“Plains Empty,” an Australian short film from Beck Cole, takes the old standard of a restless spirit and infuses new life into it by setting the action in a deserted outback mining camp. When a woman is left alone on the edge of nowhere, she begins seeing visions of a ghostly young girl and starts seeking more information about her identity. Punctuated with stunning landscape shots that emphasize our protagonist’s sense of isolation, Cole has put together a haunting and effective story.
And between this, “Fuel,” and “Wolf Creek,” I don’t think I’ll be driving through Australia any time in the near future.
