Home | Movies By Year | Movies from 2022
Gold (2022 Australian film)
Buy Gold (2022 Australian film) now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the movie. And once you've experienced the movie, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
'Gold' is a 2022 Australian survival thriller film directed by Anthony Hayes. It stars Zac Efron, Susie Porter, and Anthony Hayes. The film received a limited theatrical on 13 January 2022, before making its debut on streaming service Stan on 26 January 2022. It received positive reviews from critics.
Plot
In a dystopian near-future, a lone traveller named Virgil arrives at an outpost and pays local man Keith to transport him to an area known as The Compound. Travelling through an inhospitable desert, the two eventually discover an enormous gold nugget in a remote area. After failing to extract it with their basic tools and truck, Virgil agrees to stay with the gold whilst Keith leaves to try and find an excavator. Left alone in the desert with limited food, water, and radio contact, Virgil begins to deteriorate both physically and mentally as paranoia sets in. He makes himself a shelter from the sun using pieces from a crashed plane.
After several days awaiting Keith's return, Virgil encounters a lone woman scavenging nearby. After the woman becomes suspicious, Virgil kills her and buries her body. A day later, a sandstorm leaves Virgil wounded. He encounters another female scavenger who claims to be the earlier woman's sister. Virgil makes contact with Keith via radio, who informs Virgil he is close by. Critically injured, Virgil is attacked and killed by a pack of wild dogs. Keith is revealed to be watching nearby, waiting with the excavation equipment. As he moves in to extract the gold, Keith is shot in the chest with an arrow.
Cast
* Zac Efron as Virgil (credited as "man one")
* Anthony Hayes as Keith (credited as "man two")
* Susie Porter as the Stranger and the Stranger's sister
* Andreas Sobik as an outpost attendant
* Hayden Fein as man three
Production
In November 2020 it was announced that Zac Efron had signed on to the film, to be directed by Anthony Hayes, who would also play one of the major roles. The screenplay was co-written by Hayes and Polly Smyth, while the film was produced by Hayes along with John Schwartz and Michael Schwarz. It was later announced that Susie Porter had joined the cast, with the film set to play on Stan in Australia as a Stan Original with Stan backing the film, after Madman Entertainment had theatrically distributed it in Australia. Altitude Film Entertainment were responsible for international sales.
Principal photography began in November 2020 in outback South Australia, in the Flinders Ranges and the town of Leigh Creek. The film includes a desert sandstorm scene, for which fans and sand were transported to the desert location. However a real sandstorm began in the region and the actors agreed to shoot in it instead. Efron broke a bone in his hand halfway through the shoot, but concealed it from the crew to avoid stalling production.
Release
In June 2021, Screen Media Films acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film in a bidding war. In June 2021, Altitude Films announced it had sold the film to all but two territories around the world.
Reception
In Australia, the film grossed $2,741 from ten theatres in its opening weekend.
A 3 out of 5 star review in 'The Guardian' praised the cinematography and Efron's performance, but found the plot sparse.
References
Buy Gold (2022 Australian film) now from Amazon
<-- Return to movies from 2022