Celia
1989 · Movie · Not Rated · 103 min · ★ 6.3 · 81% critics
In 1950s Australia, an imaginative young girl struggles with grief, social pressure, and fears shaped by Cold War tensions around her. After losing important sources of comfort, she retreats into fantasy, where childhood games, adult prejudice, and everyday anxieties start to feel increasingly dark and unsettling.
Also known as Celia: Child Of Terror
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Details
- Years
- 1989
- Release date
- 1989-05-18
- Language
- English
- Rated
- Not Rated
- Runtime
- 103 min
- Critic score
- 81/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.3/10 (46 votes)
About
You may like this if you want a dark, offbeat childhood drama with fantasy touches and uneasy tension, somewhere between The Witches and Nightbooks; Not for you if you want fast pacing or straightforward horror.
Pros: haunting atmosphere; strong child performance; unusual coming-of-age story | Cons: very slow pace; uneven fantasy elements; misleading horror label
Themes
- nightmare
- childhood trauma
- growing up
- woman director
Awards & recognition
- AACTA Award — Best Actress in a Supporting Role · 1989
- AACTA Award — Best Actress in a Supporting Role · 1989 · nominated
Cast & crew
Rebecca Smart
as Celia Carmichael
Nicholas Eadie
as Ray Carmichael
Mary-Anne Fahey
as Pat Carmichael
Victoria Longley
as Alice Tanner
- MR
Margaret Ricketts
as Grandmother
- JN
James Newman
as Hobyah's Pack
- AH
Alexander Hutchinson
as Steve Tanner
- AM
Adrian Mitchell
as Karl Tanner
- CG
Callie Gray
as Meryl Tanner
- MS
Martin Sharman
as Evan Tanner
Directed by Ann Turner