WELCOME BACK TO MY CHANNEL

Australia, 2025, 93 minutes, Colour.

Meg Fraser, Bryn Chapman Parish, Keenan Walker, Peter Chapman, George Tilley.

Directed by Jorrden Daley.

The title sounds very genial. And the channel? The central characters, Suki (Meg Fraser) and American Leo (Bryn Chapman Parish) have been together for five years, working together as influencers with their own channel. With some introductory sequences before the main narrative begins, Suki and Leo talking to camera, very lovey-dovey, smiling, confident, plenty of chatter, confident that their audience is happily watching, the film is making a strong appeal to audiences, say, 35 and under, the followers of bright and breezy, even glamorous, influencers on social media.

Which asks the question as to how audiences, over 35, who may be for the not an audience for influencers’ channels and chatter are going to be engaged. audience after an easy entertainment, they may continue. But, for the older, and even older than that, audience, they may find it hard going, not caught up in the romance and bush adventure of the couple and Leo’s cycling friend, Cassian (Keenan Walker).

If the older audience has heard that this is, in fact, an Australian horror film, set in the bush, they may continue to watch, hoping and waiting – but, the horror does not really go into action for about 50 minutes. In the meantime, we go out into the bush, camping, bike riding, Suki really taking charge but keeping a strong eye on her online followers.

There are some momentary scares, some anticipation of what might follow – and, eventually, it does.

The last 40 minutes of the film are quite effective as Australian horror in the bush, mysterious characters appearing, action and assaults, interspersed with some of Suki’s memories of home, unhappy memories, which make the encounter with a cannibal family living out in the mountains, even more personal for her. The mysterious family, survival, violence, has absolutely and Leo attacked, their trying to survive, escaping, pursued and confronted, and, Suki finally finding some refuge with the Park Ranger but…

This is very small budget film written and directed by first-time director, Jordenn Daley, whose next film plans have been submitted to Screen Australia…