Overview
A harrowing journey through the brutal realities of colonial Australia, where survival is a fight against oppression.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- harrowing
- visceral
- oppressive
- serious historical drama night
- arthouse film viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Jennifer Kent's historically grounded, brutally powerful account of colonial violence, while acknowledging that its graphic depictions make it exceptionally difficult to watch.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Clare pursues Lieutenant Hawkins after British authorities fail to provide justice for violence against her family.
The pursuit moves through unfamiliar Tasmanian wilderness while the characters confront colonial and racial violence.
Clare and the Aboriginal tracker Billy must cooperate despite mutual trauma, distrust, and racial prejudice.
The story is set against Australia's Black War and was developed in collaboration with Tasmanian Aboriginal elders.
Films like The Nightingale, and why
The Proposition
shares a feminist western framework, colonial violence, and a harrowing revenge narrative
Hostiles
shares historical brutality, racial conflict, and morally corrosive frontier violence
Elle
shares a woman-centered revenge story, sexual violence, and bleak psychological intensity
The Revenant
shares anti-colonial themes, wilderness survival, and a tense journey through historical violence
Movie Details
- Director
- Jennifer Kent
- Release Date
- 2018-09-23
- Runtime
- 136 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (700)
Cast
- Aisling Franciosi
- Sam Claflin
- Baykali Ganambarr
- Damon Herriman
- Harry Greenwood
- Ewen Leslie
- Charlie Shotwell
- Michael Sheasby
- Matthew Sunderland
- Magnolia Maymuru
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, AMC+ Amazon Channel, Shudder, Sundance Now, MUBI, MUBI Amazon Channel, AcornTV Amazon Channel, Acorn TV Apple TV channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- 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 The Nightingale about?
- A traumatized Irish convict and an Aboriginal tracker form an uneasy alliance while pursuing a colonial officer through Tasmania's violent frontier.
- What is The Nightingale like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Nightingale as measured, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Nightingale violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Nightingale as graphic.
- What did critics think of The Nightingale?
- Critics broadly praised Jennifer Kent's historically grounded, brutally powerful account of colonial violence, while acknowledging that its graphic depictions make it exceptionally difficult to watch.
- Which films are like The Nightingale?
- Films with a similar feel include The Proposition, Hostiles, Elle, and The Revenant.
- How long is The Nightingale?
- The Nightingale runs 136 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Nightingale?
- In United States, The Nightingale streams on Philo, AMC+ Amazon Channel, Shudder, Sundance Now, MUBI, MUBI Amazon Channel, AcornTV Amazon Channel, Acorn TV Apple TV channel.
