Kieran Darcy-Smith Movies
- 2011
- R
Screen veteran Kieran Darcy-Smith (The Square, Animal Kingdom) makes his feature directorial debut with this ambitious non-linear drama centering on a group of Australian friends whose lives are irreparably changed after one of them goes missing during a spontaneous vacation in Cambodia. Alice (Felicity Price) and Dave (Joel Edgerton) are about to become new parents when they agree to join Alice's little sister Steph (Teresa Palmer) and her new beau Jeremy (Anthony Starr) on a sun-soaked trip to Cambodia. Their tropical retreat quickly turns bad, however, when Jeremy vanishes without a trace. As the investigation into Jeremy's disappearance begins to reveal the nefarious motivations behind their trip, the remaining three struggle to carry on with their lives in Sydney amidst the threat that even more damning details will emerge. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
A youngster is given an inside look at a criminal empire that also happens to be his family in this independent drama. Teenage Joshua Cody (James Frecheville) is suddenly on his own after his mother's drug habit catches up with her, and he's taken in by his grandmother Smurf (Jacki Weaver), usually regarded as the black sheep of the family. Joshua quickly learns Smurf's reputation is well deserved; she and her four sons are members of a mid-level crime syndicate that operates out of her home in Melbourne. Baz (Joel Edgerton) looks after the money and is urging Smurf to move into something legit, Pope (Ben Mendelsohn) is a criminal jack-of-all-trades who never lets go of a grudge, Darren (Luke Ford) is an enforcer with an unfortunate weak streak, and Craig (Sullivan Stapleton) is a drug dealer who has become addicted to his own product. When Baz is murdered, the family's voice of reason is gone, and the unstable Pope takes the lead in the family's hierarchy; as suspicions fall on Joshua, the quiet newcomer is moved out of the house to keep him safe. Nathan Leckie (Guy Pearce) is a police detective who has found out who Joshua is and what he knows, and he tries to convince the teenager to help him put the Cody family behind bars, though Joshua isn't certain about his loyalties to these outlaws who are also his blood. The first feature film from director David Michod, Animal Kingdom was an official selection at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, where it received the World Cinema Jury Prize for Best Dramatic Feature. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- James Frecheville, Ben Mendelsohn, (more)
A yacht outing to Australia's Great Barrier Reef leads to a harrowing struggle for survival in this deep sea shocker from Black Water director Andrew Traucki. The sun was shining and the waters were calm when Luke and his friends set sail in their luxury yacht. But when jagged rocks tear a hole in the hull, the terrified passengers are forced to choose between remaining on board in hopes of being rescued and braving the shark-infested waters for a 12 mile swim to the nearest island. The moment everyone dives into the ocean, however, a massive Great White Shark picks up their scent, and begins methodically dragging them down into the icy depths, one-by-one. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Damian Walshe-Howling, Zoe Naylor, (more)
- 2009
Director Luke Doolan crafts this Academy Award-nominated short about an eight year old boy whose unusual birthday wish appears to come true. Joe's birthday isn't going so well. Teased by his peers, Joe escapes into the sick bay and makes a wish for everyone in the world to disappear. Upon awakening, he discovers that his school shows no signs of life. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Brendan Donoghue, Karl Beattie, (more)
Temptation turns a man's life upside down in this noir-influenced thriller from Australia. Ray Yale (David Roberts) is a construction worker who is married to Martha (Lucy Bell) and is helping to build an upscale resort hotel just outside Sydney. Ray isn't entirely happy in his marriage, and his roving eye has become focused on Carla (Claire van der Boom), a hairdresser who lives next door. Carla is married to a low-level mobster, Greg (Anthony Hayes), but she craves excitement and is soon having a torrid affair with Ray. Carla knows that Greg has a large bundle of cash hidden in their home, and she hatches a scheme she shares with Ray -- they steal they money, set fire to the house, and run off together, with Greg imagining the cash was lost in the blaze. While Ray isn't interested in a life of crime, he can't say no to Carla, but when he develops cold feet at the last minute, his attempts to reach Billy (Joel Edgerton), who was hired to torch the house, are unsuccessful, and things take a turn for the worse when he learns that Greg's aged mother was in the house when it burned to the ground. Ray quickly realizes he's been implicated in a murder, and Billy doesn't hesitate to use this knowledge to his advantage. The Square was the first directorial project for Nash Edgerton, who previously was one of the leading stuntmen in the Aussie film industry. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Roberts, Claire Van Der Boom, (more)
- 2007
Set against the backdrop of the outback wheat belt, director Peter Carstairs' September tells the tale of an interracial friendship that slowly buckles under the tremendous social changes sweeping through the Australian landscape during the late 1960s. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Clarence John Ryan, Xavier Samuel, (more)
Terror lurks deep beneath the surface of the Earth in this thriller. While on a dig in a Romanian forest, a group of scientists make a startling find -- they find a huge abbey, dating back to the 13th Century, which was built over the entrance to a massive network of subterranean caves. Eager to learn what lurks within the caves, the scientists discover to their peril that a large part of the cave system is under water. Undeterred, the remaining scientists hire a team of American spelunkers who are trained in exploring underwater caves, led by brothers Jack (Cole Hauser) and Tyler (Eddie Cibrian). Armed with new high-tech SCUBA gear that allows them to stay under water for a full 24 hours, Jack, Tyler, and the rest of their crew dive in to investigate the caves, but a mishap traps them in a cavern beneath the surface, and they soon discover they are not alone, as strange and bloodthirsty creatures make their presence known. The Cave also stars Morris Chestnut, Rick Ravanello, Piper Perabo, and Lena Headey. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Cole Hauser, Morris Chestnut, (more)
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