Notable Australian Films
by zzzorf | created - 14 May 2017 | updated - 05 Jun 2017 | PublicAustralia has a rich history of film. These are the most notable movies to come out of my home country.
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1. The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906)
Not Rated | 70 min | Action, Adventure, Biography
Originally 70 minutes in running time, only 17 minutes of the world's first full-length narrative feature film survived in stills and other fragments and tell the story of Ned Kelly, an infamous 19th-century Australian outlaw.
Director: Charles Tait | Stars: Elizabeth Tait, John Tait, Nicholas Brierley, Norman Campbell
Votes: 891
The world's first feature-length film.
2. Moora Neya, or The Message of the Spear (1911)
Harry Earl is in love with the station owner's daughter. The manager makes advances on her, but Earl beats him up. The overseer urges some Aborigines to kill Earl but one of them, alerts the station men by writing a message on a spear.
Director: Alfred Rolfe | Stars: Ethel Phillips, Charles Villiers, Stanley Walpole
One of the first films to depict Aborigines.
3. The Sentimental Bloke (1919)
106 min | Drama, Romance
A down-at-heal ex-convict undergoes an epiphany as he experiences the love of a good woman for the first time.
Director: Raymond Longford | Stars: Arthur Tauchert, Lottie Lyell, Gilbert Emery, Stanley Robinson
Votes: 299
Made by Raymond Longford and Lottie Lyell, the best-known partnership in Australian film at that time.
4. For the Term of His Natural Life (1927)
101 min | Adventure, Crime, Drama
A convict, wrongfully accused and sent a harsh prison colony, attempts to escape.
Director: Norman Dawn | Stars: George Fisher, Eva Novak, Dunstan Webb, Jessica Harcourt
Votes: 131
The most expensive Australian silent film ever made.
5. In the Wake of the Bounty (1933)
66 min | Action, Drama
A former member of the crew of the HMS Bounty recounts the story of the mutiny aboard ship.
Director: Charles Chauvel | Stars: Arthur Greenaway, Mayne Lynton, Errol Flynn, Victor Gouriet
Votes: 364
First film to star Errol Flynn, an iconic Australian "swashbuckler" character.
6. 40,000 Horsemen (1940)
Approved | 100 min | Drama, History, War
Three young Australians join the army at the beginning of World War I and are assigned to the Australian Light Horse cavalry, which is serving in Palestine. The three eventually take part ... See full summary »
Director: Charles Chauvel | Stars: Grant Taylor, Betty Bryant, Chips Rafferty, Pat Twohill
Votes: 238
One of the most successful films of its day.
7. Kokoda Front Line! (1942)
9 min | Documentary, Short, War
Cameraman Damien Parer has just returned from the front in New Guinea, where he's documented Australian troops in action. He explains this to us in a prolog. We then see air drops of ... See full summary »
Stars: Peter Bathurst, Damien Parer
Votes: 271
First Australian film to win an Oscar, for Best Documentary Feature in 1942.
8. Jedda the Uncivilized (1955)
101 min | Adventure, Drama, History
Set against the harsh natural surrounds of outback Northern Territory, Jedda captures a rare and honest glimpse into the heart and history of indigenous Australia. Young Jedda is caught ... See full summary »
Director: Charles Chauvel | Stars: Rosalie Kunoth-Monks, Robert Tudawali, Betty Suttor, Paul Reynall
Votes: 401
First Australian film to have two indigenous lead actors.
10. Three in a Million (1959)
49 min
Director: Jennie Blackwood | Stars: Emanuele Lazzarotti, Kitty McNicol, Sepp Stadler
11. I, the Aboriginal (1961 TV Movie)
56 min | Documentary
'I, the Aboriginal' is an Australian television film based around the autobiography of the same name and the life of Alawa Aboriginal man Phillip Waipuldanya Roberts. The film covers his ... See full summary »
Director: Cecil Holmes | Star: Max Meldrum
12. Clay (1965)
85 min | Drama
A killer on the run is found lying flat on his face in a wet clay bank. He is rescued by potters who shelter him within their community. There he falls in love with a woman. Unfortunately, ... See full summary »
Director: Giorgio Mangiamele | Stars: Jean Lebedew, George Dixon, Chris Tsalikis, Claude Thomas
Votes: 46
Cannes Festival official entry.
13. They're a Weird Mob (1966)
112 min | Adventure, Comedy, Romance
An Italian sports journalist arrives in Australia but finds no work. The only employment he can find is as a builder's labourer. At first, he cannot comprehend the culture, but eventually he finds mateship and romance.
