BOAR
Written by Chris Sun, Kirsty Dallas (story editor)
Directed by Chris Sun
Staring Nathan Jones, Bill Moseley, Steve Bisely
(2017)
96 minutes
Creature features, monster movies – They are a guilty pleasure of mine. Imagine my delight seeing BOAR on the new release shelf. It being a Shudder streaming exclusive, I snatched it up. I’m a huge fan of Chris Sun’s previous film, CHARLIE’S FARM, which also takes place in the Outback. In BOAR, Bruce (Bill Moseley) and his Family are on a trip and run afoul of the titular beast. His daughter, Hanna’s (Madeline Kennedy) irritating boyfriend, Robert (Hugh Sheridan) is also tagging along with Hanna’s hapless younger brother, Ryan (Chris Bridgewater).
Old timers played by Steve Bisley and Roger Ward of MAD MAX:FURY ROAD regale odd tales of creatures at a local watering hole tended by Debbie (Simone Buchanan). Also on display are the talents of various Australian actors including John Jarratt of WOLF CREEK and Ernie Dingo of CROCODILE DUNDEE). Meanwhile, an unlucky group of poor campers have picked out the wrong spot to rest for the night and wind up running into the Boar. I was surprised with the depth of certain characters to the point I actually cared if they lived.
As ludicrous as the plot sounds considering a massive boar is sneaking up on unsuspecting people in the underbrush with nary a sound, or making the local news, it works. We are basically dropped down in the middle of the action so there’s little time to consider the story line.
The carnage is quite horrific in spades using a mixture of CGI, and practical effects. Victims are torn limb from limb, impaled on the creature’s tusks, and shaken around in it’s jaws like a ragdoll. The boar emerges from the brush like a hungry shark stalking its prey. The film generally doesn’t play nice with who is dispatched.
For the most part, the plot is pretty simple, with no backstory of how the boar arrived at its freakish proportions. Of course, it also leaves the door open for a potential sequel. Personally, I wouldn’t mind one as the characters were generally sympathetic and not just canon fodder. And, because we’re given no back story on how the boar originated. It’s ripe for a sequel and could go in many directions.
Bernie (Nathan Jones, CHARLIE’S FARM) is a bear of a man, and a gentle giant. A great character I was rooting for. While this film isn’t exactly JAWS in the Outback, it’s still an enjoyable, bloody romp. If you enjoy creature features the way I do, slide on into the mud and give this one a go.
Check out the trailer:
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