Top 25 Australian movies revealed in new poll
THE best Australian movies released since 2000 has been revealed in a new poll. How many have you seen and will your favourites be on the list?
MAD Max: Fury Road has been named the best Australian movie of the 21st century in a poll by 51 film critics.
Compiled by film website flicks.com.au, George Miller’s post-apocalyptic action epic came out in front in the list of the top 25 Australian movies released since 2000.
Starring Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy, Mad Max: Fury Road is a thrilling piece of work full of eye-popping effects and extravagant set pieces that earnt the film six Oscars.
David Michod’s 2010 crime drama Animal Kingdom came in second on the list, followed by Warwick Thornton’s Samson & Delilah, Andrew Dominik’s Chopper and Ray Lawrence’s Lantana to round out the top five.
The films were chosen by 51 film critics across Australia (full disclosure, I was one of them), working across radio, TV, digital and print, split almost evenly across gender lines. It included Margaret Pomeranz (Foxtel), David Stratton (The Australian), Luke Buckmaster (The Guardian), Jason Di Rosso (ABC), Sandra Hall (Fairfax) and Rochelle Siemienowicz (SBS).
Each critic was asked to rank their personal top 10, which was then weighted and scored to come up with the final list. Flicks.com.au has also published how each individual critic voted.
The list is similar to one compiled by the BBC two years ago which surveyed over 150 critics around the world to assemble the 100 best movies released since 2000. Mulholland Drive topped that one while Mad Max: Fury Road was the highest Australian entry at number 19.
The top 25 movies list sought to highlight the gems of Australian cinema, drawing attention to a creative industry too often overlooked by local audiences in favour of flashier and bigger-budgeted Hollywood blockbusters.
With the exception of Mad Max: Fury Road, all top 25 movies are also not part of franchises (unless it was the originating film), the genre which now dominates the yearly box office.
Check out how many of these acclaimed films you’ve seen and add those you haven’t to your watchlist.
1. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) — George Miller
2. Animal Kingdom (2010) — David Michod
3. Samson & Delilah (2009) — Warwick Thornton
4. Chopper (2000) — Andrew Dominik
5. Lantana (2001) — Ray Lawrence
6. The Babadook (2014) — Jennifer Kent
7. The Proposition (2005) — John Hillcoat
8. Sweet Country (2018) — Warwick Thornton
9. Snowtown (2011) — Justin Kurzel
10. Mystery Road (2011) — Ivan Sen
11. Moulin Rouge! (2001) — Baz Luhrmann
12. Ten Canoes (2006) — Rolf de Heer, Peter Djigirr
13. Look Both Ways (2005) — Sarah Watt
14. Hail (2011) — Amiel Courtin-Wilson
15. The Dressmaker (2015) — Jocelyn Moorhouse
16. The Dish (2000) — Rob Sitch
17. Lion (2016) — Garth Davis
18. The Tracker (2002) — Rolf de Heer
19. Noise (2007) — Matthew Saville
20. Kenny (2006) — Clayton Jacobson
21. Sherpa (2015) — Jennifer Peedom
22. Mary and Max (2009) — Adam Elliot
23. Hacksaw Ridge (2016) — Mel Gibson
24. Wolf Creek (2005) — Greg McLean
25. Predestination (2014) — Michael Spierig
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