Lights, camera, Melbourne.
For too long, Australian cinema and has copped an unfair reputation when compared to the big dogs at the helm of Hollywood. Let’s set the record straight: the annals of Australian film are paved with blood, grit, gangsters, and a whole lot of heart. And the underdog that shines through some of the best flicks that we have to offer? That’s right – it’s Melbourne.
Next movie night, chuck on any of these perfect films fit for a Melburnian and watch as our city takes centre stage. You’d have to admit, we’re looking bloody good.
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.
Death in Brunswick (1990) directed by John Ruane
Before there was Dr Alan Grant, there was Carl Fitzgerald. Three years before Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park catapulted Kiwi-cum-Aussie Sam Neill onto the world stage, the gentle heartthrob was working at nightclubs and committing manslaughter in none other than Naarm’s very own Brunswick. Exactly what it sounds, Death in Brunswick is a chaotic mess of a film – known by few but loved by all that do.
Dogs in Space (1986) directed by Richard Lowenstein
Films don’t get much more Melbourne than this. Richard Lowenstein’s 1986 beloved slice of cinematic gold that is Dogs in Space unravels in Naarm’s post-punk scene of 1978, following frontman Sam – played by none other than INXS’ Michael Hutchence – and his music-loving mates. Living in Richmond and venturing into the landscape of sonic beauty vibrating through the city and the veins of those that dare venture into the mess of it, this film will no doubt make you nostalgic for a music scene you were never a part of.
The Home Song Stories (2007) directed by Tony Ayres
An autobiographical interpretation of director Tony Ayres’ own life and family, The Home Song Stories investigates personal histories through fictional vessels. After migrating from Hong Kong to Melbourne, narrator Tom – based on Ayres – and his sister and mother go on a rollercoaster of instability in their search for a steady home. Far from an easy watch, this eloquent exploration of family history and the stories that bind us together is one of the best we have.
Head On (1998) directed by Ana Kokkinos
Based on Christos Tsiolkas’ novel Loaded, Head On is one of the brightest stars in Naarm’s cinema hall of fame. This chaotic masterpiece unfolds quickly and intensely, following 19-year-old Ari – played by a young Alex Dimitriades – as he gallivants around 90’s Melbourne with his mates – clubbing, getting high, hooking up and getting into havoc. A timeless exploration of queerness, identity and belonging, Head On still has much wisdom to offer.
Monkey Grip (1982) directed by Ken Cameron
You can’t get more Melbourne than Monkey Grip. Ken Cameron adapted Helen Garner’s acclaimed 1977 novel into a film of the same name, enriching it with an original soundtrack by iconic Aussie rock band the Divinyls, a cast of local screen favourites, and a visual style matched by few. With Garner as a co-writer of the film alongside Cameron, you’re right to expect nothing less than the best.
Noise (2007) directed by Matthew Saville
Australian filmmakers have a knack for bringing unsettling stories to life in all their brutally honest glory and Noise is no exception. Set in the Naarm suburb of Sunshine, Noise promises 108 minutes of anything but sunshine as a jaded police officer (played by Brendan Cowell) is intertwined with a string of potentially related murders. Despite being made almost two decades ago now, the upsetting depravity of violence that lingers beneath the surface of suburbia lurks near.
Crackerjack (2002) directed by Paul Moloney
Naarm films aren’t all death and darkness – just take a look at Crackerjack. This undeniably silly romp of a movie stars a young Mick Molloy, and you can bet that the goofball was as much of a larrikin 23 years ago as he is now. Filmed mostly at a bowls club in Windsor, the film follows Mick’s character as his rort of becoming a member at a bowls club for the free parking spaces is suddenly exposed. One of the country’s most loveable comedians playing lawn bowls with senior citizens? Five stars.
Pawno (2016) directed Paul Ireland
This relatively unknown gem is like a mosaic of ordinary people as they move in and around a pawn shop in Footscray. Relationships ensue, drama pursues and shit happens – meaning, you’ll be laughing and crying at the same time. Few films are so equipped at making the ordinariness of the human condition feel extraordinary, but Pawno certainly succeeds.
Memoir of a Snail (2024) directed by Adam Elliot
Stop-motion genius and all-round awesome Melburnian Adam Elliot knows how to punch his audience in the clay-made guts. Memoir of a Snail saw Elliot round up the who’s who of Australian screen royalty – Sarah Snook, Eric Bana and Madga Szubanski, just to name a few – to deliver an animated love letter to childish wonder, the vitality of hope, and St Kilda’s Luna Park. We think it’s pretty great, and so does Hollywood, as evidenced by its nomination for Best Animated Feature at the 97th Academy Awards.
