The Last Wave

Director - Peter Weir (The Truman Show, Dead Poets Society)

Starring - Richard Chamberlain (The Towering Inferno, Nightmare Cinema), Olivia Hamnett (Return to Eden, The Ripper), and David Gulpilil (Crocodile Dundee, Mad Dog Morgan)

Release Date - 1977

Genre - Crime/Thriller

Tagline - "Hasn't the weather been strange...it could be a warning?

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Halloween is fast approaching and my month long horror/Halloween binge is going smoothly.  I've watched some great horror flicks, as well as, a few Halloween themed movies that satisfied.  Sadly, I've also seen a lot of duds over the month.  A few weeks ago my friends over at Umbrella Entertainment in Australia sent over a couple movies for me to check out.  The first I put on the chopping block is the 1977 thriller The Last Wave that was just released on blu.  Thanks Umbrella for sending it my way.

    The film follows a lawyer who was tasked with defending five aboriginals who are accused of murdering one of their own.  However, something else is at play here when freak storms and rumors of a long forgotten tribe start to take hold.  Did these five men murder the man and are they connected to his long forgotten dreams he had when he was younger?

     I knew this one wasn't a horror flick when I tossed it in but hearing that it was a thriller with a supernatural like twist I decided it would fit in nicely for this Halloween season.  It was a fun murder mystery with some great atmosphere.  It was well worth my time.  The acting in this one is absolutely insane at how good it is.  Chamberlin and Gulpilil are fantastic in their roles.  I almost feel bad for Gulpilil for being typecast as aboriginals but it does make sense.  He's an amazing actor and his performances never fail to entertain.  The supporting cast was just as entertaining and all the characters moved the story along as they should.  The story, at it's heart, is a murder mystery that is centered around ancient aboriginal tribes that are linked to dreams the lawyer had as a child.  The freak weather and supernatural atmosphere only adds to the overall story element.  With that being said, a lot of the scenes have additional segments that seem to draw out.  They are rather boring and stretches the film out longer than it needs to be.  Finally, those of you wanting blood and gore will surely be disappointed.  The film is very story and character driven and not one that focuses on bloodshed like most modern horror tales.  Overall, The Last Wave is not something you would to typically spin during October but if you are looking for something with some seriously dark atmosphere and a very rich story I highly recommend picking this one up.  The blu looks great and leagues better than the trailers I have found on YouTube.  It's a very nice release and fans of thrillers will really enjoy this one.