Movies Like Fortress (1985)

Fortress is a 1985 drama, horror, thriller film from Arch Nicholson with a MovieMagicScore of 6.8/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Wake in Fright and Rabbit-Proof Fence.

Drama Horror Thriller

Wake in Fright

1971

A young schoolteacher descends into personal moral degradation after finding himself stranded in a brutal, menacing town in outback Australia.

7.3

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rachel, Rachel

1968

Rachel is a 35-year-old school teacher who has no man in her life and lives with her mother. When a man from the big city returns and asks her out, she begins to have to make decisions about her life and where she wants it to go.

6.5

MagicScore

#10

Carrie

1976

Withdrawn and sensitive teenager Carrie White faces bullying from classmates and abuse from her fanatically pious mother. When she begins to suspect that she has supernatural powers, things take a dark and violent turn.

7.3

MagicScore

#11

Black Water: Abyss

2020

An adventure-loving couple convince their friends to explore a remote, uncharted cave system in the forests of Northern Australia. With a tropical storm approaching, they abseil into the mouth of the cave, but when the caves start to flood, tensions rise as oxygen levels fall and the friends find themselves trapped. Unknown to them, the storm has also brought in a pack of dangerous and hungry crocodiles.

5.2

MagicScore

#12

The Rescuers Down Under

1990

A lawless poacher wants to capture a majestic and rare golden eagle, so he kidnaps the boy who knows where to find the bird. Not to worry -- the Rescue Aid Society's top agents, heroic mice Miss Bianca and Bernard, fly to Australia to save the day. Accompanying the fearless duo are bumbling albatross Wilbur and local field operative Jake the Kangaroo Rat.

6.6

MagicScore

#13

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

#14

Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window

2023

This engaging series of childhood recollections tells of an unconventional school in Tokyo during World War II that combined learning with fun, freedom, and love. The school had old railroad cars for classrooms and was run by an extraordinary man – its founder and headmaster, Sōsaku Kobayashi – who deeply valued children's independence, and who was a firm believer in freedom of expression and activity.

7.6

MagicScore

#15

Damsel

2024

A young woman's marriage to a charming prince turns into a fierce fight for survival when she's offered up as a sacrifice to a fire-breathing dragon.

7.0

MagicScore

#16

War of the Worlds

2005

Ray Ferrier is a divorced dockworker and less-than-perfect father. Soon after his ex-wife and her new husband drop off his teenage son and young daughter for a rare weekend visit, a strange and powerful lightning storm touches down.

6.5

MagicScore

#17

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

#18

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

#19

Hurricane Bianca

2016

A teacher from New York moves to a small town in Texas, gets fired for being gay, and returns disguised in drag to get revenge on the people who were nasty to him.

6.1

MagicScore

#20

Silent Hill

2006

Rose, a desperate mother, takes her adopted daughter, Sharon, to the town of Silent Hill in an attempt to cure her of her ailment. After a violent car crash, Sharon disappears, and Rose embarks on a horrific journey to get her back and begins to uncover the truth behind the apocalyptic disaster that burned the town 30 years earlier.

6.6

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Fortress?

The top films similar to Fortress by MovieMagicScore are Wake in Fright (7.3), Rabbit-Proof Fence (7.0), Walkabout (7.3). Each shares drama/horror/thriller themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Fortress worth watching?

Fortress holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.8/10 from 94 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is Fortress?

Fortress (1985) is a drama, horror, thriller film directed by Arch Nicholson, starring Rachel Ward, Sean Garlick, Elaine Cusick.

Where can I find more recommendations like Fortress?

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 Wake in Fright Movies like Rabbit-Proof Fence Movies like Walkabout Movies like Strangerland Movies like Carnifex Movies like The Tracker

About movies like Fortress

This ranked list pairs Fortress (1985), a drama and horror and thriller film from Arch Nicholson, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Rachel Ward 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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