Directed by Anthony Hayes

Starring Zac Efron, Anthony Hayes and Susie Porter

What lengths would you go to for wealth beyond measure?

What would you be willing to do, to risk, to let go of?

These are some of the questions that Gold sets out to answer.

Whilst Gold was filmed in the South Australian desert, the film is set in a non-place. A dystopic, dry, hot, isolated non-place that has quite literally gone to the dogs.

Efron gives an intelligent, if not somewhat hot and bothered, performance as ‘Man One’, he recognised there was no need to overplay this role, that the intensity of the environment and the immensity of his survival journey carry the plot on their own.

The film’s sparseness and minimalism allows the audience to evaluate and draw their own conclusions. This is what I enjoyed most about this film, the loose ends. Some of us enjoy definitive plot lines, but I love when films leave stories open to interpretation.

There were moments where you wanted to scream at the screen ‘don’t use the water to wash your hands?!’ but this was the whole point, to painfully watch someone completely out of their depth, attempt to survive in truly inhospitable conditions.

If you enjoy survival films that plumb the depths of human greed, Gold might just be the film for you.

Gold is now showing in selected cinemas and launches on Stan from January 26th.

Moviedoc thanks Madman and Stan for the screener link to watch and review this film.

Review by Jemma for Moviedoc

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