Rambling thoughts of an overactive mind

A restorative sailing trip turns into a nightmare when grieving parents Rae and John (Nicole Kidman and Sam Neill) drift into the path of the psychopathic Hughie (Billy Zane), who climbs aboard after abandoning his own portentously named boat, the Orpheus. Phillip Noyce’s nerve-jangling film, which helped to launch Kidman’s international career, is based on a 1963 novel that was first optioned by Orson Welles. Welles’ film was never finished, but the local version had better luck, picking up four AFI awards and making a recent New York Times list of the best 1000 films ever made.

"This is a film that catapulted a couple of international careers for director Phillip Noyce and star Nicole Kidman. It’s a highly effective thriller with grieving husband and wife, Kidman and Sam Neill, ambushed by a psychopath played by Billy Zane while cruising on their yacht in the Whitsundays."

Margaret Pomeranz

Recommended by

Lee Smith, film editor

Margaret Pomeranz, film critic

I recommend this movie! / 496 Jump to reader recommendations

* 48 / Better Man / Michael Gracey , 2024

Runtime: 2h 15m

Rating: MA 15+

Roadshow Films

Robbie Williams’ perception of himself as a performing monkey inspired this satirical take on stardom, with the English singer and former Take That member portrayed as an anthropomorphic chimp (‘‘I’ve always been a little less evolved,’’ he quips in the voiceover). Director Michael Gracey has explained the oddball choice as a nod to the fact that we have more empathy with animals than people. Partly filmed at Melbourne’s Docklands Studios, Better Man has the dubious honour of being among the biggest box-office bombs of all time, recouping just $22.5 million of its $110 million budget. The 2025 AACTA judges were more sympathetic, awarding it nine gongs, including best film.

"Michael Gracey brilliantly messes with the much-loved conventions of music biopics in the most audacious way that only a true larrikin can do or appreciate."

Unjoo Moon

Recommended by

Kriv Stenders

director

Unjoo Moon

director

I recommend this movie!

132

Malcolm

Nadia Tass, 1986

Runtime: 1h 26m

Rating: M

Umbrella Entertainment

In what must surely be one of cinema’s most charming crime capers, an awkward but brilliant amateur inventor (Colin Friels) is drawn into the nefarious activities of his boarder Frank (a wonderfully deadpan John Hargreaves), a petty crim who has just been released from prison. What follows is a series of unlikely bank robberies using remote-controlled devices and various modes of custom-made transport, including a mini tram that was later donated to Melbourne’s Tramway Museum. The film was a box-office hit and won eight AACTA awards, including for best film and direction.

"One of the most original comedies Australia has ever made. The combination of Nadia Tass’ perfect direction and her partner David Parker’s hilarious screenplay (not to mention his ingenious inventions - a car that splits into two motorcycles, come oooon!) made for a comedy like nothing before or since."

Damon Herriman

Recommended by

Damon Herriman

actor

Gillian Armstrong

director

I recommend this movie!

664

Romeo + Juliet

Baz Luhrmann, 1996

Runtime: 2h 0m

Rating: M

Netflix, Disney+, Stan

20th Century Fox

Sandwiched between Strictly Ballroom and Moulin Rouge! Baz Luhrmann’s typically bold take on Shakespeare’s tragic love story hums with colour and energy. A nameless modern-day city stands in for 16th century Verona, as the feud between the Montagues and Capulets erupts into deadly gang violence. Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes shimmer as the young lovers trapped in a cycle of violence not of their own making and Shakespeare’s dialogue plays surprisingly well against the punchy contemporary visuals and soundtrack.

"For me this is the best of Baz Luhrmann’s films. It is a bold reimagining of Shakespeare’s play about two young lovers from rival feuding families who have to navigate the chaotic world around them. It’s visually exciting with a fabulous soundtrack."

Margaret Pomeranz

Recommended by

Emily Sexton

ACMI director of programming

Margaret Pomeranz

film critic

Already voted

589

My Brilliant Career

Gillian Armstrong, 1979

Runtime: 1h 40m

Rating: G

GUO Film Distributors

Based on the 1901 novel by Miles Franklin, this iconic feminist tale stars Judy Davis as Sybylla, a headstrong young woman who refuses to bow to societal expectations. Even a burgeoning romance with the dashing grazier Harry (Sam Neill) can’t dissuade her from her dreams of becoming a writer, and in the film’s final scene, we see her posting her manuscript to a publisher (a more upbeat ending than the book allowed). The film won six AACTA awards, including best film and best director, and launched Davis’ international career.

“Even though I was a child of Korean immigrant parents living on the upper north shores of Sydney, I totally related to the headstrong and creative Sybylla and Gillian Armstong’s debut feature inspired me to dare to dream big!”

Unjoo Moon

Recommended by

Unjoo Moon

director

Emily Sexton

ACMI director of programming

I recommend this movie!

443

Lion

Garth Davis, 2016

Runtime: 1h 58m

Rating: M

Transmission Films

The heartrending autobiographical tale of a young man’s search for his biological family is based on Saroo Brierley’s 2013 book A Long Way Home. Accidentally separated from his brother in India as a boy, Brierley was adopted by an Australian couple but later became obsessed with finding his family back home. The film stars Dev Patel as the adult Saroo as he undertakes an obsessive and eventually successful Google Earth search to find the town and family he’d lost. The film won 12 AACTA awards and remains one of the highest-grossing Australian films of all time.

“This remarkable story traces migration and connection between Australian and Indian families and communities. It also marks a curious moment of showing how technology (in this case, Google Maps) shapes lives and then, cinematic storytelling.”

Emily Sexton

Recommended by

Emily Sexton

ACMI director of programming

Garry Maddox

film writer

I recommend this movie!

614

Wrong Side of the Road

Ned Lander, 1981

Runtime: 1h 20m

Rating: M

Not currently streaming

Ronin Films

This low-budget rock‘n’roll docudrama follows First Nations bands Us Mob and No Fixed Address on the road as they travel between gigs in South Australia. The film is credited with exposing its musicians to a global audience, while providing an insight into the everyday discrimination faced by Indigenous communities. It received a number of local and international awards and both bands feature on the accompanying soundtrack, which includes the anthemic We Have Survived by No Fixed Address.

“The movie that showed me how Australian films could make a difference. A feel-good road movie made primarily with Indigenous audiences in mind.”

Deb Verhoeven

Recommended by

Deb Verhoeven

film critic

Warwick Thornton

director

I recommend this movie!

Look Both Ways

Sarah Watt, 2005

Runtime: 1h 40m

Rating: M

Not currently streaming

Madman Entertainment

Animator and director Sarah Watt brought a singular visual language to this exploration of the tenuous nature of life and love. Using a beguiling combination of live action and animation, the film charts the ill-timed romance between catastrophising artist Meryl (Justine Clarke) and photojournalist Nick (Watt’s husband, William McInnes), just as he has received a devastating diagnosis. Tragically, Watt was diagnosed with cancer during post-production and her death in 2011 silenced one of Australian cinema’s most remarkable voices.

