Evil Angels
A devastating Australian true-crime drama follows Lindy Chamberlain through grief, suspicion, and a national trial after her baby disappears from an outback campsite.
Overview
A mother’s nightmare unfolds in the Australian outback, where innocence is put on trial.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- harrowing
- restrained
- oppressive
- serious movie night
- true crime viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Meryl Streep's masterful, emotionally controlled performance and the film's indictment of public judgment, while finding the screenplay chilly and somewhat docudramatic.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The Chamberlain case is transformed into a national media circus, with Australians divided over Lindy's guilt and innocence.
Police inconsistencies, the missing body, and the state's case drive the investigation and courtroom conflict.
Lindy's refusal to offer easy insight into her thoughts contributes to the public's suspicion and the film's psychological tension.
The camping incident at Ayers Rock is followed by an increasingly oppressive investigation, trial, and public spectacle.
Films like Evil Angels, and why
Anatomy of a Murder
shared true-crime courtroom drama, media scrutiny, and a commanding central performance
The Accused
shared biographical trial drama focused on public judgment and contested evidence
In the Name of the Father
shared miscarriage-of-justice themes, institutional pressure, and emotionally restrained drama
The Hurricane
shared true-story legal drama centered on a family under intense public scrutiny
Movie Details
- Director
- Fred Schepisi
- Release Date
- 1988-11-03
- Runtime
- 120 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (229)
Cast
- Meryl Streep
- Sam Neill
- Bruce Myles
- Neil Fitzpatrick
- Charles Tingwell
- Maurie Fields
- Nick Tate
- Lewis Fitz-Gerald
- John Howard
- Dorothy Alison
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Evil Angels about?
- A devastating Australian true-crime drama follows Lindy Chamberlain through grief, suspicion, and a national trial after her baby disappears from an outback campsite.
- What is Evil Angels like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Evil Angels as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Evil Angels violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Evil Angels as mild.
- What did critics think of Evil Angels?
- Critics broadly praised Meryl Streep's masterful, emotionally controlled performance and the film's indictment of public judgment, while finding the screenplay chilly and somewhat docudramatic.
- Which films are like Evil Angels?
- Films with a similar feel include Anatomy of a Murder, The Accused, In the Name of the Father, and The Hurricane.
- How long is Evil Angels?
- Evil Angels runs 120 minutes.
- Where can I watch Evil Angels?
- In United States, Evil Angels streams on Howdy Amazon Channel.