Director: Michael Powell | Stars: Walter Chiari, Claire Dunne, Chips Rafferty, Alida Chelli
Votes: 1,172
Said to have been one factor leading to the founding of the Australian film industry.
14. Concerto for Orchestra (1965)
26 min | Short
Director: Robert Parker | Stars: Dean Dixon, Sydney Symphony Orchestra
16. The Talgai Skull: An Investigation Into the Origin of the Australian Aborigines (1968)
58 min | Documentary
Director: Tom Haydon
17. Jack and Jill: A Postscript (1970)
67 min
Jack, a working class biker, meets Gillian, a middle-class kindergarten teacher from the other side of the Maribyrnong Creek, and they start to go out together, despite their different interests.
Directors: Phillip Adams, Brian Robinson | Stars: Anthony Ward, Judy Leech, Lindsay Howatt, Stanley Randall
Votes: 16
18. The Intruders (1969)
Not Rated | 100 min | Family
Head Ranger Matt Hammond (Ed Devereaux) and Flight Ranger Jerry King (Tony Bonner) dealing with two suspicious divers seeking permits to fish off the coasts of Waratah National Park. Their real motives, however, are more nefarious.
Director: Lee Robinson | Stars: Ed Devereaux, Tony Bonner, Ken James, Garry Pankhurst
Votes: 61
Spin-off of the Skippy the Bush Kangaroo TV series.
19. Three to Go (1971)
90 min | Drama
Three stories, each presenting a young Australian at a moment of decision about their future.
Directors: Brian Hannant, Oliver Howes, Peter Weir | Stars: Matthew Burton, Grahame Bond, Peter Colville, Georgina West
Votes: 121
20. Homesdale (1971)
50 min | Comedy, Drama
Guests arrive at an expensive private guest house on a remote island near Sydney. The guest house and weird activities, like theatre sports and orienteering, are run by a leery eccentric. ... See full summary »
Director: Peter Weir | Stars: Geoff Malone, Grahame Bond, Kate Fitzpatrick, Barry Donnelly
Votes: 259
21. Walkabout (1971)
GP | 100 min | Adventure, Drama
Two city-bred siblings are stranded in the Australian Outback, where they learn to survive with the aid of an Aboriginal boy on his "walkabout": a ritual separation from his tribe.
Director: Nicolas Roeg | Stars: Jenny Agutter, David Gulpilil, Luc Roeg, John Meillon
Votes: 27,341 | Gross: $0.02M
22. Stork (1971)
85 min | Comedy
A gangly, awkward, would-be revolutionary loses his virginity to the vivacious hippie girlfriend of his two flatmates, and becomes hell-bent on sabotaging her wedding to one of them.
Director: Tim Burstall | Stars: Bruce Spence, Jacki Weaver, Helmut Bakaitis, Graeme Blundell
Votes: 213
23. Wake in Fright (1971)
R | 109 min | Drama, Thriller
After a bad gambling bet, a schoolteacher is marooned in a town full of crazy, drunk, violent men who threaten to make him just as crazy, drunk, and violent.
Director: Ted Kotcheff | Stars: Donald Pleasence, Gary Bond, Chips Rafferty, Sylvia Kay
Votes: 13,956 | Gross: $0.05M
Entered into the 1971 Cannes Film Festival.
24. Marco Polo Jr. (1972)
G | 80 min | Animation, Family
Marco Polo Jr., the descendant of the legendary explorer, goes on a daring journey in search of his own destiny.
Director: Eric Porter | Stars: Bobby Rydell, Arnold Stang, Corie Sims, Kevin Golsby
Votes: 95
Australia's first animated feature film.
25. Libido (1973)
117 min | Drama
Explores adultery and jealous fantasies, the end of innocence, the moral and spiritual conflicts of a priest and a nun in love. The stories define the exploration of women and the cultural upheaval of the early 70s.
Directors: David Baker, Tim Burstall, John B. Murray, Fred Schepisi | Stars: Elke Neidhart, Bryon Williams, Mark Albiston, John Williams
Votes: 104
26. 27A (1974)
86 min | Drama
A middle-aged "metho" drinker joins Alcoholics Anonymous and undergoes a psychiatric examination. As a consequence, he is committed to a hospital for the criminally insane, to be detained ... See full summary »
Director: Esben Storm | Stars: Bill Hunter, Robert McDarra, David Curtiss, Haydn Keenan
Votes: 48
27. The Cars That Ate Paris (1974)
PG | 88 min | Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi
The small town of Paris, Australia deliberately causes car accidents, then sells/salvages all valuables from the wrecks as a means of economy.
