The Dry
**Seen at the 2021 Atlanta Film Festival.
Is it a spoiler if I say that I honestly expected it to rain by the end of “The Dry?” Considering the film takes place during a drought in Australia, maybe, but when it didn’t happen, I was truly surprised. That’s one of several expected things that did not take place in Robert Connolly’s thriller, and I’m grateful for that.
There are two murders to be solved in “The Dry.” Only one of them has brought Aaron Falk (Eric Bana) back to him hometown, which is suffering the worst drought in recent memory, but another one haunts him throughout his visit back. He is returning after 20 years for the funeral of his friend Luke, who has allegedly murdered his wife and son before killing himself. Aaron, a federal agent, has returned at the beset of Luke’s parents, who cannot imagine that their son did this. Why has it been 20 years since Aaron has been back? It was that long ago that a dear friend of his Ellie, was found murdered at the river they used to spend days at; even though it was officially a suicide, suspicions have long surrounded Aaron because of a note he wrote to Ellie to meet him at the river. Now, with him returning, Ellie’s family- who long believed he killed her- is harassing him as he works with the local sheriff to resolve Luke’s case.
Admittedly, as the current murder investigation is unfolding, there’s something we’re shown that makes the official story pretty easy to debunk logically, but both Luke and Ellie’s deaths are compelling enough to hang this type of drama on. Connolly centers in on Aaron as he is investigating Luke’s death and having flashbacks to he and Ellie and all the turmoil that comes up with those memories. Bana is a solid lead for this film, and he holds our attention every step of the way, even if the film seems to meander a bit. “The Dry” is not a conventional thriller, but it has a smart way of telling this story that ropes you in, and lets us experience what Aaron is going through, having his past and present force him to face things he thought he was done with. If a crime story can do that, it’s going to be fairly successful.
Brian, you know I love a thriller and certainly a mystery, with lighthearted action films taking the top of my list as a form of escape from the seriousness of life. And of course, Connolly as a writer will at least show up on my radar. I will hopefully have a chance to watch this film; you’ve piqued my interest! As a mental health professional, I have been too covered up with recent demands on my time to pay attention to new releases of any kind; my coping skills for the past year include streaming almost exclusively old comedy (no live tv, etc) as a way to keep positive humor infused into my psyche. I look forward to seeing this. Thanks!