Watch The Waterhole

The Waterhole is a 2009 Australian film directed by Eagle Talon and starring Amber Clayton, John Voce, and Billie Brown. It's a mix of drama, thriller and romance, and it draws upon themes of greed, ambition, lust, and the death of rural Australia. The movie begins with an iconic image of a waterhole surrounded by desert. The sudden appearance of a young woman named Rebecca (Amber Clayton) at the waterhole tears apart the already crumbling and isolated world that the other characters inhabit. The waterhole, as it turns out, is the only source of comfort and survival for those in the arid surrounding landscape, and Rebecca's arrival intensifies the conflict and pushes everyone's limits.

Rebecca is a free-spirited traveler, an unpredictable figure who quickly becomes the object of desire for many of the film's male characters. The first of these is a construction worker named Reece (John Voce), who is in charge of building a new railway line in the area. Reece is a washed-out, world-weary man who struggles to find meaning and purpose in life. He is immediately drawn to Rebecca, who seems to offer him a kind of hope and salvation, but their relationship quickly proves to be troubled and unsustainable.

Meanwhile, Rebecca catches the eye of a wealthy landowner named Henry (Billie Brown), who sees her as a means to escape from his loveless marriage and his increasingly desperate attempts to establish himself and his business in the region. Henry's obsession with Rebecca quickly turns into a dangerous and destructive force, and the film moves towards a tense and violent climax as Henry's lust for Rebecca spirals out of control.

The Waterhole's direction and cinematography are its standout features. Eagle Talon and cinematographer Jeremy Brull capture the harsh beauty and barrenness of the Australian outback with skill and precision, creating a palpable sense of place and atmosphere. The pacing of the film is deliberate and methodical, building towards its explosive finale with slow and measured steps.

The film also features strong performances from its central cast. Amber Clayton does excellent work as Rebecca, beautifully balancing the character's enigmatic quality with her occasional moments of vulnerability and warmth. John Voce's portrayal of Reece is similarly nuanced, capturing the character's deep-seated sadness and frustration with a painful authenticity. And Billie Brown's performance as Henry is a standout, imbuing the character with a soured, desperate quality that makes his eventual descent into violence all the more tragic.

At its core, The Waterhole is an exploration of the darkness that can lurk at the heart of the human condition. It's a bleak film that offers no easy answers or happy endings, but it's also an expertly crafted and powerfully acted work that leaves a lasting impression on the viewer. Fans of Australian cinema, as well as those who appreciate tense, character-driven thrillers, will find a lot to love in The Waterhole.