One of the most interesting new releases in July was the film The Dry starring Eric Bana. Under the guise of a modest detective from a little-known director Robert Connolly lies a leisurely but solid and very atmospheric thriller in the spirit of the...

On July 15, the detective film Robert Connolly's The Dry was released in Russian theaters. This movie primarily captivates with its powerful story, as it is based on the bestselling novel Jane Harper's The Dry. However, it is not without stereotypes and plot gaps. But let's take it step by step.

One hero, two storylines

Federal police officer Aaron Falk (Eric Bana) returns to his hometown after 20 years. The reason is the death of his once best friend Luke, who, according to local police, killed his wife and son and then committed suicide. Luke's parents do not believe he could have done such a thing and ask Aaron to get to the truth.

At first glance, The Dry is a typical detective story about a seasoned cop returning to his hometown to investigate a brutal murder. Essentially, that is the case. But as the story unfolds, it becomes a bit deeper, and the personal motives of Eric Bana's character play a far from insignificant role.

Parallel to the main plot, viewers are told the story of events that happened in Aaron's youth. This explains the behavior of the locals and their reaction to the newcomer, whom they call nothing less than a murderer.

The creators, led by Robert Connolly, skillfully maneuver between the two plots, paying attention to both the past and the present, and dosing information so that viewers gradually begin to understand what is going on. This continues right up to the finale, which may seem shocking to many (at least in one of the storylines).

Despite the described merits, the plot still has plenty of problems. The storyline set in the past turned out to be more intriguing but less eventful. Meanwhile, the present-day story is full of suspects, but the motivation of most of them is questionable (and as a result, the detective component as well). So if you close your eyes to one of the parts, it becomes noticeable that individually they look unconvincing. The tension is maintained solely through the combination of the two plot components.

An Australian crime story

Watching The Dry, despite its occasionally engaging script, is not easy. The fact is that the filmmakers decided to bet on a slow-paced development of events, seasoned with a general Australian unhurriedness. At certain moments, it seems that nothing is happening on screen at all. And this applies to both the past and the present.

This approach works well to create an oppressive atmosphere of universal hopelessness and indifference (the sandy color palette of the picture also contributes to this), but it may alienate part of the audience for whom dynamics in the narrative are important.

Is the film The Dry worth watching?

The film had every chance to become a very good genre piece. It would have been enough to get rid of the rusty stereotypes in the plot, make Eric Bana's character a little more interesting and contradictory (the actor's performance raises no questions), add dynamics, and more clearly develop the characters' motivations. But even in its current form, The Dry is not the worst way to spend an evening at the screen, especially if you happen to be a fan of all things Australian.

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