The Backpacker (2011)

The Backpacker: Directed by Dion Martin Boland. With Vincent Stone, Nathan Waring, Laura Andersen, Vivian Carter. Returned soldier Ben Cross is a man who will stop at nothing to find his missing sister and save her from a serial killer deep in the Australian outback.

“Not a terrible movie but not a great one either. The Backpacker in its favour is a very good-looking movie, one of the better low-budget movies Iu0026#39;ve seen recently, with rural Australian scenery so striking and authentic in atmosphere and for low-budget itu0026#39;s very atmospherically lit and stylishly edited with no signs of trying to be too flashy. The photography is impressive and really makes the most of the beautiful scenery. The music score has a real spooky element to it, helped by the impressive sound quality, the movie has its heart in the right place and gives off the sense that it knows what itu0026#39;s trying to do and be and Vincent Stone while going overboard on occasions does strike fear in oneu0026#39;s heart. The rest of the actors are not really to his level however, Nathan Waring did come across as wooden and never makes you believe that his character is part of the military and Laura Andersen doesnu0026#39;t strike much enthusiasm either. You never really get to know much about the characters let alone care properly for them, like with Ben Cross you know that he is part of the military but thatu0026#39;s pretty much it for him, we know Malek is calculating and out for revenge but his motivations are a bit vague otherwise and itu0026#39;s not clear why Nina would willingly go with somebody sheu0026#39;d literally only just met. The story is well-intended but was too drawn-out and lopsided, the first half-hour was basically just throw-away filler and it was at that point when the movie started to get going. Albeit not ever quite with enough momentum or tension, the latter of which was dissipated by some of the action that would have made things nail-biting being off-screen. The dialogue is rather stilted and could have been structured much more tightly with parts lacking any kind of expression. Overall, looks good but not as involving as it could have been. 4/10 Bethany Cox”