"Look Both Ways is one of the most playful films about death and mortality I have ever seen, made all the more poignant by Sarah Watts’ own cancer diagnosis."

Hannah Kent

Recommended by

Deb Verhoeven

film critic

Hannah Kent

author

Already voted

236

Sunday Too Far Away

Ken Hannam, 1975

Runtime: 1h 30m

Rating: M

South Australian Film Corporation

A nation that once ‘‘rode on the sheep’s back’’ was captivated by this exploration of the hyper-masculine and hard-drinking world of the shearers who made all that wealth possible. Centred on the knockabout character of Foley (Jack Thompson, our biggest screen star at the time), it depicts life on a sheep station in all its physical and culinary challenges (‘‘this breakfast tastes like roast turd’’, Foley famously complains at one point). Part of the celebrated ‘‘new wave’’ of Australian filmmaking in the 1970s, it won the AFI awards for best film, best actor and best supporting actor.

“John Dingwall’s script catches the simmering, knowing humour at the very heart of the Australian outback myth.”

Sandra Hall

Recommended by

Adrian Danks

author

Sandra Hall

film critic

I recommend this movie!

447

Sweet Country

Warwick Thornton, 2017

Runtime: 1h 53m

Rating: MA 15+

Transmission Films

Inspired by true events, this outback western, set in the inter-war years, follows an Indigenous stockman who goes on the run after shooting dead the abusive white station owner who has raped his wife. Filmed on a station south of Alice Springs, it was acclaimed for its stunning cinematography and performances. Some of the characters reappear in the sequel, Wolfram, which premiered to acclaim at this year’s Berlin Film Festival.

“Sweet Country is at once a cinematographic triumph that extolls the titular country, and a brutal tragedy that condemns the bloody history of racism, colonisation and violence upon it.”

Hannah Kent

Recommended by

Hannah Kent

author

Phillip Noyce

director

I recommend this movie!

187

Ghosts of the Civil Dead

John Hillcoat, 1988

Runtime: 1h 33m

Rating: R 18+

Not currently streaming

Smart Street Films

The decades-long friendship between Nick Cave and John Hillcoat had its first cinematic outing in this gritty feature set in a maximum security prison in the Australian desert. The cinematography is sparse, the soundtrack bleak and the performances menacing. In a brief but pivotal role, Cave plays the ‘‘sordidly handsome’’ and psychotic Maynard who pushes the place to breaking point. Subsequent collaborations between the musician and filmmaker included The Proposition and The Road.

“Ghosts … of the Civil Dead was a film that genuinely scarred me. Nothing in Australian cinema had ever hit me like that before - a relentless gut punch of a movie that left me completely traumatised, and acutely aware of a darkness I didn’t know our films could possess.”

Kriv Stenders

Recommended by

David Michôd

director

Kriv Stenders

director

I recommend this movie!

Bad Boy Bubby

Rolf de Heer, 1993

Runtime: 1h 54m

Rating: R 18+

Roadshow Entertainment

In one of the most courageous performances on Australian screens, Nicholas Hope stars as a 35-year-old man whose eccentricity is unleashed on the world after he escapes the family home where he has been confined and abused by his fanatical mother. Rolf de Heer’s film teeters on the edges of horror and comedy, and remains a cult favourite more than 30 years later. It won the Grand Jury Prize at the 1993 Venice Film Festival and was lauded by David Stratton as ‘‘a milestone in Australian cinema’’.

“So crazy, so fearless. To trap a man in one room for 30 years and then unleash him - deranged and brilliant.”

Warwick Thornton

Recommended by

Warwick Thornton

director

CJ Johnson

film critic

I recommend this movie!

240

The Devil’s Playground

Fred Schepisi, 1976

Runtime: 1h 47m

Rating: M

Umbrella Entertainment

Fred Schepisi evoked his own experiences of studying for the Catholic priesthood in his early teens in this poignant examination of faith, doubt and sexual repression. The film’s fine ensemble cast includes Simon Burke as Tom, a lively young student who famously yells at the sky ‘‘hey God, are you there?’’ while Arthur Dignam’s Brother Francine is a tense portrait of self-loathing. Part of the Australian New Wave, Schepisi’s debut feature dominated the 1976 AFI awards, taking out the gongs for best film and best director.

"A film about Catholics that people indifferent to religion should have no trouble enjoying. To appreciate the point of Fred Schepisi’s film about life in a Catholic boarding school for aspiring seminarians, all you need to have had is a childhood."

Sandra Hall

Recommended by

Sandra Hall

film critic

Bruce Beresford

director

I recommend this movie!

269

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

Stephan Elliott, 1994

Runtime: 1h 34m

Rating: M

Roadshow Entertainment

Rigid notions of Australian manhood are left behind like so much roadkill as two drag artists and a trans woman set off in their battered silver bus - a ‘‘budget Barbie camper’’ named Priscilla - on a tour of outback towns. Against a killer soundtrack of pop classics, they flounce their way into the national psyche with hard-won lessons about freedom, friendship and self-acceptance. The film that launched a thousand dress-ups showed Australia and the world that love and lamé really can conquer all.

"There were huge swathes of the global population who didn’t even know drag existed until Priscilla."

CJ Johnson

Recommended by

CJ Johnson

film critic

Sandra Hall

film critic

Already voted

963

Lantana

Ray Lawrence, 2001

Runtime: 2h 1m

Rating: M

Netflix, Stan

Palace Films

In this stylish psychological thriller, a woman’s disappearance draws out the unseen connections between strangers as marriages unravel and suspicions mount. A superb ensemble cast, led by Anthony LaPaglia and Kerry Armstrong, delivers a sophisticated study of contemporary life that scooped the AACTA awards, with eight wins including best film, best director and all four acting awards.

"One of the earliest Australian films to grapple with life as it’s lived by those holding the middle ground, ie most of us. You don’t need to be on the brink of divorce to feel some shocks of recognition in Andrew Bovell’s spiralling storyline about the consequences of love and deceit."

Sandra Hall

Recommended by

Sandra Hall

film critic

John Polson

actor and director

Already voted

858

The Dish

Rob Sitch, 2000

Runtime: 1h 41m

Rating: M

Roadshow Entertainment

Most Australians probably knew nothing about our role in the 1969 moon landing before this charming comedy-drama puffed up the collective chest by reminding us that the Parkes Observatory in regional NSW was there every small step of the way. Much of the iconic footage of Neil Armstrong’s ‘‘giant leap for mankind’’ came courtesy of the Parkes crew, led in the film by Cliff Buxton (a delightfully eccentric Sam Neill). No wonder it became the highest-grossing Australian film of 2000.

"Watched as a kid, and loved the Aussie humour on such an historic event."