Director: Peter Weir | Stars: Terry Camilleri, John Meillon, Kevin Miles, Rick Scully
Votes: 4,422
28. Stone (1974)
Not Rated | 132 min | Action, Drama, Adventure
After one of its members witnesses a political assassination, a motorbike gang becomes the target of a string of murders, prompting a cop to join their ranks to determine who is responsible.
Director: Sandy Harbutt | Stars: Deryck Barnes, Sandy Harbutt, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Lex Mitchell
Votes: 1,774
29. Sunday Too Far Away (1975)
Not Rated | 94 min | Drama
A hard-drinking but hard-working gun shearer leads a group of Outback sheep herders into striking after wealthy landowners attempt to drive them from their territory.
Director: Ken Hannam | Stars: Jack Thompson, Max Cullen, Robert Bruning, Jerry Thomas
Votes: 947
Acclaimed for its realistic character portrayal.
30. Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975)
PG | 115 min | Drama, Mystery
During a rural summer picnic, a few students and a teacher from an Australian girls' school vanish without a trace. Their absence frustrates and haunts the people left behind.
Director: Peter Weir | Stars: Rachel Roberts, Anne-Louise Lambert, Vivean Gray, Helen Morse
Votes: 41,022 | Gross: $0.23M
One of the first Australian films to reach an international audience.
31. The Devil's Playground (1976)
107 min | Drama
Fred Schepisi's first feature is this lushly photographed period drama detailing a young boy's coming-of-age in a strict Catholic seminary in 1950s Australia.
Director: Fred Schepisi | Stars: Charles McCallum, John Frawley, Arthur Dignam, Nick Tate
Votes: 1,312
32. The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978)
108 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
After suffering racist abuse throughout his life - which intensifies following his marriage to a white woman - a half-Aboriginal farmhand finds himself driven to murder.
Director: Fred Schepisi | Stars: Tommy Lewis, Freddy Reynolds, Angela Punch McGregor, Ray Barrett
Votes: 2,529
Entered into the 1978 Cannes Film Festival.
33. Storm Boy (1976)
Not Rated | 88 min | Drama, Family
Mike is a lonely Australian boy living in a coastal wilderness with his reclusive father. In search of friendship he encounters an Aboriginal native loner and the two form a bond in the care of orphaned pelicans.
Directors: Henri Safran, Ian Goddard | Stars: Greg Rowe, Peter Cummins, David Gulpilil, Judy Dick
Votes: 1,516
34. The Getting of Wisdom (1977)
Not Rated | 101 min | Drama
Oscar-nominated director Bruce Beresford (Driving Miss Daisy, Tender Mercies) crafts a tender coming-of-age tale that introduces one of Australian literature's most beloved characters to ... See full summary »
Director: Bruce Beresford | Stars: Susannah Fowle, Dorothy Bradley, Patricia Kennedy, Sheila Helpmann
Votes: 558
35. Newsfront (1978)
PG | 110 min | Drama, History
In post-war Australia the men and women of Cinetone struggle to produce the weekly news reels for the movie-going public.
Director: Phillip Noyce | Stars: Bill Hunter, Gerard Kennedy, Wendy Hughes, Chris Haywood
Votes: 903
36. Mouth to Mouth (1978)
96 min | Drama
Mouth to Mouth follows the lives of four young people, trying to improve their lives in a harsh and unforgiving city.
Director: John Duigan | Stars: Kim Krejus, Sonia Peat, Ian Gilmour, Serge Frazzetto
Votes: 89
37. Mad Max (1979)
R | 88 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
In a self-destructing world, a vengeful Australian policeman sets out to stop a violent motorcycle gang.
Director: George Miller | Stars: Mel Gibson, Joanne Samuel, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Steve Bisley
Votes: 222,274 | Gross: $8.75M
Held world record as the highest profit-to-cost ratio of a motion picture; introduced Mel Gibson to an international audience.
38. My Brilliant Career (1979)
G | 100 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
A proud young woman in early 20th century Australia must choose between marriage and independence.
Director: Gillian Armstrong | Stars: Judy Davis, Sam Neill, Wendy Hughes, Robert Grubb
Votes: 4,802
39. Tim (1979)
Not Rated | 109 min | Drama, Romance
A somewhat mentally handicapped 20-year-old man works as a laborer, but everyone abuses his naiveté. A nice 40-year-old American woman hires him one day and they become close. However, the town and his family see her as predatory.
Director: Michael Pate | Stars: Piper Laurie, Mel Gibson, Alwyn Kurts, Pat Evison
Votes: 3,686
40. Breaker Morant (1980)
PG | 107 min | Drama, History, War
Three Australian lieutenants are court martialed for executing prisoners as a way of deflecting attention from war crimes committed by their superior officers.
