Trailer for the Relentless Aussie Action Thriller BADLAND RISING
Saban Films has released the trailer for Badland Rising, an intense, stripped-down action thriller that throws one man into a nightmare on the road. Previously titled Homeward, the film comes from Australian filmmaker Blair Moore and delivers a gritty survival story fueled by desperation, violence, and family stakes.
If you’re into lean, high-pressure chase thrillers, this one looks like it’s aiming straight at you. The story is set against the sunburnt stretches of Queensland’s Gold Coast, and it follows Dave, played by Jake Ryan, a former SAS sniper who’s traded combat for construction work in an effort to hold onto his family’s farm.
He’s just trying to get home to his wife and son. Simple plan. Of course, things go sideways fast. After a botched robbery explodes nearby, Dave gets caught in the chaos. He’s carjacked by a pair of dangerous criminals, manages to escape, and unknowingly drives off with their stolen cash.
That mistake turns his long drive into a relentless pursuit. The criminals, played by Nathan Phillips, Steve Mouzakis, and Robert Rabiah, aren’t letting that money go, and they’re more than willing to leave a trail of bodies behind to get it back.
What starts as a routine trip becomes a brutal fight to survive. The film leans hard into that ticking-clock tension as Dave races home, knowing that every mile brings more danger. The closer he gets to his family, the more explosive things become.
The premise is straightforward, but it’s packed with the kind of raw intensity that works when done right.
The film is directed by Blair Moore, who previously helmed Kane, and co-wrote the screenplay with Dru Brown.
Saban Films is sending Badland Rising straight to VOD starting June 12th, 2026. That will limit its exposure, but it also makes it an easy watch for anyone curious to check it out from home.
The trailer itself leans into the chaos, with high-speed chases, big bursts of violence, and a sense that Dave is constantly one step away from losing everything. It’s not trying to reinvent the genre, but it does look like it delivers the kind of gritty, grounded action that lives or dies on tension and performance.
If Moore sticks the landing, this could be one of those under-the-radar thrillers that sneaks up on people.