Wake in Fright
Seen it?1971 | 109 min | Drama, Thriller
Saturday SpecialWhy it’s a Saturday Special
Critics loved it (96% on Rotten Tomatoes) and it's still drawing plenty of interest, despite a box office loss. A strong pick for the weekend.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who likes to be kept guessing. If you loved Chopper, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Tense.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 49 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated R: meant for adults.
- Made in 1971: an older pace and style.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
A young schoolteacher descends into personal moral degradation after finding himself stranded in a brutal, menacing town in outback Australia.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
96% on Rotten Tomatoes, 85 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
7.2 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$372K worldwide on a $750K budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactStrong
About 138K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Ted Kotcheff
- Donald PleasenceDoc Tydon
- Gary BondJohn Grant
- Chips RaffertyJock Crawford
- Sylvia KayJanette Hynes
- Jack ThompsonDick
- Peter WhittleJoe
- Al ThomasTim Hynes
- John MeillonCharlie
- John ArmstrongAtkins
- Slim DeGreyJarvis