Director: Bruce Beresford | Stars: Edward Woodward, Jack Thompson, John Waters, Bryan Brown
Votes: 14,427 | Gross: $7.14M
Won Best Supporting Actor at the 1980 Cannes Film Festival.
41. Gallipoli (1981)
PG | 110 min | Adventure, Drama, History
Two Australian sprinters face the brutal realities of war when they are sent to fight in the Gallipoli campaign in Turkey during World War I.
Director: Peter Weir | Stars: Mel Gibson, Mark Lee, Bill Kerr, Harold Hopkins
Votes: 41,952 | Gross: $5.73M
42. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)
R | 96 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
In the post-apocalyptic Australian wasteland, a cynical drifter agrees to help a small, gasoline-rich community escape a horde of bandits.
Director: George Miller | Stars: Mel Gibson, Bruce Spence, Michael Preston, Max Phipps
Votes: 193,645 | Gross: $12.47M
43. Lonely Hearts (1982)
R | 106 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
In this offbeat comedy, an unlikely romance develops between a flamboyant, middle-aged piano tuner and an extremely timid office worker.
Director: Paul Cox | Stars: Wendy Hughes, Norman Kaye, Jon Finlayson, Julia Blake
Votes: 384 | Gross: $0.78M
44. Running on Empty (1982)
R | 83 min | Action, Drama, Sport
Mike is a young man who is a budding street racer, and owner of a Ford Falcon GT-HO Phase III. His best mate and mechanic, Tony, are both steel workers by day, but when they aren't working, they are racing.
Director: John Clark | Stars: Terry Serio, Deborah Conway, Max Cullen, Richard Moir
Votes: 510
45. The Man from Snowy River (1982)
PG | 102 min | Adventure, Drama, Romance
In 1880s Australia, after young Jim Craig's father dies, he takes a job at the Harrison cattle ranch, where he is forced to become a man.
Director: George Miller | Stars: Kirk Douglas, Tom Burlinson, Terence Donovan, Tommy Dysart
Votes: 10,029 | Gross: $20.66M
46. BMX Bandits (1983)
PG | 88 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A trio of teen BMX enthusiasts become entangled with a group of bank robbers after discovering their cache of walkie-talkies.
Director: Brian Trenchard-Smith | Stars: David Argue, John Ley, Nicole Kidman, Angelo D'Angelo
Votes: 6,019
Earliest film appearance of Nicole Kidman.
47. Careful, He Might Hear You (1983)
PG | 110 min | Drama
His mother dead, PS lives in Sydney with working-class Aunt Lila and Uncle George. When he's six or eight, his posh Aunt Vanessa descends from England. Named a co-guardian by PS's feckless,... See full summary »
Director: Carl Schultz | Stars: Wendy Hughes, Robyn Nevin, Nicholas Gledhill, John Hargreaves
Votes: 864
48. Phar Lap (1983)
PG | 107 min | Biography, Drama, Family
The true story of a New Zealand racehorse that became a champion, with the help of a local stable-boy.
Director: Simon Wincer | Stars: Tom Burlinson, Judy Morris, Martin Vaughan, Celia De Burgh
Votes: 1,967
49. A Test of Love (1984)
PG | 96 min | Drama
Due to an ignorant misdiagnosis, a three-year-old disabled girl was institutionalized and subsequently spent her entire childhood in a hospital for the severely retarded. A caring therapist helped her to prove her intellectual capability.
Director: Gil Brealey | Stars: Angela Punch McGregor, Drew Forsythe, Liddy Clark, Monica Maughan
Votes: 184
50. Bliss (1985)
R | 112 min | Comedy, Drama
After a near-death experience, a man wonders if he actually did die and is now in Hell.
Director: Ray Lawrence | Stars: Barry Otto, Lynette Curran, Helen Jones, Miles Buchanan
Votes: 1,419 | Gross: $0.66M
Entered into the 1985 Cannes Film Festival.
51. Burke & Wills (1985)
PG-13 | 140 min | Adventure, Drama, History
A story based on true events about two explorers on a doomed journey trying to cross Australia on foot in the 19 century.
Director: Graeme Clifford | Stars: Jack Thompson, Nigel Havers, Greta Scacchi, Matthew Fargher
Votes: 283
Screened at the 1986 Cannes Film Festival.
52. Crocodile Dundee (1986)
PG-13 | 97 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
An American reporter goes to the Australian outback to meet an eccentric crocodile poacher and invites him to New York City.
Director: Peter Faiman | Stars: Paul Hogan, Linda Kozlowski, John Meillon, David Gulpilil
Votes: 115,429 | Gross: $174.64M
Received international acclaim; nominated for an Oscar for Best Screenplay.
