Undertow (2018 film)

Undertow is a 2018 Australian psychological thriller film written and directed by Miranda Nation. The film premiered in August 2018 at the Melbourne International Film Festival, and in June 2019 at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.^[2][3] It was released in Australian cinemas in February 2020.^[4]

Undertow
Directed by	Miranda Nation
Written by	Miranda Nation
Produced by	Lyn Norfor
Starring	Olivia DeJonge Josh Helman Laura Gordon Rob Collins
Cinematography	Bonnie Elliott
Edited by	Julie-Anne De Ruvo Nick Meyers
Music by	Lisa Gerrard James Orr Raul Sanchez
Release date	2018 (2018) (Melbourne International Film Festival)[1]
Running time	96 minutes
Country	Australia
Language	English

Plot

Claire, who is grieving the loss of her baby, suspects her husband may be cheating.

Cast

• Olivia DeJonge as Angie
• Josh Helman as Brett
• Laura Gordon as Claire
• Rob Collins as Dan
• Cooper Webber as background character

Production

Undertow is Nation's first feature film. It was shot in Geelong in 2017.^[5] The production had a high proportion of female crew members.^[6]

Awards

• 10th AACTA Awards
  • AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role - Laura Gordon - Nominated^[7]
  • AACTA Award for Best Editing - Julie-Anne De Ruvo and Nick Meyers - Nominated^[7]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 10 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.8/10.^[8] Luke Buckmaster of The Guardian gave it four stars and called it "an intensely gripping female-led Australian drama".^[9] Sarah Ward of Screen Daily said "Making a moody, confident feature debut, actor turned writer/director Miranda Nation takes the drama of mourning and impending motherhood, and spins it into psychological thriller territory with an added dose of topicality."^[10] Vicky Roach of the Daily Telegraph gave it 3 stars, calling it "An impressive showcase for some extraordinary Australian talent."^[11] Writing in the Canberra Times, Jane Freebury gave it 3 stars, concluding "Undertow is in many ways an impressive achievement, and it augurs well for director Nation's next project."^[6] David Stratton gave it 3 stars in The Australian. He states "The plotting is convoluted and the motivations not always clear, but the film gets by on the strength of some solid performances and the attractive photography by Bonnie Elliott."^[12] The Sun Herald's Sandra Hall gave it 3 1/2 stars, finishing her review "It's an intelligent film, but it's relentless."^[13]