LANDFALL

Australia, 2017, 99 minutes, Colour.
Rob Stanfield, Kristen Condon, Vernon Welles, Bailey Stevenson, Andy Bramble, Tony Bonner, Shawn Brack, Anthony Ring.
Directed by Travis Bain.

Landfall in the title is the arrival of a serious cyclone on the coast of north Queensland.

The action of the film takes place over one evening, the arrival of the cyclone and its effect, a young couple in the house delaying in leaving, threatened by three thieves who have robbed the local hospital and are expecting a contact in the house. There are further complications with misunderstandings about the number of the house on the street, the central character going out with one of the thieves and finding an older man with an injury, his son trying to help. There are dramatic turns in the plot with some of these characters being shot.

The young woman in the house is held as hostage by the brains behind the robbery. He is disdainful of the younger member of the group – with the news that another of the thieves has been killed at the hospital as has a policeman. The police arrived to investigate the whereabouts of the thieves leading to clashes, interrogations, reversal of situations…

Ultimately, the film seemed to have come to a happy ending, the couple escaping – but, since the robbery at the hospital concerned radiation, the house explodes as do the characters.

Then, there is a sudden and completely unexpected twist as to who the couple are, the owner of the house and how they have dealt with him, their anti-drug stands and robbing him of his money, as well as some further details of the interaction between the couple, the police and the criminals. It is almost too much to take in with its sudden amount of information.

Writer-director, Travis Bain, comes from north Queensland and cyclones a subject of some of his other features.

1. The title? The setting? North Queensland, night, the coming of the cyclone, the intensity of the wind and rain, people not wanting to be out in it? The house and the beachfront? The waves? The moments for the eye of the cyclone?

2. The action taking place over one evening? The complexities of the plot and characters? And the twist at the end, the amount of information, the changing of perspectives?

3. The introduction to Dylan and Maisie, to leave because of the cyclone, her taking the pills, hesitation, Dylan in the car? The sudden intrusion of the three men? The confrontations? The Beatles’ names? Paul in charge and dominant? Ringo injured and complaining of pain? George? The comments about Paul and his paranoia about undercover police? (And the later revelation of Maisie taking advantage of this, using his mobile phone, indication that he was undercover, but he was not?)

4. The confusion about the address and number? The phoning and texting? George and Dylan going up the street, the encounter with Kevin and his father, the older man and his injury, son looking after him, the offer of hospitality, George and his ignorance even though he was disguised as paramedic, Dylan and his helping with the wound? Writing SOS? The sudden upheaval, the older man being shot, the struggle with Dylan, George shot? Dylan returning?

5. In the house, Maisie as hostage, the cup of tea for Paul and her having to taste it, the drink in the pills for Ringo? Dylan’s return, the pretence that more police were coming?

6. The arrival of Wexler and his assistant, suspicions, the confrontation with Paul? Tying Paul up, the interrogation, the torture, the rape of Wexler’s daughter, Paul’s denials, Dylan and Maisie and the reaction to police brutality? The reversal of roles, Wexler tied up, Paul and his bashing his face? Dylan and Maisie and the attempt to escape, the flat battery? Ringo cutting the throat of the assistant policeman?

7. Wexler and his recovery, the guns, Wexler being shot? Paul being shot? Dylan and Maisie getting the key, Paul’s threats to choke Maisie with his legs? The getting the key to the ambulance and driving away?

8. Ringo, his resentment of Paul, Paul and his warnings about the content, Ringo’s curiosity, the radiation, the explosion?

9. The impact of the sudden twist, revelation of who Dylan and Maisie were, the encounter with Gordo, stealing his money, hiding him in the closet (and his later dying in the explosion)? Their motivation, anti-drugs, taking the money? The revelations about Maisie and the phone, typing Gordo’s response, putting the phone in George’s pocket, confirming that he was undercover?

10. The ending, the couple, on the beach, their plans, smoking the pot…?