10 Australian movies everyone should watch

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

These pictures are as extraordinary as the country where they were released.

1. Picnic at the Hanging Rock

• Australia, 1975.
• Drama, detective.
• Duration: 115 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 5.

On the last Valentine's Day of the 19th century, pupils of a closed school, along with mentors, go on a picnic to a local landmark, the Hanging Rock. The outing suddenly turns into a series of mystical events, and several of the students just disappear during the walk.

The work of Peter Weir has made a real revolution not only in Australian but also in world cinema. The film balances on the brink between a thriller and a detective story - while after watching the questions, there are much more questions than answers. Soothing music and soft out of focus even create the feeling that all the events of the tape take place in a dream.

The atmosphere of mystery and outstanding cinematography by Russell Boyd is what the film has been adored by critics and audiences since its release in 1975. By the way, it was the unique melancholic mood of "Picnic" that inspired Sofia Coppola to create the iconic "Virgin Suicides".

2. Candy

• Australia, 2005.
• Drama, melodrama.
• Duration: 104 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 2.

A young promising artist Candy falls in love with the poet Dan. Their relationship starts off like a fairy tale, but the heroin addiction spoils everything. Candy becomes a street prostitute in order to get money for drugs.

The film is often compared to Darren Aronofsky's Requiem for a Dream, and the late Heath Ledger just splendidly played in it. The picture should be included at your own peril and risk, calculating the strength. It can be difficult for sensitive people to watch "Candy" - the fall of the heroes to the bottom causes many conflicting emotions.

3. Sleeping beauty

• Australia, 2011.
• Thriller, drama, melodrama.
• Duration: 101 minutes.
• IMDb: 5, 3.

A poor student Lucy, in need of money, finds a part-time job in a country club. At first, she is required to simply serve the guests as a waitress - the only strangeness is that you need to do this in your underwear. Then new responsibilities are assigned to the girl. She is put to sleep so that older clients can do whatever they want with her.

Not everyone liked Julia Lee's debut work. This is evidenced by the low viewership rating, but here is just that rare case when the film is still worth watching. Everyone will see something of their own in him, and this is wonderful.

4. Hunter

• Australia, 2011.
• Thriller, drama, adventure.
• Duration: 104 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 7.

Martin works for a mysterious biotech company. He must find and kill the last surviving marsupial wolf. Arriving at the place, the hero settles with his mother, who lives alone in the outskirts with two small children. She is clearly not herself because of the disappearance of her husband, who not so long ago disappeared in the very forests where Martin should go.

Director Daniel Nettheim combined a survival drama with a detective and diluted this cocktail with elements of an action movie, and Willem Dafoe's impeccable performance fell into place. The movie is based on the novel by Julia Lee, author of Sleeping Beauty, but this time she did not work on the script.

5. Rover

• Australia, USA, 2013.
• Drama, crime, fantasy.
• Duration: 103 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 4.

Near future. The arid regions of Australia have become completely impoverished, people live by very harsh laws. Local resident Eric tries to return a car stolen from him by bandits. As an assistant, he takes the wounded criminal Reynolds, who turns out to be the brother of one of the hijackers.

David Michaud's film isn't perfect, but it's still quite good. He will fall in love with fans of post-apocalyptic cinema, and fans of Westerns, and fans of Robert Pattinson, who played one of his best dramatic roles here.

6. Babadook

• Australia, Canada, 2014.
• Horror, drama.
• Duration: 93 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 8.

Widow Amelia and her little son find a children's book called "Babaduk" at home. The child is very happy, but the book scares the mother: the illustrations are too creepy there. Gradually, the monster from the pictures becomes real.

Jennifer Kent, inspired by the work of Lars von Trier, created a very unusual film. At first, it seems to the viewer that he is waiting for a classic story about a ghost in an old house. But then the movie is revealed in a completely different quality: behind the image of a mystical creature there is a reflection of the mother's anger towards her son.

7. Berlin Syndrome

• Australia, Germany, 2016.
• Thriller, drama.
• Duration: 116 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 3.

Young Australian Claire travels to Germany and meets the charming English teacher Andy. Unfortunately for the girl, her new friend turns out to be a maniac, and Claire herself is a prisoner in his apartment.

"Berlin Syndrome" is so named by analogy with the well-known psychological term. This chamber, intense thriller will surely appeal to those who are interested in this phenomenon in particular and human behavior in general.

In addition, director Keith Shortland is very good at weaving a feminist theme into the plot. Most likely, this is why she was entrusted with filming "Black Widow" for Marvel.

8. Leo

• UK, Australia, USA, India, 2016.
• Drama, biography.
• Duration: 118 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 0.

By an absurd coincidence, a five-year-old boy, Sarah, from an Indian slum, finds himself many thousands of kilometers from his mother and brother. He is adopted by good people and taken to distant Australia. Matured Sarah does not lose hope to see his native land again and find his real family, so he goes in search.

The incredibly powerful melodrama "Lion" touches even the hardest heart. Moreover, the film is based on real events. To reliably play his character, Sarah Brierly, actor Dev Patel specially learned to speak with an Australian accent. It took him more than six months to prepare for the role.

9. Jungle

• Australia, Columbia, UK, 2017.
• Thriller, drama, adventure.
• Duration: 115 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 7.

Israeli Yossi Ginsberg travels to the impenetrable jungles of South America, hoping to profit from gold. But everything does not go according to plan: the hero loses his fellow travelers, and every day his hope of getting out of the forest is melting.

Australian director Greg McLean has always been interested in filming about the collision of man with nature. So, he was glorified by the film "Crocodile" (2007), in which a group of tourists escaped from a man-eating alligator. In Jungle, the director returns to his favorite theme of the confrontation between civilization and primitive chaos.

Almost the entire film is drawn by a very bright Daniel Radcliffe. In an attempt to distance himself from the character of Harry Potter, the actor always chooses non-standard and rather complex roles. It happened this time too.

10. Nightingale

• Australia, USA, 2018.
• Thriller, drama.
• Duration: 136 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 3.

Tasmania, 1825, during the Black War. The British army massacres the locals. Convicted convict Claire, exiled to Australia, serves the English officer Hawkins. The sentence has already expired, but the military man refuses to release the girl.

One day a tragedy occurs: Hawkins with two soldiers kills her husband and little son Claire. Then she takes a gun, saddles her horse and sets off to take revenge on the sadists.

After "Babadook" Jennifer Kent turned to the history of her own country, and again made the heroine a woman forced to fight with internal demons. But this time she is also confronted by a cruel male world.