The Nightingale

R

Released Aug 2, 2019

2 hr. 16 min.

Mystery & Thriller

Adventure

Drama

List

86%

243 Reviews

Tomatometer

73%

Fewer than 50 Verified Ratings

Audience Score

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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Premiered Mar 22

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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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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

Gareth v

A brutal and unrelenting look at life in the early days of colonial Australia. With some stronger production values, this movie could of been elevated to the highest level of Australian cinematic achievements.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/24/24

Full Review

billybob 1

Kent shows her range as a director as this movie has little horror, but great moments. It gets a little bogged-down by its themes to really soar.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/16/24

Full Review

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Jennifer Kent

Director

Aisling Franciosi

Clare

Sam Claflin

Hawkins

Baykali Ganambarr

Billy

Damon Herriman

Ruse

Harry Greenwood

Jago

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The Nightingale: Trailer 1

2:19

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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

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

Greg Carlson

Vague Visages

Jennifer Kent’s The Nightingale will not attract the same cult following or breadth of widespread fan devotion as The Babadook, but her latest marks significant progress in the filmmaker’s command of story and cinematic language.

Jun 7, 2023

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

To watch the film is to accept a merciless confrontation with colonial violence. It's also a step toward healing.

Rated: 4/4

Feb 26, 2022

Full Review

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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
Executive Producer: Ben Browning, Jason Cloth, Aaron L. Gilbert, Brenda Gilbert, Andrew Pollack
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
Aspect Ratio: Academy (1.33:1)

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