This article is updated regularly as Australian films come and go from Netflix. Last updated 10 September 2024.
Looking for an Australian movie to watch on Netflix? Here are our picks, from some big blockbusters to a few you might not have found yet. If you’re looking for more suggestions, see Netflix: four best Australian films to watch now.
Lantana (2001)
Drama/Mystery. Set in Sydney, this intricately plotted modern Australian classic explores complex adult relationships in a way that feels both thrilling and authentic.
As he grapples with guilt about his own extramarital affair, Detective Leon Zat (Antony LaPaglia) dives into a missing person investigation involving four couples. Written by Andrew Bovell and directed by Ray Lawrence (Bliss, Jindabyne), Lantana features beautiful performances from a top-notch cast including Kerry Armstrong, Barbara Hershey, Geoffrey Rush, Rachael Blake, Daniella Farinacci, Russell Dykstra and Leah Purcell.
Fun fact: Australian singer songwriter Paul Kelly composed the moody and soundtrack for Lantana.
The Last Wave (1977)
Mystery/Thriller. After getting entangled in a high-stakes murder case, a white lawyer is haunted by apocalyptic visions of a tidal wave that will destroy Australia. Directed and co-written by Peter Weir, The Last Wave stars Richard Chamberlain, Olivia Hamnett and David Gulpilil. Weird and unsettling, this well-regarded film from the 70s is worth a watch, with some themes that feel relevant now: ‘Hasn’t the weather been strange?’
Fun fact: In an interview on the Criterion DVD release, Weir explained that The Last Wave explores the question, ‘What if someone with a very pragmatic approach to life experienced a premonition?’
The Dressmaker (2015)
Drama/Revenge Comedy. A glamorous but disgraced woman returns from Paris to her small town in rural Australia, wielding her sewing machine and some haute couture style. She transforms the women of the town and exacts revenge on those who did her wrong. Directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse and adapted from Rosalie Ham’s bestselling novel, The Dressmaker stars Kate Winslet, Judy Davis, Liam Hemsworth and Hugo Weaving. It was a box office hit that rewarded a long journey to production. It’s darkly funny, tragic and quirky, and of course the costumes by Marion Boyce and Margot Wilson are amazing.
Fun fact: Kate Winslet’s accent in this film is widely considered to be one of the best Australian accents by an actor not native to Australia.
I Am Mother (2019)
Sci-fi. Following humanity’s mass extinction, a teen raised alone by a maternal droid finds her entire world shaken when she encounters another human. I Am Mother is directed and co-written by Grant Sputore and was made in South Australia’s Adelaide studios. It stars Clara Rugaard, Rose Byrne and Hilary Swank. Despite a low budget, I Am Mother is suspenseful, stylish and well-acted.
Fun fact: The ‘Mother’ robot is a full-body creature suit built by Weta Workshop and performed by Luke Hawker, a member of the creature workshop project team.
Talk to Me (2023)
Horror. When a group of friends discover how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill, until one of them goes too far … This effective and very scary Australian horror thriller is directed by Danny and Michael Philippou. It stars Sophie Wilde, Alexandra Jensen and Joe Bird, and won multiple awards around the world (with special mentions for Wilde) and was a critical and box office hit.
Fun fact: Six hands were made for the movie in case one of them got damaged or broken. Director Danny Philippou kept one of the hands.
ScreenHub: Talk to Me review: an Australian horror film to possess you
Animal Kingdom (2010)
Crime thriller. A teenager finds himself drawn into the clutches of a diabolical criminal family until a good-hearted detective tries to change the boy’s fate. The acclaimed feature debut of writer-director David Michôd has a killer cast, including Ben Mendelsohn, Joel Edgerton, Guy Pearce, Luke Ford, Sullivan Stapleton and James Frecheville. Jacki Weaver is unforgettable as the sinister crime matriarch ‘Smurf’, and that line you can never forget, delivered with a sugar-coated knife: ‘You’ve done some bad things sweetie!’
Fun fact: Animal Kingdom is loosely inspired by the real life Pettingill family and Melbourne’s Walsh Street police shootings in 1988.
Cargo (2018)
Drama/Horror. Amid a terrifying pandemic, a father searches the wilds of Australia for someone willing to protect and care for his infant daughter. Directed by Ben Howling and Yolanda Ramke, Cargo is a ticking-clock thriller. It stars Martin Freeman, Simone Landers, Anthony Hayes, David Gulpilil, Susie Porter and Caren Pistorius. Cargo is an intelligent, naturalistic and possibly tear-jerking addition to the post-apocalyptic genre, but it won’t leave you feeling destroyed.
Fun Fact: The feature film Cargo is based on a 2013 short film of the same name by Howling and Ramke which was a Tropfest finalist with 14mill+ views on YouTube.
Mad Bastards (2010)
Drama. Just out of jail, TJ is a tough man who travels across northwestern Australia to the Kimberley region to track down his son Bullet and try to do better as a father. Written and directed by Brendan Fletcher, and starring Dean Daley-Jones, Kelton Pell and John Watson, Mad Bastards is a powerful, critically acclaimed redemption story that takes us into a complex Indigenous community. Look out for the music by the Pigram Brothers (who are also producers on the film, along with David Jowsey), as well as the stunning scenery and raw performances.
Fun fact: Mad Bastards was the first WA feature to be screened in competition at the Sundance Film Festival. The storyline was developed from the true stories of local Indigenous people of the Kimberley region.
