The Last Great Wilderness Review

Charlie is driving to the Scottish Highlands to burn down the house of his wife's new lover when he gives a lift to a less-than-convincing Spanish gigolo on the run, Vincente. Lost in the remote countryside, they find lodgings at a guest house that's also home to a cult-like community of damaged souls.

by Alan Morrison |
Published on
Release Date:

09 May 2003

Running Time:

96 minutes

Certificate:

18

Original Title:

Last Great Wilderness, The

For the time being, it's Alistair who's the more famous face in the Mackenzie household, thanks to cosy Sunday evenings spent watching Monarch Of The Glen. His title is now threatened by the fast one-two of David's bold debut and its cause célèbre successor, Young Adam,

That's not to say that The Last Great Wilderness isn't rough around the edges and often messy in its mish-mash of genres, but its inventive approach exploits budgetary shortcomings to increase the menacingly surreal atmosphere.

At first, it could go either way: Planes, Trains And Automobiles or The Hitcher. Then the underlying tension between the characters and the threat inherent in the landscape take hold, and the unsettling black comedy pushes it towards The Wicker Man. But, ultimately, these are mere reference points on an unpredictable mystery tour.

Indulge the film's DV aesthetic and out-there ideas, and one day you'll be able to say you were there when a new UK talent was unveiled.
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