It’s not really horror, but The Last Wave has horrific elements that invoke the ever popular “mystical darkie,” this time in Australia with aborigines. A white lawyer (Richard Chamberlain) defends a group of aborigines accused of murdering one of their own. He discovers that they are “tribal” (i.e., they follow tribal law, refusing to signal before they turn, for instance. Bastards.), although they live in the city. The victim was killed by a tribal bone that was merely pointed at him by a supposedly creepy “sprit man”, although he just looks like an old aborigine to me. Seems that old dude wants to keep secret an ancient apocalyptic prophecy. A quiet, cerebral and marginally creepy film, The Last Wave oozes with atmosphere and racial overtones, although the deliberate pacing requires patience, and the payoff doesn’t feel completely worth the effort.
