DANE MILLERD’S TOP 20 AUSTRALIAN SCIENCE FICTION FILMS
IN A GALAXY NOT SO FAR AWAY...
Friend of the festival, writer/director Dane Millerd (There’s Something in the Pilliga, 2014; the soon-to-be-released Death’s Waiting Room) loves the Australian film sector and the sci-fi genre almost as much as he loves a good listicle. Millerd set himself some broad guidelines (must have an Aussie director; can’t be US production just using our talent and crews, like The Matrix or Superman Returns), then dived deep into his favourite homegrown sci-fi visions.
“Australia’s film industry has always punched well above its weight,” he says. “The list of outstanding movies we’ve come to love is vast, with many still getting a run in the lunchroom by the water cooler. What is less known is just how outstanding our science fiction films have been and how well they’ve fared.”
For the enjoyment of our festival followers, here are Dane’s Top 20 Australian science-fiction films. Let the arguments begin....
#20 - 2067 (Dir: Seth Larney; with Kodi Smit-McPhee, Ryan Kwanten, Leanna Walsman, Deborah Mailman; 2020) One man’s journey to save a dying world sounds exciting right? And it is! Helmer Seth Larney’s 2067 has as good an intro to a sci-fi film as you’ll see with solid acting, a great score and a mystery that will leave you reeling.
#19 - INFINI (Dir: Shane Abbess; with Daniel MacPherson, Grace Huang, Luke Hemsworth; 2015) Shane Abbess’ intergalactic “search and rescue” sci-fi cracker is an action packed thrill ride. With strong performances from Daniel MacPherson and Luke Hemsworth, this movie has plenty to look at - especially the set design, which looks incredible.
#18 - UNDEAD (Dirs: The Spierig Brothers; with Felicity Mason, Mungo McKay, Rob Jenkins, 2003) The Spierig Brothers first entry is arguably their most underrated. After meteors hit a coastal town rendering the population undead, a small group of people must band together to fight their way out.
#17 - NEKROTRONIC (Dir: Kiah Roache-Turner; with Ben O'Toole, Monica Bellucci, Caroline Ford, 2018) The Roache-Turner brothers’ first entry into the list is a gunslinger’s gory delight. With Monica Bellucci and Ben O’Toole leading a strong cast, Nekrotronic explores the Nekromancers v Demons concept and it’s just as fun as it sounds!
#16 - OCCUPATION (Dir: Luke Sparke; with Dan Ewing, Temuera Morrison, Stephany Jacobsen, 2018) Directed by Luke Sparke and starring Temuera Morrison and former Home & Away stars Dan Ewing and Rhiannon Fish, Occupation follows a ragtag group of small town residents who have to band together to fight off a devastating alien invasion. This film has developed a big following and it's easy to see why. A sequel, Occupation: Rainfall, is due in cinemas in January 2021.
#15 - THE DEATH AND LIFE OF OTTO BLOOM (Dir: Cris Jones; with Xavier Samuel, Rachel Ward, Matilda Brown; 2016) Cris Jones’ reverse time-travelling creation chronicles the death and life of Otto Bloom who lives in reverse and only remembers the future. Xavier Samuel, Rachael Ward and Matilda Brown star in this underrated gem.
#14 - THE OSIRIS CHILD (Dir: Shane Abbess; with Kellan Lutz, Daniel MacPherson, Isabel Lucas; 2016) Shane Abbess’ second entry on this list reunites him with Infiniti star Daniel MacPherson. Set during a time of interplanetary colonisation an unlikely pair take on not just the universe around them but the monsters within all of us.
#13 - THE GATEWAY (aka, Alpha Gateway; Dir: John V. Soto; with Shannon Berry, Jacqueline McKenzie, Myles Pollard; 2018) With strong performances from Jacqueline McKenzie as the desperate widow who travels to a parallel world to find her deceased husband (Myles Pollard), along with excellent set design, special effects and a cleverly woven story, director John V Soto’s thriller was one of 2018’s most watched sci-fi films, despite flying under the radar for many.
#12 - THE ROVER (Dir: David Michod; with Guy Pearce, Robert Pattinson, Scoot McNairy; 2014) David Michod’s richly cinematic follow-up to Animal Kingdom, The Rover remains an unheralded gem. Starring Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson, it is a dystopian tale about a man with nothing to lose, after having his only possession of any worth taken from him.
