Overview
A poignant exploration of youth and the struggle to find one's identity amidst chaos.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- intimate
- sensual
- reflective evening
- arthouse film night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a poignant, carefully crafted coming-of-age drama driven by Abbie Cornish's breakout performance and Cate Shortland's assured direction.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Heidi's pale blue parka, exposed vulnerability, and the cold Snowy River landscape recur as expressive motifs.
Heidi moves between nursery rhymes and glittery unicorns, paid work, sex, and adult emotional confusion.
Heidi's encounters with Joe and her vulnerability to attention make sexuality central to her confused transition into adulthood.
Heidi seeks escape at a Snowy River resort but encounters loneliness, social slights, and false accusations in the local community.
Films like Somersault, and why
Fish Tank
coming-of-age drama centered on adolescent sexuality, loneliness, and emotional vulnerability
The Diary of a Teenage Girl
poignant teen drama exploring family conflict, self-discovery, and difficult transition into adulthood
My Summer of Love
intimate romance-drama about youthful desire, social dislocation, and emotionally guarded characters
The Miseducation of Cameron Post
austere, atmospheric coming-of-age story shaped by alienation and sexual awakening
Movie Details
- Director
- Cate Shortland
- Release Date
- 2004-06-19
- Runtime
- 105 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (118)
Cast
- Abbie Cornish
- Sam Worthington
- Lynette Curran
- Erik Thomson
- Nathaniel Dean
- Diana Glenn
- Olivia Pigeot
- Damian de Montemas
- Ben Tate
- Hollie Andrew
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Metrograph
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Somersault about?
- A runaway teenager seeks independence in a snowy Australian resort town while navigating desire, loneliness, and the uneasy threshold of adulthood.
- What is Somersault like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Somersault as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Somersault violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Somersault as mild.
- What did critics think of Somersault?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a poignant, carefully crafted coming-of-age drama driven by Abbie Cornish's breakout performance and Cate Shortland's assured direction.
- Which films are like Somersault?
- Films with a similar feel include Fish Tank, The Diary of a Teenage Girl, My Summer of Love, and The Miseducation of Cameron Post.
- How long is Somersault?
- Somersault runs 105 minutes.
- Where can I watch Somersault?
- In United States, Somersault streams on Metrograph.
