Killing Ground (2016) User Reviews

It Almost Made It!

[songod-95003 · 6/10 · 3 August 2017]

I give this a six because honestly I had planned on giving it an eight. That is up until the end. I won't give it away, of course, but simply saying here it is the reason for a two point drop in rating pretty much says I feel it seriously damaged the film.

Now this may be my opinion only. May be my pet peeve, actually. Back when IMDb had a forum I would rant often about the current trend in movies to have such endings as this, and thankfully found I was not alone in my dislike.

What about the rest? Very suspenseful film making with a unique twist to what would otherwise be another "Deliverance" meets "Wolf Creek" psychos in the wilderness tale. The time anomalies were at first hard to grasp but once grasped became compelling (two time lines between two sets of characters yet you are not aware of the time disparity till, well, you become obviously aware that these people are not in the same time though are in the same place). Once everything catches up and the story is happening in the same time frame the film continues to be hectic, surprising, and nerve racking.

The performances all around were good. No sour notes or bad actors among them.

So what bothered me? Well... like I said, the end. There wasn't one. Not a proper one anyway. The fate of one character is never addressed, just left hanging, and the two main characters never have that conversation that they so desperately needed to have and share with us! The film simply went to a blackout. And so like the fate of that hanging character, we the audience are left hanging. At least I was.

The lack of proper denouement in current film is to me a sign that writers and directors simply have no idea how to end their projects; and so they don't, chalking it all up to "art". It isn't art it is laziness. That or poor education.

This film could have been a classic.

Decent thriller but nothing new if u have seen Eden lake, Storm warning n Preservation.

[Fella_shibby · 6/10 · 5 October 2017]

Saw this recently on a pirated DVD. It is about a couple who retreat to the woods on a romantic camping trip. Things don't go well....... Nowhere close to Eden lake, Preservation or Storm warning. These names should be suffice to explain in short what this movie is about. In Eden lake, the tension, violence n the ending was shocking. While in Storm warning, the gore n the killings were brutal. Preservation was decent but Killing ground failed to impress. Well, it wasn't boring or messed up but at times i found it hard to sit through certain scenes. Two things i cannot bear even on screen is rape n any harm towards kids. Thankfully the director avoided abusive scenes but even some off screen scenes were a bit too hard for me. The character development of the bad guys were done well. They are given nearly as much screen time as the main leads. The bearded villain looked like Mel Gibson from Blood father. The movies non linear approach to story telling might appeal to some viewers but there isn't any originality in it.

A solid film whose genius moments come from its eerie setting and creepy atmosphere

[mitchellzelenak · 7/10 · 26 July 2017]

Killing Grounds was, at first, a tough watch for me. Seeing how much realism and detail was added to the scenes made me truly feel bad for the victims. One of my favorite parts about this film was their use of the past and present families and showing the stories connect with one another. On top of this, props to the creators not using cheesy jump scares to try and score a cheap shot with the audience. Instead they help develop all of the characters so you feel for each one, good and bad.

Overall, a great twisted horror film that will keep you engaged at all parts, with a bit of a lack luster ending.

7/10

A well shot but pointless and forgettable torture fest

[jackcwelch23 · 25 August 2017]

Aaron Pederson came off Mystery Road and Goldstone for....this? He should be hitting Hollywood with his talent, but instead he'll settle for a script with little originality or imagination, and fellow great actors wasting their talents. Harriet Dyer is a terrific performer and has shown her charisma on the shows No Activity and The Other Guy, but is only required to be frightened wife captured by a maniac here, big boost into cinema that one is. Aaron Glenane is a convincing psychopath, but his and Pederson's characters are given no motivation or explanation for killing, they just do it for a laugh it seems. The only praise this deserves is for its beautiful cinematography, given the proper cinematic look with a proper film camera and lenses, rather than the grainy fly on the wall style that outstayed its welcome years back. Shows off the amazing countryside but then again does little with it but put in a hackneyed story and boring characters. Another miss for Aussie film. Except for people who love watching people get shot in the head.

This one's pretty good.

[subxerogravity · 7/10 · 24 July 2017]

It's one of those movies that's very disturbing without needing to say very much. You realize how dramatic some movies can be when you see a movie like this one that does so little to tell us what's going on. In that sense it's brilliant.

It's a perfect example of why you should never go out in the woods, cause two campers went out there thinking it was cool but discover that the campers roughing it on the same camp site did not have a wonderful experience, when a couple of dim witted hunters prove that nature is not all it's cracked up to be.

