Wake in Fright

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Wake in Fright

R

1971

1h 39m

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

97%

Tomatometer

58 Reviews

83%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

After finishing up the school term in a remote outback town, teacher John Grant (Gary Bond) looks forward to spending his holiday with his girlfriend in Sydney. But John gets waylaid in a mining town where a gambling spree leaves him completely broke. He quickly falls in with the hard-drinking locals, who constantly ply him with alcohol and force him to participate in a gruesome kangaroo hunt. Disgusted, John tries to hitchhike out of town and, when that fails, begins to contemplate suicide.

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Critics Consensus

A disquieting classic of Australian cinema, Wake in Fright surveys a landscape both sun-drenched and ruthlessly dark.

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Tom Milne

Financial Times

03/19/2020

[Has some] fine photography of the Australian wilds, but also veers into melodrama.

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Derek Malcolm

Guardian

03/19/2020

[It] will will not please the Australian Tourist Board. It may not even please Australians. But it ranks, along with Nicholas Roeg's Walkabout, as the most impressive piece of special pleading about the country I've seen.

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Margaret Hinxman

Daily Telegraph (UK)

03/19/2020

It's a remarkable film and I'm not at all happy with it.

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

1d

... the darkly comic chain of events that keep him stuck the Yabba looks less like a cruel joke by a trickster god and more like a hard lesson in self-awareness.

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Nick Rogers

Midwest Film Journal

Jun 30

4/5

Aggressively unpleasant, unforgettably grim and well worth the watch for those who can stomach this walking nightmare.

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Trace Thurman

Horror Queers Podcast

05/24/2022

3.5/5

Reaches a level of anxiety-inducing terror that few other films have achieved.

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thiago S

@Thiagostone Apr 26

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

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Max M.

@Househuntermax Feb 3

What the heck did I just watch?? Quite a movie this one.

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Mickey B.

@Mickerdoo Dec 25

A poster child for just saying no. Hunt scene was deeply unsettling. Pleasence was good, the story was just so off putting.

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Brian H

@RT85999140 Oct 7

Disturbing and chaotic and so so entertaining... it's a film i wish i could see again for the first time.

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Peter W

@RT12077588 Sep 17

Wake in Fright is an unforgettable and deeply disturbing experience. It’s truly a nightmare for teacher John Grant, who simply wanted a holiday full of peace and relaxation, but due to poor choices, he stumbles upon a place and world that feels like hell. Filled with nightmarish and uncomfortable sequences, you can’t help but be drawn to this place to the point where you feel like visiting it yourself while being repulsed. Visually, I love this film, especially the impressive display of Australian culture. A landmark piece of Australian cinema, there are certainly some outstanding leading performances, particularly from Chips Rafferty and Donald Pleasence. It’s definitely a must-watch from me, though it’s not for the faint-hearted or the squeamish.

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Krent A

@RT56820404 06/27/2025

One of the finest films ever made and a total 70's classic. Brilliant acting, characters, and a subtle, ambiguous script that avoids cliches at every turn. I can't think another film that captures masculine culture better.

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Ted Kotcheff

Director

Gary Bond

John Grant

Donald Pleasence

Doc Tydon

Chips Rafferty

Jock Crawford

Sylvia Kay

Janette Hynes

Jack Thompson

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Synopsis

After finishing up the school term in a remote outback town, teacher John Grant (Gary Bond) looks forward to spending his holiday with his girlfriend in Sydney. But John gets waylaid in a mining town where a gambling spree leaves him completely broke. He quickly falls in with the hard-drinking locals, who constantly ply him with alcohol and force him to participate in a gruesome kangaroo hunt. Disgusted, John tries to hitchhike out of town and, when that fails, begins to contemplate suicide.

Director: Ted Kotcheff
Producer: George Willoughby
Screenwriter: Evan Jones
Production Co: Group W Films, NLT Productions
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 22, 1971, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 11, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $15.5K
Runtime: 1h 39m
Sound Mix: Surround
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)