I would think by this stage of cinematic history, shaky cam would be downright passe. Not according to this guy! In The Marshes, you've got shaky cam to convey tension, suspense, action, horror, travelling from one place to another, getting lost (in the fore... No, this one has "The Marshes!"), hell, there's a sex scene with relentless shaky cam! I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Only the laziest of filmmakers convey action or chaos by shaking the camera around. It is simply ineffective and confusing.
After the first 45 minutes, I said, out loud, What in the F am I watching? (Only I didn't say F). It's a thrilling tale about microbiologists, in Australia... Testing water samples. Chew on that. Apparently the teacher has an affair with her student. Or was that a dream? Pria has this awful tendency toward dream sequences. Right up to the bitter end.
I have to assume this writer/director wanted to create a franchise-worthy villain. He's got a weapon of choice, he's a cannibal, he's big and imposing, big beard, er, he's Australian, and... has a hat. Frankly, they under use "Swagman" (it's implied this guy's an imposter, a copycat killer, so who knows?), he's presented in glimpses and silhouettes. There is no tension, you hear whistling (I'm talking franchise!), he appears out of the marshes, or drags someone away. I actually thought the rednecks were more threatening. They throw in an occasional glimpse of gore, or a dead animal. Oh, PLENTY of random shots to pad out this runtime, because one thing this movie is clearly lacking, is ideas. It really all amounts to nothing.
In one scene, Ben (Pria's surly assistant, not the love interest), is strung up, and they hatch an impromptu "ambush." WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO THE AMBUSH? One second they're hiding and watching in the bushes, then Ben is gutted, and what? Pria and Will have fallen asleep? Pria discovers two hooks and entrails... and promptly leaves Will behind to cower? Somebody, please tell me, what was the logic in this sequence?
