---
title: "The Nightingale"
year: 2018
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-nightingale"
fi1m_id: "the-nightingale"
imdb_id: "tt4068576"
tmdb_id: 400090
fi1m_score: 78
critics_score: 74
critics_reviews: 28
published: "2026-09-24T21:46:44.725313+00:00"
updated: "2026-09-24T21:46:45.169670+00:00"
region: "GB"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# The Nightingale (2018)

Directed by Jennifer Kent · 2h 16m · BBFC 18 · Drama, Thriller, Western

## Identity

The Nightingale

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-nightingale
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** the-nightingale
- **IMDb ID:** tt4068576
- **TMDB ID:** 400090
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4068576/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/400090

**Fi1m score: 78** · Critics 74 from 28 reviews

*In a sentence:* Red coats, green bush, square frame, and nowhere in any of it to look away

> Jennifer Kent’s revenge western, set in the Tasmanian bush in 1825, is serious, well made and hard to sit through. The middle hour, with Aisling Franciosi and Baykali Ganambarr, is as good as the reviews say; the last third repeats itself.

## Synopsis

Van Diemen’s Land, 1825. Clare (Aisling Franciosi), an Irish convict, has served her sentence and is still held at a British garrison by Lieutenant Hawkins (Sam Claflin), who has her sing for his officers at night and will not let her go. Her husband Aidan (Michael Sheasby) wants her out of the barracks. Hawkins wants a promotion and a posting to Launceston, and his men Ruse (Damon Herriman) and Jago (Harry Greenwood) do what he tells them. One night the soldiers come for her. By morning Clare has nothing left. When Hawkins rides north through the bush, she pays an Aboriginal tracker, Billy (Baykali Ganambarr), to follow him.

## Review

Jennifer Kent’s second film, after [*The Babadook*](https://film.one/film/the-babadook), moves out of a suburban house and into the Tasmanian bush in 1825, and leaves the ghosts behind. Nothing in it is imagined. Clare (Aisling Franciosi) is an Irish convict kept past her sentence by Lieutenant Hawkins (Sam Claflin), who has her sing for his officers and calls her his nightingale. When he is refused the promotion he wants, he takes it out on her and her family, then rides north for Launceston. She hires a tracker, Billy (Baykali Ganambarr), and follows. It is a revenge western, a good one, and half an hour longer than it needs to be.

The first act is the hard part. Kent stages the attack on Clare’s home at close quarters, in a frame that barely holds the walls, and does not cut away when a kinder director would. We were horrified, and we were meant to be. The camera stays on Franciosi’s face while things happen at the edge of the shot, so that it feels as though we are there too. Everything Clare does afterwards has to be weighed against what we saw, and Kent does not want us to have looked away.

Radosław Ładczuk shoots it in the old square Academy ratio, so the sky is mostly cut off and the trees crowd in from both sides. The bush is a wet dark green, and the red of the soldiers’ coats, muddied and torn by Margot Wilson within a day’s march, is the only colour that reads across a clearing. Alex Holmes gives the garrison low ceilings and Hawkins’s quarters a table, a bottle and a piano. Jed Kurzel’s score is a low drone, absent for long stretches. The singing does the work instead: Clare’s Irish songs, and later Billy’s, in his own language, sung to the birds.

The middle is the best of it, and it belongs to Ganambarr. Billy has his own dead and his own reasons to hate a red coat, and no interest at first in Clare’s grief, which she assumes outranks his. Ganambarr plays him lightly, with a humour the film badly needs, and the slow business of two people who despise each other learning to walk in step is written without a single speech about understanding. The scene that got us was small: a fire at night, Clare singing to stay awake, and Billy, after a while, answering with a song of his own. It moved us more than we expected anything in this film to. Simon Njoo holds both faces and lets the songs finish.

Franciosi is excellent and has the harder job. Clare is not softened by loss; she is made reckless and cruel by it, and Franciosi lets her be unlikeable for long stretches. Claflin plays Hawkins as a vain, frightened man who needs to be admired, and the film shows us his vanity in every scene and his doubt in none. He is a monster from the first minute and stays one; Damon Herriman’s Ruse and Harry Greenwood’s Jago are the bully and the boy who follow him. Kent wants us to see that the colony made these men. The film never shows how.

