Eric Bana may have been seen as one of the next in a long line of big Hollywood stars to come from Australia when he landed the lead role in Ang Lee’s Hulk, but apart from a few starring roles in films like Troy, Munich, and Star Trek, he hasn’t really starred in many blockbusters since. Plus, rallycross was probably far more fun than acting. He’s still a fantastic actor, even if his output has dried up over the years.
Bana is making a return in his first big movie in four years, in the new Australian thriller titled The Dry. This film tells the story of a detective trying to solve a series of interconnected murders while dealing with a dark tragedy in his own past. It’s a formulaic setting for a good crime thriller, but The Dry is apparently a lot more than that having received critical acclaim in Australia and New Zealand where it was released and became one of the highest-grossing films of all time in the land down under. So, it makes sense that the movie will be brought to international audiences in the hope of finding success elsewhere:
Federal Agent Aaron Falk returns to his hometown after an absence of over twenty years to attend the funeral of his childhood friend, Luke, who allegedly killed his wife and child before taking his own life – a victim of the madness that has ravaged this community after more than a decade of drought. When Falk reluctantly agrees to stay and investigate the crime, he opens an old wound – the death of 17-year-old Ellie Deacon. Falk begins to suspect these two crimes, separated by decades, are connected. As he struggles to prove not only Luke’s innocence but also his own, Falk finds himself pitted against the prejudice towards him and the pent-up rage of a terrified community.
The trailer certainly makes it look like there is a great mystery that needs to be solved, along with a strong pinch of drama to the lead character, if you can get past all the Australian accents. The outback setting is certainly a nice change from the dark and gloomy city scenes we get in so many crime thrillers. Bana also looks terrific in this, so I have high hopes for this movie.
The film is directed by Robert Connolly off a script he co-wrote with Harry Cripps. Alongside Bana, the film also stars a collection of familiar Australian stars such as Genevieve O’Reilly, Keir O’Donnell, John Polson, and Bruce Spense. It’s not clear when the film will release locally yet, but there is definitely a shortage of good thrillers going around and this may fill a nice gap when it does eventually come out.
Last Updated: April 19, 2021
