Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Brutal
- rousing
- grim
- cinematic
- historical drama night
- western double feature
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film watchable and visually impressive, with strong action and a committed Heath Ledger performance, but regarded it as uneven and occasionally bland.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Ned Kelly's conflict with Victorian police and government develops into an enduring Australian legend.
Ned's delivered internal dialogue voice-over gives access to his musings and troubled anti-hero perspective.
The production uses Australian landscapes, period design, and large-scale action to create a cinematic national-historical spectacle.
Ned's inherited stigma, imprisonment, and his mother's punishment reinforce his exclusion from Victorian society.
Films like Ned Kelly, and why
The Last of the Mohicans
period outlaw drama centered on a charismatic folk hero resisting oppressive authorities, with rousing action and tragic historical consequences
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
historical western about a mythologized outlaw whose rebellion becomes part of national folklore, combining action with doomed heroism
Braveheart
stylized historical outlaw epic portraying resistance, charismatic leadership, and a tragic clash with state power
The Proposition
Australian historical western focused on lawlessness, colonial authority, and the transformation of a criminal into a folk legend
Movie Details
- Director
- Gregor Jordan
- Release Date
- 2003-03-22
- Runtime
- 110 min
- Rating
- 6.0 / 10 (410)
Cast
- Heath Ledger
- Orlando Bloom
- Geoffrey Rush
- Naomi Watts
- Joel Edgerton
- Laurence Kinlan
- Philip Barantini
- Kerry Condon
- Kris McQuade
- Emily Browning
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Starz 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 Ned Kelly about?
- A stigmatized Irish-Australian outlaw turns resistance to Victorian police oppression into a doomed bid for folk-hero status.
- What is Ned Kelly like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Ned Kelly as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Ned Kelly violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Ned Kelly as brutal.
- What did critics think of Ned Kelly?
- Critics broadly found the film watchable and visually impressive, with strong action and a committed Heath Ledger performance, but regarded it as uneven and occasionally bland.
- Which films are like Ned Kelly?
- Films with a similar feel include The Last of the Mohicans, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Braveheart, and The Proposition.
- How long is Ned Kelly?
- Ned Kelly runs 110 minutes.
- Where can I watch Ned Kelly?
- In United States, Ned Kelly streams on Starz Apple TV channel.
