It was a fantastic year for Australian Cinema, with each film I saw knocking it out of the park. There were intimate documentaries, films that held up a mirror to society, and those that brought the action to a new level. This list will look more at the locally-made Australian productions/co-productions and not just films filmed in Australia.
So without further ado, these are the best Australian Cinema in 2022. Be warned that there will be significant spoilers for the films in question.
TL;DR – A thoroughly charming film when it is working and a bit overwrought when it is not.
Post-Credit Scene – There are mid-credit scenes
Disclosure – I paid for the Stan service that viewed this film.
It is the time of year when Christmas films are a plenty. Indeed 5 Christmas films got added to a streaming service just today. But if I am to dive into what can be a mess of sentimentality, I want to spend some time with a local production. Well, it is good timing because the Stan Christmas film just dropped, and it is time to find some joy in the world.
So to set the scene, at Harrington & Sons toy store run by Clarence Harrington (Cleave Williams) and famous all through the country and the place to visit for toys. But as time marches on, Clarence’s son Derrick (Matt Okine) now runs the store. Christmas does not hold the joy it once was after doing it alone for so long, and even Gladys (Miranda Tapsell), the store’s security guard, can see something missing from Derrick’s life. Even more so given the store is about to close because of a lack of finance. But once the store is closed for the evening, we discover that not everyone has left. Two members of the naughty list, Wombat (Evan Stanhope) and Brady (Tahlia Sturzaker), are here. But before Gladys can finish integrating the little brats, two actual crooks, Nan (Geneviève Lemon) and Shez (Bridie McKim), come into the store with guns. Soon all the staff are tied up with tinsel, a ransom call has been made, and the question is, who can save them?
Dedicated to the support and promotion of Australian made films through independent news, reviews, features and interviews.
50,000 Monkeys at 50,000 Typewriters Can't Be Wrong
A Movie Blog for the Latest Movie Reviews, Trailers, and More
freelance film critic with an interest in multilingualism, feminist perspectives in cinema and crime dramas.
For the Relentless Criticism of All Existing Conditions Since 2010
TL;DR Movie Reviews and Analysis 