12 Best Australian Movies to Watch

By Vlad Zakh · December 1, 2025

Australia Drama intense thought provoking

Australian cinema swings between relentless outback survival and quiet prestige dramas that keep landing Oscar nominations. Wolf Creek has backpackers falling into the hands of a friendly but sinister local, The Babadook has a widow’s grief taking monstrous form, and Strictly Ballroom has a rebel dancer inventing his own steps. Ten Canoes, Muriel’s Wedding, Animal Kingdom, Shine, Rabbit-Proof Fence, Lion, Mad Max: Fury Road and The Rover round out the list.

Wolf Creek (2005)

TMDB ★ 6.2

Backpackers stranded in the outback fall into the hands of a friendly local with a much darker agenda.

Directed by Greg McLean · 1h 39m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Babadook (2014)

IMDb ★ 6.8 RT 98% Metacritic 86

A widowed mother's grief takes the shape of a monster from her son's pop-up book.

Directed by Jennifer Kent · 1h 34m · Rated NR

56 wins & 64 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+, YouTube TV, Shudder · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Strictly Ballroom (1992)

TMDB ★ 6.9

A rebellious competitive dancer risks his career by performing unconventional, forbidden steps.

Directed by Baz Luhrmann · 1h 34m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Ten Canoes (2006)

TMDB ★ 6.9

An ancient Aboriginal legend is told in Indigenous languages, framed inside another old story.

Directed by Rolf de Heer & Peter Djigirr · 1h 30m

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent: Amazon Video, Fetch TV, Beamafilm · Buy: Amazon Video, Fetch TV

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Muriel's Wedding (1994)

IMDb ★ 7.3 RT 82% Metacritic 63

A friendless dreamer obsessed with weddings finally starts building a life of her own.

Directed by P.J. Hogan · 1h 46m · Rated R

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award9 wins & 13 nominations total

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Animal Kingdom (2010)

TMDB ★ 7.0

A teenager is pulled into his extended family's violent criminal business after his mother dies.

Directed by David Michôd · 1h 53m · Rated R

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Shine (1996)

TMDB ★ 7.6

A brilliant pianist's mental breakdown under his domineering father's pressure derails his promising career.

Directed by Scott Hicks · 1h 45m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002)

TMDB ★ 7.6

Three Aboriginal girls walk 1,500 miles home after being forcibly taken from their families.

Directed by Phillip Noyce · 1h 34m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Google Play Movies, YouTube

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Lion (2016)

TMDB ★ 8.0

A man adopted from India as a child uses Google Earth to search for his birth family decades later.

Directed by Garth Davis · 1h 58m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Netflix · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

IMDb ★ 8.1 RT 97% Metacritic 90

A near-wordless desert chase and a franchise reboot that somehow tops the originals.

Directed by George Miller · 2h 01m · Rated R

Won 6 Oscars246 wins & 240 nominations

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Rover (2014)

TMDB ★ 6.2

A grim loner chases the gang who stole his car across a lawless, collapsed Australian outback.

Directed by David Michôd · 1h 43m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Chopper (2000)

TMDB ★ 7.0

A charismatic, unpredictable Australian criminal tells his own violent, self-mythologising life story.

Directed by Andrew Dominik · 1h 34m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

12 Best Australian Movies to Watch

Wolf Creek (2005)

The Babadook (2014)

Strictly Ballroom (1992)

Ten Canoes (2006)

Muriel's Wedding (1994)

Animal Kingdom (2010)

Shine (1996)

Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002)

Lion (2016)

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

The Rover (2014)

Chopper (2000)

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