Synopsis
Grant, who recently broke up with his girlfriend, decides to take road trip to the countryside with his friend Paul. Their car breaks down in a small town and instead of finding help, they witness a horrible murder. From there, the two friends get chased by the locals and must find a way out of the town. The plot of the out-of-towners getting chased by the mysterious locals pays homage to 1970s ‘backwoods brutality’ horror. But instead of being content with changing the location from a nowhere American backwoods to a New Zealand town, director Greg Page takes a page out of horror classics like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Deliverance. The first half of the film seemingly follows the formula of those two films, but the second half hides a surprise. With this simple touch, the film’s complexion changes. Unlike the US films of the 70s, the townsfolk in The Locals are more aware of their history. It seems like they are reliving the cannibal past of New Zealand from a long time ago. (Djuna)