I think this Aussie backpacking thriller dropped in late 2023, before winding up on Hulu. This was something I didn’t manage to squeeze in before the Oscars, but I was pretty sure wouldn’t be effecting my votes on the best of the year. I do like Julia Garner, but this had some mixed reviews, and seemed to disappear pretty quickly. Hulu didn’t even bother to acquire the audio description for this film, so I was stuck watching this thriller without it. Here’s why it needed it.

the movie centers on two friends who are backpacking on a budget across the outback. They find an outpost and are able to get a temporary job. However, things get sketchy, and at least one of the girls starts to feel uncomfortable and wants to leave. Her friend suggests that there’s no problem, and there’s really nothing else for miles. This isn’t a straight up horror movie, it’s more of a thematic thriller, where the situation and building tension create a point in the film where everything comes together.

The problem with that, is in order for us as a blind audience to really take in this atmosphere, we have to know what it is. We have to absorb the uncomfortable performances, those stares that go on too long, and that feeling of isolation.You can’t just hope for the best, this film doesn’t have that much dialogue, and seems reliant upon visuals in order to surprise its audience.

I’ll just keep hoping Julia Garner finds more film projects, and that those end up with audio description. Ozark proved she’s a talented actress, she just needs the right projects. I’m not sure this is it, but I’m also not 100% sure it isn’t.

Final Grade: C+

Projected Grade With Audio Description: C-, C, C+