Hoa Xuande

Recommended by

Hoa Xuande

actor

Bruce Beresford

director

I recommend this movie!

1.0k

Birdeater

Jack Clark & Jim Weir, 2023

Runtime: 1h 57m

Rating: MA 15+

Netflix, Amazon Prime

Umbrella Entertainment

This under-the-radar thriller skewers toxic masculinity as a group of friends gather at a bush shack for a buck’s night. The presence of the bride-to-be, played by rising star Shabana Azeez (The Pitt) inflames tensions in scenes that some critics have found hard to watch. ‘‘Feral’’ is the word most often applied to this directorial debut, with its depiction of Australian-style machismo drawing comparisons to Wake in Fright.

"It’s an incredible treat to sit down to a film you know absolutely nothing about and be blown away. With a duo of new, young directors, a cast of faces I’d never seen before (all superb), and a script and style that jumped off the screen, this recent Australian film quickly made its way into being a favourite. Can’t wait to see what they all do next."

Damon Herriman

Recommended by

Damon Herriman

actor

Kriv Stenders

director

I recommend this movie!

The Year My Voice Broke

John Duigan, 1987

Runtime: 1h 43m

Rating: M

Not currently streaming

Hoyts Distribution

Noah Taylor’s breakthrough performance as a socially awkward 15-year-old in this quintessential coming-of-age story resonated with outsiders everywhere. Based on writer-director John Duigan’s adolescent longings, it charts the angst of teenage heartbreak as the central character’s love interest falls for someone else. The subsequent journey of awakening wrings poignant performances from its three young leads, including Ben Mendelsohn as the bad boy who gets the girl but loses everything else.

"Australia’s companion piece to the teen films of world cinema at that time, introducing incredible actors and touching the heart."

Robert Connolly

Recommended by

Bruce Beresford

director

Robert Connolly

director

I recommend this movie!

469

Dogs in Space

Richard Lowenstein, 1986

Runtime: 1h 43m

Rating: R 18+

Apple TV

Roadshow Entertainment

Set during punk’s late-1970s heyday, and starring Michael Hutchence as a drug-addled singer, this gritty share-house drama follows a group of musicians and hangers-on who stumble through their formative years wearing the requisite big hair, black eyeliner and op-shop garb. Filmed in the two-storey Richmond terrace where a lot of it happened, it features an era-appropriate soundtrack that includes Iggy Pop, Gang of Four and Melbourne’s own Boys Next Door. You really had to be there.

"Michael Hutchence flops through it like a marionette. Hilarious and heartbreaking. This was our Repo Man moment."

Warwick Thornton

Recommended by

Warwick Thornton

director

Kriv Stenders

director

I recommend this movie!

194

The Boys

Rowan Woods, 1998

Runtime: 1h 26m

Rating: MA 15+

Umbrella Entertainment

This chilling directorial feature debut is loosely based on the brutal rape and murder of Sydney woman Anita Cobby in 1986. David Wenham stars as the menacing heart of a dysfunctional family in which rage and toxic masculinity spiral out of control. Stunning performances and gritty cinematography combine with an unnerving soundtrack from The Necks to create a claustrophobic sense of mounting unease.

"A masterful example of tension built into the structure of the movie itself. Also the first many of us had seen of the great David Wenham and one of the most powerful last lines (‘Let's get her’) in cinema history."

David Michôd

Recommended by

John Polson

actor and director

David Michôd

director

Already voted

268

The Babadook

Jennifer Kent, 2014

Runtime: 1h 44m

Rating: M

Umbrella Entertainment

This chilling exploration of parental exhaustion, madness and the impact of grief was a slow burner on release but is now regarded as a cult classic. For single mother Amelia (Essie Davis), the psychological challenges of dealing with her husband’s death and raising a troubled child alone manifest in the form of the titular monster who emerges from the pages of a pop-up book. The film was lauded for its performances and production values and won three AACTA awards, including for best film and direction.

"It took international acclaim before Australians recognised the excellence of this truly original film. Jennifer Kent explores grief, parenting and potential madness in the form of a malevolent creature, the Babadook, in the home of a widow and her son. Outstanding performances (and) Kent’s direction make this a truly memorable film experience."

Margaret Pomeranz

Recommended by

CJ Johnson

film critic

Gillian Armstrong

director

Margaret Pomeranz

film critic

I recommend this movie!

178

Terror Nullius

Soda Jerk, 2018

Runtime: 0h 54m

Rating: Unclassified (15+)

Not currently streaming

Soda Jerk

Mad Max meets refugee advocacy in this blistering satirical assault on our national mythologies from iconoclastic artistic duo Soda Jerk. The film splices speculative fiction with documentary vision and sound (yes, that is the voice of former PM John Howard, asserting national values from inside a musclebound body clad in bondage leather and metal mask). The result is so oddball and provocative that commissioning body the Ian Potter Cultural Trust disowned the film as ‘‘unAustralian’’.

“Seeing Terror Nullius felt like having my cinematic vocabulary rewritten. By sampling and re-purposing iconic Australian films it cracked open the possibility of a whole new language - wild, subversive, and wickedly funny. Its humour and sheer inventiveness thrilled me; it was like watching the rules of filmmaking being gleefully torn up and reimagined.”

Kriv Stenders

Recommended by

Kriv Stenders

director

Kate Jinx

MIFF curator

Deb Verhoeven

film critic

I recommend this movie!

Ten Canoes

Rolf de Heer, Peter Djiggir, 2006

Runtime: 1h 32m

Rating: M

Palace Films

Poetic, charming and unexpectedly funny, this idiosyncratic docudrama is set in Arnhem Land and tells dual stories about the consequences of ‘‘wrong love’’. Shot in black and white and colour to separate the tales, it is spoken in Indigenous languages, with English narration by David Gulpilil, who tells the audience to ‘‘pay attention’’, because he is going to tell a good story. The film won six AFI awards, including best picture, best director and best cinematography and became one of the highest-grossing Australian films of 2006.

“A brilliant, surprising and often very funny example of cross-cultural filmmaking highlighting the rich history and deep time that define Aboriginal storytelling. A unique work that helps redefine notions of belonging and landscape in Australian cinema.”

Adrian Danks

Recommended by

Bruce Beresford

director

Adrian Danks

author

Jennifer Kent

director

Already voted

391

Walkabout

Nicolas Roeg, 1971

Runtime: 1h 40m

Rating: M

SBS On Demand

20th Century Fox

The lost child is a familiar theme across Australian art and cinema and in this film, the vulnerability of two English children lost in the outback is contrasted with the resilience of the Indigenous boy (David Gulpilil in his first role) who comes to their aid. English director and cinematographer Nicolas Roeg explores the themes of Australia’s relationship to the landscape, adolescent awakening and the impact of colonisation, as the reintroduction into white society brings devastating results.

