.
Season 2 is well worth the wait. I bought the first episode, then quickly bought the rest and binged it all in about two days... it was that fresh, ingenious, and unexpected. Unlike many series, Wolf Creek pretty much trashes the first season insofar as it barely acknowledges it's occurrence (other than a scant reference to a "detective" in the final episode that made me wonder if there was a link between the character of Brian and cop Sullivan Hill --- don't think so).
Two follows a luxury busload of tourists who should rightly be as dull and lifeless as most slasher film targets are, but they're not. Almost all thirteen characters are well filled out and given abundantly rich backgrounds and good dialogue, which pay off in subsequent episodes. I'm not giving anything away (and I wouldn't recommend even watching the trailer for season 2) as once again, as in the 2005 film, nothing really plays out as you expect. What I especially liked is how McLean has peppered the S2 cast with a number of potential adversaries which at least *challenge* Mick in various physical and psychological ways and so prevent Jarrett's character from becoming a bit too Michael Myers-esque (though the plausibility of the ending, as in S1, is highly ripe). A very interesting angle which the large cast in S2 primes is the conflict between the characters which simmers, then boils over as their futures grow more and more grim. McLean's writing team gleefully plays with the idea of otherwise "civilized" mobile-phone junkies who Express Their Feelings With Great Empathy devolving into a pack of rabid Everymutts for Themselves.
That said, Season 2 still has the boundary of Wolf Creek's somewhat limiting premise well within view. There is only so far it can go, but it expends that latitude to it's limit. You'll find it near impossible to turn off.
Entertaining...if only it had ended.
maeander6 April 2017
Warning: Spoilers
As an American, I enjoyed seeing a part of Australia that rarely gets seen. Southern Australia offers an incredible landscape with wonderful vistas...and it would seem, a great many flies.
The acting is first rate. The story is compelling. This series offers us a world we do not often see.
But like Jason Voorhees, Freddy Kruger and Michael Myers before him; Mick Taylor has one flaw that I find irritating. Why is it these serial killers simply do not die at the end? Could it be as simple as that the storytellers want to make a sequel?
Please, someone, kill the bad guy off just once! Despite this, I enjoyed Wolf Creek the series almost until the final shot.
The acting is first rate. The story is compelling. This series offers us a world we do not often see.
But like Jason Voorhees, Freddy Kruger and Michael Myers before him; Mick Taylor has one flaw that I find irritating. Why is it these serial killers simply do not die at the end? Could it be as simple as that the storytellers want to make a sequel?
Please, someone, kill the bad guy off just once! Despite this, I enjoyed Wolf Creek the series almost until the final shot.
Great start, but ultimately ends in disappointment (Revelry Review)
MattBayliss19 May 2016
I am a huge fan of the Wolf Creek movies, John Jarratt does a great portrayal of outback killer 'Mick Taylor', when I first saw the preview for this it got me genuinely excited. It looked a lot more deeper than the conventional slasher type Wolf Creek movies, this one had the vibe of being more psychologically involved.
The show started off fantastic, we were thrown right into the action, meeting front runner Lucy Fry, depicting the main character whose family gets brutally murdered which ultimately sends her on a revenge trip to kill Mick Taylor. The suspense was great for the first 3 episodes, building slowly until we got to see the final showdown, the predictability was okay, it was entertaining so that is what kept me enthralled.
But after the 3rd episode the show took a turn for the worse, from what was a 7/10 show went directly down to a 3/10 show, mostly because of the filler scenes that made absolutely no sense and may as well have not been put in there. The portrayal of the 'Aussie Outback' is shown like something from a Mad Max movie, like it was a post apocalyptic wasteland...but really it was meant to be 2015. The nonsensical parts of the story started to gather up and it started to make the show very unbelievable and frustrating, all of the injuries that the main character suffered seemed to have gone away shortly hours after, when any normal person would have simply died from them.
This show had so much potential, leading on from the great legacy of Mick Taylor it could have gone many different ways. But the way in which the director chose definitely wasn't the right one. The show started fantastically and I honestly could not fault it for the first 3 episodes, but after that it became very cheesy in it's story-line and if you were an Australian watching this it was enough to make you cringe.
If the director actually portrayed Australians as normal civilians like we actually are, Mick Taylor would have been seen as more menacing and frightening. But apparently the director decided that all Australians act in a caveman manner and dress like the apocalypse had happened.
This was Wolf Creek, not Mad Max! Hopefully the director can learn from the mistakes he had made in this show and bring it to his next project. Such a shame for a show that had such great potential.