#11 - DAYBREAKERS (Dirs: The Spierig Brothers; with Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, Sam Neill; 2009) The Spierig Brothers’ Daybreakers tracks a new species of vampire, trying to plot their survival amid a dwindling blood supply. Starring Willem Dafoe, Ethan Hawke and Isabel Lucas, the film has a legion of fans and rightfully so.
Tie for #10 - DARK CITY (1998) and KNOWING (2009) Alex Proyas’ classic Dark City is a mind boggling vision, with outstanding performances from the likes of Rupert Sewell, Jennifer Connelly and Keifer Sutherland, Dark City is one for any collection. The director returned to his domestic industry roots for the wildly undervalued Knowing, starring Nicholas Cage as a man who links a list of mysterious numbers to the timing of natural disasters and sets out to stop the latest catastrophe.
#9 - LITTLE MONSTERS (Dir: Abe Forsyth; with Lupita Nyong'o, Alexander England, Josh Gad; 2019) Abe Forsythe’s fun, action-packed zombie apocalypse pic stars the great Lupita Nyong’o as a school teacher who, with Alexander England’s musician and a hilarious Josh Gad’s kids show personality, must save a class full of kids from the undead. Which is exactly what you would want, right? 100%! Forsythe keeps going from strength to strength.
#8 - WYRMWOOD: ROAD OF THE DEAD (Dir: Kiah Roache-Turner; with Jay Gallagher, Bianca Bradey, Leon Burchill; 2014) The Roache-Turner brothers’ Wyrmwood remains one of the best Aussie sci-fi films of the decade. With a great script, cool effects and loads of action, what else could you ask for in a Mad Max/zombie mash-up? Guns and cars of course! Watching this Roache-Turner brothers film was more fun than eating a dagwood dog at my first Narrabri show.
#7 - PREDESTINATION (Dirs: The Spierig Brothers; with Ethan Hawke, Sarah Snook, Noah Taylor; 2014) Ethan Hawke and Sarah Snook star in this lonely tale of a man who’s final assignment is to catch the one criminal that always evaded him. It’s the second movie on this list for the Spierig brothers and you get the feeling that before they hang up the clipboard, there'll be more.
#6 - THESE FINAL HOURS (Dir: Zak Hilditch; with Jessica De Gouw, Nathan Phillips, David Field, Angourie Rice; 2013) Nathan Phillips (Wolf Creek) plays a self-obsessed young man on his way to the party of all parties but ends up having to save a young girl (Angourie Rice, in her breakout role), ultimately leading him to redemption. Dark and brooding.
#5 - CARGO (Dirs: Ben Howling, Yolanda Ramke; with Martin Freeman, Susie Porter; 2017) This recent classic traces the story of a desperate father who, amidst a pandemic that turns humans to flesh-craving zombies, must find someone to protect his daughter. Cargo is low-fi and clever and Martin Freeman, as always, is exceptional.
Tie for #4 - UPGRADE (2018) and THE INVISIBLE MAN (2020) Two Leigh Whannell films in the top five, and can’t (maybe shouldn’t) be split. Upgrade’s smart storyline and eerie Orwellian atmosphere prove the young director’s versatility as an all-round filmmaker, one who understands his audience. With The Invisible Man, Whannell does a great job with visuals and creates a tension throughout that doesn’t let you sit still. I'm still looking over my shoulder at every creaky floorboard in my house! This fresh take is all kinds of fun.
#3 - I AM MOTHER (Dir: Grant Sputore; with Clara Ruugard, Hilary Swank, Rose Byrne; 2019) Clara Ruugard and Hillary Swank star in a tale about the unusual and unique bond between a teenage girl who has survived the destruction of humanity and a robot (voiced by Rose Byrne) designed to care for her and the alarming news that will impact them both.
#2 - THE INFINITE MAN (Dir: Hugh Sullivan; with Josh McConville, Hannah Marshall, Alex Dimitriades; 2014) Josh McConville stars in a tale of the ultimate romantic weekend backfire that lands a man’s lover in an endless loop. Also stars Hannah Marshall and Alex Dimitriades. This film is wild and has some terrific performances.
#1 - MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (Dir: Dr George Miller; with Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Keays-Byrne; 2015) If the box office and awards aren’t enough to sway you how good this dystopian road movie is, then the amazing props and action sequences will. Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron (Oscar winner for Monster) star in the fourth, and best, of the Mad Max films from Dr George Miller. Glad we don't have their fuel bill, though. Miller has a midas touch, of course; a modern day master at the top of his game. The Mad Max universe is his magnum opus.