“Although financed outside of Australia and largely made by British filmmakers, Roeg’s visionary, troubling and strange odyssey is, I think, the defining work of modern Australian cinema. It also memorably introduces one of its iconic figures, David Gulpilil.”

Adrian Danks

Recommended by

Adrian Danks

author

Lee Smith

film editor

Jennifer Kent

director

Already voted

441

Sweetie

Jane Campion, 1989

Runtime: 1h 37m

Rating: M

Filmpac Distribution

Jane Campion’s first feature is a black comedy about a dysfunctional suburban family defined by the conflict between the emotionally volatile titular character and her long-suffering sister. Hailed for its originality, the film was recently restored to bring the full glory of retro Australian domesticity back to life: think floral carpets and wallpaper, green kitchen cabinets, a four-burner stove and a Hills Hoist out the back.

"Jane Campion at her bold, eccentric best. Funny, strange, intimate - Sweetie is a reminder that we’re at our most interesting when we take risks."

John Polson

Recommended by

John Polson

actor and director

Kate Jinx

MIFF curator

Robert Connolly

director

I recommend this movie!

125

Breaker Morant

Bruce Beresford, 1980

Runtime: 1h 47m

Rating: PG

Roadshow Entertainment

Set in the aftermath of the Boer War, as three Australian officers face trial for war crimes, Bruce Beresford’s career-defining film was intended as an exploration of how atrocities can be "committed by people who appear to be quite normal". The film won 10 AFI awards, including best film and best director, and had the unintended effect of making heroes of the co-accused. Jack Thompson was named best actor for his feisty performance as the trio’s defence lawyer, berating the military prosecutors who have already decided their fate.

“Beresford, (Bryan) Brown, Thompson and (cinematographer Don) McAlpine. Oz superstars.”

Phillip Noyce

Recommended by

Phillip Noyce

director

John Polson

actor and director

Lee Smith

film editor

I recommend this movie!

715

Moulin Rouge!

Baz Luhrmann, 2001

Runtime: 2h 7m

Rating: M

Disney+

20th Century Fox

Set in Paris’ famous windmilled cabaret, this no-holds-barred celebration of ‘‘truth, beauty, freedom and love’’ follows lovelorn poet Christian (Ewan McGregor) in his doomed pursuit of courtesan Satine (Nicole Kidman). The costumes are glittering, the music infectious, and a swing has never been put to such seductive effect. Dripping with gorgeousness, the film’s visuals won a slew of awards, including Oscars for best art direction and costume design.

“An utter spectacle of camp, I love Moulin Rouge! for its unapologetically referential pastiche of music and narrative, dazzling design and the hyperactive energy of the musical performances.”

Hannah Kent

Recommended by

Hannah Kent

author

David Michôd

director

Garry Maddox

film writer

Already voted

510

The Castle

Rob Sitch, 1997

Runtime: 1h 25m

Rating: M

Village Roadshow

A celebration of Australian suburbia and its associated vernacular, this homegrown comedy elevates our inherent dagginess into cinematic gold. The Kerrigans’ modest weatherboard home might be built on toxic landfill and back onto Melbourne’s main airport but when a compulsory acquisition order threatens to unseat them, Aussie battler Darryl decides to dig in. With its classic lines such as ‘‘tell him he’s dreamin’’’ and ‘‘suffer in your jocks’’ the film took out best original screenplay at the AACTA awards.

"Ingenious in its simplicity. Hilarious and deceptively wise. Low budget in all the best ways: all that matters is everything else. It celebrates the heart of Australia with charm. Characters we all recognise. Too many iconic lines to mention (eg. 'pool room', 'wogs with cash', 'serenity'). Still makes me laugh out loud, even when I’m not watching it. One of those films I’ll never skip a chance to watch."

John Polson

Recommended by

John Polson

actor and director

Meagan Loader

Chief Curator of the NFSA

Garry Maddox

film writer

Already voted

1.5k

Mad Max: Fury Road

George Miller, 2015

Runtime: 2h 0m

Rating: MA 15+

Netflix, Amazon Prime, Stan

Warner Bros

Replacing Mel Gibson in the titular role with British actor Tom Hardy signalled a change of energy for the dystopian hero, conjuring a more haunted warrior with little to say. The film also delivered a feminist icon in the form of Charlize Theron’s Imperator Furiosa, Max’s enemy and eventual ally. Off-screen, the stories of frequent clashes between the pair suggested that this really was a fight for survival, but Theron’s one-armed, bald-headed warrior became a lasting signpost of the film’s true fury.

“George Miller creates the most epic Australian film that electrifies every layer of cinematic storytelling and drives it with as much emotion as its astounding motion and badass women including editor Margaret Sixel.”

Unjoo Moon

Recommended by

Unjoo Moon

director

Jake Wilson

film critic

Garry Maddox

film writer

Already voted

360

Nitram

Justin Kurzel, 2021

Runtime: 1h 52m

Rating: MA 15+

Madman Films

Based on the events leading up to the Port Arthur massacre, this disturbing psychological drama stars Caleb Landry Jones as a troubled young man whose social isolation and fascination with guns has devastating results. The film was critically acclaimed, winning eight AACTA awards, including best picture, and Jones was named best actor at Cannes, but in the midst of controversy over whether it should have been made, many cinemas refused to screen it.

"Greatly performed, deeply intimate take on a culturally significant moment."

Hoa Xuande

Recommended by

Hoa Xuande

actor

Bruce Beresford

director

Damon Herriman

actor

I recommend this movie!

181

Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior

George Miller, 1981

Runtime: 1h 35m

Rating: MA 15+

Warner Bros

It’s little wonder that with a box-office haul of more than $150 million first time around, it wasn’t long before road warrior Max was back wandering the wastelands. Now recognised as one of the greatest action films - and greatest sequels - of all time, Mad Max 2 brought dress-ups to Broken Hill a full 13 years before Priscilla hit the road.

"1981, high school, a huge tour de force action film. Australian cinema sitting side by side with the massive commercial cinema of this era and my teenage years."

Robert Connolly

Recommended by

Robert Connolly

director

Damon Herriman

actor

Garry Maddox

film writer

Sandra Hall

film critic

I recommend this movie!

454

The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith

Fred Schepisi, 1978

Runtime: 2h 2m

Rating: M

Umbrella Entertainment

Based on the 1972 novel by Thomas Keneally and inspired by the true story of Indigenous man Jimmy Governor, this critically acclaimed film charts the racism and exploitation that drives the titular farmhand to declare war on his white oppressors, embarking on a killing spree for which he is eventually hanged. Disappointed by its poor box-office showing, Schepisi headed for Hollywood, only returning 10 years later to make A Cry in the Dark, about the disappearance of Azaria Chamberlain.

"I watched The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith again recently, and it remains as powerful as ever. A brave and uncompromising film about Australia, it still forces us to confront the violence and injustice that is an undeniable part of our nation’s history."

