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Wake in Fright

Play trailer Poster for Wake in Fright R 1971 1h 39m Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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96% Tomatometer 57 Reviews 83% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
After finishing up the school term in a remote outback town, teacher John Grant (Gary Bond) looks forward to spending his holiday with his girlfriend in Sydney. But John gets waylaid in a mining town where a gambling spree leaves him completely broke. He quickly falls in with the hard-drinking locals, who constantly ply him with alcohol and force him to participate in a gruesome kangaroo hunt. Disgusted, John tries to hitchhike out of town and, when that fails, begins to contemplate suicide.
Wake in Fright

What to Know

Critics Consensus

A disquieting classic of Australian cinema, Wake in Fright surveys a landscape both sun-drenched and ruthlessly dark.

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Critics Reviews

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Tom Milne Financial Times 03/19/2020
[Has some] fine photography of the Australian wilds, but also veers into melodrama. Go to Full Review Derek Malcolm Guardian 03/19/2020
[It] will will not please the Australian Tourist Board. It may not even please Australians. But it ranks, along with Nicholas Roeg's Walkabout, as the most impressive piece of special pleading about the country I've seen. Go to Full Review Margaret Hinxman Daily Telegraph (UK) 03/19/2020
It's a remarkable film and I'm not at all happy with it. Go to Full Review Trace Thurman Horror Queers Podcast 05/24/2022
3.5/5
Reaches a level of anxiety-inducing terror that few other films have achieved. Go to Full Review Joe Lipsett Horror Queers Podcast 05/18/2022
4/5
Wake in Fright is searing condemnation on masculinity, urban vs rural divides and alcohol abuse that traps its audience in toxic cycles as much as its lead character. The real life animal abuse is unforgivable, though Go to Full Review Travis Johnson Blunt Magazine 06/29/2021
If anything, the film has become more potent, more poignant, even more capable of shocking and disturbing. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Brian H Oct 7 Disturbing and chaotic and so so entertaining... it's a film i wish i could see again for the first time. See more Peter W Sep 17 Wake in Fright is an unforgettable and deeply disturbing experience. It’s truly a nightmare for teacher John Grant, who simply wanted a holiday full of peace and relaxation, but due to poor choices, he stumbles upon a place and world that feels like hell. Filled with nightmarish and uncomfortable sequences, you can’t help but be drawn to this place to the point where you feel like visiting it yourself while being repulsed. Visually, I love this film, especially the impressive display of Australian culture. A landmark piece of Australian cinema, there are certainly some outstanding leading performances, particularly from Chips Rafferty and Donald Pleasence. It’s definitely a must-watch from me, though it’s not for the faint-hearted or the squeamish. See more Krent A Jun 27 One of the finest films ever made and a total 70's classic. Brilliant acting, characters, and a subtle, ambiguous script that avoids cliches at every turn. I can't think another film that captures masculine culture better. See more Harry M May 11 You'll never forget this movie. Be warned! See more Dave S May 4 While it never really lives up to its reputation and the associated hype, Ted Kotcheff’s Wake in Fright is certainly effective in creating an atmosphere. Set in the Australian Outback, a schoolteacher returning home for the Christmas holidays finds himself stranded in a remote town and soon finds himself sliding into alcohol-fueled debauchery, eventually leading to the controversial (and bloody) kangaroo hunt that gave the movie such notoriety. Beautifully shot, the cinematography effectively captures the essence of the Outback – you can almost taste the dust and feel the sweat. To its detriment, Wake in Fright grinds to a bit of a halt at the midway point as images of beer-drunk Aussies begin to get more than a little repetitive. See more Revolver 0 @Revolver08 Feb 27 Just superb classic. See more Read all reviews
Wake in Fright

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Ted Kotcheff

Director

Gary Bond

John Grant

Donald Pleasence

Doc Tydon

Chips Rafferty

Jock Crawford

Sylvia Kay

Janette Hynes

Jack Thompson

Dick

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Wake in Fright

Wake in Fright (1971) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis After finishing up the school term in a remote outback town, teacher John Grant (Gary Bond) looks forward to spending his holiday with his girlfriend in Sydney. But John gets waylaid in a mining town where a gambling spree leaves him completely broke. He quickly falls in with the hard-drinking locals, who constantly ply him with alcohol and force him to participate in a gruesome kangaroo hunt. Disgusted, John tries to hitchhike out of town and, when that fails, begins to contemplate suicide.
Director
Ted Kotcheff
Producer
George Willoughby
Screenwriter
Evan Jones
Production Co
Group W Films, NLT Productions
Rating
R
Genre
Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 22, 1971, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 11, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$15.5K
Runtime
1h 39m
Sound Mix
Surround
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)