Review: The Marshes

Australia has its fair share of genre flicks. Some quite good -- Wolf Creek, Rogue -- while others are just so-so... which brings me to recent offering The Marshes.

The Marshes just turned up on Shudder, and while it's decent enough late-night fare, it certainly doesn't offer anything fresh or exciting. On the one hand, it's suggested this is an eco-horror movie about microbiologists trapped in an almost In the Tall Grass scenario. On the other, it's a backwoods slasher filled with graphic violence. But it never embraces either trope.

Which isn't to say the movie doesn't have its moments. The final 20 minutes are pretty solid and suspenseful. There is a slasher/killer called The Swagman, which is based on an Australian legend. He may just be a psycho, but he does have supernatural elements to him as well. This is the aspect of the story I enjoyed the most.

Less effective is the eco-horror angle, which isn't developed enough to be all that interesting. And it leads to what is supposed to be an ambiguous climax that isn't, at least to me.

A love triangle is also suggested, but whatever...

The Marshes is artfully directed by Roger Scott, and I enjoyed Dafna Kronental's performance (and accent). But I gotta give it a Bad. It's decent once, but not focused enough to be enjoyed a second time.

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