Last Stop Larrimah: Murder Down Under

I love stories about small towns. So, this one really intrigued me from the get-go. The piece begins with the (ten) inhabitants talking about their decision to move to Larrimah in the first place, and what they love about it. We then move to the mystery of a missing man and the filters of suspicion suddenly switch on. Frankly, the slow-burn reveals of the townsfolk surprised me one after the other. Not only do some hold major grudges against the rest, but they're also completely open about it.

The aesthetics of the place (and its people) had my attention throughout. The pub with the crocodile, the pie shop, the bush, the stilt houses, the large open spaces, the dogs, the sunsets - there's something about the place that even a complete outsider like me can get drawn to. The interviews are spread out between all of the residents of the town, and everyone gets to voice their thoughts. The place, the story of the missing man, the people (their ongoing grudges and motives) - I feel this has everything needed for a neo-noir crime drama, at least on paper. It's predominantly Australian too - like, where else do you see folks candidly talk about murder while chugging beer, smoking, or laughing their butt off?

So, I watched this yesterday, and I really enjoyed it. It starts off with some interesting characters living in a very uninteresting town in the middle of nowhere. Early on we get a closer look at the characters (11 in total) and their backgrounds. There's Fran the pie lady that's lived there forever and who lays claim to establishing the town, and Paddy the Irishman who arrived from Ireland years ago, who on his way to wherever on arriving in Australia decided the trip was taking too long so stop and decided to settle down in Larrimah. Initially it seems Paddy is liked by everyone. Problem is it's hard to find anyone Paddy has a good word to say about! What is revealed about the townsfolk when the police arrive to investigate Paddy's subsequent disappearance is eye-opening. All is not what it seems in this seemingly chummy little town. Very well put together with lots of things you just can't help laugh about. The ending is unexpected, though not surprising, and for me at least it pointed the finger clearly at the murderer. There should be more doco's like this one that keep you guessing right to very end.

If you love Fargo (the film), you'll probably enjoy this as a real life whodunnit, with a wealth of eccentric Fargo-like characters, each and every one of them far stranger than fiction.

In a nutshell, this true story revolves around 11 people who are the sole inhabitants of a tiny villlage off the beaten track in northern Australia. Did I say 11? I mean 10. One of them has mysteriously disappeared, presumably murdered. You'd think with such a meagre population it wouldn't be too difficult to narrow down a suspect or two, right? Yeah, unless the potential murder victim had more than a few enemies among his ten-fold brethren.

To further complicate matters, the remaining ten don't like (any of) each other much either, and that's me putting it very mildly.

This 2 episode series is hard to compare with anything else, but I can say this: the individuals who tell the story - Larrimah's population, all of them potential suspects (and some cops from the nearest glimpse of civilization) - had me completely absorbed. There's lots to say about them, but it's hard to find the words, I assure you. And if you have yet to watch this, the less said the better.

Ok, weird anomaly watching "Last stop in Larrimah", after watching "Pain Hustlers", "Transparent" inadvertently!!. I'm a true blue Aussie and obviously now a Jay Duplass fan without knowing it. I'd heard the podcast and the visual will hope help find the culprit. Worth the watch!

Pure coincidence in hitting the button to watch this informative documentary but insightful to the going's of the outback especially where a missing person/murder has occurred (think Pete Falconio) for us regional mob or the city slickers and I guess the rest of the world. Maybe they'll keep us updated on news as it comes, but won't hold my breath!!!!

Last Stop Larrimah is a well made true crime documentary about the disappearance of Paddy, an Irish immigrant, in Larrimah, situated in Australia, in the middle of nowhere. Larrimah: population eleven... that says already enough about the locals you will encounter there. I immediately had to think about Wrong Turn or The Hills Have Eyes. No need to say the people living there are a bit "special". Only eleven people but still a lot of hatred towards each other, not really the idyllic lifestyle you would imagine. Almost every single person is interviewed and they brought some smiles on my face. I actually found a lot of their stories funny even if there's obviously a serious crime commited. It's all very well shot, interesting to follow. I always dreamed about living off grid somewhere in the middle of nowhere, but there? No, thank you, I'll pass for that.