53. Malcolm (1986)
PG-13 | 85 min | Comedy, Crime, Sci-Fi
A socially awkward and mechanically gifted man becomes involved in a quirky and unconventional crime.
Director: Nadia Tass | Stars: Colin Friels, John Hargreaves, Lindy Davies, Chris Haywood
Votes: 2,842 | Gross: $0.54M
54. For Love Alone (1986)
102 min | History, Romance
A poor young woman in 1930's Australia falls in love with a dashing but arrogant teacher who preaches free love and watered down socialist precepts. She follows him to England, meeting a ... See full summary »
Director: Stephen Wallace | Stars: Helen Buday, Sam Neill, Hugo Weaving, Huw Williams
Votes: 205
Nominated for a Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival; Naomi Watts first film appearance.
55. The Lighthorsemen (1987)
PG | 131 min | Drama, History, War
In 1917 when the British forces are bogged down in front of the Turkish and German lines in Palestine they rely on the Australian light horse regiment to break the deadlock.
Director: Simon Wincer | Stars: Peter Phelps, Nick Waters, John Larking, Jack Heywood
Votes: 2,021
56. The Year My Voice Broke (1987)
PG-13 | 103 min | Drama, Romance
In rural 1960s Australia, a boy watches helplessly as his best friend falls in love with a small-time criminal, setting off a violent chain of events.
Director: John Duigan | Stars: Noah Taylor, Loene Carmen, Ben Mendelsohn, Graeme Blundell
Votes: 2,278 | Gross: $0.21M
57. Dogs in Space (1986)
R | 103 min | Drama
Two man are the key members of a band called 'Dogs in Space' and share a house in a Melbourne suburb with a variety of young music fans and social misfits, including a college student and a transient and apparently nameless teenage girl.
Director: Richard Lowenstein | Stars: Michael Hutchence, Saskia Post, Nique Needles, Deanna Bond
Votes: 1,374
58. Ground Zero (1987)
PG-13 | 109 min | Action, Drama, Mystery
A second generation cameraman in Australia finds evidence that his father had filmed a nuclear test that allowed aboriginies to be exposed to and killed by radiation. He begins a search for... See full summary »
Directors: Bruce Myles, Michael Pattinson | Stars: Colin Friels, Jack Thompson, Donald Pleasence, Natalie Bate
Votes: 550 | Gross: $0.20M
59. Ghosts... of the Civil Dead (1988)
93 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Prison gangs clash in a high-tech security jail where there are no rules.
Director: John Hillcoat | Stars: David Field, Mike Bishop, Chris DeRose, Kevin Mackey
Votes: 1,959
60. A Cry in the Dark (1988)
PG-13 | 120 min | Biography, Drama
A mother whose child was killed in a dingo attack in the Australian Outback fights to prove her innocence when she is accused of murder.
Director: Fred Schepisi | Stars: Meryl Streep, Sam Neill, Dale Reeves, David Hoflin
Votes: 11,204 | Gross: $6.91M
Best Actress Oscar Nomination for Meryl Streep and she won Best Actress at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival
61. Houseboat Horror (1989 Video)
85 min | Horror
A rowdy rock group are accompanied by a film crew to desolate Lake Infinity to produce a music video. One night the musicians visit the local pub while the various members of the film crew ... See full summary »
Directors: Kendal Flanagan, Ollie Martin | Stars: Alan Dale, Christine Jeston, Craig Alexander, Des McKenna
Votes: 331
62. Dead Calm (1989)
R | 96 min | Horror, Thriller
After a tragedy, John Ingram and his wife Rae are spending some time isolated at sea, when they come across a stranger who has abandoned a sinking ship.
Director: Phillip Noyce | Stars: Nicole Kidman, Sam Neill, Billy Zane, Rod Mullinar
Votes: 43,682 | Gross: $7.83M
Included on the New York Times Top 1000 Movies list.
63. Death in Brunswick (1990)
R | 109 min | Comedy, Crime, Thriller
Carl Fitzgerald is down-on-his-luck until he meets Sophie, a beautiful Greek girl. He gets a job as a cook, but accidentally kills a fellow worker. He turns to his unscrupulous best friend for help and they attempt to dispose of the body.
Director: John Ruane | Stars: Sam Neill, Zoe Carides, John Clarke, Yvonne Lawley
Votes: 1,444
64. Flirting (1991)
R | 99 min | Drama, Romance
Two freethinking teenagers - a boy and a girl - confront with authoritarian teachers in their boarding schools. The other students treat this differently.
