The 2020 Mystery/Thriller The Dry is all about murder in a small town. Based on the Jane Harper novel of the same name, this one is a compelling watch. Director and co-writer Robert Connolly, he shares credit with Harry Cripps gives us layers upon layers. This is a virtual onion of a film. Each time hero Aaron Falk rips another bit of miss-information away, another comes creeping out of the woodwork.
The Dry Story
Aaron Falk returns home to attend the funeral of his childhood mate. The mate, Luke, is murdered. He dies, along with his wife and one of his children. Federal Agent Falk starts looking into the deaths. Meanwhile his hometown still believe him guilty of a murder committed 20 years ago.
The Main Cast
Eric Bana is Aaron Falk.
Genevieve O’Reilly is Gretchen.
Keir O’Donnell is Sgt Greg Raco.
John Polson is Scott Whitlam
Julia Blake is Barb.
Bruce Spence is Gerry.
Matt Nable is Grant Dow.
BeBe Bettencourt is Ellie.
Joe Klocek is Young Aaron Falk.
Tense and Foreboding
The Dry has an atmosphere of tension. The air seems filled with an overabundance of foreboding. Falk is consumed with memories of another murder, one where he was a prime suspect. We literally expect the worst.
This is not unlike the atmospheric feel of another Australian mystery; Picnic at Hanging Rock. In this film, the unease and underlying suspense is set around the all girl boarding school. The Dry, is the town itself. A lot of bad feelings exist for the returning lawman.
Clues
The film offers up clues galore. However, most of them are misleading. Falk, and the local cop Raco spend a lot of time chasing shadows. Aaron, dreams regularly of the 20 year old murder. Most of the townspeople believe he killed the girl, just as they believe that Luke, his mate, killed his family.
It works
The Dry works brilliantly. Although with all the quick fade outs, it feels as though it was meant for television. The acting in the film is top notch. Anyone who reads my reviews knows I adore Australian cinema, and television. *Quite possibly due to an overdose of Aussie soaps on Dutch television I watched back in the 1980’s.*
Bana has been a favorite since the 2014 horror Deliver Us from Evil and he carries this film effortlessly. Actually, the entire cast deliver here. The story is solid and despite the numerous twists and turns, gives us closure at the end.
The Verdict
The Dry is a solid 5 star murder mystery. I have not read the Harper novel so there are no opinions about the transition to screen. The film itself is difficult to stop watching. So many suspects, so many questions and so many false leads. This is one cracking film. It is streaming on Hulu, AMC plus, Tubi, et al.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.