Killing ground was a well made film that speaks softly but says a lot.

taut thriller

[gregking4 · 7/10 · 6 August 2016]

A weekend camping trip to the beach turns into a battle for survival in this from Australian writer/director Damien Power. Ian (Ian Meadow) and Samantha (Harriet Dyer) head off for a camping trip in the hopes that the time together away from the city will allow them time to heal their relationship. When they arrive at the remote camping ground they find another tent erected, but it looks abandoned. Then Ian and Sam stumble across an abandoned child and discover a murder scene. They become hunted by a pair of psychopathic hunters (Aaron Pedersen) and Aaron Glenane. This is the debut feature film for Power, a short film maker whose Peekaboo screened at the St Kilda Film Festival a couple of years ago. The initial inspiration for the film came from a vision Power had of an orange tent in the middle of nowhere, but it has taken him a decade to flesh out the concept and bring it to the screen. Power cites films like Straw Dogs and Michael Haneke's Funny Games as influences on the film, although this is not quite as compelling nor as unsettling with its depiction of violence. The film has been nicely shot on location at Macquarie Fields, outside of Sydney, by Simon Chapman (The Devil's Candy, etc). Power brings some tension to the frantic chase through the bush land. Power uses a nonlinear narrative style that moves back and forth, slowly revealing the fate of the first family, which adds a frisson of tension to the material. Cast against type Pedersen is quite menacing here, while Glenane (Deadline Gallipoli, etc) is quite scary as Chook, the small town psychopath.

Left me annoyed!

[vpgemini-41219 · 2/10 · 22 May 2018]

Where is baby? Would be nice since important piece of story.

Not your average thriller

[jodyanne2010 · 7/10 · 2 August 2017]

Well I have to say it's not your average thriller. the acting is pretty good but the story will leave you shouting at your tele....or maybe that was just me. You realize watching this, you automatically expect it to go a certain way from watching similar films but wow you're in for a surprise. Hence the shouting at the tele. Watch it and you'll see.

Are you kidding? THE WORST END EVER!

[kwnstantza · 4/10 · 23 March 2018]

What can i say? It started well promising, obvious how the story follows but very very disappointed ending. How can you be a doctor and be so stupid? How can you run away, and leave a baby in the forest? WORST MOVIE EVER! Im ashamed about them!

Gruelling realism

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 15 January 2018]

KILLING GROUND is another nasty, realistic, grubby little horror film from Australia in which the horror comes from man rather than a mythical creation. I don't know, after watching the likes of the WOLF CREEK films, this, and SNOWTOWN, you'd never want to visit the country! The story is about a couple of hikers who stumble upon a crime scene and are soon pursued by some very unpleasant characters. It's an obviously low budget story that suffers a little from some confused narrative touches (the mingling of past and present storylines early on is a bad choice) but generally works in a small-scale way. There's enough suspense to see it through, as well as some shocking and hard-hitting violence. The story gets more entertaining as it goes on and it all becomes tension-packed towards the climax. It's hardly a great film, but I'd say that it achieves what it sets out to do.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BABY?!?!?!?!?!?

[erinschill · 1/10 · 28 December 2018]

At the end he was still alive wtf happened to him doesnt show if he is ok????

Good, but unfinished

[devils_neighbor_667 · 8/10 · 28 September 2021]

Great acting and full of tension.. though some of it might be too much for some. But the ending was the only thing that bothered me. What happened to Ollie??

Slightly slow start but caught up.

[tariqzafar-12020 · 7/10 · 12 November 2019]

Started slow may be to build a bit of a character. And then glides on till the end fast but the ed leaves you bit gasping to know more about what happened to the child. They just left it like that if the dog was gonna report him or raise him on his own. The husband turned out to be a bit of a wuss. When your wife is in danger you have to take immediate steps. Instead he ran off to the town to inform police which he could have very well done by a phone. And he didn't even take the baby. I know it can be a tough situation to think clearly but what if the killer had killed the girl. Anyway but it was an engaging movie otherwise.

Just wasn't the movie for me

[kennatree · 3/10 · 13 December 2018]

The moment that guy threw the baby on the ground I immediately hated the movie. I also hate how we never see the outcome of what happens to the child. I'm a total horror fanatic, but when it comes to toddlers and babies...there's a line to be drawn in horror films.

Its a Solid film.

