The Dry 2 Movie Review

Force of Nature: The Dry 2 (2024) Movie Review

Author Jane Harper has taken Australia and the world by storm with her thoughtfully constructed, and well-written crime dramas. She has written a number of best-selling novels now including:

·       The Dry;

·       Force of Nature;

·       The Lost Man;

·       Survivors; and,

·       Exiles.

Her works continue to impress and take the country by storm. In 2021, we received a feature-film adaptation of what is commonly regarded by many as her best work, ‘The Dry’. The film was directed by Australian filmmaker Robert Connolly (The Slap, Paper Planes, Blueback) and starred Eric Bana (Hulk, Troy, Chopper, King Arthur: Legend of The Sword) as the film's lead, Detective Aaron Falk. The film was a monumental success grossing nearly $14 million at the Australian box office. It was only a matter of time before we received a follow-up to the film and in 2024, we did, with ‘Force of Nature: The Dry 2’.

‘Force of Nature: The Dry 2’ sees Aaron Falk, once again portrayed by Eric Bana, investigate a perplexing mystery of a missing woman in the Victorian mountains during torrential rain, showing of course the force of nature. As the weather gets worse, the situation becomes more dire, and Falk must work against the elements to solve the mystery and find the missing girl before it's too late. As a massive fan of Australian cinema and a good-old fashion murder-mystery, I was very happy to see we were getting an adaptation of Harper’s best-selling novel and it doesn’t disappoint!

‘Force of Nature: The Dry 2’ is a superb follow-up to ‘The Dry’, giving the audience much needed backstory to Falk’s childhood and providing audiences with an enthralling case that will leave you on the edge of your seat for its entire runtime. The vast mountain ranges in Victoria, serve as a superb backdrop for this story, providing a truly terrifying and isolated area for the film to take place. Director Robert Connelly does an excellent job of capturing both the beauty and the terror of the location, with the full force of nature quite literally speaking, on full display, showing the perils and the dangers of the Australian outback. The sharp contrast between the desolate backdrop to the Dry, in comparison to Force of Nature, is quite stunning, and is a great showcase for our beautiful, vast landscapes here in Australia. The landscape provides the best backdrop for the drama and mystery and once again is a huge reason why these adaptations of Jane Harper’s novels have worked.

Another huge strength here is the incredible cast, particularly Eric Bana returning as Aaron Falk. Bana does a superb job of capturing the complexities of Falk's character. We really get to understand just how the past has impacted him and his work. As we delve further into the background of his character, we see the impacts it is having on him, his work and why this case is so important to him. Bana sells the pain and desperation of Falk’s character, really emphasising his history with the area and the past trauma that has led him down this particular career path. It's all fantastic, and really elevated by Bana’s dedication to the role. The supporting players here are all fantastic as well, with Anna Torv (Fringe, Mindhunter, The Last of Us) really standing out as Alice. Without spoiling the character revelations here, she has to do a lot of heavy lifting here, selling the important twists and turns of the story, and she does so with expert precision. She continues to prove she is one of the most underrated Australian actors working today.

Force of Nature: The Dry 2, may not be as strong as its near perfect predecessor, but yet, it still manages to create fantastic drama, showcasing the beauty and the danger of the Australian backdrop, whilst also providing a riveting, murder mystery with excellent character development. The film's direction from Connelly is superb here, showing he is one of the best Aussie filmmakers working today, with its cast also doing a lot of heavy lifting, showcasing their talents in front of the camera. Eric Bana and Anna Torv shine here. Overall, I really loved this film, it may not be perfect at hitting on the beats, but it's still one of the best Aussie pieces of cinema in recent years. Be sure to secure your copy of ‘Force of Nature: The Dry 2’ on DVD and Blu-ray now, you won’t want to miss it!

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Christopher Pattison wrote this blog post for Sanity. See more from Chris here