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The Nightingale

Play trailer Poster for The Nightingale R Released Aug 2, 2019 2h 16m Mystery & Thriller Adventure Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
87% Tomatometer 241 Reviews 73% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Verified Ratings
Clare, a young Irish convict, chases a British officer through the rugged Tasmanian wilderness and is bent on revenge for a terrible act of violence the man committed against her family. On the way, she enlists the services of Aboriginal tracker Billy, who is marked by trauma from his own violence-filled past.
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The Nightingale

The Nightingale

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Critics Consensus

The Nightingale definitely isn't for all tastes, but writer-director Jennifer Kent taps into a rich vein of palpable rage to tell a war story that leaves a bruising impact.

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Critics Reviews

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Ben Sachs Chicago Reader Kent's deglamorized, relentlessly unpleasant depiction of suffering couldn't be further from the adolescent glee of Tarantino's films. Still, there's something vaguely two-faced about Kent's revenge narrative. Mar 10, 2020 Full Review Clarisse Loughrey Independent (UK) Jennifer Kent's The Nightingale is a film that bruises the soul. Rated: 4/5 Dec 6, 2019 Full Review Mark Kermode Kermode & Mayo's Film Review It's impressive. Dec 4, 2019 Full Review Julian Singleton Cinapse The Nightingale’s dedication towards historical reckoning is brutally effective, as is Kent’s refreshing subversion of revenge tropes. Jul 12, 2025 Full Review Calum Cooper Source (Scotland) If wrath doesn’t best some up The Nightingale then no other word can do it justice. Jennifer Kent has made another terrific film which only further demonstrates how exciting a voice she will be going forward into the new decade. Rated: 4/5 Jul 14, 2024 Full Review Ben Flanagan Vague Visages "'The Nightingale' is a rich and vivid work from a director whose bold vision accounts for its brutality." Sep 20, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Donna I thought it was terrible. There were 3 older ladys sitting beside me at theater and they all 3 got up and left after about 15 minutes into the movie. The movie was nothing like I thought it would be. Waste of my hard earned money. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 09/10/19 Full Review sherry Great suspense! Loved it! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/09/19 Full Review I. Rex Visceral and real and off the scale brutal. DO NOT GO INTO THIS ONE LIGHTLY. This is a savage watch. If you can stomach horrific violence both physically and psychologically its worth viewing. Franciosi and Ganambarr are both excellent and should be commended for performing so well in what was certainly a grueling production. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 08/12/19 Full Review Dan L Genuinely one of the most harrowing pieces of cinema I have ever experienced! From the moment it begins it never relents in its unfathomable intensity! There aren’t words for how incredible this film is!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/11/19 Full Review Laura M I watched this a few months ago and I still think about it all the time. It’s one of those movies that really sticks with you. It’s pretty brutal (especially at the beginning) so major trigger warnings for SA. But the performances by Baykali Ganambarr and Aisling Franciosi are incredible. This movie made me WEEP. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/24/25 Full Review Metehan Ç Well its start very deep but after some time it will be so boring Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 06/29/25 Full Review Read all reviews
The Nightingale

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Movie Info

Synopsis Clare, a young Irish convict, chases a British officer through the rugged Tasmanian wilderness and is bent on revenge for a terrible act of violence the man committed against her family. On the way, she enlists the services of Aboriginal tracker Billy, who is marked by trauma from his own violence-filled past.
Director
Jennifer Kent
Producer
Kristina Ceyton, Bruna Papandrea, Steve Hutensky, Jennifer Kent
Screenwriter
Jennifer Kent
Distributor
IFC Films
Production Co
Causeway Films, FilmNation Entertainment
Rating
R (Rape|Language Throughout|Brief Sexuality|Strong Disturbing Content|Strong Violent Content)
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Adventure, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 2, 2019, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 25, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA)
$400.2K
Runtime
2h 16m
Aspect Ratio
Academy (1.33:1)
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