Mystery Road

Synopsis: In an outback town, Jay Swan, an Indigenous cowboy detective, returns home to solve the murder of a teenage Indigenous girl whose body is found under the highway trucking route out of town. Jay is alienated from both the white-dominated police force and the Indigenous community, including his teenage daughter, whom he discovers is connected to the murdered girl. Starring Aaron Pedersen, Hugo Weaving, Jack Thompson, Ryan Kwanten, and Tasma Walton, MYSTERY ROAD is a gripping murder mystery with a cultural perspective.
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Director(s): Ivan Sen
Production: Well Go USA, Inc.
  9 wins & 16 nominations.
 
IMDB:
6.5
Metacritic:
72
Rotten Tomatoes:
91%
NOT RATED
Year:
2013
121 min
Website
1,699 Views


Yeah?

Alright.

OK.

Jay.

Hey, Robbo.

What's the story?

We got a truckie pull up

to check his trailers.

Heard a wild dog growlin'

from here under the bridge.

Smelt somethin' rotten.

How'd he know it was a wild dog?

Guess he just knows the

difference, I s'pose, you know,

between a wild dog

and a... wild kind of normal dog.

Who let Macca talk to the truckie?

I've cleared off all

the dust off the truck.

Guess he just, uh,

let himself, mate.

Are these your footprints?

Yeah, I guess they are.

So the other ones there

belong to the truck driver.

Why isn't this crime scene

locked off?

I didn't think we'd worry

about it out here, Jay.

It's the middle of nowhere.

So, you know her?

Yeah.

She's a local girl.

I'll send a car out, then, eh?

Nah.

I better do it myself.

How's it going, Jim?

Nice to see you back, Detective.

Laceration to the throat,

consistent with a knife wound.

Capable of causing death.

Time of death, oh...

48 to 72 hours ago.

And it probably wasn't here.

A few post-trauma wounds

around the upper arm.

Probably canine in origin.

Yeah. Truckie said he heard

a dog growling in here.

Big bastard, was he?

The dog, I mean.

I don't know.

He didn't see it.

But he said it was a wild one.

How did he know

it was a wild dog, Jay?

I was, uh... I was reading

about wild dogs.

They were terrorising a town

in Russia or someplace.

The people were too scared

to go out at night.

Get this...

the dogs had learnt

to travel on the subway.

They'd take the late-night trains

into the city and scavenge for food,

and then take the early

morning train back out.

Can you believe that?

Dogs taking trains.

It's a crazy world,

getting crazier.

What've you got there, Jim?

Looks like a wild grass seed.

Oh, look at that.

Last moments of life.

It's a picture, ain't it?

That's basically when

I found the body.

Thanks for calling it in.

Cheers.

Jay.

Sarge.

Bit early for ice-cream.

Nice welcome home for ya.

Hope they taught you something

down there in the smoke.

Who is she?

Her name's Julie Mason.

I haven't seen her in a while.

Sarge, you know

I've had nothing like this.

I know, Jay.

But sooner or later,

you were gonna get it.

I guess today's your lucky day.

So, what can you give me?

I got every spare wheel on the

drug squad or the theft squad.

And Frank's leaving tomorrow.

Don't forget his dinner's tonight.

You're just gonna have to

ride bareback for a while.

There's too much sh*t going down.

Things have changed

since you've been away.

Sarge...

we got a young girl

stuffed under the highway.

I know. I know, Jay.

Just see what you can come up with.

Ok?

This is very similar, but...

Hang on.

Jay. Got somethin' for me?

Hey, Macca.

Got somethin'?

I got no comment.

Oh, come on, mate.

Was she a local girl?

Come on, Macca.

Come on, Jay.

This is your first big case.

You'll be surprised

how much I can help you out.

We'll see what happens. If I

need your help, I'll let you know.

Oh, just off the record.

I mean...

mate, off the record, something.

Thanks, Macca.

Come on, mate.

I need something, alright?

No comment, Macca.

Muckin' up all the time.

Ashley!

You there?

Yeah, what?

It's Julie.

She was found dead this morning.

True?

Yeah.

I'm sorry.

She was found under the highway...

out of town.

She's been there a few days.

You know if anyone

wanted to hurt Julie?

I... I don't know...

much about what she

was up to these days.

When was the last time you saw her?

Oh, I don't remember

what day it was now.

Ashley...

Did Julie wear any jewellery?

Mm-hm.

She had a silver necklace

with her name on it.

I gave it to her

when she was little.

Did Julie have a phone?

Like that one.

Like this one. You sure?

Mmm.

I need a drink or somethin'.

You got a loan there, Bread?

Rightio!

69. 6-9. 20.

Number 4.

45, 4-5. 54.

5-4. 79, 7-9. 70. 7-0.

Number 9. 24, 2-4.

75, 7-5- 37.

Hey, nephew.

Hey, Old Boy.

I still see you're dyeing your hair.

How's it goin'?

Ah, no good. Them kids, they

busted me out again.

How's the neighbourhood?

Oh, she's pretty wild

these days, nephew.

Lots of drugs and sh*t goin' on.

A few new drug labs

started up out of town.

There's more than enough people

walkin' around on the gear,

goin' schizo.

You know Julie Mason,

who belongs to Ashley?

Yeah, I know her.

What do you know about her?

So, what's going on?

I'm not too sure.

Well, Julie's into a bit of sh*t.

Mostly drugs.

I know she owes

a lot of fellas money.

People say she's been

goin' out with truckies.

What do you mean?

Well, having sex with them

for money.

The trucks pick 'em up

just outta town...

and they usually take 'em up

out there and park...

near the big antenna.

What about her friends?

Oh, she's got a few.

I seen her getting around

with that, um, Tarni Williams.

She lives in your old street.

It's a green-roof house

across from the red-roof house.

Right next to the park.

Thanks, Old Boy.

Hey, you watch your back.

Time to get my money back, eh?

Hey, you kids!

Hey, cuz.

Your parents home?

What about Tarni?

Is she home?

Tarni, someone's here for ya.

What?

Just wanna ask you a few questions.

About what?

About Julie Mason.

I got nothin' to say.

Tarni!

Now I'd just like to

start by saying, Frank...

Frank, you're a real one.

Thanks.

Scarce as rockin'-horse sh*t.

Seriously, it's been a long time.

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Ivan Sen

Ivan Sen (born 1972) is an Australian indigenous filmmaker. He is a director, screenwriter and cinematographer, as well as an editor, composer and sound designer. His work is both extensive and acclaimed in Australian circles.Drawing on his mixed heritage, his films present themes that revolve around issues of dislocation, place and identity. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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