Kriv Stenders

Recommended by

Kriv Stenders

director

Warwick Thornton

director

Jennifer Kent

director

Margaret Pomeranz

film critic

I recommend this movie!

369

Love Serenade

Shirley Barrett, 1996

Runtime: 1h 41m

Rating: M

Roadshow Entertainment

In possibly the most bizarre exploration of rural isolation and lovesickness ever seen on local screens, small-town sisters Dimity (Miranda Otto) and Vicki-Ann (Rebecca Frith) compete for the affections of a multi-divorced DJ (George Shevtsov) with a shady past, a mellifluous voice and - here’s the weird bit - fish-like gills. With a killer soundtrack heavy on steamy Barry White songs, this compelling dark comedy seduced judges at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival, where it became the first Australian title to win the prestigious Camera d’Or.

"Love Serenade is likely one of my favourite films of all time - a work shaped by Shirley Barrett’s brilliant, idiosyncratic vision and anchored by Miranda Otto’s pitch-perfect comedic performance. The humour is deliciously unsettling, almost drifting towards horror, and in that space the film finds its genius."

Kriv Stenders

Recommended by

Hannah Kent

author

Kriv Stenders

director

Damon Herriman

actor

Gillian Armstrong

director

Already voted

132

Two Hands

Gregor Jordan, 1999

Runtime: 1h 43m

Rating: MA 15+

Umbrella Entertainment

This crime comedy-drama is a delightful mix of humour and menace, most strikingly in the character of underworld boss Pando (Bryan Brown), a complex man who can teach origami to his son while simultaneously ordering a hit. Heath Ledger stars as a hapless wannabe gangster who makes a potentially fatal mistake when he loses $10,000 of Pando’s money. The film, which also stars a young Rose Byrne, won five AFI awards, including best film and best director.

"I saw this four times at the cinema when it came out. It ticked every box for me in terms of story, performances, humour, originality and rewatchability. An instant Australian classic."

Damon Herriman

Recommended by

Damon Herriman

actor

Hoa Xuande

actor

Lee Smith

film editor

Emily Sexton

ACMI director of programming

Already voted

680

Snowtown

Justin Kurzel, 2011

Runtime: 1h 59m

Rating: R 18+

Apple TV, Stan

Palace Films

Justin Kurzel’s debut feature tells the shocking story of the Snowtown murders that rocked South Australia in the 1990s, when 12 people were murdered by a trio of killers; eight bodies were later found inside barrels in a disused bank vault. Powered by menacing performances and pared-back cinematography, this gritty depiction of social disadvantage and homophobic violence won a raft of AACTA awards, including best director, while critics’ reactions ranged from ‘‘masterpiece’’ to ‘‘unwatchable’’.

"It’s brutally bleak and graphically violent, but Snowtown’s depiction of a troubled community is the most authentic scripted social realism ever put on Australian screens."

CJ Johnson

Recommended by

CJ Johnson

film critic

Hannah Kent

author

David Michôd

director

Jennifer Kent

director

I recommend this movie!

188

Beneath Clouds

Ivan Sen, 2002

Runtime: 1h 30m

Rating: M

Netflix

Village Roadshow

Known for his arresting use of landscape, Ivan Sen based his debut feature on his own experiences of growing up with an Indigenous mother and an absent European father. As Vaughn and Lena (newcomers Damian Pitt and Dannielle Hall) head to Sydney from regional NSW without money or transport, they become symbols of frustrated adolescent longing - ‘‘You’re never gonna get out of this shithole; you know that, don’t you?’’ Hall was named best new talent at the 2002 Berlin Film Festival.

"It came at such an important time for Australia. Writing and making that film was incredibly brave.”

Warwick Thornton

Recommended by

Warwick Thornton

director

Phillip Noyce

director

Hoa Xuande

actor

Margaret Pomeranz

film critic

Deb Verhoeven

film critic

I recommend this movie!

106

Somersault

Cate Shortland, 2004

Runtime: 1h 46m

Rating: MA 15+

Apple TV, HBO Max

Hopscotch Films

This stunning feature debut follows troubled 16-year-old Heidi (Abbie Cornish), whose sexual awakening impacts her relationships with family and the strangers she meets after running away from home. It made history by taking out all 13 AFI awards for which it was nominated, including best film, best direction and best actress.

“One of the most confronting films I’d ever seen as a young filmmaker. It made me question myself. That’s the bravery of it.”

Warwick Thornton

Recommended by

Warwick Thornton

director

Hannah Kent

author

Bruce Beresford

director

Meagan Loader

Chief Curator of the NFSA

Gillian Armstrong

director

Already voted

256

Muriel’s Wedding

P. J. Hogan, 1994

Runtime: 1h 46m

Rating: M

Stan, HBO Max

Filmpac Distribution

A paean to the power of dreams, this big-haired, big-hearted film follows its eponymous heroine as she escapes family shackles and mean-girl bullying for a new life far from Porpoise Spit. Muriel's marital fantasies of meringue-style frocks and happily-ever-afters may be misguided, but a sassy bestie and an ABBA soundtrack can take a girl far. The film launched Toni Collette onto the world stage, and cemented that backhanded expression of sisterly admiration - ‘‘You’re terrible, Muriel’’ - into the Australian vernacular.

"Possibly the best Australian screenplay ever, taking us from cartoonish suburban grotesque to moving family tragedy, and giving us Collette, one of the world’s great actors."

CJ Johnson

Recommended by

CJ Johnson

film critic

Jake Wilson

film critic

Meagan Loader

Chief Curator of the NFSA

Emily Sexton

ACMI director of programming

Kate Jinx

MIFF curator

Already voted

1.1k

The Year of Living Dangerously

Peter Weir, 1982

Runtime: 1h 55m

Rating: M

Amazon Prime, Apple TV

MGM/UA

There’s a proud cinematic tradition of making films about journalists caught up in tumultuous times and this exploration of the overthrow of Indonesian president Sukarno in 1967 is among the best. Mel Gibson was praised for his performance as a novice journalist who stumbles upon a scoop but the real revelation was Linda Hunt as photo-journalist Billy Kwan, a role originally written as a man. Hunt won a slew of awards, including the Oscar and AACTA for best supporting actress.

“Intrigue, romance and Peter Weir are just the best combination. When I was a student at AFTRS (Australian Film, Television and Radio SchooI) I interned with Jim McElroy, the film’s producer, because I wanted to know everything about how this film was made.”

Unjoo Moon

Recommended by

Unjoo Moon

director

Robert Connolly

director

Sandra Hall

film critic

Hoa Xuande

actor

Lee Smith

film editor

I recommend this movie!

532

Rabbit-Proof Fence

Phillip Noyce, 2002

Runtime: 1h 34m

Rating: PG

Warner Bros

The horror of the government’s forced removal of Indigenous children from their families is brought home in this devastating story of three young girls who escape a government settlement and undertake the 1600-kilometre walk home, pursued by authorities. Based on Doris Pilkington Garimara’s 1996 book Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence, the film provoked bitter debate in a country still grappling with its colonial past but it remains a lasting testament to the damage done.

