Picnic at Hanging Rock

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Picnic at Hanging Rock

PG

1979

1h 50m

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

92%

Tomatometer

53 Reviews

84%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

In the early 1900s, Miranda (Anne Lambert) attends a girls boarding school in Australia. One Valentine's Day, the school's typically strict headmistress (Rachel Roberts) treats the girls to a picnic field trip to an unusual but scenic volcanic formation called Hanging Rock. Despite rules against it, Miranda and several other girls venture off. It's not until the end of the day that the faculty realizes the girls and one of the teachers (Vivean Gray) have disappeared mysteriously.

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Critics Consensus

Visually mesmerizing, Picnic at Hanging Rock is moody, unsettling, and enigmatic -- a masterpiece of Australian cinema and a major early triumph for director Peter Weir.

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

The film’s mystery still shimmers.

Rated: 5/5

Feb 21, 2025

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Kevin Maher

The Times (UK)

The “readings” are endless, the mood impossibly eerie and the legacy untouchable.

Rated: 5/5

Apr 27, 2023

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Joe Clay

The Times (UK)

Extraordinary, haunting classic...

Oct 26, 2022

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Soham Gadre

Film Inquiry

The various layers of feeling from ethereal coming-of-age fantasy, to domestic drama, to supernatural mystery to surreal nightmare turn Weir’s film into a beguiling experience that defies genre.

Aug 28, 2025

Full Review

Trace Thurman

Horror Queers Podcast

The ethereal and dreamlike vibes that Weir is able to capture are nothing short of magnificent.

Rated: 3.5/5

Aug 18, 2025

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Clotilde Chinnici

FILMHOUNDS Magazine

Such an ending is part of what makes it such an iconic and unforgettable movie that has certainly earned its place in film history as one of the best films in Weir's career and in the tradition of Australian cinema at large.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 19, 2025

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Mike M.

A nonviolent thriller that’s mystery and layers linger long after viewing. The obtrusive contrast between the violent and dangerous Australian landscape and the prim proper pressured pomp of the female college couldn’t be more pertinent or prescient. Kudos to author and filmmakers for setting such a well constructed framework for our alluring and original haunt of a film. Weir creates an unsettling mood and atmosphere that left me leaning in and prying. Only to have that same intrigue turned inward at the end, leaving me to ask what is the author of this tale trying to make me see and feel, and maybe even… know. If you leave your own expectations at the door and take it for what it is, i.e what is given and not what you want it to be, only then can you see its power and impact. It’s no coincidence that there are probably more females than males that better “get” this film. But maybe I’ve said too much…

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

10/16/25

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jacob c

A phenomenal entry in Australian cinema, Picnic at Hanging Rock is a haunting mystery, expertly filmed, that exudes elegance and grace.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/23/25

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Xoxo J

best filming not bad lah

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/01/25

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Sandi W

filmnya recommended untuk kalian tonton

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/01/25

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Fitri D

Ini ide yang sangat bagus ya, terus menambah karya perfilm an Indonesia. Yang didalamnya terdapat beragam film, Terus berkembang ya dunia perfilm an, The best pokoknya

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/28/25

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ranita s

Good, fun and explore

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/28/25

Full Review

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Synopsis

In the early 1900s, Miranda (Anne Lambert) attends a girls boarding school in Australia. One Valentine's Day, the school's typically strict headmistress (Rachel Roberts) treats the girls to a picnic field trip to an unusual but scenic volcanic formation called Hanging Rock. Despite rules against it, Miranda and several other girls venture off. It's not until the end of the day that the faculty realizes the girls and one of the teachers (Vivean Gray) have disappeared mysteriously.

Director: Peter Weir
Producer: Jim McElroy
Distributor: Atlantic Releasing Corporation
Production Co: Australian Film Commission
Rating: PG
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: Australian English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 2, 1979, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Jan 31, 2025
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 21, 2009
Box Office (Gross USA): $31.2K
Runtime: 1h 50m

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