Whether you’re in the mood for drama, documentary, comedy or short films, these four award-winning Australian films are worth your time. They’re all now available on Netflix.
Black Balloon (2008)
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Tagline: A teenage boy adjusting to a new home and new school finds the adjustment even more difficult when he is left to care for his autistic younger brother.
Director: First-time feature director Elissa Down co-wrote the screenplay with Jimmy Jack (aka Jimmy the Exploder) and based it on her own experiences growing up with an autistic sibling. I wrote the script.
Cast: Rhys Wakefield plays Thomas, a teenager confused by his unconventional but very loving family, including his autistic brother Charlie (Luke Ford). His parents are played by Toni Collette and Eric Thomson, while Gemma Ward plays the girl next door who intrigues him.
Critics and Competition: The Black Balloon had its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival, where it won the Crystal Bear Award in the 14+ category. The film swept the 2008 AFI Awards, winning Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. Rotten Tomatoes agrees that the film is 85% fresh, and that it is gentle, witty, and heartfelt without being formal. This is a fine line.
Watch this if you wish Toni Collette and Eric Thomson played mom and dad, or if you’re nostalgic for Perth suburbia in the early 1990s.
Read: ABC iview – Stream these 3 hidden gems now
Mountain (2017)
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Tagline: A feature-length documentary that explores the highest peaks around the world and conveys the relationship between humans and mountains through the ages. A film and music collaboration between acclaimed director Jen Peedum and the Australian Chamber Orchestra. Shot by the world’s greatest adventure film director and written by bestselling author Robert MacFarlane.
Director: BAFTA-winning Australian documentary director and producer Jen Peedum, known for Sherpa (2015), Solo (2009) and River (2021). Peedum is co-founder of the film production company Stranger Than Fiction with producer Joanne McGowan.
Stars: Apart from the mountains themselves, the cinematography by American mountaineer and photographer Renan Ozturk is the star, as is the music by ACO. Willem Dafoe also narrates “The Mountain.”
Critics and Competitions: Mountain won three AACTA awards for cinematography, music, and sound design. The film has an 88% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics agreeing that it is visually thrilling and emotionally moving. In Sight and Sound, Michael Hale writes: “While the film takes a decidedly romantic approach to mountains, it also seeks to cast a critical eye on the colonial mindsets that underpinned early mountaineering feats and continue in some form today. I won’t hesitate.’
If you want to gain altitude and escape into nature, check this out.
Last Taxi to Darwin (2015)
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Tagline: Rex, a taxi driver dying of cancer, discovers surprising reserves of energy during a road trip through the outback en route to assisted suicide.
Director: Jeremy Sims directed and co-wrote the screenplay with Reg Cribb, who wrote the 2003 play of the same name.
Cast: Michael Caton, Ningali Lawford, Mark Coles-Smith, Emma Hamilton, Jacki Weaver.
Critics and Contests: Last Cab to Darwin won Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Actor (Michael Caton) at the 5th AACTA Awards. On Rotten Tomatoes, this movie has a rating of 89% Fresh. David Lewis of the San Francisco Chronicle said the film “takes on a difficult subject, but sets it sweetly on an outback sunset.” The film is ironic, while maintaining a cheerful atmosphere without betraying its gruff characters. ”
Check this out… heartwarming, honest, and well-done. There was a reason why “Last Cab to Darwin” was an unexpected box office success. It wasn’t a depressing movie, it was life-affirming.
Beautiful They (2021)
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Tagline: After a chance encounter, two young strangers spend an afternoon together and find refuge in accepting each other in this strange romance. Short film (10 minutes).
Director: Claudy Rose is a trans non-binary director and writer whose work celebrates gender fluidity and uplifting queer stories. Beautiful They had its world premiere at the 20th anniversary edition of the Tribeca Film Festival. Rose’s debut short film, Lo Loves You, premiered on iD and was picked up by Arcadia Films. Other short works include Deluge, which premiered at the Sydney Film Festival 2019, and New Masc, a video work produced as part of Prototype Video Art. It will be co-screened at major art institutions.
Starring: Morgan Davis, Sariah Nishi.
Critics and Competition: Among its many awards, Beautiful They won the Directors Guild of Australia Best Short Film (2021), the Queer Screen Mardi Gras Best Film (2022), and the MQFF 2022 Best Australian Film. Award-winning short film.
why are you watching this? Beautiful They is a dreamy, intimate, warm and romantic surf romance with a gorgeous synth score. And since it’s so short, it’s your chance to try out one of Australia’s signature new talents without spending an entire night on it.
