Should be mandatory viewing for everyone who lives in Australia. I'm a fan of Aaron Pedersen anyway, but this was a really restrained portrayal of a character who's alienated from his own community and from his own daughter because he's an indigenous police officer. The problem of drugs in the outback is huge, and this does a great job of showing that it is part of the entrenched racism in most of Australian society. I was also impressed with the number of talented teenage actors - hopefully they'll do more in Australian film and TV. The plot's triple whammy of sexual exploitation, drug and alcohol abuse, and racism is balanced by beautiful cinematography which never lets the landscape overpower the characters. The shoot-out at the end is really tragic, and the lack of clarity about exactly what happens with the dysfunctional little family felt completely consistent with the rest of the movie.
Review of Mystery Road
Mystery Road
(2013)
A really stirring portrayal of life in the outback
4 September 2018
Warning: Spoilers