The Dustwalker (or Alien parasite as it was titled in the UK) is a 2019 Australian sci-fi horror following the inhabitants of a remote outback town as an alien creature begins to take over its residents.
The strength of this film lies in its tone and the sense of isolation it builds. The town is small but set out in such a way that small pockets of characters are very easily cut off from one another. It also provides a reason for contact to be cut off, with the signal tower being destroyed early on to facilitate the classic horror trope of having no phones. The surroundings also make for some beautiful shots of the Australian landscape and it made a pleasant change from the pervading darkness that provides the backdrop for the majority of horror films. The film also made use of a really unique old jail which was a interesting visual set piece that I greatly enjoyed and would love to explore if given the opportunity.
2019 Three Feet of Film
Unlike a lot of films dealing with zombies, infections or alien takeover, it doesn’t rely on visuals of chaos rather employing increasing emptiness. The townsfolk are superficially similar to the infected of The Crazies at times which makes the contrasting stillness all the more evident. Whereas that film showed streets of fire, broken glass and abandoned vehicles, here it gives the impression of life just… stopping.
There are some rather chilling moments, especially in the earlier parts of the movie when the characters are only just figuring out something is wrong. The viewer has yet to see what the converted townsfolk are intending meaning when one starts staring down a scared school teacher with two missing students it steadily increases the fear. The film is particularly good at building tension and then releasing in an understated but impactful manner.
2019 Three Feet of Film
Unfortunately there are few clear weaknesses to the film which keep it from being perfect. There were some rather jarringly cut scenes that didn’t give a clear view of where characters were in relation to one another, making it difficult to really tell how much danger they’re in. It also didn’t explain some character’s relationships to one another which lessened the impact when they turned on each other (for example a young character is killed and I think the person who killed her was meant to be her father?)
The CGI was somewhat embarrassing and the infected townsfolk can come across as a little cheesy in moments. Their strange screeching works when they aren’t in sight, in fact there’s a decently eerie moment after killing one of the infect where the screeching starts for the first time without showing the cause. When it’s combined with them growling and baring their teeth at the camera it just looks… a bit silly. These are an antagonist that work best when stationary and silent.
2019 Three Feet of Film
The ending of the film was alright. I found it to be a bit weaker than the beginning and the sudden appearance of a CGI xenomorph-esque creature that wrapped the plot up neatly didn’t help. It just felt a bit too convenient and undermined any peril that the characters experienced since all they really needed to do was hide somewhere until the alien cleared up the mess.
Overall it’s a solid slow burn film with legitimate tension in places. It’s definitely not a film for everyone and the gore hound/jump scare crowds should skip it. While it is far from being perfect, if you’re a patient viewer and can overlook the shortcomings to enjoy its positives, I suggest looking The Dustwalker up.
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