"Now synonymous with the Stolen Generation, I not only admire Rabbit-Proof Fence for the powerful performances of its three young actors, but also for its urging of a wider public reckoning with the Australian government’s forcible removal of Aboriginal children from their families."

Hannah Kent

Recommended by

Hannah Kent

author

Hoa Xuande

actor

Meagan Loader

Chief Curator of the NFSA

David Michôd

director

Garry Maddox

film writer

Already voted

787

The Piano

Jane Campion, 1993

Runtime: 2h 1m

Rating: M

JustWatch TV

Hoyts Distribution

This haunting historical romance follows a mute Scottish woman (Holly Hunter) who arrives with her daughter and beloved piano into an arranged marriage in a remote part of New Zealand. When her uptight settler husband (Sam Neill) refuses to transport her piano from the beach where they have landed, he sets off a chain of events that sends her into the arms of their neighbour (Harvey Keitel). With its brilliant performances, stunning scenery and Michael Nyman’s evocative soundtrack, the film took out 11 of the 13 AFI awards it was nominated for.

"Jane Campion perfectly navigates silence and sensuality to let us hear Ada’s voice so clearly and gives us the most daring romantic lead in the brilliant Harvey Keitel."

Unjoo Moon

Recommended by

Unjoo Moon

director

Hannah Kent

author

David Michôd

director

Phillip Noyce

director

Lee Smith

film editor

Gillian Armstrong

director

I recommend this movie!

742

Chopper

Andrew Dominik, 2000

Runtime: 1h 34m

Rating: R 18+

Mushroom Pictures

This dramatisation of the life of one of Australia’s most notorious criminals, Mark “Chopper” Read, became as legendary as the underworld figure himself, portrayed here by a barely recognisable Eric Bana, previously best known for his comic work. Not without its controversy - was it glorifying a violent criminal? - Chopper’s occasionally blackly comic tone doesn’t disguise his brutality.

“Andrew Dominik is the master and it's all there in his first movie.”

David Michôd

Recommended by

David Michôd

director

Warwick Thornton

director

Hoa Xuande

actor

Damon Herriman

actor

Jennifer Kent

director

Margaret Pomeranz

film critic

I recommend this movie!

630

Animal Kingdom

David Michôd, 2010

Runtime: 1h 53m

Rating: MA 15+

Amazon Prime, Stan

Madman Entertainment

This gritty debut feature about a suburban crime family, headed up by terrifying matriarch Janine “Smurf” Cody, (Jacki Weaver in an unexpected turn) became an instant hit, garnering critical acclaim and multiple awards at home and overseas. It reinvigorated Weaver’s career and launched her and co-star Ben Mendelsohn into Hollywood. Violent, poignant and deeply unnerving, it was later made into a successful American TV series.

“David Michôd made the whole world sit up and take notice with his first feature. He absolutely knocked it out of the park - and made every Australian actor wish they were Jacki Weaver, Ben Mendelsohn, Joel Edgerton or Sullivan Stapleton, whose international careers took off spectacularly after its release.”

Damon Herriman

Recommended by

Damon Herriman

actor

Hannah Kent

author

Hoa Xuande

actor

Sandra Hall

film critic

Lee Smith

film editor

Garry Maddox

film writer

Margaret Pomeranz

film critic

I recommend this movie!

690

Strictly Ballroom

Baz Luhrmann, 1992

Runtime: 1h 34m

Rating: PG

Ronin Films

Baz Luhrmann’s feature debut announced the arrival of an exhilarating new voice in Australian cinema. With its sardonic humour and snarky exchanges, this romantic comedy starring Paul Mercurio, Tara Morice and Bill Hunter whirled its way across the dancefloor and into our hearts with characters and dialogue that spoke to our collective spirit of self-deprecation. Only a director with insider knowledge of the cutthroat world of competitive ballroom dancing (Luhrmann studied it as a child and his mother later worked as a ballroom dance teacher) would have dared.

“Strictly Ballroom was revolutionary in many ways, but one of the most important was by shattering the myth of the Australian male hero, replacing shears and beers with sequins and the paso doble.”

CJ Johnson

Recommended by

CJ Johnson

film critic

Bruce Beresford

director

Sandra Hall

film critic

Meagan Loader

Chief Curator of the NFSA

Unjoo Moon

director

Phillip Noyce

director

Garry Maddox

film writer

I recommend this movie!

1.0k

Mad Max

George Miller, 1979

Runtime: 1h 33m

Rating: MA 15+

Roadshow Entertainment

The film that launched a franchise and redefined the great Australian road trip pitted a young Mel Gibson against a future full of mad men, with only ‘‘600 horses of fuel-injected vengeance’’ to keep him safe. It might have been intended as a cautionary tale inspired by George Miller’s experiences as an emergency medic, but rev-heads the world over rejoiced at the sight of supercharged hoon-mobiles leaving speed limits in their wake. Its Guinness World Record for the highest box-office-to-budget ratio was only busted 20 years later by The Blair Witch Project.

“The progenitor not just of a huge franchise but of an entire kind of typology that would define much Australian cinema for years to come - psychotic, grotesque, super camp and very, very violent, in whatever combination. I would argue that everything, from the Ozploitation canon to Priscilla, Muriel's and Strictly Ballroom, has its roots in the first (and best) Mad Max.”

David Michôd

Recommended by

David Michôd

director

Bruce Beresford

director

CJ Johnson

film critic

John Polson

actor and director

Phillip Noyce

director

Lee Smith

film editor

Jennifer Kent

director

I recommend this movie!

738

Wake in Fright

Ted Kotcheff, 1971

Runtime: 1h 49m

Rating: MA 15+

United Artists / Madman

This adaptation of Kenneth Cook’s 1961 novel is now regarded as a classic of the Australian New Wave but local audiences were slow to embrace its depiction of outback brutality, as seen through the eyes of a visiting English school teacher. The language was hard, the drinking harder and the scenes of a real-life roo hunt challenged our sometimes misty-eyed self-image. During one early screening, a viewer famously stood up and yelled "That's not us!". Jack Thompson, who plays one of the town’s hard-drinking miners, responded: "Sit down, mate. It is us."

“This one shook me to the core and is unlike any Australian film I’d seen before or since. A confronting look at our psyche, and one of the great ‘can’t shake it off’ films.”

John Polson

Recommended by

John Polson

actor and director

Robert Connolly

director

Jake Wilson

film critic

CJ Johnson

film critic

Meagan Loader

Chief Curator of the NFSA

David Michôd

director

Jennifer Kent

director

Kate Jinx

MIFF curator

Already voted

526

Picnic at Hanging Rock

Peter Weir, 1975

Runtime: 1h 55m

Rating: PG

Amazon Prime, Apple TV

BEF Film Distribution

Based on the 1967 novel by Joan Lindsay, the haunting tale of the mysterious disappearance of three schoolgirls in 1900 established Australia’s place in world cinema. With dreamy, hypnotic cinematography, an atmospheric score and an ambiguous ending, Peter Weir’s adaptation of the mystery/horror novel subtly explored themes of class, repression and colonialism, and remains one of the most acclaimed Australian films.

