Last Ride (2009)

100% of critics liked it
(12 reviews)
85% want to see it
(254 ratings)

Thematically recalling Clint Eastwood's 1993 saga A Perfect World, this drama from Australia hones in on a troubled adult man and a young boy fleeing from the law. The pair in this case, however, are a father and son. Kev (Hugo Weaving) and his ten-year-old boy Chook) journey deep into the recesses… More Thematically recalling Clint Eastwood's 1993 saga A Perfect World, this drama from Australia hones in on a troubled adult man and a young boy fleeing from the law. The pair in this case, however, are a father and son. Kev (Hugo Weaving) and his ten-year-old boy Chook) journey deep into the recesses of the Australian outback, first abandoning their car, then riding by bus, and finally, hitchhiking across the wastelands. Their past is a deeply dysfunctional one, marred by ex-convict Kev's periodic absences from home while serving time, and Chook's only fleetingly successful attempts to understand his conflicted dad. The relationship comes to a head, however, when Kev visits a pub and hears about the murder of a close friend, Max (John Brumpton) . When Kev informs Chook of Max's death, Chook explodes with anger against his dad, forcing father and son into a series of life-changing confrontations. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 40 min.
Directed By: Glendyn Ivin
Written By: Mac Gudgeon
Genres: Drama

Critic Reviews

Don Groves, sbs.com.au
Father, son on a road to perdition.
Louise Keller, Urban Cinefile
A beautifully drawn, moody film filled with poetry, as it describes the troubled relationship between a father and son. It is all at once a road movie and a coming of age story in which murder, curiosity and struggling to survive are key.
Andrew L. Urban, Urban Cinefile
Glendyn Ivin's natural cinematic flair ensures the smooth transition from text to screen in a story that Mac Gudgeon has scripted with a sparse, raw, slow-burning dynamic.
Cris Kennedy, Screenwize
Solid Aussie filmmaking elevated by its capable cast.
Paul Byrnes, Sydney Morning Herald
Weaving has a brilliant instinct for playing damaged men, as he did in Little Fish. Kev is a heartbreaking character, a hard-shelled survivor. Weaving captures all his brittleness, the years of damage.
David Stratton, At the Movies (Australia)
this is a major Australian film in what's proving to be a great year for Australian films.
Margaret Pomeranz, At the Movies (Australia)
The landscape plays a big part in this journey into darkness, this land of ours which draws the marginalised into its own sense of alienation. A tough film but a very, very good one.
Michael Adams, Empire Magazine Australasia
Hard but poignant, Last Ride is a haunting journey.
Julie Rigg, MovieTime, ABC Radio National
Don't miss Last Ride. It will take you places we haven't been for some time in Australian cinema.
Martyn Pedler, Triple j
The first half hour or so stumbles; the movie's so determined to avoid melodrama that it's too flat and too familiar. Once father and son are out in the remote countryside, though, something clicks.
Annette Basile, FILMINK (Australia)
Though the script doesn't always reach its potential, visually this is a stunning film that challenges its audience.
Des Partridge, Courier Mail (Australia)
Weaving draws on his vast experience to show the complexities of his rugged and violent character, while also offering glimpses of the man's softer side and his genuine affection for his growing son.

Read all 12 critic reviews

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Cast

Hugo Weaving
as Kev
Tom Russell
as Chook
Anita Hegh
as Maryanne

John Brumpton
as Max
Sonya Suares
as Dr. Kahn
Kelton Pell
as Ranger

See full cast

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