GONE

Australia/UK, 2007, 88 minutes, Colour.
Scott Mechlowicz, Shaun Evans, Amelia Warner.
Directed by Ringan Ledwidge.

Some tourist bureaus must be getting alarmed. After Them and Blood and Chocolate, who would dare go to Bucharest? After Wolf Creek, who would want to go to the outback of Australia? Apparently, Alex and Sophie, the two central backpackers in Gone have not heard about Wolf Creek. The title, Gone, indicates that not everyone is going to survive this story.

Actually, it is something like a B picture of the past, a hitchhiker story, not so much with horror, as a drama which builds up suspicion and ends in death and terror. While it finishes in the outback of central Queensland, it treats the audience to glimpses of Sydney, northern coast beaches and Byron Bay and some coastal Queensland settings before our travelling trio make for Longreach.

Brit Alex (Shaun Evans) gets off the plane in Sydney intending to catch up with his girlfriend Sophie (Amelia Warner) who is already in Byron Bay. A chance encounter on his first night in Sydney with a nice young American man called Taylor ( Scott Meklowicz who was mean in Mean Creek but heroic in Peaceful Warrior) leads to Taylor him offering a lift, doing kind things (though he has a bad habit of snapping compromising photos) and then suggesting that they travel together.

As expected, bad idea. Not that Taylor is so obvious or blatant. He is able to persuade people to give him the benefit of the doubt. But, he is bad news, deep down malevolent.

We see a lot of Australian scenery but practically no Australians. They are in bars drinking or performing in a local band and dancing – or a dead kangaroo on the highway. Acting and directing are not going to win any awards. It’s another of those threatening tales that provides a movie pastime.

1.A B-budget style feature? The hitchhiker terror style? Set in Australia?

2.The Australian locations: Sydney airport, Sydney cities and streets, the landscapes, northern New South Wales, the beaches, Byron Bay, the Queensland coast, the Queensland outback, country towns? The desert? Authentic atmosphere? Musical score?

3.The title, the alternate title Middle of Nowhere?

4.The focus on Alex, his arrival, reading the guidebook, landing in Sydney, not having accommodation, sitting on the step, the encounter with Taylor? Going off with Taylor, responding to his friendliness? The nightclub, the drinking, the girls, the compromising photo? Taylor offering him a lift? His decision to go? The signing of the photograph? The travelling along the coast, the beaches, swimming? The friendship? Arriving in Byron Bay, finding Sophie? Asleep in the hut, with Lena? Sophie being glad to see Alex? The foursome, swimming? Driving? The decision to go ahead without Lena, her sudden disappearance? Taylor and his manipulation, the couple agreeing to go? The beginnings of suspicions? Camping out? The behaviour in the back of the ute – and Taylor’s being upset, coming back? Their feeling guilty? Alex noticing the way that Taylor looked at Sophie? His keeping the photo quiet – and Taylor not destroying it? The drive, wanting to get out? Showing the photo, the crash with the kangaroo? Fixing the car, Alex and his injuries? Looking after him, the tablets, his being sick? Seeing Taylor hold Sophie’s hand – and Taylor’s manipulation? His being upset, the interactions with Sophie? His love for her, jealousy? Taylor coming to his room, his disappearance? Messages on the mobile phone? His body falling out the back of the van, his death?

5.Sophie, in Australia, her background, glad to see Alex, with Lena? The happy times, driving with Taylor? Relaxed? No suspicions? The sex scene in the van? Feeling guilty? Wanting to go on their own, Taylor being persuasive? The dance, holding his hand? Her reaction to Alex’s suspicions? Searching for Alex, his disappearance? Going to look with Taylor? In the outback together, the kiss, the night? Her reaction in the morning, wanting to get away? The discovery of Alex’s mobile phone, her driving, fears, Taylor and his attacking her? His falling out of the van, her backing over him?

6.Taylor, American, initial impression, kind? Leading Alex astray, the photo? Ingratiating himself, the swims, the drive? Looking at Sophie? Persuading Sophie and Lena to come, Lena’s disappearance? The motel and the dance, the girl accosting Taylor, calling him Jamie, attacking him about Thailand? Alex and Sophie’s reaction? The continuing journey, the couple wanting to separate? Taylor and the use of the photo, the crash, his looking after Alex, being with Sophie and holding her hand deliberately? His confrontation with Alex? Driving with Sophie, the lovemaking, the mobile phone, his attack, trying to get the grille down, tearing his arms, falling out of the van, her backing over him?

7.The absence of other characters, Australians in the background, the band, dancing, drinking? The kangaroos?

8.The low-key terror story, Taylor and his attractiveness, his malevolence? The final terror for Sophie?