You’ll Never Find Me
Jordan Cowan in You’ll Never Find Me. Photo: Maxx Corkindale
Australian horror loves a tightly woven narrative in a lone, confined location. Just look at Monolith, which we reviewed last year, or even go right back to the original Saw as prime examples. The latest entry into this Australian spooktacular pantheon is, You'll Never Find Me which takes place within the confines of a small caravan on a dark & stormy night.
When a mysterious, unnamed woman (Jordan Cowan) suddenly arrives on the doorstep of a lonely man (Brendan Rock) amid a thunderous storm in the middle night you immediately know something is amiss. It's in this sense of unknown & ever-present danger or uneasiness that You'll Never Find Me excels. With sparse dialogue, that very rarely answers any of the questions it poses, you'll constantly be questioning which of the two characters is in - or is it perhaps both?
As the evening progresses & the storm intensifies so too does the tension & unsettling nature of the film's two protagonists. In one moment you'll be thinking the man is the predator but then with a small slip of the tongue that contradicts previous statements you'll flip to thinking the woman is the threat. All the while the storm outside acts as the Edgar Allen Poe-esque Tell-Tale Heart as it forces the caravan to creak, groan & seemingly echo distant, mysterious voices.
As the evidence piles up throughout the film the truth begins to slowly reveal itself. Like many thrillers/horror films, it's here that You'll Never Find Me stumbles in its vision as the story concludes. As the true nature of our two leads is revealed in a grand finale, that feels disjointed from the subdued nature of the rest of the film, you can't help but think less would have been more.
Despite its fragmented ending, You'll Never Find Me is still a really good entry into the Australian horror catalogue. If you enjoy slower-placed, more cerebral horror/thrillers this is the film for you. If you'd prefer a gore-filled or jump-scare-laden affair then perhaps give this a skip.
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