The Last Wave
1977 · Movie · PG · 106 min
★ 6.8(225)unSUB Rating
A Sydney lawyer takes on the defense of several Aboriginal men accused in a taboo, ritual-linked killing. As strange weather and unsettling dreams intensify, the case pulls him into unfamiliar beliefs and raises troubling questions about his own life and what his visions might be warning him about.
Also known as Black Rain
Where to watch
Streaming on HBO Max and The Criterion Channel.
2 hours to watch.
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Details
- Years
- 1977
- Release date
- 1977-12-15
- Language
- English
- Rated
- PG
- Runtime
- 106 min
- TMDB rating (input)
- 6.7/10 (225 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a slow-burn, dreamlike mystery with ominous weather, unsettling visions, and lingering ambiguity, in the vein of Picnic at Hanging Rock; not for you if you need clear answers and a straightforward plot.
Pros: eerie, dread-filled mood; intriguing supernatural mystery; thought-provoking cultural clash | Cons: confusing, abstract storytelling; uneven narrative focus; ending may frustrate
Themes
- sydney, australia
- australia
- beach
- dreams
- nightmare
- court
- voodoo
- paranoia
- rain
- surrealism
- sign
- premonition
- +10 more
Awards & recognition
- Sitges Film Festival Best Actor award · 1982
- AACTA Award — Best Sound · 1978
- AACTA Award — Best Cinematography · 1978
- AACTA Award — Best Cinematography
- AACTA Award — Best Sound
Show all 12 awards →
- AACTA Award — Best Sound · 1978 · nominated
- AACTA Award — Best Direction · 1978 · nominated
- AACTA Award — Best Original Screenplay · 1978 · nominated
- AACTA Award — Best Original Music Score · 1978 · nominated
- AACTA Award — Best Actor in a Leading Role · 1978 · nominated
- AACTA Award — Best Cinematography · 1978 · nominated
- AACTA Award — Best Editing · 1978 · nominated
Cast & crew
Richard Chamberlain
as David Burton
Olivia Hamnett
as Annie Burton
David Gulpilil
as Chris Lee
Nandjiwarra Amagula
as Charlie
Frederick Parslow
as Rev. Burton
Vivean Gray
as Dr. Whitburn
Walter Amagula
as Gerry Lee
- RB
Roy Bara
as Larry
- CL
Cedrick Lalara
as Lindsey
- ML
Morris Lalara
as Jacko
Directed by Peter Weir