3/10
The show started off fantastic, we were thrown right into the action, meeting front runner Lucy Fry, depicting the main character whose family gets brutally murdered which ultimately sends her on a revenge trip to kill Mick Taylor. The suspense was great for the first 3 episodes, building slowly until we got to see the final showdown, the predictability was okay, it was entertaining so that is what kept me enthralled.
But after the 3rd episode the show took a turn for the worse, from what was a 7/10 show went directly down to a 3/10 show, mostly because of the filler scenes that made absolutely no sense and may as well have not been put in there. The portrayal of the 'Aussie Outback' is shown like something from a Mad Max movie, like it was a post apocalyptic wasteland...but really it was meant to be 2015. The nonsensical parts of the story started to gather up and it started to make the show very unbelievable and frustrating, all of the injuries that the main character suffered seemed to have gone away shortly hours after, when any normal person would have simply died from them.
This show had so much potential, leading on from the great legacy of Mick Taylor it could have gone many different ways. But the way in which the director chose definitely wasn't the right one. The show started fantastically and I honestly could not fault it for the first 3 episodes, but after that it became very cheesy in it's story-line and if you were an Australian watching this it was enough to make you cringe.
If the director actually portrayed Australians as normal civilians like we actually are, Mick Taylor would have been seen as more menacing and frightening. But apparently the director decided that all Australians act in a caveman manner and dress like the apocalypse had happened.
This was Wolf Creek, not Mad Max! Hopefully the director can learn from the mistakes he had made in this show and bring it to his next project. Such a shame for a show that had such great potential.
3/10
Are You Ready To Play A Psycho Game?
Matin_Shwany8 March 2020
Wolf Creek Mick Taylor is back again with his dirty games if you are in the game with him than you are in a big problem because the word (Survival) is not in Micks game so take care for yourself, after two movies this one was totally worthy too, a miniseries of (2 seasons and 12 episodes) starting with season 1 well it starts out average in story and characters there won't be much action of what you are waiting for but season 2 is so much different you will surely have the feeling how much difference is there between season 1 and 2 its much much better than what i expected because after finishing season 1 my expectations went low for second one but no it just changed from the (first ep of S2) so season 2 starts out great structure of the story just gets better until the ending it collapses what i liked about it you have many characters to keep up with them and a plenty of good actions are done, so Mick Taylor (John Jarrat) is more than a psychopath he is the guy that enjoys playing hide and seek with their players (John Jarratt) is more than great for this role as much as i hate him i like him as much more, you will enjoy the beautiful nature of Australian wildlife throughout the great sceneries and there language is really great too, highly recommended if you enjoy psychopaths actions, so season 1 was 6/10⭐ and season 2 was 8/10⭐ in total 7/10⭐
More a thriller than horror, professional and engaging
robertemerald26 May 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I write professional and engaging above, to which I add compelling. It should have been a 10. It has a good soundtrack, relatively modern but definitely on point, serving to enhance rather than merely inform. There's a very beautiful lead, really well played, acting as a bridge with the vulnerable youth of the movies. In many ways this is less the crisis horror of the first movie and more the sicko game of the second, and it works a treat as tv thriller. Mind you, there is crisis horror, but much less so than that first movie, understandable as, like the great tv it is, the show needs to be moving forward at a reasonable clip. The cinematography is divine, perfectly illustrating both the beauty and the loneness of the outback. It's a hot and harsh environment. The story is as clever as the movies (particularly the second), with some awesome deft touches. Mick's warped sense of humour is a highlight, as are almost all of the women characters. The editing is also modern, with great use of arial shots, quick frames to emphasise action and drama, and lingering on facial expression from time to time to balance. So why not a 10? For me, this was because I found myself having to use my brain to explain certain things, and one shouldn't need to do that. It's OK for issues raised, but not for plot. I want to be allowed to think, not forced to do so in order to make sense of things. Our young gutsy lead may well be an athlete, but most doctors I've spoken to assure me that a bullet wound is way too traumatic for a victim to be up and running two days later. Or maybe that was two weeks later? You see my problem. I needed clarification so as not to have to 'clarify myself'. There's more: where does she get her money after this injury? Where is the American embassy? Why only one cop (and even then only half-heartedly) assigned to a triple murder? That last one is a deeper problem really, as the show is not kind about the cops, and especially unkind to young Australian males, all of whom seem to be criminal cowboys in a modern day Wild West. That's where my 2 stars have disappeared to, but I must be honest, Wolf Creek is a VERY exciting show, and very professional. All the actors, production heads and crew can be rightly proud of themselves. I'm hoping though that I'm not noticing a trend these days, that modern shows are often rushed and bits that should have been noticed at post-production are left dangling for us viewers to grapple with. Hopefully the second season will be a 10, because I for one am really looking forward to it.