[diegoperezsalazar · 6/10 · 26 August 2017]

This is a alright movie with nice elements that makes a good thriller.The movie takes time to introduce the main characters in the first act of the film. BUT i don't care for these characters because of their dumb choices. Green Room is a much better film. Damien Power does a good job directing this film for his directing debut. He is able to tell this story in a interesting and non linear way like Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk. This is a very nice beautiful movie with nice cinematography. The realism and brutality within the film is gut wrenching and on point. The third act is pretty lame and the antagonists felt unrealistic. Though the performances were really great.

Decent Aussie shocker since wolf creek

[matthewwallace-93374 · 6/10 · 7 December 2019]

This film gave me the wolf creek /i spit on your grave vibe, staring an aussie movie veteran who pulled off an amazing psychotic character. However.... (SPOILER)!!!!!! What happened to the baby? It Almost felt like it was left out on purpose, there is no way it was an accident.. the story was original with a few scenes where i had to pause and take a deep breath. If you can stomach murder, rape and general violence, give it a shot (pun intended)

Worst movie

[Savagebixh · 2/10 · 11 June 2021]

The plot is total non-sense. I've seen some movies with almost the same storyline and this film just ruined it. And by the way, what happened to the baby?

Sadistic Shocker

[fairlesssam · 6/10 · 23 February 2020]

I love horror and I love a 'backwoods, redneck, murderous, torture-porn' movie BUT it has to have a point to it. If you're going to put scenes of rape and sexual assault in a movie it has to be justified in some way, avenged.

This film is a quality made movie, the actors absolutely nail it. The setting, cinematography and suspense is all there.

I get no pleasure watching a teenage girl be terrorised and raped, I get no pleasure watching anyone get raped. There are times in movies where it is a genuine element where it is addressed and maybe avenged or developed but in this movie its just pretty horrific. I asked myself why don't I just turn it off.

The reason I have given this movie a 6 is because I didn't turn it off, I wanted to see what happened. The film is gripping and suspenseful throughout. It's a shame it was all so negative, there was nothing positive to salvage at the end of it.

Just killed my faith in humanity

[saranghaecaz · 1/10 · 10 June 2020]

Actors were good but the story sucks! Does the director hates babies and didn't made a scene just to save the baby?

Atmospheric but another violent and pointless Aussie film

[david-rector-85092 · 7/10 · 4 September 2017]

Having watched three violent and at times brutal Australian movies back to back; I'm very concerned about what passes as entertainment and why these films are being funded and backed! Berlin Syndrome (well directed but just without any real purpose); Hounds of Love (just nasty and brutal) and now Killing Ground. Classic Aussie flicks like Picnic at Hanging Rock, Wake in Fright, even Road Games and Dead Calm, used the landscape or the road or the sea to evoke and create menace. These current films bludgeon (pardon the terribly violent pun) the audience and its often hapless characters with overt brutality and sadism, rather than finding more nuanced and creative ways to build a thriller or a horror movie; as the aforementioned classics achieved.

Killing Ground has a picturesque but ultimately menacing surrounds for its narrative to unfold. Using an interesting plot device of non linear sequences, the audience is edgy and unsure where it all is going; but once it gets there, it is simply unapologetic murder and torture. Why? I am most proud of the wonderful technicians and crafts men and women that the Australian industry has cultivated and continues to engender, but why so many filmmakers are drawn to this bleak content, escapes me. With so few local films making any money, more of these pointless schlock horror pieces, and there will be no industry to speak of!

OK, having got that off my chest, Killing Ground boasts an impressive female lead in Harriet Dyer (I first discovered her in Reuben Guthrie a couple of years ago). Harriet has great screen presence and I hope she continues to get some good roles. Although he plays an execrable loser, Aaron Glenane is very convincing and gives some real layer to this otherwise psychotic creep. The rest of the cast is fine, but really the cinematography and the clever editing make this film the tense and at times interesting visual experience that it is, but enough with torture and murder!

A gussied-up freak show masquerading as an art house horror pic. Pass.

[bob_meg · 4/10 · 23 July 2017]

For an hour and a half thriller, Killing Ground is a real slog, and it's not until you reach it's last act that you realize why. It also probably explains why the movie has gotten some real raves (and some real pans).

On the surface, it tries in vain to put a fresh face on the Psycho Hillbilly From Hell movie. Killing Ground plays with time quite a bit in the first half of the film, sometimes to good effect in building suspense. Sometimes this backfires and convolutes scenes, as when the same character appears in two scenes back to back at different points in time. Hey, I love when filmmakers mix things up, but it's also a fragile ethos. When it backfires, it just draws attention to itself.