“An extraordinarily haunting film that holds true to the unsettling power of Joan Lindsay’s novel, Picnic at Hanging Rock remains timeless in its consideration of colonial and imperial disconnection from, and fear of, an ancient land.”

Hannah Kent

Recommended by

Hannah Kent

author

Bruce Beresford

director

John Polson

actor and director

CJ Johnson

film critic

Unjoo Moon

director

Lee Smith

film editor

Kate Jinx

MIFF curator

Jennifer Kent

director

I recommend this movie!

907

Gallipoli

Peter Weir, 1981

Runtime: 1h 50m

Rating: PG

Binge

Roadshow Entertainment

This iconic depiction of a defining moment in Australia’s history follows a group of young men as their youthful sense of adventure and patriotism is shattered by the realities of war. The film that helped to launch Mel Gibson’s international career boasts one of the most powerful closing scenes in local film history, leaving no doubt about where director Peter Weir and writer David Williamson stand on the question of war’s futility. A slew of AACTA awards, including best film, best direction and best actor helped cement its reputation as an Australian classic.

“Few films have left me as devastated as this one. I literally could not get out of my seat at the end. It is one of Peter Weir’s finest works as it follows the fortunes, or misfortunes, of two young men who enlist during World War I and find themselves fighting in the Gallipoli campaign.”

Margaret Pomeranz

Recommended by

Unjoo Moon

director

Robert Connolly

director

Damon Herriman

actor

John Polson

actor and director

Phillip Noyce

director

Lee Smith

film editor

Garry Maddox

film writer

Jennifer Kent

director

Margaret Pomeranz

film critic

Already voted

1.3k

Samson & Delilah

Warwick Thornton, 2009

Runtime: 1h 41m

Rating: MA 15+

SBS On Demand, Stan

Madman Entertainment

Warwick Thornton wrote, directed and shot his debut feature about two Indigenous teenagers who find love amid the hardship of an outback settlement, winning the Caméra d'Or at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival along the way. With little dialogue and lingering shots of their unadorned faces, first-time stars Rowan McNamara and Marissa Gibson steal our hearts in a film that is at turns devastating and uplifting. It won five AFI awards, including best film, and Thornton, named best director and cinematographer, cemented his place as one of our finest cinematic storytellers.

"Watching Samson & Delilah for the first time was exhilarating - a purely cinematic experience made so lovingly and intimately by a brilliant new voice. It was incredibly refreshing to see its lead characters captured with such honesty and beauty, each frame alive with care, emotion, and quiet power."

Kriv Stenders

Recommended by

John Polson

actor and director

Hoa Xuande

actor

Kriv Stenders

director

Robert Connolly

director

Jake Wilson

film critic

Unjoo Moon

director

Garry Maddox

film writer

Kate Jinx

MIFF curator

Margaret Pomeranz

film critic

Already voted

541

--------------

Meet the judges who chose the top 50 Australian films of all time

Whether they’re working behind or in front of the camera, or just sitting before a screen, our 24 judges are among Australia’s most passionate and informed moviegoers. Their insightful and sometimes surprising recommendations remind us that local cinema is in safe hands.

by Lindy Percival, Nathanael Scott, Daniel Carter and the Visual Stories Team

April 29, 2026

Top 50 movies

Browse by genre

Margaret Pomeranz

film critic

Warwick Thornton

director

David Michôd

director

Bruce Beresford

director

Gillian Armstrong

director

Phillip Noyce

director

Jennifer Kent

director

Kriv Stenders

director

Damon Herriman

actor

Hannah Kent

author

Lee Smith

film editor

Robert Connolly

director

John Polson

actor and director

Hoa Xuande

actor

Kate Jinx

MIFF curator

Emily Sexton

ACMI director of programming

Meagan Loader

Chief Curator of the NFSA

Jake Wilson

film critic

CJ Johnson

film critic

Deb Verhoeven

film critic

Garry Maddox

film writer

Sandra Hall

film critic

Unjoo Moon

director

Adrian Danks

author

Each judge was asked to name their 10 personal favourites (some exceeded the limit, proving what a tough ask that is) and our final list was compiled according to the number of votes each film received.

In all, more than 100 films were nominated, but only those with two or more votes made the final 50. Where films received an equal number of votes, placement was weighted according to individual judges’ rankings. Throughout the process, there were surprises and discoveries, and the results have left us with an even deeper appreciation of the brilliance of our local film scene. We thank the judges for their contribution to what we hope will be a lasting tribute to Australian cinema.

Margaret Pomeranz

film critic

Margaret Pomeranz is a celebrated film critic, writer and producer best known for co-hosting the long-running TV programs The Movie Show and At The Movies with David Stratton. She is also known for being a passionate opponent of censorship and for her deadpan delivery of The Margie Awards on Charlie Pickering’s The Weekly.

Samson & Delilah

Gallipoli

Animal Kingdom

Chopper

Beneath Clouds

The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith

The Babadook

Romeo + Juliet

Dead Calm

Three Thousand Years of Longing

Warwick Thornton

director

Warwick Thornton is a director, screenwriter and cinematographer whose 2009 debut film, Samson & Delilah, is number one in our judges’ selection of the best Australian films of all time. His second feature, Sweet Country, from 2017, comes in at number 40. His latest film, Wolfram, releases in April.

Chopper

Somersault

Beneath Clouds

The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith

Dogs in Space

Bad Boy Bubby

Wrong Side of the Road

Backroads

beDevil

Radiance

One Night the Moon

David Michôd

director

David Michôd is a producer, director, screenwriter and actor who is best known for directing 2010’s Animal Kingdom, which is number 7 on our Top 50 list.

Wake in Fright

Mad Max

Chopper

The Piano

Rabbit-Proof Fence

Snowtown

Moulin Rouge!

The Boys

Ghosts of the Civil Dead

The Proposition

All This Mayhem

Bruce Beresford

director

Bruce Beresford is a director whose films include The Adventures of Barry McKenzie (1972), Driving Miss Daisy (1989) and Mao’s Last Dancer (2009). His 1980 film, Breaker Morant, is number 24 on our Top 50 list.

Picnic at Hanging Rock

Mad Max

Strictly Ballroom

Somersault

Nitram

Ten Canoes

The Year My Voice Broke

The Dish

The Devil’s Playground

Shine

Gillian Armstrong

director

Gillian Armstrong is an award-winning director whose debut feature, My Brilliant Career, is number 45 on our Top 50 list. She went on to direct scores of documentaries and feature films, including Starstruck (number 50) in 1982, Little Women in 1994 and Oscar and Lucinda in 1997.

