The Nightingale (2018)

The Nightingale: Directed by Jennifer Kent. With Aisling Franciosi, Michael Sheasby, Maya Christie, Addison Christie. Set in 1825, Clare, a young Irish convict woman, chases a British officer through the rugged Tasmanian wilderness, bent on revenge for a terrible act of violence he committed against her family. On the way she enlists the services of an Aboriginal tracker named Billy, who is also marked by trauma from his own violence-filled past.

“We were introduced to the film by one of the lead actors who advised us to u0026quot;strap ourselves inu0026quot;, which I think was good advice. It does depict some horrific things done by humans to other humans, and a few people walked out of the screening in the first 10 minutes because by far the worst scenes are at the start.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBut I recommend sticking with it as itu0026#39;s really about showing glimpses of humanity underneath murderous hatred in an extremely hostile environment. It is not simply a gleeful revenge thriller, despite the often cartoonish evil of the British soldiers and the Tarantino-esque levels of violence. When the revenge does come, it feels like a drop in the ocean of cruelty that surrounds it – by which I mean the everyday treatment of the aboriginal people by the white settlers and of women as property. The larger themes come through with crushing strength.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThere isnu0026#39;t much in the way of humour or lightness here, but it manages to be a compelling and rewarding experience even if it feels a bit exhausting. You can tell it was a tough shoot – itu0026#39;s mostly set in the muddy, wet Australian bush – but like the actors I came out feeling it was worth it in the end.”