A lot of Killing Ground is like this. I found myself pondering film- critic-type questions (not a good sign) between checking my watch, such as "What is this film trying to achieve and what's it doing differently?" The answers are "I doubt if the filmmakers really know" and "Not much".

If you strip away all the stylized artifice, the competent acting, the technically good filmmaking, what do we really have here? Well, you basically have a slicker "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" slanted to tweak the emotions of the Middle Class (add yuppie heroes, add tykes in danger) or "Wolf Creek" with some really stupid villains (sorry, sadistic does not equal interesting).

None of the characters in Killing Ground are really very interesting, if you get down to it. Maybe that's not important to you, and with a strict thriller, it's not a requirement. Are the human characters in Evil Dead very interesting? Hell no. But with Sam Raimi bringing the freshness, who cares? Even Eden Lake (which has a very similar plot) brought villains with a slightly fresher edge.

Does Killing Ground just stink? No, it's a competent if not overly manipulative knock-off posing as an arty thriller. And that's just a little to ingenuous for me.

Gòod Movie But ????

[wmusiwa · 8/10 · 7 January 2018]

Was a good movie but the ending is inconclusive what happened to the baby?

Well...I USED to love camping alone.

[Mike_T-Little_Mtn_Sound_Archive · 7/10 · 24 September 2020]

Just a quick few words about this film. I would have rated it higher but for two reasons:

• it was a tad slow in the beginning, although not slow enough to tank the film by any means. The slow beginning is absolutely necessary to the film as it sets up the story.
• the second reason is likely my fault, but I'll note it nonetheless. I had to leave the room a couple of times, for completely stupid reasons, and missed the setup for how the two stories were not taking place simultaneously, but rather in past and present. Imagine my idiocy as I tried to figure out what the heck was happening.

That said, Killing Ground is a solid film. While many people classify it as horror, it is not horror in the conventional sense, but rather as a film filled with horrific experiences. What makes it so horrific is that every piece of the film is something that has likely happened in reality, or very well could happen. There are no cheap scares or generic tropes to muddle the experience. Just raw, reality-based terror.

All that said, the film is it without its flaws. I won't comment on them, as they are largely based on choices made by the villains. Again, nothing that ruins the story, but certainly noticeable as examples of "man these guys are stupid."

Overall, a very worthwhile watch.

Regarding content...a few reviews mention how the film "does not shy away from gore." There was nothing about this film that I would consider gory. There are a couple of violent scenes, and two or three instances of blood, but most of "violence" occurs in the mind of the viewer. While there is no onscreen nudity, there is a scene (and dialog between characters) that has the two villains talking about "having another go" at the women captives...meaning that the women had been raped.

Plenty of profanity, as the villains are...well...villains, and therefore must, naturally, use profanity when upset. Beyond that, and as mentioned above, there is no gratuitous violence or nudity, but the film takes the viewer right up to these atrocities and then lets the viewers mind do the rest. Only in the most well done films does this tactic work, and the case of Killing Ground, it absolutely works.

Typical rapey trash.

[garciaeffy · 1/10 · 30 November 2017]

Surprise, surprise. The boys in the entertainment industry can't think up anything original to get under the viewers skin. When are these garbage directors going to realize that unless they're remaking Deliverance, sexual assault in film is only upsetting and grossing out HALF of their audience? It's not entertaining, or shocking, or bold, it's just boring at this point. Use your imagination in horror or don't bother directing at all.

Good thriller. Heavy to watch in parts.

[rochfordsimon · 7/10 · 21 May 2020]

I enjoyed this film. Yes it's another version of a familiar survival story. Most films are hybrids of an original story in a genre

The baby really adds to the suspense of the film and plays an important part in the climax of the movie. But not addressing his fate was a big mistake. I'm sure by the dog sitting next to him meant he would be protected from more danger until help comes. But it was badly left hanging.

Good villains in the movie. Typical petty outback types that may be like evil hill billies without fear.

They built the female protagonist well. Nothing was pushed on you about any woke or feminist morals. You felt for her and wanted her to succeed. The fade to black at the end was good as you where on her side and wanted her to dump him. Not for leaving her, but ignoring the baby. She was willing to sacrifice herself for the child.

I think if they finished the baby angle with more certainty then this movie would have a higher ranking. Not that an IMDb star system means anything ultimately.