The first season was as good as the second season was bad
ClausMog25 August 2022
The first season was vintage Mick and could not have been improved upon much. I watched all 6 episodes on one day. Watch it, highly recommended.
The second season's victims were plagued by dumb dialogue and idiotic behaviour. The worst were the asinine arguments they had with each other. The entire cast was unlikeable and the only one I may have wanted to know more about was killed in the second episode, as was the one I saw as the reluctant but ultimately capeable leader. With noone left to root for it was difficult to get motivated and watch this. Mick couldn't shine much because his opponents were all but handing themselves to him. On a positive side, it made me look for Men at Work - Down Under.
I hope there'll be more seasons as long as they are like season one, and season 2 is only used to showcase what not to do. And forget the lame attempts at magic. Mick is terrifying because he is rooted in reality and one could run into someone like him any day.
The second season's victims were plagued by dumb dialogue and idiotic behaviour. The worst were the asinine arguments they had with each other. The entire cast was unlikeable and the only one I may have wanted to know more about was killed in the second episode, as was the one I saw as the reluctant but ultimately capeable leader. With noone left to root for it was difficult to get motivated and watch this. Mick couldn't shine much because his opponents were all but handing themselves to him. On a positive side, it made me look for Men at Work - Down Under.
I hope there'll be more seasons as long as they are like season one, and season 2 is only used to showcase what not to do. And forget the lame attempts at magic. Mick is terrifying because he is rooted in reality and one could run into someone like him any day.
Flawless thriller!!!
graceharte8811 September 2016
Warning: Spoilers
I read, before I watched episode 4 that a viewer felt that it went a bit off list; flashbacks and fragmented scenes from the past; everyone is different and I felt they needed that to bulk out the story, which I did not want to end - ever .
I noticed that the prisoner whose hand was sticking out of the ground, had on it a gold band, but if that was meant to be the escaped prisoner, he had cut that hand off? The police man was wearing a gold band. Later when we saw him hung up, he didn't appear to have lost his hand???
She was awesome . The kicker for me was when her father was knifed at the beginning in the thigh, didn't see that coming at all, no warning just strike!!
It had a decent story line, often missing in these kind of horror stories; but of course it was an Australian film and to me they are truly top film makers in their own right. Watch this series binged out on Saturday night until 1am !!!!
I noticed that the prisoner whose hand was sticking out of the ground, had on it a gold band, but if that was meant to be the escaped prisoner, he had cut that hand off? The police man was wearing a gold band. Later when we saw him hung up, he didn't appear to have lost his hand???
She was awesome . The kicker for me was when her father was knifed at the beginning in the thigh, didn't see that coming at all, no warning just strike!!
It had a decent story line, often missing in these kind of horror stories; but of course it was an Australian film and to me they are truly top film makers in their own right. Watch this series binged out on Saturday night until 1am !!!!
Australian slasher TV series
SnoopyStyle17 October 2020
Eve Thorogood (Lucy Fry) and her American family are driving through the Australian outback in their RV. Her father is forcing her into addiction recovery. At a remote lake, her younger brother is rescued from a croc by hunter Mick Taylor. Mick turns out to be a serial killer and Eve is the sole survivor. She searches for him as his killings continue. Police detective Sullivan Hill assists in her search. Mick continues his killing ways in the second season. A bus full of tourists are headed to the outback.
The first season is fine. The show tries for a little too much moodiness. I appreciate the unsettling nature of the outback and its inhabitants. I do question Eve trying to find Mick without a gun or seemingly a plan in the beginning. If she runs into him, he's going to kill her for sure. She does ramp up but the first thing I would get, if I was her, is a gun. The second season suffers from missing Eve. She didn't get killed off in the first season. Lucy Fry is probably a little too big time for this show but it does hold open the door for a future return. The new cast of victims are a bit too annoying. A couple of them do figure out a few things and that helps a little. It's just a lot of back-talking from this diverse crowd and most of it is annoying. I like the chase in the outback. I like the second season except for the constant arguing among the group. The first episode isn't good since it spends most of its time introducing the victims. It's unnecessary.
