High Ground

Released May 14, 2021

1h 44m

Adventure

Drama

TRAILER

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List

90%

41 Reviews

Tomatometer

76%

50+ Ratings

Audience Score

Travis never thought he would cross paths again with Australian indigenous Gutjuk, when he saved the life of this young child from the killings of the white men. Back from First World War, ex-sniper Travis recruits Gutjuk, now 19, to track down his uncle, the leader of the Aboriginal mob that terrifies the Territory. Travis has no choice but to trust the young Aboriginal and teach him to survive, while Gutjuk must take his life in his hands if he wants to find his place in between the white men and the Aborigines.

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Critics Consensus

A gripping action story as well as sobering commentary on colonialism, High Ground is a vividly engrossing attempt to grapple with Australian history.

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IVAN N

Very informative, ABSORBING history of native Aborigines of late 1910 Colonial British and uniformed British ruthless EMPLOYEES who started a Bush war when a family were tracked and killed.With just one sympathetic experienced soldier there were lots of lives lost on both sides.The story unfolds through the eyes of the ww11 soldier who saw the futility in trying to change their attitudes as more settlers arrived.One native Australian retaliated in revenge by setting mission station bush fires.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/10/23

Full Review

natalie n

Enjoyed this movie, so much more could hve been done with the main characters-still worth watching

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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Audience Member

Pretty good. Not your average movie.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/13/21

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Audience Member

A very eye opening movie that needs to be shown to all Australians

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/09/23

Full Review

Audience Member

As an Australian this was a story that we were not taught in school. I went to the theatre a second time the very next day as it was so compelling. As confronting as it is I feel the story is reflected in the history of a lot of countries that were colonised. A very beautiful movie that everyone should see.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Simon Baker & Jacob Junior Nayinggul Give Solid Performances in Visually Stunning Aussie Aboriginal Revenge Tale: "High Ground," directed by Stephen Johnson, is a visually stunning Aussie Aboriginal revenge film based on true events story set in 1919 involving a British Colonial massacre of an Aboriginal tribe/family in Northern Territory Australia. 12 years later, a young survivor of the massacre, Gutjuk (Jacob Junior Nayinggul), being raised in a white mission, teams up with former soldier Travis (Simon Baker) to track down the other massacre survivor, Gutjuk's uncle Baywara (Sean Mununggurr), a warrior with a revenge streak who is on the run. Terrific supporting cast that includes veteran Aussie TV & Film actor Aaron Pedersen and legendary Australian actor Jack Thompson. Kudos to Cinematographer Andrew Commis, known for previous work as DP on "Babyteeth" and "The Slap," for his extraordinary job on "High Ground" capturing the beauty of Australia's Northern Territory.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

Full Review

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Stephen Johnson

Director

Jacob Junior Nayinggul

Gutjuk

Simon Baker

Travis

Callan Mulvey

Eddy

Aaron Pedersen

Walter

Ryan Corr

Braddock

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High Ground: Trailer 1

1:47

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David Stratton

The Australian

The ravishing cinematography by Andrew Commis explores the wild and rugged landscapes of Kakadu and Arnhem Land against which a powerful story of white privilege and aboriginal dispossession unfolds.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 3, 2021

Full Review

Roxana Hadadi

RogerEbert.com

Between its evocative ensemble, fluid editing, and interest in Aboriginal culture, High Ground is worth a watch, even if it ultimately feels overshadowed by the message it's trying to send rather than being defined by the story it actually tells.

Rated: 2.5/4

May 14, 2021

Full Review

Glenn Kenny

New York Times

This movie makes a solid case as both a statement and an action picture.

May 13, 2021

Full Review

Jane Freebury

The Canberra Times (Australia)

A superb Outback western.

Rated: 5/5

Aug 23, 2022

Full Review

John Serba

Decider

High Ground is far from perfect. But it also isn't content to adhere to genre trappings; its thematic ambition and visual dynamic makes it worth a watch.

Dec 3, 2021

Full Review

Grant Watson

Fiction Machine

High Ground is a powerful and hugely effective film.

Rated: 8/10

Sep 27, 2021

Full Review

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Synopsis

Travis never thought he would cross paths again with Australian indigenous Gutjuk, when he saved the life of this young child from the killings of the white men. Back from First World War, ex-sniper Travis recruits Gutjuk, now 19, to track down his uncle, the leader of the Aboriginal mob that terrifies the Territory. Travis has no choice but to trust the young Aboriginal and teach him to survive, while Gutjuk must take his life in his hands if he wants to find his place in between the white men and the Aborigines.

Director: Stephen Johnson
Producer: Simon Baker, Stephen Johnson, Christina Kennedy, Trevor Kennedy
Screenwriter: Chris Anastassiades
Distributor: Samuel Goldwyn Company
Production Co: Maxo, Savage Films, Bunya Productions
Genre: Adventure, Drama
Original Language: English (Australia)
Release Date (Theaters): May 14, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): May 14, 2021
Runtime: 1h 44m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

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