Wolf Creek (2005)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
Three backpackers find themselves trapped in the Australian outback and hunted by a ruthless serial killer.
The story
In 1999, two British tourists, Liz Hunter and Kristy Earl, travel across the Australian outback with their friend, Ben Mitchell. After their car breaks down near the Wolf Creek Crater, they encounter a man named Mick Taylor who offers to help them. The group agrees to travel to his remote location to repair the vehicle. However, the situation quickly turns dire as the trio finds themselves in a remote mining site, where Mick's intentions are revealed to be predatory. The film establishes a tense atmosphere of isolation as the backpackers must navigate the dangers of the desert and the threat posed by a local predator.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1999, Liz Hunter, Kristy Earl, and Ben Mitchell are traveling through the Australian outback. After their car breaks down near Wolf Creek, they accept help from Mick Taylor, who takes them to a remote mining site. Mick drugs them, and the women are separated; Liz is tied up while Mick tortures Kristy. Liz manages to set a car on fire as a distraction and eventually shoots Mick, but he survives. The women attempt to flee, while Ben is left behind. Later, Liz is captured and paralyzed by Mick, while Kristy is hunted and eventually killed. Ben, who was held in a mine shaft, manages to escape and is eventually rescued by a passing couple. The film concludes with a series of title cards revealing that Liz and Kristy were never found, and Ben is cleared of suspicion, while Mick is seen walking into the sunset.
- First release year
- 2005
- Runtime (minutes)
- 99
- Production countries
- Australia
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Greg McLean
- Writers
- Greg McLean · writer
- Cast and characters
- John Jarratt · Mick Taylor; Nathan Phillips · Ben Mitchell; Cassandra Magrath · Liz Hunter; Kestie Morassi · Kristy Earl
- Genres
- horror; thriller
- Themes
- isolation; survival; predation
- Tone and mood
- tense; gritty; violent
- Premise and plot tags
- survival horror; serial killer; road movie
- Source material / true-story basis
- Inspired by the real-life murders of backpackers by Ivan Milat and Bradley Murdoch.
- Franchise connections
- Wolf Creek
- Content notes
- violence
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising its atmosphere and others criticizing its extreme violence.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 55% · scale: percentage · review count: 119; Metacritic · score: 56 · scale: 100 · review count: 26
- Awards and nominations
- Australian Film Institute · Best Director · nominated
- Production trivia
- The film was shot almost exclusively on high-definition video.; The film's name 'Navithalim Mining Co.' is a reverse spelling of 'Mila[h]t Ivan'.; The actor John Jarratt spent time alone in the outback and went for weeks without showering to prepare for his role.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…