Overview
A family's journey through the rugged Australian Outback reveals the struggle between dreams and reality.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- warm
- wistful
- expansive
- classic film night
- family drama viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film's expansive Australian landscapes, dynamic rural action, and warm, poignant portrayal of a close but divided family.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Paddy embraces the itinerant drover life while Ida and Sean hope to settle and purchase a farm.
The film repeatedly centers sheep drives, shearing, horse racing, and domestic life beneath the Australian sky.
The Carmodys' relationships and daily bush life are presented with warmth, openness, and attention to practical labor.
Ida and teenage Sean seek stability, while Paddy's attachment to movement repeatedly delays their shared aspirations.
Films like The Sundowners, and why
The Grapes of Wrath
shared family-centered drama, expansive rural landscapes, and conflict between settled domestic life and restless mobility
The River
shared pastoral adventure, emotionally nuanced family relationships, and humane storytelling rooted in a distinctive landscape
Giant
shared classic Hollywood drama, strong marital conflict, and a vivid frontier environment shaped by work and community
Movie Details
- Director
- Fred Zinnemann
- Release Date
- 1960-12-08
- Runtime
- 133 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (63)
Cast
- Deborah Kerr
- Robert Mitchum
- Peter Ustinov
- Glynis Johns
- Dina Merrill
- Chips Rafferty
- Michael Anderson Jr.
- Lola Brooks
- Wylie Watson
- John Meillon
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Sundowners about?
- An itinerant sheep-droving family tests whether love can survive the pull between open-road freedom and the promise of a permanent home.
- What is The Sundowners like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Sundowners as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Sundowners violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Sundowners.
- What did critics think of The Sundowners?
- Critics broadly praised the film's expansive Australian landscapes, dynamic rural action, and warm, poignant portrayal of a close but divided family.
- Which films are like The Sundowners?
- Films with a similar feel include The Grapes of Wrath, The River, and Giant.
- How long is The Sundowners?
- The Sundowners runs 133 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Sundowners?
- In United States, The Sundowners is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
