Terror Down Under: Part 3
Article by Bindi Lavelle

One of Australia's defining features is its varied and unique wildlife. Although many seem cute, there are many dangerous animals in both the urban and rural environments alike. The obvious threat is often hinted at in Aussie film but never explored on full, with the notable exception of Rogue.
Greg McLean followed Wolf Creek up with Rogue, a film which is as different from its predecessor as it is alike.
Like Wolf Creek, Rogue's plot centers around an outback holiday gone seriously wrong, when tourists are hunted by a massive salt water crocodile; using the obvious threat of predatory wildlife rather than distorting a romanticized image to shock audiences.

McLean, however is not the only Aussie director able to bend and link concepts in their work, many others such as Geoffrey Wright and Alex Proyas consistently produce dark and engrossing work.
Goeffrey Wright's break out film Romper Stomper, while not a horror films was still chilling in its depictions of Neo-Nazis in Australia, his style continued to develop, showing the sinister lurking just beneath the surface in films like Metal Skin and Cherry Falls.

Wright is able to high light the rough edges while at the same time dwelling in the familiar, while on the other hand, Alex Proyas uses unnatural landscape to draw the viewers mind set into familiar ideas.
Proyas utilises landscape as many Aussie directors do, however, the environments of his films such as The Crow and Dark City, create an artificial presence which weighs upon the action of the film. The contrast of colour often used to bring out the warmth of the outback is used inversely to make a cool atmosphere.
These 3 directors use common conventions and ideals of Australian cinema beyond the clichés and stereotypes we have become all too familiar with. Whether it be showcasing a well-known threat, exploring the lesser known or taking the audience in the completely unfamiliar, these directors take Australian horror to newer darker places.