“Brilliantly directed by Kotcheff, the film has the disorienting and menacing quality of Joseph Losey films such as Accident and The Servant.”
Screened in tribute to Ted Kotcheff (1931- 2025)
After finishing the end of year term at a remote outback school, straight-laced 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 and forced to fall in with the menacing, hard drinking locals - including Donald Pleasence’s fantastic turn as the local alcoholic doctor who takes John under his wing, all the while guiding him further down into moral degradation… Wake in Fright is a true original - but won’t be for everyone in its controversial unflinching gaze into the dark toxic heart of Australian outback life. (In other words: contains scenes that some may find disturbing.)