Director: John Duigan | Stars: Noah Taylor, Thandiwe Newton, Nicole Kidman, Bartholomew Rose
Votes: 6,411 | Gross: $2.42M
65. The Big Steal (1990)
99 min | Comedy
To impress a girl a shy teenaged boy buys a used Jaguar.
Director: Nadia Tass | Stars: Ben Mendelsohn, Claudia Karvan, Marshall Napier, Damon Herriman
Votes: 1,461
66. Proof (1991)
R | 86 min | Drama, Romance
The life of a blind photographer who is looked after by a housekeeper is disrupted by the arrival of an agreeable restaurant worker.
Director: Jocelyn Moorhouse | Stars: Hugo Weaving, Geneviève Picot, Russell Crowe, Heather Mitchell
Votes: 7,124 | Gross: $0.52M
One of the first major films starring Russell Crowe and Hugo Weaving.
67. Romper Stomper (1992)
R | 94 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A group of skinheads become alarmed at the way their neighbourhood is changing.
Director: Geoffrey Wright | Stars: Russell Crowe, Daniel Pollock, Jacqueline McKenzie, Alex Scott
Votes: 41,613 | Gross: $0.18M
68. Strictly Ballroom (1992)
PG | 94 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
A maverick dancer risks his career by performing an unusual routine and sets out to succeed with a new partner.
Director: Baz Luhrmann | Stars: Paul Mercurio, Tara Morice, Bill Hunter, Pat Thomson
Votes: 29,400 | Gross: $11.74M
Nominated for Golden Globe, with additional 16 wins and 11 further nominations.
69. The Piano (1993)
R | 121 min | Drama, Music, Romance
In the mid-19th century a mute woman is sent to New Zealand along with her young daughter and prized piano for an arranged marriage to a farmer, but is soon lusted after by a farm worker.
Director: Jane Campion | Stars: Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, Sam Neill, Anna Paquin
Votes: 95,136 | Gross: $40.16M
New Zealand co-production; won 3 Oscars and received a further 5 nominations.
70. Sirens (1994)
R | 98 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
When a painting is termed blasphemous, a young minister and his wife visit the artist... and the three sexually playful models living with him.
Director: John Duigan | Stars: Hugh Grant, Tara Fitzgerald, Sam Neill, Elle Macpherson
Votes: 11,523 | Gross: $7.77M
71. Bad Boy Bubby (1993)
Not Rated | 114 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Bubby has spent thirty years trapped in the same small room, tricked by his mother. One day, he manages to escape and, deranged and naive in equal measures, his adventure into a modern and nihilistic life begins.
Director: Rolf de Heer | Stars: Nicholas Hope, Claire Benito, Ralph Cotterill, Syd Brisbane
Votes: 15,024
72. Metal Skin (1994)
TV-MA | 115 min | Action, Drama, Romance
A teenager's involvement with a young Don Juan, his girlfriend and a Satan-worshipping shoplifter leads to tragedy.
Director: Geoffrey Wright | Stars: Aden Young, Tara Morice, Nadine Garner, Ben Mendelsohn
Votes: 549
73. Muriel's Wedding (1994)
R | 106 min | Comedy, Drama
A young social outcast in Australia steals money from her parents to finance a vacation where she hopes to find happiness, and perhaps love.
Director: P.J. Hogan | Stars: Toni Collette, Rachel Griffiths, Bill Hunter, Sophie Lee
Votes: 41,722 | Gross: $15.19M
Had worldwide success; one of the first films introducing Toni Collette and Rachel Griffiths.
74. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)
R | 104 min | Comedy, Music
Two drag performers and a transgender woman travel across the desert to perform their unique style of cabaret.
Director: Stephan Elliott | Stars: Hugo Weaving, Guy Pearce, Terence Stamp, Rebel Penfold-Russell
Votes: 55,030 | Gross: $11.22M
A cult classic; now a performing musical production; the first large-scale appearance of Guy Pearce and Hugo Weaving. Screened at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival, won Academy Award for Best Costume Design.
75. The Sum of Us (1994)
R | 100 min | Comedy, Drama
A widowed father has to deal with two complex issues: while he is searching for "Miss Right," his son, who is in his 20s and gay, is searching for "Mr. Right."
Directors: Geoff Burton, Kevin Dowling | Stars: Jack Thompson, Russell Crowe, John Polson, Deborah Kennedy
Votes: 5,824 | Gross: $2.51M
76. Angel Baby (1995)
R | 105 min | Drama, Romance
Two schizophrenics meet during therapy and fall passionately in love. Ahead of them lies the inevitable road to disaster - one they share to the end.