The Dressmaker (2015) directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse
While not technically set in Naarm, the 2015 box office sensation The Dressmaker did somewhat of a great regional Victorian road trip after principal photography was completed at Docklands Studios. Shooting in Horsham, You Yangs, Murtoa, Mount Rothwell and Little River, the film’s production somewhat replicated the film’s plot, only backwards. Kate Winslet’s titular character of Tilly closes out the film on board a train, heading toward none other than the big smoke of Melbourne.
Ablaze (2022) directed by Alec Morgan and Tiriki Onus
This incredible documentary offers a story of untold history. After discovering a 70-year-old silent film that he believes was made by his grandfather, opera singer-turned-documentary filmmaker Tiriki Onus sets out to explore the work and legacy of his grandfather and Indigenous activist, Bill Onus (who spent some time living in Fitzroy), and the possibility of him being Australia’s first Indigenous filmmaker. Ablaze is evidently an important must-watch for anyone with the slightest interest in this country’s film history.
Lion (2016) directed by Garth Davis
If you’ve ever fantasised about what Dev Patel sounds like with a (surprisingly fantastic) Aussie accent, fantasise no further. This fictionalised retelling of Saroo Brierley’s attempts to find his family in India after being adopted by an Australian couple (played by David Wenham and Our Nicole), Lion sees Saroo (Patel) move to Melbourne to study, eventually leading him to some fruitful Google searches to find the past life that he thought he had lost. Have the tissues handy for this one.
Holding the Man (2015) directed by Neil Armfield
If you visited a Melburnian cinema in 2015, you’re familiar with Holding the Man – it was absolutely everywhere. This heartfelt adaptation of Timothy Conigrave’s 1995 memoir details the romance and subsequent relationship of Conigrave and his high school sweetheart, John Caleo. The kind of film that rips your heart apart only to stitch it back together again, and then proceeds to rip it apart once more, Holding the Man is testament to the immense power of love over hate, taking place across many a Melbourne hotspot.
Love and Other Catastrophes (1996) directed by Emma-Kate Croghan
When the very first word that the internet describes a film as is ‘quirky’, you just know it’s going to be good. Set at the prestigious University of Melbourne campus in a time of pixie cuts and low-rise jeans, Love and Other Catastrophes details a coming of age that perhaps isn’t so different from the one many experience now. Sharehouse woes, relationship drama and the terrors of uni administration pursue – you know, just your typical 20-something-year-old Melburnian’s life.
Romper Stomper (1992) directed Geoffrey Wright
One of the more controversial directorial debuts in recent Australian cinema, Geoffrey Wright’s Footscray-set drama stars Russel Crowe as Hando, a violently destructive white nationalist, as he heads up his troop of suburban neo-Nazis. Plenty of debate has followed this movie throughout the years, with many repulsed by the inflammatory nature of its racist violence. However, others seem to find the nuance in its message. Curious? Decide for yourself.
Animal Kingdom (2010) directed by David Michôd
If you thought Naarm’s films were all sunshine and rainbows, strap in. Animal Kingdom satisfies that craving for gritty crime drama and a morbid fascination with the underworld of the city’s gangland operations (see: Underbelly). That’s all to say, no one does it quite like Michôd – not even the Americans, and boy did they try.
He Died with a Felafel in His Hand (2001) directed by Ricard Lowenstein
The sharehouse experience isn’t a story often broached by auteurs, but broach it Richard Lowenstein certainly did. This adaptation of a 1994 memoir of the same name by John Birmingham, He Died with a Felafel in His Hand is still a pretty good depiction of sharehouse living – drugs, vegetarians, strange housemates and all. The protagonist, Danny, may have only moved to Naarm sharehouse for a hot minute, but hasn’t every Aussie?
Proof (1991) directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse
Prolific filmmaker Jocelyn Moorhouse has secured a second film on this list with none other than the critically-acclaimed comedy-drama, Proof. Starring a young(er) Hugo Weaving, this Naarm-set exploration of truth, trust and perception is proof that the 90s was a fantastic decade for Aussie cinema – especially for the gold that was streaming out of Melbourne and onto our silver screens.
Chopper (2000) directed by Andrew Dominik
Please, lend us your ears – this one’s a goodie. Few criminals have garnered a cult-icon status quite like Mark ‘Chopper’ Read. Eric Bana brought Chopper to life in Andrew Dominik’s 2000 directorial debut, turning the story of the violent, Pentridge Prison-hardened criminal into one that won over many viewers.
Of an Age (2022) directed by Goreth Stolevski
Now one for the cinephiles at the back – this flick pays tribute to anyone who grew up in suburban Naarm. Drawing on the experiences of director Goreth Stolebski’s childhood as a migrant growing up in the outer-suburbs and coming to terms with his sexuality, Of an Age is universal in its specificity. That is to say, it’ll tear you apart with its sublime beauty and humanity. Watch it, pronto.
