Aussies are world-renowned for their unique humour, quirky sayings, and interesting culture. Before you embark on your journey to Australia, get to know the country through film. Sit back and relax, it's time to watch a few Australian comedies, the classics, and even a bit of horror. Here is a list of 11 of the best movies to watch before you travel to Australia.
An absolute Australian classic, The Castle (1997) is bursting with Aussie humour, warmth, and quirkiness. The story is based on a working-class Australian family, The Kerrigans who live in Melbourne. Told they must leave their beloved family house due to an expansion of the next-door airport, find out why there is no place like home!
Socially awkward and unemployed Muriel lives in a dead-end town called Porpoise Spit together with her family. She dreams of a glamourous wedding and one day decides to steal money from her parents to become a 'real success.' A comedy-drama, this movie is sure to have you laughing in tears and feeling sentimental, with plenty of twists and turns along the way.
Australia (2008) is an unprecedented epic historical tale. Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman play the roles of Lady Sarah Ashley and the Australian drover. Lady Sarah Ashley is an English aristocrat who is forced to travel to the Australian Outback around 1940 to sell her late husband's cattle business. Soon enough she becomes enchanted by the landscape.
Particularly taken with the little boy Nullah, she decides not to sell the cattle farm, to the annoyance of some unsavoury types. To keep the cattle farm profitable, Lady Sarah has to travel to Darwin with a huge herd of cattle and is assisted by the drover. The pair absolutely hate each other, but gradually something blossoms between them. A romantic ending seems on the horizon when suddenly World War II breaks out.
Partially based on a true story, Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002) is set in Western Australia and tells the tale of three Aboriginal girls who are forcibly taken from their families in 1931. They escape and embark on an epic journey more than 2000 kilometres in length, following the rabbit-proof fence which divides the Australian continent. A captivating movie that touches on the hardship Indigenous Australians experienced during the Stolen Generation period.
Based on the autobiography written by Mark "Chopper" Reid, this intense story was written while serving a jail sentence in prison. The book is called, From the Inside and was a best seller. A crime drama film, Chopper is played by Australian actor, Eric Bana. Described as one of the most original crime films, it is sure to take you on an electrifying journey.
Action-packed and filled with laughter, the Crocodile Dundee (1986) is a well-known film set in the Australian Outback. It was originally made for an American audience but proved to be a worldwide phenomenon. The main character, Mick Dundee is played by Paul Hogan, and the reporter, Sue Charlton is played by an American actress, Linda Kozlowski. Catch a glimpse of the natural beauty of the Northern Territory and watch as an interesting love story unfolds.
A worldwide hit, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994) is a road-trip comedy film. Go on a journey across the Australian Outback from Sydney to Alice Springs in a tour bus. Along the way, follow the story of a group of transgender 'drag queens' who perform for various groups of people. Academy Award winner of Best Costume Design at the 67th Academy Awards, the movie is colourful, sparkling, fun, and heartwarming.
An adaptation of Dick King Smith's novel from 1983 called the Sheep-pig, Babe (1995) is a comedy-drama. It is the story of a once orphaned, farm pig who wants to do the same work as a sheepdog. Almost cooked for Christmas dinner, the pig saves himself by showing his master Hoggett that he can sort the hens, separating them by colour - white and brown. Curious, Hoggett decides to take him to the field and test Babe with the sheep. Watch as Babe is entered in the local sheep herding competition and proves everyone wrong. Cute and quirky, this film is a must-watch if you are an animal lover.
An Australian romantic comedy film, Strictly Ballroom (1992) is directed and co-written by the talented Baz Luhrmann. Set in Sydney, the story is based around the son of a family of ballroom dancers, Scott Hastings. He has been in dance training since the age of six and struggles with finding his own dance style to win the Pan-Pacific Grand Prix Dancing Championship. Watch as the story unfolds and Scott risks his career by performing an unusual routine. Does he succeed with his new dance partner?
Are you ready to watch an Australian horror film? Not for the faint-hearted, Wolf Creek (2005), is a story about two backpackers who find themselves taken captive and hunted by a psychopathic serial killer. The movie starts in Broome, Western Australia, whereby the two British girls, Liz and Kristy drive together with an Australian friend Ben across the country, hoping to reach Cairns via the Great Northern Highway. Along the way, they make a stop at Wolf Creek National Park and the terror begins.
Based on a true story, Ned Kelly (2003) was an Australian bushranger, outlaw, and leader of the Kelly gang. Renowned for wearing a bulletproof suit in his final shootout with the police, the movie captures an interesting part of Australia's history. Kelly is played by Heath Ledger as he flees to the outback with his brother and two other gang members. Along the way, the gang's reputation grows, while a little romance blossoms, just before the final violent blowout in the town of Glenrowan.
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