Dark Age (film)

Dark Age is a 1987 Australian adventure horror film directed by Arch Nicholson and starring John Jarratt, Nikki Coghill, and Max Phipps.

The film centers on John Patterson (Jarratt), a park ranger in Northern Australia, who is tasked with investigating a series of brutal attacks on humans and livestock. Local Aboriginal trackers believe the culprit to be a bunyip, a mythical creature of Aboriginal folklore. Patterson, initially skeptical, gradually comes to believe that the creature is real and is responsible for the deaths.

As the investigation progresses, Patterson confronts both the physical danger of the creature and the cultural tensions between the white settlers and the Aboriginal community. He is aided by a local woman, Isabel Hagen (Coghill), who understands the land and the traditional beliefs of the Aboriginal people. The film explores themes of cultural conflict, environmentalism, and the clash between the modern world and ancient myths.

The creature in the film is not supernatural but rather a colossal, man-eating saltwater crocodile, an apex predator surviving in a remote and untouched area. The film deviates from typical monster movie tropes by presenting the crocodile not as a purely evil entity, but as a natural creature driven by instinct and disrupted by human encroachment.

Dark Age received mixed reviews upon its release, with some critics praising its atmosphere and suspense, while others criticized its pacing and creature effects. However, it has since gained a cult following for its unique blend of Australian outback scenery, Aboriginal mythology, and creature feature elements.