Wake In Fright (1971) 〈2026 Release〉

: It is one of the few films to have screened twice in competition at Cannes —once upon its release and once after its 2009 restoration [30, 33].

: The "Yabba" men express friendship through aggressive drinking and violence, viewing any refusal as an insult [6, 17]. Wake in Fright (1971)

: The oppressive outback heat is presented almost as a physical character, inducing a sense of madness and identity collapse [15, 26]. : It is one of the few films

: A single night of heavy drinking leads John into a high-stakes "two-up" gambling game, where he loses all his money [16, 17]. : A single night of heavy drinking leads

You can often find the restored 4K version on platforms like BFI Player or specialty streaming services like MUBI [24, 32].

: For decades, "Wake in Fright" was nearly impossible to find until the original negatives were rediscovered in 2004 inside a shipping container in the US [24].

: He is egged on by local "Doc" Tydon (played by Donald Pleasence) into a series of increasingly debasing rituals, including a famously graphic kangaroo hunt [6, 12, 25]. 🔥 Key Themes