The last third has the problem most critics have noticed, and it is real. The soldiers stop, move on, stop again. Clare’s nightmares, cut in hard and black, come round until they lose their force. There is a scene involving Lowanna (Magnolia Maymuru), an Aboriginal woman the soldiers have taken, that several reviewers have objected to, and we think it is handled worse than anything around it. At 136 minutes the film repeats itself where it should be narrowing, and the ending, which we will not describe, arrives in two parts where one would have done.

*The Babadook* was one house and one idea. This is a country and several, and not all of them are finished. It is also rare in refusing what a revenge western is built to deliver, and we respected that even while wanting it to hurry up. It is an 18 certificate and earns it. Do not put it on with anyone who has not agreed to the first half hour. Stay to the end, though. The last shot is worth the walk.

*Fi1m score 78, published 24 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics come away from Jennifer Kent’s second film shaken and, on balance, admiring. The word that recurs is harrowing; almost every review warns that the opening stretch is gruelling and the violence graphic. The praise gathers around the two leads. Aisling Franciosi’s Clare is called compelling, mesmeric, spellbinding, and Baykali Ganambarr’s Billy is singled out again and again, with several reviews saying the film’s real subject is the slow, unsentimental bond between them and the way his perspective gradually reshapes hers.

The reservations cluster on length and repetition. Several critics find the middle and the finale lose focus, and a handful think the violence becomes declarative rather than illuminating. The spread is wide: the loudest dissent comes from Vulture, which calls the revenge melodrama heavy-handed and misses the metaphorical reach of The Babadook, while the Evening Standard, otherwise warm, objects to how the rape of an Indigenous woman is staged. Only one review is outright negative.

## Straight answers

**Is The Nightingale worth watching?**

*The Nightingale* is worth watching for anyone prepared for a serious, hard revenge western, and we scored it 78. Aisling Franciosi and Baykali Ganambarr are excellent, and the middle hour in the Tasmanian bush is as good as its reputation. The last third repeats itself, and the film runs half an hour longer than it needs to.

**How long is The Nightingale, and what is it rated?**

*The Nightingale* runs 2h 16m and is rated 18 by the BBFC in the UK. It is a drama and thriller film.

**Where can I watch The Nightingale in the UK?**

*The Nightingale* is available to rent from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV from £3.49. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is The Nightingale, and is it suitable for children?**

*The Nightingale* is an 18 certificate in the UK and earns it, and it is not suitable for children. The first act stages a sexual assault and the killing of a family at close quarters, and Jennifer Kent does not cut away. Nightmares and further violence follow, so anyone squeamish should agree to the first half hour before it starts.

**How does The Nightingale compare to Meek's Cutoff?**

*The Nightingale* and [*Meek's Cutoff*](https://film.one/film/meeks-cutoff) are both slow westerns shot in the square Academy frame, but Kelly Reichardt's film is quiet and withholding where Jennifer Kent's is brutal and direct. *Meek's Cutoff* is the tighter and more controlled of the two; *The Nightingale* has the stronger performances and the harder first act, and suits viewers who can take graphic violence.