The first season is fine. The show tries for a little too much moodiness. I appreciate the unsettling nature of the outback and its inhabitants. I do question Eve trying to find Mick without a gun or seemingly a plan in the beginning. If she runs into him, he's going to kill her for sure. She does ramp up but the first thing I would get, if I was her, is a gun. The second season suffers from missing Eve. She didn't get killed off in the first season. Lucy Fry is probably a little too big time for this show but it does hold open the door for a future return. The new cast of victims are a bit too annoying. A couple of them do figure out a few things and that helps a little. It's just a lot of back-talking from this diverse crowd and most of it is annoying. I like the chase in the outback. I like the second season except for the constant arguing among the group. The first episode isn't good since it spends most of its time introducing the victims. It's unnecessary.
GREAT SHOW!! **Highly Recommended**
billiams44410 June 2020
Let me preface this by stating that I've never seen either of the two films, so my review is purely based on the series itself. I just watched Series 1 and 2 back-to-back and let me just say that I am utterly impressed. Series 1 starts off very strong with a character driven story that kind of loses its narrative and can get kind of goofy around the 3rd quarter (Ep 5/6). That being said, Series 1 is still an extremely well-made show that I think suffered from a bigger narrative squeezed into only six episodes.
NOW Series 2 comes back with a VENGEANCE!!
I mean talk about a platinum sophomore outing. I would liken it to T2 in terms of finding all the things that worked and capitalizing on them. This one also digs so much deeper into questions of human nature and natural instinct than just a gritty "stuck in the wilderness" drama.
Both Series are great, but Series 2 is the reason why this show deserves a bigger audience.
GIVE IT A WATCH!!
Series 1 - 6.4/10
Series 2 - 8.7/10
Star Rating is for series One
kate_taylor0927 October 2018
Brilliant
lisaprice19829 February 2021
I have just binged watched series 1 and 2 and I am really hoping there is going to be a series 3! Brilliant, kept me on the edge of my seat, I love the films so was a bit apprehensive about watching the series but too see John Jarrett return as Mick was great.
I definitely think he is up there with Michael Myers and Freddie Kruger ect...I think he might be even scarier then both of them because unfortunately there are Micks in the real world.
S2 was my favourite but in both series I was rooting for the victims...they were likeable and relatable and I was hoping they were going to make it out but you know they are in a impossible situation
Makes all Aussie men look like a bunch of hillbilly rednecks with no emotional intelligence or self control...
cjbarnard-581644 January 2022
Makes all Aussie men look like a bunch of hillbilly rednecks with no emotional intelligence or self control... But apart from that, I liked it.
Beginning is pretty gruesome and sets the stage well. Rather than following Mick Taylor on his killing spree, it follows a victim in search of revenge. I probably would have preferred it to have focused more on Mick and his crimes but the main protagonist is good and the acting is great.
Beginning is pretty gruesome and sets the stage well. Rather than following Mick Taylor on his killing spree, it follows a victim in search of revenge. I probably would have preferred it to have focused more on Mick and his crimes but the main protagonist is good and the acting is great.
Wtf!
bungles-4205121 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This had the potential to be great if they actually focused the story to involve Mick Taylor alot I mean ALOT more , I'm now on the last episode of season 1 it has just been about one of micks victims who survived trying to get revenge (she is actually a good actor) it's the situations she get herself into our so unrealistic for example escaping from the prison cell then knowing where the police officer is staying, then him (the police man) letting her in after another police women already told him she could be getting a few years sentence after he originally tried getting her out of jail in the first place, she stated * (the victim) "they just let me go" when he answered the door. And many more daft situation like this.
Why not focus on errrm the serial killer Mick Taylor just a simple story like how he grew up and became a serial killer, why he hates tourists etc. How this has a better rating than the first wolf creed movie is bizarre.
I would give it a 4/10 as when Mick is actualy in it he's bloody brilliant but unfortunately he barely is, its actually very annoying how much he isn't in the series so ratings is way to high so have given it a 1/10.
Why not focus on errrm the serial killer Mick Taylor just a simple story like how he grew up and became a serial killer, why he hates tourists etc. How this has a better rating than the first wolf creed movie is bizarre.
I would give it a 4/10 as when Mick is actualy in it he's bloody brilliant but unfortunately he barely is, its actually very annoying how much he isn't in the series so ratings is way to high so have given it a 1/10.
Much better than I expected
catherinecaptin30 October 2017
Warning: Spoilers
The series has been much better than I thought it would be. One thing tho it doesn't really set Australia's outback up as being a particularly safe place. Seems almost everyone out there is crooked, violent or a killer. Maybe she was just having bad luck. Def recommend to have watch if you enjoyed the film's, not as gruesome.
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