The Nightingale

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The Nightingale

R

2019

2h 16m

Mystery & Thriller

Adventure

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

87%

Tomatometer

242 Reviews

73%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Verified Ratings

Clare, a young Irish convict, chases a British officer through the rugged Tasmanian wilderness and is bent on revenge for a terrible act of violence the man committed against her family. On the way, she enlists the services of Aboriginal tracker Billy, who is marked by trauma from his own violence-filled past.

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Critics Consensus

The Nightingale definitely isn't for all tastes, but writer-director Jennifer Kent taps into a rich vein of palpable rage to tell a war story that leaves a bruising impact.

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Ben Sachs

Chicago Reader

Mar 10, 2020

Kent's deglamorized, relentlessly unpleasant depiction of suffering couldn't be further from the adolescent glee of Tarantino's films. Still, there's something vaguely two-faced about Kent's revenge narrative.

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Clarisse Loughrey

Independent (UK)

Dec 6, 2019

4/5

Jennifer Kent's The Nightingale is a film that bruises the soul.

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Mark Kermode

Kermode & Mayo's Film Review

Dec 4, 2019

It's impressive.

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Barbara Shulgasser

Common Sense Media

Jan 27, 2026

3/5

For the first 90 minutes, this film is a well-acted drama, though hard to watch for its grim cruelty, violence, racism, and monstrous treatment of not just women and Black people, but of everyone. Then, unfortunately, it goes on another 46 minutes.

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Julian Singleton

Cinapse

Jul 12, 2025

The Nightingale’s dedication towards historical reckoning is brutally effective, as is Kent’s refreshing subversion of revenge tropes.

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Calum Cooper

Source (Scotland)

Jul 14, 2024

4/5

If wrath doesn’t best some up The Nightingale then no other word can do it justice. Jennifer Kent has made another terrific film which only further demonstrates how exciting a voice she will be going forward into the new decade.

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Donna

Sep 10, 2019

I thought it was terrible. There were 3 older ladys sitting beside me at theater and they all 3 got up and left after about 15 minutes into the movie. The movie was nothing like I thought it would be. Waste of my hard earned money.

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sherry

Aug 26, 2019

Great suspense! Loved it!

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I. Rex

Aug 12, 2019

Visceral and real and off the scale brutal. DO NOT GO INTO THIS ONE LIGHTLY. This is a savage watch. If you can stomach horrific violence both physically and psychologically its worth viewing. Franciosi and Ganambarr are both excellent and should be commended for performing so well in what was certainly a grueling production.

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Dan L

Aug 11, 2019

Genuinely one of the most harrowing pieces of cinema I have ever experienced! From the moment it begins it never relents in its unfathomable intensity! There aren’t words for how incredible this film is!!!

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B T

@RT92830006 Aug 18, 2026

Waste of time, terrible

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Gail H

@CRITICGIRL50 Aug 17, 2026

It was hard to keep watching but wanted to see ending. I think director could have shared less graphic depictions of the horrid moments-even if factual- and still left storyline in tact based on viewers vivid imaginations- like when reading a book. Movie was very depressing and will give me nightmares but also makes me thankful for NOT being born in that era, place and having to witness such horrors. If God didn’t send a second flood back then, (1825), well, perhaps there’s hope for humanity.

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Jennifer Kent

Director

Aisling Franciosi

Clare

Sam Claflin

Hawkins

Baykali Ganambarr

Billy

Damon Herriman

Ruse

Harry Greenwood

Jago

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Synopsis

Clare, a young Irish convict, chases a British officer through the rugged Tasmanian wilderness and is bent on revenge for a terrible act of violence the man committed against her family. On the way, she enlists the services of Aboriginal tracker Billy, who is marked by trauma from his own violence-filled past.

Director: Jennifer Kent
Producer: Kristina Ceyton, Bruna Papandrea, Steve Hutensky, Jennifer Kent
Screenwriter: Jennifer Kent
Distributor: IFC Films
Production Co: Causeway Films, FilmNation Entertainment
Rating: R (Rape|Language Throughout|Brief Sexuality|Strong Disturbing Content|Strong Violent Content)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Adventure, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 2, 2019, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 25, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA): $400.2K
Runtime: 2h 16m
Aspect Ratio: Academy (1.33:1)

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