‘I’m not the type for crapping in the sunshine and yearning round campfires…’
Once upon a time, a brave filmmaker named M. Night Shyamalan made a film about Mother Nature turning on mankind in a disturbing and violent way. He even included a Mark Wahlberg. And yet, a vengeful and ungrateful audience decided that the movie was trash. And they were correct. Some 30 years earlier, writer Everett De Roche and director Colin Eggleston had the same idea, but their film ended up being a cult classic…
Peter (John Hargreaves) and Marcia (Briony Behets) attempt a camping trip to the Australian wilderness in order to save their faltering marriage. Upon arrival, they make the mistake of being disrespectful of Mother Nature and so they are punished accordingly.
Long Weekend is not as bombastic or visceral as fellow Ozploitation flicks Wake in Fright and Wolf Creek, but it does foster an overwhelming sense of dread that builds to an unforgettable and genuinely disturbing conclusion. Eggleston presents us with an utterly toxic marriage and two unlikeable leads but the poisonous chemistry they share is compelling and the use of real animals surprisingly convincing.
While there are more effective Australian horror films out there, Long Weekend is innovative enough and distinct enough to merit seeking out. A strange but enjoyable movie.
