The Castle

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The Castle

R

1997

1h 25m

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

87%

Tomatometer

38 Reviews

92%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

The quirky Kerrigan family lives together in a makeshift home they built themselves -- with great pride and a bizarre attention to detail -- a few yards from the edge of Melbourne, Australia's busy Tullamarine Airport. When a building inspector condemns the building and reveals that the government plans to use their land for an airport expansion, Darryl Kerrigan (Michael Caton) and his brood recruit hack attorney Dennis Denuto (Tiriel Mora) and prepare themselves for the fight of their lives.

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Critics Consensus

Home is where the heart is in The Castle, a rousing Australian comedy that gives audiences an endearing family to root for.

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David Ansen

Newsweek

While it obviously struck a deep chord in its homeland, here it's not much more than a light tap on the funny bone. The irrepressibly tacky Kerrigans make an amusing first impression, but the movie essentially has only one joke to offer.

Nov 10, 2008

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

The Castle, directed by Rob Sitch, is one of those comic treasures like The Full Monty and Waking Ned Devine that shows its characters in the full bloom of glorious eccentricity.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 1, 2000

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Tom Cassidy

Common Sense Media

"The Castle" is a thoroughly entertaining lesson in gratitude and kindness that beautifully celebrates the idea of "home."

Rated: 5/5

Oct 26, 2025

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Leigh Paatsch

Herald Sun (Australia)

This timeless comic snapshot of suburban life Down Under remains absolutely un-budgeable from its perch as the most widely adored (and quoted) Australian film of all-time.

Rated: 4.5/5

Apr 21, 2020

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Matt Neal

ABC Radio (Australia)

The greatest Australian film of all time.

Rated: 5/5

Feb 4, 2020

Full Review

Keeva Stratton

Rescu (Australia)

You can't help but fall in love.

Sep 15, 2017

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Ed .

I laughed and I cried. For real. This movie didn't expand my vocabulary except for a couple of Australianisms but it did remind me of the important things in life that I usually take for granted. This family showed more love and happiness than do most families with far more financial wealth (and most families of all income brackets) and did so with grace and loads of humor. A bonus was my surprise to discover that the Queens Counsel, Charles "Bud" Tingwell, is the same actor who portrayed the inspector in the Margaret Rutherford Miss Marple movies way back in the 1960s.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/29/25

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Will J

This has got to be one of the funniest movies ever.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/27/25

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Les N

Predictable but worth a watch

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/23/25

Full Review

Darcy J

Boring, cringey, and you hate every character. The story is boring and unentertaining. I wouldn't waste your time on this flat, unfunny mess.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

05/21/25

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Laze T

NO did not like......

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/23/25

Full Review

Megan C

One of my favorite movies of all time. A must see!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/21/24

Full Review

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Rob Sitch

Director

Michael Caton

Darryl Kerrigan

Anne Tenney

Sal Kerrigan

Stephen Curry

Dale Kerrigan

Sophie Lee

Tracy Kerrigan

Anthony Simcoe

Steve Kerrigan

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Synopsis

The quirky Kerrigan family lives together in a makeshift home they built themselves -- with great pride and a bizarre attention to detail -- a few yards from the edge of Melbourne, Australia's busy Tullamarine Airport. When a building inspector condemns the building and reveals that the government plans to use their land for an airport expansion, Darryl Kerrigan (Michael Caton) and his brood recruit hack attorney Dennis Denuto (Tiriel Mora) and prepare themselves for the fight of their lives.

Director: Rob Sitch
Producer: Debra Choate
Screenwriter: Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner, Jane Kennedy, Rob Sitch
Distributor: Miramax Films
Production Co: Miramax
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 10, 1997, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 8, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $861.8K
Runtime: 1h 25m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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