High Country Life

Australian crime dramas set in rural bushland settings have recently gained widespread appeal, giving rise to the genre known as ‘Aussie Noir’. High Country joins this growing genre with its focus on an Indigenous detective.

Leah Purcell from Wentworth and Stingers stars as Detective Andie Whitford on this series, alongside Ian McElhinney from Derry Girls and Sara Wiseman from Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.

The Location

With the success of shows such as The Drover’s Wife: The Legend of Molly Johnson and films like Jennifer Kent’s The Nightingale and Justin Kurzel’s True History of the Kelly Gang, Australia’s colonial past is no longer depicted solely through stories about murderous British convicts who murdered, raped and stole from indigenous Australians; these stories now interrogate whether its continent was truly empty and ready for colonization by outsiders.

High Country is an example of such an eight-part drama series created by Marcia Gardner and John Ridley that stars Leah Purcell (Wentworth). It follows an urban detective as they transfer to a sleepy Victorian town that has its own agenda, featuring Leah Purcell as one of them alongside Aaron Pedersen, Sara Wiseman, and Ian McElhinney as actors.

Though this police drama conforms to many of the usual tropes associated with its genre, its unique flavor lies in its setting: Victoria Alps or “High Country,” is an incredible setting for this captivating tale of murder and revenge, providing stunning visuals while acting almost like another character within Andie’s investigation. The landscape filled with lush flora and fauna provides both menace and magic as Andie uncovers secrets within her community.

High Country, while being a drama about crime investigations, takes on some of the wider issues and frustrations plaguing Australian culture. This can be seen by how its setting highlights tensions between urban and rural Australia as well as interrogating any notion that Australia was just waiting to be colonized by white settlers; indeed it serves to remind viewers that indigenous people have already lived here for far too long with their rights being ignored or mistreated by white colonizers.

Overall, High Country is an enthralling and entertaining drama that is certain to capture audiences worldwide. It explores Australia’s colonial legacy while simultaneously showing its breathtaking natural landscapes.

The Characters

Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford relocates to Victoria’s High Country hoping for a fresh start, only to become involved in murder cases and investigate five people who mysteriously vanished into the wilderness. Soon she finds herself trapped in an intricate web of murder, deceit, and revenge.

Director Jessica Jones describes how much she appreciates having Andie up against the sky and mountains as being just as much part of who she is as any human being.” The High Country features an Australian cast including Leah Purcell from Wentworth as well as Northern Irish actor Ian McElhinney who previously appeared as grandpa in Derry Girls and Ser Barristan Selmy in Game of Thrones.

Purcell excels at playing Andie with quiet resolve and an experience-rich delivery that gives her character life. Additionally, Purcell found great resonance with the land used as the backdrop for filming; she connected strongly to it as it reminded her of moving to remote places herself.

Andie faces an uphill struggle in the High Country, making her an excellent role for a woman who’s unafraid to take charge and pursue what she wants. Andie’s determination to unearth the truth makes her an endearing character that viewers will root for while she navigates her treacherous situation.

High Country goes beyond simply telling a great tale, as it also explores important issues such as domestic violence, Indigenous identity and land possession. With Andie on her journey of uncovering murderous plots against her family members and uncovering an intricate web of deceitful plotting, you won’t want to put this thriller down!

This gripping crime drama has made waves on streaming platforms Binge and Showcase and will soon air on BBC One later this month. Fans of crime drama should check it out; with its all-star Australian cast and stunning locale, it promises an entertaining viewing experience that leaves audiences craving more.

The Story

Australian filmmakers have worked tirelessly in an age when American cinema has long dominated global television to make themselves heard and make an impressionful statement of their own. They’ve produced critically and commercially successful films such as Toni Collette’s Muriel’s Wedding or Ride the High Country as gentle elegy of innocence respectively; both produced at national cinema levels that reflect dominant, yet sometimes misunderstood interpretations of Australian identity.[42] They have also embraced national cinema as an artistic platform with films reflecting national narratives while exploring meanings hegemonically but sometimes only partially accepted by national audiences.[42]

Leah Purcell stars as Detective Andie Whitford in High Country, an exciting Australian drama featuring Leah as Detective Andie Whitford who investigates an intriguing rural community where locals appear determined to murder one another. Is this truly what city cops would see or does something darker and mystical lie ahead?

As is common with contemporary Australian films, High Country explores Australia’s history of colonization and subsequent dispossession and exploitation of Indigenous people. But unlike Hollywood approaches that attempt to showcase unique aspects of Australian culture, this story takes an indirect route – reflecting various Australian identities such as those defined by ambivalence, silences, doubt, irony or parody which all tie directly to its wider historical context.

The series takes place in Brokenridge, an imagined Victorian Alps town located nearby (itself serves as the backdrop for Force of Nature: The Dry 2) but its landscape, with its glittering ghost gums and mountainous expanses is almost another character; captured through stunning cinematography this region’s magisterial beauty can both menacingly astound viewers.

Director Peter Weir is well known for blending epic scale with intimate humanistic storytelling in films like Gallipoli and TV adaptation of play The Drover’s Wife, something which High Country also does effectively. The narrative takes viewers on an unforgettable journey through wilderness while remaining accessible for audiences from diverse backgrounds.

The Style

High Country is an eight-part mystery drama created by Marcia Gardner and John Ridley that stars Leah Purcell (Wentworth and The Drover’s Wife: The Legend of Molly Johnson), Sara Wiseman (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes), Aaron Pedersen (Mystery Road and Jack Irish), as well as Ian McElhinney (Game of Thrones and Derry Girls).

This story follows Sergeant Andrea “Andie” Whitford (Purcell), as she leaves the city behind and takes up employment at a country police station in Brokenridge. Though her role was intended as a return to quieter life, Andie finds herself drawn into a murder investigation full of deceit, murder and revenge plots almost immediately upon arriving there.

This film recalls classic melodramas of old. The characters are complicated and flawed; acting is outstanding; cinematography stunning and atmospheric – yet at the same time this is an unconventional portrayal of Australia.

The High Country contributes to Australia’s discourse around landscape cinema and its depiction of indigenous Australians, showing its power to reflect colonisation’s impactful history and its ongoing consequences on Australia’s land, people and culture.

As well as boasting an outstanding cast, the series has also attracted an outstanding group of directors and writers. Marcia Gardner and John Ridley, two scriptwriters for Australian network crime shows like Wentworth Prison and Stingers respectively have written for this series while director Kevin Carlin has already proven his expertise with Wentworth Prison and feature film Samson and Delilah respectively.

Curio Pictures’ production for Foxtel Group’s Brian Walsh’s commission and with major investment from Screen Australia and VicScreen. Executive producers for this series include Jo Porter and Rachel Gardner from Curio Pictures; Lana Greenhalgh and Penny Win of Foxtel Group; Pino Amenta and Sue Edwards of Rage Media; filming takes place across regional Victoria.