Newcastle (2008)

61% of critics liked it
(18 reviews)
55% of users liked it
(389 ratings)

Sibling rivalry stands in the way of a young man's dreams in this coming of age drama from Australia. Jesse (Lachlan Buchanan) is seventeen years old and he's not interested in much besides surfing. Jesse's constant desire to hit the beach is fueled in part by an unhappy home life; his older… More Sibling rivalry stands in the way of a young man's dreams in this coming of age drama from Australia. Jesse (Lachlan Buchanan) is seventeen years old and he's not interested in much besides surfing. Jesse's constant desire to hit the beach is fueled in part by an unhappy home life; his older half-brother Victor (Reshad Strik) used to be a local surfing champ until an injury forced him to put away his board, and now he's spends his days wallowing in cynicism and alcohol, while Jesse's younger brother Fergus (Xavier Samuel) is a punk rocker who has recently embraced his homosexuality, something Jesse hasn't become comfortable with. Jesse dreams of joining the local surfing team, and when a group of his friends and fellow surfers make plans for an all-night party on the beach, Jesse is determined to attend, even if it means lying to his parents. After a day on the surf, Jesse and his pals kick back with plenty of booze and marijuana while urging some local beach bunnies to join them for the evening, but things take an uncomfortable turn when Victor shows up and senses that his younger brother is poised to take his place as one of the stars of the local surfing scene. Newcastle was the first feature film from writer and director Dan Castle. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 47 min.
Directed By: Dan Castle
Written By: Dan Castle, Lachlan Buchanan
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: Feb 8, 2008 Wide
On DVD: Aug 25, 2009
Studio: Jour de Fete

Critic Reviews

Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
A beautiful film, charged with energy and sensitivity.
Ruth Hessey, MovieTime, ABC Radio National
Overall, [Castle] has captured what I remember of the fantasy of the classic Newcastle adolescence -- all day at the beach, string bikinis and juicy blond teenagers.
Variety Staff, Variety
The drama is a very low-slung affair, with the interconnections between characters poised to supply us with the only reasons to watch, other than the bodies, the landscape and the water.
Megan Lehmann, Hollywood Reporter
Cinematographer Richard Michalak's gorgeous water-based action shots guarantee the young target audience will want to head straight out for surf lessons, but there's even less dramatic heft here than in the superior Blue Crush.
Don Groves, sbs.com.au
Teen surfing drama is a wipe-out.
Don Willmott, Filmcritic.com
a bit like Endless Summer meets The Karate Kid
Tom Keogh, Seattle Times
A glum and slack family drama, Newcastle is punctuated by bright bursts of dreamy surfing images, but not enough to make the film rewarding.
Chuck Wilson, L.A. Weekly
Slightly overlong but visually striking.
Fr. Chris Carpenter, Movie Dearest
Gorgeous
Evan Williams, The Australian
It is deflating to realise that even when doing what they love best, these characters are less than real.
Jim Schembri, The Age (Australia)
The story is slight but the performances are strong...
Margaret Pomeranz, At the Movies (Australia)
For all [Newcastle's] faults, there's something honest about these characters that I responded to.
Marc Fennell, Triple j
It's flawed, but when Newcastle works, it rocks.
Colin Fraser, FILMINK (Australia)
An engaging yarn buoyed by spectacular surf action. Emotional discord aside, it will strike the right note with any teenage surfie heading to the beach this summer.
Andrew L. Urban, Urban Cinefile
Lingering images, loved for their beauty and composition, the pretty young cast and the contrasting scenes of industrial and scenic Newcastle help keep our attention. At least for a while
Howard Feinstein, Screen International
The editing, the addition of a gay character, and the schmaltzy music which accompanies the underwhelming surfing montages are all that distinguish Newcastle from the generic Frankie Avalon beach movies of the '50s.
KJ Doughton, Film Threat
Taken as sheer sensory spectacle, Dan Castle's colorful flick is a "Top Gun" with waves; a "Rocky" with board fins...
Ron Wilkinson, Monsters and Critics
A well meaning but ineffective coming-of-age story set on the surfing beaches of the industrial mining center of Newcastle, Australia. Mediocre action footage and tedious angst make for a film that is an effort to watch.