The Piano

Somersault

Love Serenade

The Babadook

Malcolm

Babyteeth

52 Tuesdays

Head On

Proof

Black Dress

Phillip Noyce

director

Phillip Noyce is a film and TV director whose films include Newsfront (1978) and The Quiet American (2002). Our Top 50 list includes two of his films: Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002) at number 10 and Dead Calm (1989) at number 49.

Gallipoli

Mad Max

Strictly Ballroom

The Piano

Beneath Clouds

Breaker Morant

Sweet Country

Starstruck

2:37

Winter Of Our Dreams

Jennifer Kent

director

Jennifer Kent is a director, screenwriter and former actress who worked with Danish director Lars von Trier before directing her debut future, The Babadook (2014), which is number 29 in our Top 50 list. Her second award-winning feature film was The Nightingale (2018).

Gallipoli

Picnic at Hanging Rock

Wake in Fright

Mad Max

Chopper

Snowtown

The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith

Walkabout

Ten Canoes

The Last Wave

Kriv Stenders

director

Kriv Stenders is a writer and director whose films include Red Dog (2011) and The Correspondent (2024).

Samson & Delilah

Love Serenade

The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith

Terror Nullius

Dogs in Space

Birdeater

Ghosts of the Civil Dead

Better Man

You Won't Be Alone

The Cars That Ate Paris

Damon Herriman

actor

Damon Herriman is an actor, writer and director who is known for his performances in local and international productions including Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) and The Artful Dodger (2023). He stars in our number 48 film, Better Man.

Gallipoli

Animal Kingdom

Chopper

Two Hands

Love Serenade

Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior

Nitram

Birdeater

Malcolm

The Stranger

Hannah Kent

author

Hannah Kent is an award-winning writer whose three novels, Burial Rites (2013), The Good People (2016) and Devotion (2021) have been optioned for film or TV adaptations. She is also the author of the memoir Always Home, Always Homesick (2025).

Picnic at Hanging Rock

Animal Kingdom

The Piano

Rabbit-Proof Fence

Somersault

Snowtown

Love Serenade

Moulin Rouge!

Sweet Country

Look Both Ways

Lee Smith

film editor

Lee Smith is a film editor whose work includes The Truman Show (1998), The Dark Knight (2008) and Interstellar (2014). He won the Academy Award for Best Film Editing on Christopher Nolan’s 2017 film, Dunkirk, and edited two of our Top 50 films: Two Hands (1999) and Better Man (2024).

Gallipoli

Picnic at Hanging Rock

Mad Max

Animal Kingdom

The Piano

The Year of Living Dangerously

Two Hands

Breaker Morant

Walkabout

Dead Calm

Robert Connolly

director

Robert Connolly is a director, producer and screenwriter best known for his films Balibo (2009), Paper Planes (2014) and TV series The Slap (2011) and The Dry (2020).

Samson & Delilah

Gallipoli

Wake in Fright

The Year of Living Dangerously

Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior

Sweetie

The Year My Voice Broke

Storm Boy

Joe Leahy's Neighbours

Babe

John Polson

actor and director

John Polson is an actor, director and founder of Tropfest. He stars in The Boys (1998), which is number 30 on our Top 50 list.

Samson & Delilah

Gallipoli

Picnic at Hanging Rock

Wake in Fright

Mad Max

The Castle

Breaker Morant

Sweetie

The Boys

Lantana

Hoa Xuande

actor

Hoa Xuande is an actor who is best known for his role as The Captain in the 2024 mini series The Sympathizer.

Samson & Delilah

Animal Kingdom

Chopper

Rabbit-Proof Fence

The Year of Living Dangerously

Beneath Clouds

Two Hands

Nitram

The Dish

The Daughter

Kate Jinx

MIFF curator

Kate Jinx is a film critic and senior programmer for the Melbourne International Film Festival.

Samson & Delilah

Picnic at Hanging Rock

Wake in Fright

Muriel’s Wedding

Sweetie

Terror Nullius

Starstruck

Love and Other Catastrophes

Of An Age

Witches, Faggots, Dykes and Poofters

Emily Sexton

ACMI director of programming

Emily Sexton is the director of curatorial, programming and education at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne.

Muriel’s Wedding

Two Hands

Lion

My Brilliant Career

Romeo + Juliet

My Survival as an Aboriginal

The Bank

In My Blood It Runs

Good Luck to You, Leo Grande

Pasa Faho

Meagan Loader

Chief Curator of the NFSA

Meagan Loader is chief curator of the National Film and Sound Archive.

Wake in Fright

Strictly Ballroom

Rabbit-Proof Fence

Muriel’s Wedding

Somersault

The Castle

Babyteeth

The Sapphires

Talk to Me

Looking for Alibrandi

Jake Wilson

film critic

Jake Wilson is a film critic whose reviews appear in The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. He also lectures at the Australian College of the Arts.

Samson & Delilah

Wake in Fright

Muriel’s Wedding

Mad Max: Fury Road

In This Life's Body

They're a Weird Mob

I'll Be Home For Christmas

Mad Dog Morgan

Jedda

The Sentimental Bloke

CJ Johnson

film critic

CJ Johnson is a film critic who served as president of the Jury of International Film Critics at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. He lectures in cinema studies at Sydney Film School.

Picnic at Hanging Rock

Wake in Fright

Mad Max

Strictly Ballroom

Muriel’s Wedding

Snowtown

The Babadook

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

Bad Boy Bubby

Don's Party

Deb Verhoeven

film critic

Deb Verhoeven is an academic and film critic and visiting fellow at the University of Technology Sydney.

Beneath Clouds

Terror Nullius

Look Both Ways

Wrong Side of the Road

52 Tuesdays

Aya

The Dressmaker

Celia

Noise

Shame

Garry Maddox

film writer

Garry Maddox is a senior writer with The Sydney Morning Herald who frequently writes about Australian cinema. He is also co-author, with Richard Scolyer, of Brainstorm (2024).

Samson & Delilah

Gallipoli

Strictly Ballroom

Animal Kingdom

Rabbit-Proof Fence

Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Castle

Moulin Rouge!

Lion

Sandra Hall

film critic

Sandra Hall is an author and journalist whose film reviews appear in The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

Strictly Ballroom

Animal Kingdom

The Year of Living Dangerously

Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior

Lantana

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

The Devil’s Playground

Sunday Too Far Away

Monkey Grip

Lousy Little Sixpence

Unjoo Moon

director

Unjoo Moon is a producer and director best known for her 2019 film I Am Woman.

Samson & Delilah

Gallipoli

Picnic at Hanging Rock

Strictly Ballroom

The Piano

The Year of Living Dangerously

Mad Max: Fury Road

My Brilliant Career

Better Man

The Goddess of 1967

Adrian Danks

author