Kangaroo
Release Date: 18th September 2025 - Australia
Production Companies
Cultivator Films
Brindle Films (in association with)
Screen Australia (presents)
StudioCanal (presents)
Screen Territory (in association with)
Screen NSW (in association with)
Distribution
StudioCanal Australia
Genre: Family/Comedy
Rating: PG
Runtime: 107 minutes
Box Office Gross: $412,642 (Australia - figure subject to change)
Plot Summary
Chris Masterman, a former
stranded in a town in the
Australian Outback near
Alice Springs. There,
he meets a 12-year-old
Indigenous girl named
Charlie. An unlikely bond
forms between the pair as
they work together to save
and rehabilitate orphaned
joeys in a remote yet
spectacular Outback
settlement. This undertaking
proves to be life-changing
Cast
Ryan Corr - Chris Masterman
Rachel House - Jesse
Lily Whiteley - Charlie
Brooke Satchwell - Liz
Deborah Mailman - Rosie
Rarriwuy Hick - Brenda
Rick Donald - Trap
Ryan Clark - Lifeguard Jacko
Wayne Blair - Ralph
Trisha Morton-Thomas - Gwennie
Ernie Dingo - Dave
Genevieve Lemon - Bernadette
Salvatore Coco - Phil
Shaun Martindale - Joel
Matt Burton - Trap's Mate #1
Warren H Williams - Warren
Catherine Mazur - Studio Assistant
Lucy McLeod - ABC Reporter
Anthony Ritossa - Host
Steve Kidd - Neil the Butcher
Yalyal Hick - Casper
Phoenix Cunningham - Freddy
Lene Clarsen Walters - Ruby
Jaimee Morettti - Studio Employee
Charlotte Walters - Grace
Luca Saunders - Lifeguard #1
Zoe Walters - Bowling Lady #2
Sam Follayttar - Silver Gum Kid
Kristina Kidd - Bowling Lady #1
Crew
Director - Kate Woods
Writer - Harry Cripps
Additional Material - Peta-Lee Cole-Mandolis and Danielle Maclean
Additional Writing - Melina Marchetta
Executive Producers - Aaron Ensweiler,
Marcus Gillezeau, Ron Halpern,
Marian Macgowan, Anna Marsh,
Louise Smith and Elizabeth Trotman
Producers - Rachel Clements,
David Jowsey, Angela Littlejohn,
Tristan Morton-Thomas and Greer Simpkin
Casting Director - Anousha Zarkesh
Production Designer - Sam Hobbs
Art Director - Jodie Whetter
Costume Designer - Edie Kurzer
Makeup Supervisor - Helen Magelakis
Hair and Makeup Designer - Sheldon Wade
Director of Photography - Kieran Fowler
First Assistant Director - Danielle Blake
Second Unit Director - Warwick Thornton
Stunt Designer/Coordinator - Dean Gould
Editor - Chris Plummer
Visual Effects Supervisor - Jonathan Hairman
Supervising Sound Editor - Angus Robertson
Sound Designer and Re-Recording Mixer -
Sam Hayward
Music - Josie Mann and Matteo Zingales
Review
In 2000, Kate Wood launched her directorial career with her film adaptation of Looking for Alibrandi, which won critical acclaim and box office receipts. Since then, her work has taken her overseas, directing episodes of television series such as Law & Order, Without a Trace, Person of Interest, and The Lincoln Lawyer. The motion picture that has prompted her return to Australia and the silver screen is KANGAROO, a heartfelt family comedy loosely based on the true story of Chris "Brolga" Barns, a one-time tour guide who established a kangaroo reserve near Alice Springs in 2011.
Although the film's narrative arc is somewhat predictable, it remains captivating. The film navigates the emotional themes of the story with sensitivity,
while maintaining the comedic charm and friendly atmosphere of small
country towns. Kieran Fowler's cinematography brings KANGAROO to life. His warm and bright approach captures the grandeur of the Northern Territory's spectacular landscapes and conjures up the fictional town of Silver Gum.
Woods has enlisted a talented group of actors to lend weight to their characters. Ryan Corr delivers an outstanding performance as an egotistical weatherman who transforms into a kangaroo conservationist. However, the best cast member in this film was Lily Whiteley, who plays Charlie. Despite her lack of experience, the first-time actress delivers an engaging performance that defies her age. Deborah Mailman brings warmth and sympathy to her role as Rosie, Charlie's grief-stricken and struggling mother.
The other actors also perform well. Wayne Blair, Ernie Dingo, Rachel House, Genevieve Lemon, Trisha Morton-Thomas, and Roy Billings play some of the strange people of Silver Gum. While there are real joeys in the film, many adult marsupials came to life through its minimal yet impressive CGI, demonstrating how far we have come since the release of Kangaroo Jack in 2003.
KANGAROO is one of those family-friendly films with cute animals that local audiences tend to love, similar to Babe, Red Dog, and the classic Storm Boy. I recommend it to those who want to see it, as you will take your kids there.
Star rating: (8/10) Very Good Movie
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