A slow-burning mystery that lingers in the mind. I’d had this movie on my list for a while, and finally got around to watching it. It's possible I saw parts of it as a child, because a plot twist near the end has stuck with me all these years. Watching it recently (on 06/09/2014 – though I’m reposting this review from another site where it’s dated 07/09/2014) made me realize that I might have been too young to fully appreciate it back then; it's probably not really suitable for younger viewers. The story centers on a teacher, Simon Robinson (played by Nick Tate), who comes to an isolated community to replace Peter Flynn, another teacher who has disappeared and left his belongings at the guest house where he was staying. Simon takes over Peter’s room. Surprisingly, no one seems particularly worried about Peter's disappearance. For much of the film, not a lot happens; Simon is simply intrigued by what happened to Peter. He also becomes involved with the family of one of his students, Sally Abbott (played by Michelle Jarman). Sally’s mother, Jennifer Abbott (played by Elizabeth Alexander), is elegantly beautiful. Simon's curiosity extends to the Abbotts, who live on an island accessible only by a wooden bridge with a locked gate and a sign warning people to stay out. Initially, I thought it would score around 70%, but I really liked the ending and bumped up my rating because of it. The pacing might be off-putting for some viewers, while others may find the conclusion unsatisfying. The ending is what ultimately elevated my opinion; it’s quite haunting, both revealing answers and raising new questions. I've been wondering if a different resolution would have been possible, or if what we see was inevitable. For instance, why did Jennifer’s brother, David Abbott (played by John Waters), call out to Simon? Was Simon's reaction leading up to that moment the result of him connecting Peter’s disappearance with his own situation? There is a resolution regarding Peter's fate. I suspect the filmmakers intended for viewers to reach some kind of understanding about what happened earlier – I even wondered if it related to Sally's father as well. However, I’m not sure this realization is made clear enough. While searching for the film online, I was surprised to find a listing for "Secrets of Summerfield: The making of 'Summerfield'" (2005, video), and I’m now curious to watch it in light of my questions about that haunting ending. Its existence suggests the original movie resonated with audiences enough to warrant a follow-up. If you enjoy mysteries, this is definitely worth watching. The film offers subtle clues and hints related to the central mystery. Regarding other observations: I really enjoyed the film’s score and would like to find it, though that might be difficult! It was composed and conducted by Bruce Smeaton, featuring Japanese strings alongside orchestral instruments, creating an eerie and pensive mood with a lovely melody throughout. There's also something that sounds like a nod to music from a Hollywood movie (I think), possibly by Bernard Herrmann. Geraldine Turner bears a resemblance to Gillian Anderson. As for Nick Tate, I haven’t seen him in other Australian productions—what happened to his career? Besides John Waters ("All the rivers run" and "Play school"), the only other actor I recognized was Charles “Bud” Tingwell, who I'd previously seen in the British children’s series "Catweazle." It seems Tingwell is credited as “Bud” at the beginning and “Charles” at the end. Max Cullen is a familiar face as well. The police officer in this film looks familiar too—I probably saw him on TV shows where he had a regular role, likely playing a cop. I didn’t always find Doctor Miller's (Charles Tingwell) explanations believable; they often felt like narrative exposition rather than something someone in his position would share. There are two instances of this: what he says to Simon on the beach and what he tells David at Summerfield. The officer mentions that "hundreds" of people have gone missing—I hope he means within the state, not just in their local area! It’s a small town, after all. Aside from the music, I also appreciated the colors of the sky; though my television isn't great, it might look even better on a high-quality screen. There are plenty of 1970s fashions too: short shorts, shirts, etc. By the way, you can spot two newspaper headline posters at the milk bar, providing an idea of when the film was made: The Sun "Fraser clamp_ on Lea_" (hard to read clearly) and the Herald's "Pop man hurt in stage blast"—I wonder who that was! I watched it from my PVR recording of ABC TV on 20/12/2013, around 12:35 a.m., with a running time of 91 minutes and 25 seconds. This film has been shown again several times recently, which is good news for someone who wanted to rewatch it.

Source on TMDB