The Dry

 

The Dry 2020

• Director: Robert Connolly
• Based on the novel by Jane Harper
• Cast: Eric Bana, Genevieve O’Reilly, Keir O’Donnell, John Polson, Julia Blake, Bruce Spence, William Zappa, Matt Nable, James Frecheville, Jeremy Lindsay Taylor, Joe Klocek, BeBe Bettencourt, Miranda Tapsell
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Eric Bana – Hanna, The Time Traveller’s Wife, The Other Boleyn Girl,
• Genevieve O’Reilly – Snowman, Rogue One, The Fall, Forget Me Not, Young Victoria, Star Wars III; Matrix
• Keir O’Donnell– The Runaways, Lost
• Julia Blake – X-Men Origins Wolverine
• Why? The author.
• Seen: 3 February 2023      

       Federal cop Aaron (Bana) returns to his hometown in rural Australia for the funeral of his childhood friend who has apparently killed his family then himself. It’s not that simple, and Aaron stays to look into things, but an old tragedy haunts him and the hostile town still blames him.

       Another book by Jane Harper, The Lost Man, is one of the few police novels, or novels at all, that I rated 5* on Good Reads. The book behind this was not as all as good. In fact the film is much better – slow, deliberate, atmospheric. It’s well acted by all, and the tension builds up so slowly that even the climax sneaks up on you.

       This is one instance when the film is better than the book. 

4* of 5