Nitram

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Ola G Nitram (Caleb Landry Jones) is an intellectually disabled young adult who lives with his parents in Tasmania. He regularly sets off fireworks, which upsets the neighbours, and sells his fireworks to schoolchildren. His father Maurice (Anthony LaPaglia) has recently been approved for a business loan with which he hopes to buy a bed and breakfast that Nitram will help run. Nitram begs his mother (Judy Davis) to buy him a surfboard after seeing an attractive woman with a surfer, but she is exasperated and refuses. Nitram starts mowing lawns to make money. In the process, he meets a neighbour named Helen (Essie Davis), a retired actress and heiress, who offers to pay him to walk her dogs. The two quickly become friends, and Helen buys him a car, despite Nitram not having a driver's licence and exhibiting a dangerous habit of grabbing the steering wheel when the two are driving. Nitram becomes increasingly frustrated with life at home and tells his parents he is moving in with Helen, who permits him to stay in a spare room but insists that he get rid of his air rifle as it upsets her. On his next birthday, Nitram introduces Helen to his parents; his mother tells Helen an anecdote about a young Nitram taking pleasure in the pain he caused her after pretending to be lost... Rotten Tomatoes consensus reads, "Nitram asks viewers to face a gut-wrenchingly grim moment in Australian history—but rewards that effort with a gripping, well-acted character study." (Via Wikipedia) "Nitram" is based on Martin Bryant, the Australian mass murderer who shot and killed thirty-five people and injured twenty-three others in the Port Arthur massacre on 28 and 29 April 1996. A person with an intellectual disability and other psychological issues that clearly drove him to the mass shooting, which is the deadliest massacre in modern Australian history. This is with other words not an easy digested film and of course one can question why you would let Martin Bryant be the inspiration for a film. I can understand the controversy this film created and I can only pay my respect to the lost lives in this horrific event. However, "Nitram" is a truly engaging and emotionally film to watch. The authenticity the ensemble creates is great and Caleb Landry Jones is just outstanding as Nitram. He won the Best Actor award for his performance at the Cannes Film Festival in 2021. So well deserved. And having lived in Australia for some years this film becomes more emotional for me in many ways. I will not forget this one. See it. Trivia: The film was met by widespread controversy within Tasmania itself. Kelly Spaulding, mayor of the Tasman Council, which includes Port Arthur, condemned the choice to make the film. The Alannah and Madeline Foundation, which was established by Walter Mikac, whose wife and two young daughters were murdered in the Port Arthur massacre, released a statement also condemning the choice to produce the film. (Via Wikipedia) Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/16/25 Full Review nilufer e I'm a bit ashamed to admit but I could've used a little violence rather than a soon to be killer person's lifespan. It was good but I'll soon forget about it. There was a certain intrigue, I liked that. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 07/06/25 Full Review john b I couldn't get a grip on the main charactor. Was he mentally challenged or mentally ill or both.? Why was the rich lady so attached to him? Worth watching, but disturbing and a bit confusing. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 05/14/25 Full Review Charles T Only leaving a review due to a review here from Diane. Calling Nitram a "psychopathic millennial"... Bryant was born in 1967... so dumb... guessing she's a yank. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/29/25 Full Review Felix T I don't know what everyone else was watching, but this was very boring. Choosing to do a character study of an irredeemable human is a strange choice; he is totally unlikable and nobody that was around that type of individual would be surprised that he shoots up a place. Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 06/30/24 Full Review Em B Whilst the crimes committed by Martin Bryant tragically changed the Australian way of living forever, this film is the first source of insight into who he was beforehand. How he came to absolute breaking point and suffered irreparable mental trauma. It challenges us to look back on the past treatment of children and young people who grew up in the decades before mental health conditions were recognized as debilitating and serious. How ignoring or punishing these people was callous and at times, horrifically triggering. It also shows us how those who are creative or sensitive souls, are ostracized by general Australian culture. With particular focus on young men. If they don't happen to be "one of the lads" kicking the footy around and playing on the local side, then they're mocked and outcast. The most upsetting part of this, is that in some areas of Australia, this nonsense is still happening today... Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/22/25 Full Review Read all reviews

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