Starring Eric Bana, The Dry is a crime drama with a thrilling mystery from Australia, directed by Robert Connolly. The movie was released in America by IFC Films on May 21, 2021. The Dry is the adaptation of the debut novel by Jane Harper, published in 2016.
Synopsis
The movie opens with Aaron Falk, a federal agent, who returns to his hometown in Kiewarra to attend the funeral of his childhood friend, Luke Hadler. Luke had killed his wife and child and left behind his baby daughter. Many suspect that Luke also killed himself, but Aaron suspects something else. Aaron is even distrustful of the people in his hometown, who accused him of being a liar and a killer in the past. After the funeral, Aaron visits Luke’s parents’ house where Barb and Gerry ask for his help in investigating the murder-suicide.
Gerry thinks that Luke might have gotten into debt and was killed because of it. Aaron himself left the town because of the lies told about him being involved in the death of his friend Ellie. With the help of the local police officer, Greg Raco, Aaron starts his investigation by looking at all the evidence, such as the crime scene, the gun used, and the car. Aaron quickly realizes that the bullet used was Remington, not Winchester, and the car found in the wilderness did not match the CCTV footage’s timeline.
Aaron visits Karen, Luke’s wife’s workplace, and speaks with Scott Whitlam, the headmaster there. Aaron gets attacked by a local, who vandalizes his car with a dead goat and flyers with libelous content on them. Scott helps Aaron, and they go to his house, where Aaron meets Scott’s wife, Sandra, who plays a recording of Karen’s phone call. Aaron finds a letter from Karen that has a newspaper clipping about him and a library card with “Grant” written on it.
Aaron starts suspecting Grant Dow, who might have wanted to buy the land owned by Luke’s family after Luke’s death. Aaron and Greg arrest Grant but find out that he had a solid alibi. Meanwhile, Aaron keeps remembering Ellie’s death, which he now thinks might be related to the Hadler family’s killing. Aaron’s theory is that Luke was the killer and that he pressed Aaron into lying to back up his alibi for Ellie’s murder.
Aaron visits Gretchen and sees that she uses Remington bullet too. Gretchen shows Aaron an album of their memories, and Aaron finds a photo of Luke holding Gretchen’s son, whose father is unknown. Gretchen denies that Luke is the father. One morning, Aaron sneaks into Scott’s house and takes some scholarship applications off his desk. Together with Greg, Aaron follows the leads and tries to catch the culprit.
Conclusion
The Dry is a mysterious thriller with a thrilling plot and good acting performances. Eric Bana looks the part as the main lead and provides an outstanding performance. The movie’s direction is excellent, and the scenes are well shot, immersing the audience in the Australian countryside. The suspenseful plot and meticulously crafted story make The Dry an unmissable movie. With its unpredictable twists and turns, the movie is guaranteed to keep you in suspense until the very end.