Director: Michael Rymer | Stars: John Lynch, Jacqueline McKenzie, Colin Friels, Deborra-Lee Furness
Votes: 1,550
77. All Men Are Liars (1995)
91 min | Comedy
Mick's father, Barry, sells the family piano, causing Mick's mother, Irene to leave. In order to raise enough money to buy the piano back, Mick dresses in his mother's clothes and becomes ... See full summary »
Director: Gerard Lee | Stars: Toni Pearen, David Price, John Jarratt, Carmen Tanti
Votes: 322
78. Babe (1995)
G | 91 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
Gentle farmer Arthur Hoggett wins a piglet Babe at a county fair. Narrowly escaping his fate as Christmas dinner, Babe bonds with motherly border collie Fly and discovers that he too can herd sheep. But will the other animals accept him?
Director: Chris Noonan | Stars: James Cromwell, Magda Szubanski, Christine Cavanaugh, Miriam Margolyes
Votes: 134,090 | Gross: $66.60M
Won an Oscar for Best Achievement in Visual Effects; nominated for a further six.
79. Cosi (1996)
R | 100 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
Lewis is a young Sydney amateur theater director at his first experience: he is offered a job with a Governmental program for the rehabilitation of mentally ill patients in a Sydney ... See full summary »
Director: Mark Joffe | Stars: Ben Mendelsohn, Barry Otto, Toni Collette, Rachel Griffiths
Votes: 2,241
80. Shine (1996)
PG-13 | 105 min | Biography, Drama, Music
Pianist David Helfgott, driven by his father and teachers, has a breakdown. Years later he returns to the piano, to popular if not critical acclaim.
Director: Scott Hicks | Stars: Geoffrey Rush, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Justin Braine, Sonia Todd
Votes: 56,693 | Gross: $35.81M
Geoffrey Rush won Best Actor Oscar.
81. Idiot Box (1996)
R | 83 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Looking for the fast track out of suburban hell, two natural born losers scheme an impossible heist. Two undercover cops and a highly strung speed dealer are not far behind.
Director: David Caesar | Stars: Ben Mendelsohn, Jeremy Sims, John Polson, Graeme Blundell
Votes: 915
82. Hotel de Love (1996)
R | 96 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Twin brothers meet a childhood sweetheart at a tacky hotel and rediscover their love as they renew their competition for her affection.
Director: Craig Rosenberg | Stars: Aden Young, Saffron Burrows, Simon Bossell, Pippa Grandison
Votes: 676 | Gross: $0.11M
83. Love and Other Catastrophes (1996)
R | 78 min | Comedy, Romance
A day in the life of two film-school students trying to find love and another house-mate.
Director: Emma-Kate Croghan | Stars: Frances O'Connor, Alice Garner, Matt Day, Matthew Dyktynski
Votes: 2,073 | Gross: $0.21M
84. Dating the Enemy (1996)
97 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
A couple wake up one morning to find they have now switched bodies.
Director: Megan Simpson Huberman | Stars: Claudia Karvan, Guy Pearce, Matt Day, Lisa Hensley
Votes: 1,972
85. Love Serenade (1996)
R | 101 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
In Sunray, a backwater town on Australia's Murray River, there's little to do but fish or listen to the local radio station. D.J. Ken Sherry arrives from the hustle of Brisbane to run the ... See full summary »
Director: Shirley Barrett | Stars: Miranda Otto, Rebecca Frith, George Shevtsov, John Alansu
Votes: 1,663 | Gross: $0.58M
Screened at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival.
86. Romeo + Juliet (1996)
PG-13 | 120 min | Drama, Romance
Shakespeare's famous play is updated to the hip modern suburb of Verona still retaining its original dialogue.
Director: Baz Luhrmann | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Claire Danes, John Leguizamo, Harold Perrineau
Votes: 244,731 | Gross: $46.35M
87. Kiss or Kill (1997)
R | 96 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
After a robbery scam that goes bad, lovers Nikki and Al take off into the Australian outback, pursued by the police and a malevolent footballer named Zipper Doyle, and meet a number of offbeat characters.
Director: Bill Bennett | Stars: Matt Day, Frances O'Connor, Tiffany Peters, Julie Wood
Votes: 1,463 | Gross: $0.73M
88. Doing Time for Patsy Cline (1997)
95 min | Comedy, Drama
Following a passion for country music, Ralph leaves his father's sheep farm in a remote Australian town, armed with a guitar and a plane ticket to Nashville, Tennessee. He hopes to ... See full summary »
Director: Chris Kennedy | Stars: Richard Roxburgh, Miranda Otto, Matt Day, Tony Barry
Votes: 348 | Gross: $0.00M
89. The Castle (1997)
R | 85 min | Comedy, Drama
A working-class family from Melbourne, Australia fights city hall after being told they must vacate their beloved family home to allow for infrastructural expansion.
