He
is a symbol of Australia, but we’ve had our Uncle Sam horror movies, so why
can’t they have a psycho “Swagman” as well? Usually, the Swagman is an impish
trickster, but this incarnation is hardcore homicidal. He will give three field
researchers the Wolf Creek treatment
in Roger Scott’s The Marshes, which
premieres today, exclusively on Shudder.
Three
is definitely a crowd for Dr. Pria Anan and her biologist colleagues.
Understandably, there is a great deal of tension between her and Ben, her chief
rival for grant money that will extend her term of employment, or his. Adding
further jealousy into the mix, there could be some sparks between her and Will,
the eager new undergrad intern. Unfortunately, Ben amplifies the bad vibes with
his unusually macabre reading of the ghostly swagman immortalized in “Waltzing
Matilda.” Needless to say, whenever they hear the ghostly strains of the
Australian folk anthem, it portends very bad things.
Initially,
the researchers assume a rather loutish poacher is messing with them, because
he is. However, they will eventually realize the Swagman is a more pressing and
dire threat. He even seems to have supernatural powers to disrupt compasses and
warp the space of the wetlands, forcing them to constantly walk around in
circles. Frankly, you could describe Marshes
as a simplified version of In the Tall Grass, but with more slasher violence.
The
use of “Waltzing Matilda” is clever and effective, but the film itself is dark,
brutal, and off-putting. Like clockwork, it offers up a totally clichéd ending
that is a real downer. It is only eighty-five minutes, but it leaves you
wondering why Scott went to all that effort take us to that place.