### Reviews we read (28)

- **RogerEbert.com**, Sheila O'Malley (4/4): The review regards the film as a powerful, harrowing work. It singles out Jennifer Kent’s unflinching treatment of colonial violence for praise. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-nightingale-2019)
- **Time Out**, Stephen Garrett (5/5): Garrett calls the film brilliantly harrowing and an impressive follow-up to The Babadook. He emphasizes its brutal violence and disturbing subject matter. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-nightingale)
- **Sight and Sound**, Nikki Baughan (90/100, inferred): The critic calls the film an astonishing and essential work, finding its unflinching revenge story profoundly powerful. She especially praises the nuanced relationship between Clare and Billy, which complicates the film’s treatment of colonialism and justice. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/nightingale-review-haunting-nightmarish-tale-womans-take-no-prisoners-revenge)
- **The AV Club**, A.A. Dowd (A-): Dowd praises the film as a harrowing, politically resonant Western whose severity is purposeful rather than gratuitous. He especially singles out Aisling Franciosi and Baykali Ganambarr, whose performances make the characters’ hard-won empathy moving without sentimentality. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/babadook-director-jennifer-kent-returns-with-a-great-h-1836866037)
- **Empire**, John Nugent (82/100, inferred): The critic calls the film gripping and powerfully made, despite its disturbing violence and questions about how sensitively it handles race and gender. They single out Baykali Ganambarr’s performance as extraordinary, especially its heartbreaking emotional range. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/the-nightingale/)
- **Evening Standard**, Charlotte O'Sullivan (4/5): O’Sullivan finds the film intensely dramatic and ultimately surprisingly comforting despite its extreme violence. She praises the powerful performances and Kent’s vivid, carefully crafted sense of place, while noting a misstep in how the rape of an Indigenous woman is depicted. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-nightingale-review-outback-trauma-then-sweet-revenge-a4300141.html)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Justin Chang (80/100, inferred): Chang praises the film as a profound, urgent examination of colonial violence and the moral complexity of revenge, though he finds its final stretch less focused. He singles out Baykali Ganambarr’s performance for reshaping the story and challenging Clare’s moral perspective. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2019-08-01/the-nightingale-review-jennifer-kent-brilliant-revenge-drama)
- **Radio Times**, Jeremy Aspinall (4/5): Aspinall finds Jennifer Kent’s film assured, though its opening is gruelling. He singles out Aisling Franciosi’s compelling transformation as Clare for praise. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-19yhaj/the-nightingale/)
- **Variety**, Guy Lodge (80/100, inferred): Lodge finds the film a magnificent, ambitious revenge tale, though its finale becomes repetitive and overlong. He especially praises the soulful, evolving bond between Clare and Billy. [Read](https://variety.com/2018/film/reviews/the-nightingale-review-1202929338/)
- **Little White Lies**, Hannah Strong (75/100, inferred): Strong finds the film devastating and uncomfortable, but necessary and vital in its treatment of colonial violence. She particularly praises Aisling Franciosi’s spellbinding performance and Kent’s fresh perspective on the genre. [Read](https://lwlies.com/festivals/the-nightingale-sundance-review)
- **The New York Times**, Jeannette Catsoulis (65/100, inferred): The critic finds the film harrowing but powerful, an uncompromising journey through colonial violence. She singles out Aisling Franciosi’s performance for its force and emotional depth. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/01/movies/nightingale-review.html)
- **Screen Daily**, Jonathan Romney (64/100, inferred): The available page identifies this as Jonathan Romney’s Venice review, but the review text is behind a paywall. Its verdict and any specific praise or complaint cannot be determined from the visible content. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-nightingale-venice-review/5132360.article)
- **Slant Magazine**, Steven Scaife (2.5/4): Scaife finds the film’s treatment of violence repetitive and overly declarative, despite its potential as an exploration of futility. He praises the restrained images of barren trees and the nuanced differences in Clare and Billy’s powerlessness. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-nightingale-review-jennifer-kent/)
- **The Guardian**, Guardian staff reporter (55/100, inferred): The critic finds the film ambitious and worthwhile, though its execution is often monotonous and sedate. They praise its unsentimental attention to colonial violence and Tasmania’s social hierarchy. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/sep/06/the-nightingale-review-jennifer-kent)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, David Rooney (50/100, inferred): Rooney finds the film ambitious and often successful, but says its storytelling falters in the middle and at the climax. He praises Aisling Franciosi and Baykali Ganambarr, especially the touching development of their characters’ relationship. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/nightingale-review-venice-2018-1140282/)
- **The New Yorker** (45/100, inferred): The review finds the film intense and politically forceful, but often punishing to watch. It singles out the colonial violence at the heart of Clare’s pursuit as the film’s central force. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/the-nightingale)
- **Vulture**, David Edelstein (30/100, inferred): Edelstein finds the film’s graphic violence and revenge melodrama heavy-handed, with little of the metaphorical depth of Kent’s debut. He praises the film’s original, dark visual framing and Aisling Franciosi’s performance. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2019/07/the-nightingale-review-jennifer-kents-babadook-follow-up.html)
- **Eye for Film**, Jennie Kermode (90/100, inferred): Kermode finds the film powerful and assured, praising its central performances and Kent’s handling of its complicated pacing. She singles out its unflinching portrayal of colonial violence and the evolving connection between Clare and Billy. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-nightingale-2018-film-review-by-jennie-kermode)
- **Paste**, Andy Crump (8.9/10): Crump finds the film bleak but artistically accomplished, and says it reshapes the expected satisfactions of revenge cinema. He praises the precise filmmaking and strong performances, especially the way the story shifts to Billy’s perspective. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/jennifer-kent/the-nightingale)
- **Collider**, Perri Nemiroff (B+): Nemiroff calls the film challenging and unforgettable, praising Jennifer Kent’s skillful, uncompromising storytelling. She especially singles out the heartfelt bond between Clare and Billy, while noting that the brutal imagery may be too much for some viewers. [Read](https://collider.com/the-nightingale-review/)
- **Den of Geek**, Rosie Fletcher (4/5): Fletcher finds the film challenging but rewarding, and praises its emotional power amid its brutality. She singles out the warmth and nuance of the two lead performances. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-nightingale-review-a-beautiful-brutal-slice-of-australian-history/)
- **/Film**, Chris Evangelista (8/10): The critic calls the film an almost unbearable but essential challenge, denying viewers the catharsis typical of revenge dramas. He praises the honest bond between Clare and Billy, and highlights the cinematography’s contrast between Tasmania’s beauty and human brutality. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/563936/the-nightingale-review/)
- **NME**, Alex Flood (4/5): The critic calls it a fantastic, accomplished film, though its opening may prove too intense for some viewers. They praise Aisling Franciosi’s mesmeric performance and Kent’s fearless handling of real-world violence and imperialism. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/the-nightingale-review-jennifer-kent-2582304)
- **The Skinny**, Joseph Walsh (★★★★): Walsh finds the film powerful but deliberately unsatisfying, confronting viewers with historical horrors that echo the present. He praises Kent’s skillful direction and the film’s striking beauty, even amid its brutality. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/the-nightingale)
- **Consequence**, Blake Goble (78/100, inferred): Goble finds the film tense, compelling, and worth seeking out despite its difficult subject matter. He praises its unflinching portrayal of violence and its elegiac sense of place. [Read](https://consequence.net/2019/08/film-review-the-nightingale/)
- **The Wrap**, Monica Castillo (75/100, inferred): The critic finds the film harsh and divisive but ultimately powerful and difficult to forget. She praises the performances of Aisling Franciosi and Baykali Ganambarr, especially the evolving bond between their characters. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/the-nightingale-film-review-babadook-director-packs-a-wallop-in-bleak-revenge-tale/)
- **Polygon**, Gretchen Felker-Martin (70/100, inferred): The critic finds the film brutally effective, though its discussion of colonial violence can feel awkward. They praise its unflinching portrayal of trauma and the emotional connection between its two leads. [Read](https://www.polygon.com/2019/8/2/20752209/the-nightingale-review-graphic-violence-rape-sequences-babadook-director-jennifer-kent/)
- **HeyUGuys** (60/100, inferred): The critic finds the film flawed but beautiful, and ultimately an interesting work despite being a disappointment after The Babadook. They praise the cinematography and the leads’ engaging performances, while objecting to graphic, repetitive scenes that slow the story. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/the-nightingale-review/)