Director: Rob Sitch | Stars: Michael Caton, Anne Tenney, Stephen Curry, Anthony Simcoe
Votes: 17,491 | Gross: $0.86M
Low-budget box-office success, received national acclaim.
90. Year of the Dogs (1997)
85 min | Documentary, Sport
Year of the Dogs is a documentary detailing the turbulent 1996 season of the Australian Football League (AFL) team Footscray Football Club (now Western Bulldogs).
Director: Michael Cordell
Votes: 85
91. Road to Nhill (1997)
95 min | Comedy
One of three cars carrying lady bowls players is overdue. Unsure about which car, who the occupants might have been, or what might have happened to them, the locals embark on a chaotic course of action to try to solve the mystery.
Director: Sue Brooks | Stars: Tony Barry, Vikki Blanche, Paul Chubb, Lynette Curran
Votes: 194
Won the Golden Alexander award at the International Thessaloniki film festival.
92. The Wiggles Movie (1997)
G | 83 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
The Wiggles throw a surprise party for Dorothy the Dinosaur, while she goes after a magician who takes Greg's magic wand to become popular.
Director: Dean Covell | Stars: Murray Cook, Jeff Fatt, Greg Page, Anthony Field
Votes: 528
93. Blackrock (1997)
103 min | Drama, Thriller
When a young schoolgirl is raped and murdered, the mateship between a group of surfers is tested as the truth is slowly revealed.
Director: Steven Vidler | Stars: Laurence Breuls, Linda Cropper, Simon Lyndon, Chris Haywood
Votes: 1,175
The movie debut of Heath Ledger.
94. Oscar and Lucinda (1997)
R | 132 min | Drama, Romance
In mid-1800s England, Oscar is a young Anglican priest, a misfit and an outcast, but with the soul of an angel. As a boy, even though from a strict Pentecostal family, he felt God told him ... See full summary »
Director: Gillian Armstrong | Stars: Ralph Fiennes, Cate Blanchett, Ciarán Hinds, Tom Wilkinson
Votes: 7,195 | Gross: $1.51M
Nominated for an Oscar for Best Costume Design.
95. Crackers (1998)
92 min | Comedy
It's Christmas, and Hilary and her son, Joey are going to visit her parents in the suburbs. Not only are they up for the problems between Joey and Hilary's boyfriend and his son, but they ... See full summary »
Director: David Swann | Stars: Warren Mitchell, Peter Rowsthorn, Susan Lyons, Daniel Kellie
Votes: 445
96. Radiance (1998)
83 min | Drama
Three sisters reunite after some years apart, for their mother's funeral. Cressy (Maza), the eldest of the three, is a diva - an opera singer who is reluctant to visit the past and ... See full summary »
Director: Rachel Perkins | Stars: Deborah Mailman, Trisha Morton-Thomas, Rachael Maza, Russell Kiefel
Votes: 352
97. The Boys (1998)
R | 86 min | Crime, Drama
Brett Sprague is a violent and psychopathic man, who is released on parole after serving a sentence for assault. As he returns to his family house and we watch him and his brothers, Stevie ... See full summary »
Director: Rowan Woods | Stars: David Wenham, Toni Collette, Lynette Curran, John Polson
Votes: 1,724 | Gross: $0.00M
Entered into the 48th Berlin International Film Festival.
98. The Interview (1998)
Unrated | 104 min | Thriller, Crime, Drama
A duel between a suspected murderer and a detective pressed by people who want results. But whose skin is really wanted.
Director: Craig Monahan | Stars: Hugo Weaving, Tony Martin, Aaron Jeffery, Paul Sonkkila
Votes: 8,766
99. Paperback Hero (1999)
Not Rated | 96 min | Comedy, Romance
An Australian truck driver writes romance novels. His engaged, tomboyish, crop duster best friend's name, Ruby Vale, is unasked used as author. Complications arise when his novel takes off. Will they remain friends or...?
Director: Antony J. Bowman | Stars: Claudia Karvan, Hugh Jackman, Angie Milliken, Andrew S. Gilbert
Votes: 2,350
100. Two Hands (1999)
R | 103 min | Comedy, Crime, Thriller
A 19 year old finds himself in debt to a local gangster when some gang loot disappears and sets him on the run from thugs. Meanwhile two street kids start a shopping spree when they find the missing money.
Director: Gregor Jordan | Stars: Heath Ledger, Bryan Brown, David Field, Tom Long
Votes: 13,660
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