Force of Nature: The Dry 2
By Jeffrey M. Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Sequel set in Australia's wilderness has violence, peril.
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Force of Nature: The Dry 2
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What's the Story?
In FORCE OF NATURE: THE DRY 2, viewers catch up with federal police detective Aaron Falk (Eric Bana), who's trying to take down a powerful, crooked businessman via a whistleblower named Alice (Anna Torv). But she refuses to help, just before departing on a team-building exercise with her boss, Jill (Deborra-Lee Furness), and three co-workers, Lauren (Robin McLeavy) and sisters Beth (Sisi Stringer) and Bree (Lucy Ansell). They head out for a hike in Australia's dense Giralang woods, where they must reach certain markers to find supplies. Unfortunately, they get lost. Alice tries to call Falk, but the signal is poor, and Falk can't understand what she's trying to say. Later, the women emerge from the woods, Bree injured from a spider bite and Alice missing. Falk must figure out what happened to Alice and determine whether she was murdered due to her status as a whistleblower. But at the same time, he must battle his own demons relating to his dark history with these woods.
Is It Any Good?
Falk's return in this perfectly serviceable sequel is evenly paced and has fine outdoor cinematography; it captures a novel's texture, if relying on a few too many flashbacks. Adapting another novel by Jane Harper, writer-director Robert Connolly is back at the helm, although he's stuck with an awkward title. The Dry was, appropriately, set during a drought; if anything, Force of Nature: The Dry 2 is quite wet, taking place in a damp woods with a huge storm on its way. But, title aside, things get moving pretty well with the timely "whistleblower" setup, as well as the "what really happened in the woods" theme.
Connolly keeps viewers on their toes, flashing between the present day and the four women who survived the woods, and the previous days, with the five women lost in the woods and the tensions mounting between them. Things go slightly off track when Connolly switches to an extensive flashback about Falk's childhood that might have had a stronger effect with more brevity. Bana is solid in his role, in full detective mode. The rest of the cast is also strong, especially Jacqueline McKenzie as Falk's partner, Carmen; they make a fine team. All in all, Force of Nature: The Dry 2 might be too slow for many, but for those who don't mind taking a little time to meet the characters and ponder the mystery, it's worth a look.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Force of Nature: The Dry 2's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
How are drinking, smoking, and drug use depicted? Are they glamorized? Are there realistic consequences? Why does that matter?
What is a "whistleblower"? Is whistleblowing the right thing to do? Why can it be dangerous?
What's interesting about Aaron Falk? How do the Dry movies compare to the books on which they're based?
Movie Details
- In theaters: May 10, 2024
- On DVD or streaming: May 10, 2024
- Cast: Eric Bana , Anna Torv , Deborra-Lee Furness
- Director: Robert Connolly
- Inclusion Information: Female actors
- Studio: IFC Films
- Genre: Thriller
- Topics: Book Characters
- Run time: 112 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: language
- Last updated: August 7, 2024
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