This is one of those movies where everything you need to know about it is already in the title. It’s an Australian movie about a giant boar terrorizing a rural community. And it has nothing to do with an 1984 classic Razorback apart from the fact that both movies feature huge boars. And if you’re thinking that two boar movies are two boar movies too much, well, you should know that there are two more. So, if you’re looking to continue your boar adventures check out Chawu [2009], a Japanese take on the theme and Pig Hunt, an American take on the killer giant boar theme.
Now that we got that out of the way, let’s dig into this fun creature feature. It’s not the best or the funniest movie out there and the pacing is also a bit off. However, it’s entertaining enough, mostly thanks to the great cinematography and lighting. Some of the scenes looked really stunning, especially the night ones. The creature itself looks great and I really loved their commitment to practical effects with little CGI use. It is a bit static though, just an observation for future projects. Maybe don’t show it just standing there and not moving at all to avoid this.
Deep in the Australian outback lives a creature that is seldom seen. Local farmers have only destroyed fences and dead cattle to show for, unsure what it is. They share their troubles in a local bar, making fun of a guy who claims to have seen a giant boar near his farm. This was the perfect setting for Bruce and his wife Debbie to come to town with their family to visit Debbie’s brother Bernie. Little did they know what this visit will turn into…
As you probably gathered from the review so far, Boar is a flawed creature feature that still makes it over the line. Some of the characters were a bit dull and stereotypical and some were fairly interesting but not fully fleshed out. Starring Bill Moseley (2001 Maniacs, The Devil’s Rejects, House of 1000 Corpses) and Nathan Jones of his Mad Max: Fury Road fame, the casting was good. I especially liked the bar crowd that seems to be comprised of locals. They were really cute and likable. Plus, we finally get the chance to see John Jarratt from Wolf Creek playing a good guy.
Actually, the whole movie has this feel-good, small-movie vibe where you want them to succeed. It’s a fun little romp with a runtime of ninety minutes. I think that they were going for that Wyrmwood vibe. It’s a great intro movie if you’re up for a killer boar movie marathon before you dig into the classic that is Razorback. Director Chris Sun showed great promise with his first big movie Charlie’s Farm and with this one I feel like he’s really evolving. Can’t wait to see his next movie. Enjoy.
Director: Chris Sun
Writers: Kirsty Dallas, Chris Sun
Cast: Nathan Jones, Bill Moseley, John Jarratt, Steve Bisley, Roger Ward, Simone Buchanan, Hugh Sheridan
Fun Facts: Unfortunately Nathan Jones had a falling out with director Chris Sun after the film’s release, making any plans for Nathan Jones to appear in the proposed sequel for Boar and Charlie’s Farm highly unlikely.
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