‘The Dry’ (Blu-ray review)

Image Entertainment

After an explosive debut in 2000’s career criminal biopic, Chopper, Eric Bana has been essentially treading water in Hollywood despite his roles in a number of high profile projects including Hulk, Black Hawk Down, Star Trek, Funny People, Hanna, and Munich.

Bana’s latest film, director Robert Connolly’s The Dry (based upon the novel by Jane Harper) is the kind of role and performance that might put Bana deservedly in demand.

Bana portrays Federal Agent Aaron Falk, who returns to his drought-stricken hometown of Kiewarra, Australia after receiving word that his childhood best friend Luke Hadler had killed his wife and son before turning the gun on himself.  The longer Falk stays in Kiewarra unofficially investigating the murder-suicide, Falk’s past is revealed, revealing his role in the unsolved death of his teenage girlfriend, Ellie, who drowned twenty years ago.

Both Aaron and Luke were suspects, and the scandal ultimately drove Aaron’s family to leave town.

Mixing the current investigation with flashbacks to Ellie’s death, Aaron finds himself both obligated to not only solve exactly what happened to Luke (with the help of the local police sergeant who is also not satisfied that the murder-suicide crime scene is as simple as it seems), but also discover what exactly happened to Ellie.

Ultimately, as the film unfolds, The Dry proves to be a methodically paced, hugely engaging thriller. In the flashbacks, Kiewarra is seen as a lush green environment, but now is nothing more than a dry, dirty husk of a town. Falk moves through his former home with no connections with the exception of Luke’s parents who ask him to find the truth, Ellie’s memory lapsing father, and Gretchen, who shared the social circle twenty years ago with Luke, Ellie, and Aaron.

By the time the film reaches the revelatory finale, the results are more in line with a well-structured novel as dark secrets reveal deep sadness rather than any sort of “A-ha” moment. There are no winners; and in Aaron’s case, no victory.

Just a sort of closure that will allow him to move forward leaving Kiewarra, and his past behind.

And hopefully, more Eric Bana in the future.

Extras include several featurettes.