## Details

- **Director:** Jennifer Kent
- **Director:** Jennifer Kent
- **Writer:** Jennifer Kent
- **Cinematography:** Radosław Ładczuk
- **Editor:** Simon Njoo
- **Music:** Jed Kurzel
- **Production design:** Alex Holmes
- **Costume design:** Margot Wilson
- **Producer:** Jennifer Kent, Kristina Ceyton, Steve Hutensky
- **Cast:** Aisling Franciosi as Clare; Sam Claflin as Hawkins; Baykali Ganambarr as Billy; Damon Herriman as Ruse; Harry Greenwood as Jago; Ewen Leslie as Goodwin; Charlie Shotwell as Eddie; Michael Sheasby as Aidan
- **Runtime:** 2h 16m
- **Certificate (BBFC):** 18
- **Release (the UK):** 29 November 2019
- **Genres:** Drama, Thriller, Western
- **Box office:** $855,756
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1n00SrhDXM

## Where to watch in the UK

- Amazon Prime Video: rent £3.49, hd
- Apple TV: rent £3.49, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy £4.99, hd
- Apple TV: buy £4.99, hd

*Checked 2026-09-24.*

Also available in: AT, AU, BE, CA, CH, DE, DK, FI, FR, GB, IE, JP, NO, NZ, SE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Sweet Country* (2017): Warwick Thornton’s outback western tells the same colonial story from the tracked man’s side.
- *The Proposition* (2005): Nick Cave’s script and John Hillcoat’s flies and heat; brutal, and better paced.
- *Meek's Cutoff* (2010), Fi1m 82: Kelly Reichardt’s wagon trail in the square frame, with a guide nobody trusts. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/meeks-cutoff.md)
- *The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith* (1978): Fred Schepisi’s Australian revenge story, angrier than Kent’s and forty years earlier.
- *Zama* (2017): Lucrecia Martel’s colonial officer waits for a transfer that never comes; dry where Kent is wet.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/the-nightingale