Movies Like Wake in Fright (1971)

Wake in Fright is a 1971 drama, thriller film from Ted Kotcheff with a MovieMagicScore of 7.3/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Fortress and Strangerland.

Drama Thriller

Fortress

1985

After being kidnapped by four masked men, a teacher and her students rebel by plotting against the criminals.

6.8

MagicScore

Strangerland

2015

Newly arrived to a remote desert town, Catherine and Matthew are tormented by a suspicion when their two teenage children mysteriously vanish.

5.3

MagicScore

Rabbit-Proof Fence

2002

In 1931, three Aboriginal girls escape after being plucked from their homes to be trained as domestic staff, and set off on a trek across the Outback.

7.0

MagicScore

The Tracker

2002

Somewhere in Australia in the early 20th century outback, an Aboriginal man is accused of murdering a white woman. Three white men are on a mission to capture him with the help of an experienced Indigenous man.

6.8

MagicScore

Last Cab to Darwin

2015

Rex is a loner, and when he's told he doesn't have long to live, he embarks on an epic drive through the Australian outback from Broken Hill to Darwin to die on his own terms; but his journey reveals to him that before you can end your life, you have to live it, and to live it, you've got to share it.

6.8

MagicScore

Carnifex

2022

An aspiring documentarian and two conservationists who venture into the Outback to record the animals displaced by bushfires where they discover a terrifying new species.

5.2

MagicScore

All of Us Strangers

2023

One night in his near-empty tower block in contemporary London, Adam has a chance encounter with a mysterious neighbor Harry, which punctures the rhythm of his everyday life.

7.4

MagicScore

Sons and Lovers

1960

The son of a working-class British mining family has dreams of pursuing an art career, but when he strikes up an affair with an older, married woman from the town it enrages his kind but possessive mother.

6.4

MagicScore

The Proposition

2005

In 1880s Australia, a lawman offers renegade Charlie Burns a difficult choice. In order to save his younger brother from the gallows, Charlie must hunt down and kill his older brother, who is wanted for rape and murder. Venturing into one of the Outback's most inhospitable regions, Charlie faces a terrible moral dilemma that can end only in violence.

7.0

MagicScore

#10

Walkabout

1971

Under the pretense of having a picnic, a geologist takes his teenage daughter and 6-year-old son into the Australian outback and attempts to shoot them. When he fails, he turns the gun on himself, and the two city-bred children must contend with harsh wilderness alone. They are saved by a chance encounter with an Aboriginal boy who shows them how to survive, and in the process underscores the disharmony between nature and modern life.

7.3

MagicScore

#11

The Dressmaker

2015

In 1950s Australia, beautiful, talented dressmaker Tilly returns to her tiny hometown to right wrongs from her past. As she tries to reconcile with her mother, she starts to fall in love while transforming the fashion of the town.

7.0

MagicScore

#12

Long Weekend

1979

When a suburban couple goes camping for the weekend at a remote beach, they discover that nature isn't in an accommodating mood.

6.1

MagicScore

#13

Crocodile Dundee

1986

When a New York reporter plucks crocodile hunter Mick Dundee from the Australian Outback for a visit to the Big Apple, it's a clash of cultures and a recipe for good-natured comedy as naïve Dundee negotiates the concrete jungle. He proves that his instincts are quite useful in the city and adeptly handles everything from wily muggers to high-society snoots without breaking a sweat.

6.4

MagicScore

#14

Hotel Coolgardie

2016

Fresh off the plane and in need of money, two Finnish backpackers find themselves the latest batch of “fresh meat” sent to work as barmaids at the only pub in a remote Australian mining town.

6.5

MagicScore

#15

Mystery Road

2013

A murdered girl is found under a bridge on a remote road and indigenous detective Jay Swan gets the case. Jay finds that no-one is that interested in solving the murder of an indigenous teenager and he is forced to work alone.

6.2

MagicScore

#16

Oscar and Lucinda

1997

After a childhood of abuse by his evangelistic father, misfit Oscar Hopkins becomes an Anglican minister and develops a divine obsession with gambling. Lucinda Leplastrier is a rich Australian heiress shopping in London for materials for her newly acquired glass factory back home. Deciding to travel to Australia as a missionary, Oscar meets Lucinda aboard ship, and a mutual obsession blossoms. They make a wager that will alter each of their destinies.

6.4

MagicScore

#17

Tracks

2013

Accompanied only by her faithful dog and four camels, an Australian satisfies her craving for solitude by embarking on a solo trip across the desert from Alice Springs to the Indian Ocean.

6.9

MagicScore

#18

Goldstone

2016

Indigenous Detective Jay Swan arrives in the frontier town of Goldstone on a missing persons inquiry. What seems like a simple investigation unearths an intricate web of crime, corruption, human trafficking, and coordinated exploitation of indigenous people’s land. Jay must bury his differences with young local cop Josh, so together they can bring justice to Goldstone.

5.9

MagicScore

#19

Fair Game

1986

A young woman running a wildlife sanctuary in the Australian outback is in for trouble when she is confronted by three kangaroo hunters. Bored with killing kangaroos, they decide to kill the animals in the sanctuary, and when they see how attractive the owner is, they decide to have a little "fun" with her, too. Turns out that they may get a bit more "fun" than they bargained for.

5.6

MagicScore

#20

Ten Canoes

2006

A story within a story within a story. In Australia's Northern Territory, an Aboriginal narrator tells a story about his ancestors on a goose hunt. A youngster on the hunt is being tempted to adultery with his elder brother's wife, so an elder tells him a story from the mythical past about how evil can slip in and cause havoc unless prevented by virtue according to customary tribal law.

6.7

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Wake in Fright?

The top films similar to Wake in Fright by MovieMagicScore are Fortress (6.8), Strangerland (5.3), Rabbit-Proof Fence (7.0). Each shares drama/thriller themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Wake in Fright worth watching?

Wake in Fright holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.3/10 from 322 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is Wake in Fright?

Wake in Fright (1971) is a drama, thriller film directed by Ted Kotcheff, starring Donald Pleasence, Gary Bond, Chips Rafferty.

Where can I find more recommendations like Wake in Fright?

Browse the full ranked list above, or explore more drama recommendations on MovieMagicScore, where every list is ordered by genuine viewer ratings.

Keep exploring

Movies like Fortress Movies like Strangerland Movies like Rabbit-Proof Fence Movies like The Tracker Movies like Last Cab to Darwin Movies like Carnifex

About movies like Wake in Fright

This ranked list pairs Wake in Fright (1971), a drama and thriller film from Ted Kotcheff, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Donald Pleasence take note). Unlike critic-driven sites, every position here is ordered by MovieMagicScore — a rating built only from real viewers, with no studio marketing or paid placement. Scores update as more people rate, so the list stays current.

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