I watched this movie when I was probably 9 years old on HBO. It has stuck with me ever since, and I have looked for it for years. I only remembered a few scenes so it was hard to find, but I finally tracked it down. Probably because it scared me so much when I was so young it is still an enjoyable watch today. Imagine being as young as one of the kids in the film and you will realize why it frightened me so much. Apparently it was an Australian film, but they speak English so it's still very understandable :) I thoroughly enjoyed this movie even today, but mostly because it brought back memories of how horror movies could truly scare me as a child.

This Review may contain spoilers. To have children thrown into such violence and even enact such violence themselves, I imagine would be extremely traumatic for them, even coming from the farm, where they kill animals. I don't think, that it would be happy school days, business, as usual after that. However; real children do have to deal with violence every day, so I appreciate, that this film isn't "Disney- ized" and shows the tough stuff. The children were portrayed quite realistically and their bond with their teacher seemed believable. The children seemed quite independent, as products of the outback. One reviewer made reference to the "Lord of the Flies". Quite thought-provoking.

A teacher and her class are kidnapped in a remote country town by four ruthless nasties who shut the group in an underground cavern and wait for pay day. However they never reckoned with a bunch of tough Aussie kids and a feisty young mistress.Performances are quite strong, especially from Rachel Ward as the schoolmarm who is thrust headlong into danger and must think and act not only for herself but for all her young charges. The kids themselves are never outdone though, and all impress, including Sean Garlick and Rebecca Rigg as the two older ones upon whom much responsibility also falls. Cinematography is eye catching, capturing the rugged Australian bush very well.The interesting thing is the plot, adapted from Gabrielle Lord's novel by Everett De Roche. Early on the story unfolds carefully and compellingly, with director Arch Nicholson building tension and swaying our emotions with some skill. By the halfway mark we are his for the taking, then the film heads off on a slightly different tangent. The last third of the film takes on a feeling and atmosphere almost comparable to "Lord of the Flies", with the children becoming a bit scary. In fact the finale is like something out of the occult.Not that any of this ruins the movie though, even if it is somewhat surprising. Yes Nicholson loses his grip towards the end, yet this is still enjoyable, occasionally unnerving fare.Saturday, November 30, 1996 - Video

Kidnappers bite off more than they can chew when they abduct a teacher and her class from a remote school in the Outback. Escaping from the cave in which they are held hostage, Sally Jones (Rachel Ward ) and her pupils must fight for survival against their captors.This surprisingly well made film, based on a true story, is an exciting, gritty and disturbing tale which shows how the the human instinct for survival can turn even the most innocent of people into savage killers. Sally and her class, pushed to the limits, revert to an animalistic state which, by the end of the film, sees them wildly stabbing and tearing at their attackers in a frenzy of blood-lust.Director Arch Nicholson develops the story well, at first having the children bickering with each other, but eventually seeing them teaming together to beat a common foe. There is plenty of tense action and a few surprisingly gruesome moments, and the talented young cast give some great convincing performances.As made for TV fare goes, this one is well worth a viewing.