Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Brutal, extremely violent Australian revenge drama.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Nightingale
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
THE NIGHTINGALE is Clare (Aisling Franciosi), an Irish ex-con who's been sent to serve time at the Tasmanian British prison colony, off the coast of Australia. Now she's paid her debt to society but Lieutenant Hawkins (Sam Cleflin), the British officer ruling the area, has refused to issue papers that certify her freedom. She's married with a baby, but Hawkins likes to keep her around so he can rape her at will. When her husband figures this out, he confronts the lieutenant, who rapes Clare in front of him, shoots the husband, and orders that the infant be bludgeoned to death. The sadistic rampage spurs Clare's relentless effort to kill the lieutenant for what he's done to her and her family. She hires a smart Aboriginal named Billy (Baykali Gananbarr) to track the murderous lieutenant and, lowly as she is on the social spectrum, she treats Billy as if he were subhuman, until their shared travails bond them.
Is It Any Good?
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. The cruelty, prejudice, violence, and inhumanity are depicted unsparingly and, for that reason, a viewer may wonder if watching the film is worth the discomfort.
At this point, it's the remarkable commitment of Aisling Franciosi as Clare and Baykali Ganambarr as Billy that provides the audience the wherewithal to get through to the end. Characters we've relied on to be steady in their obsession to achieve vengeance suddenly make decisions at odds with everything we know about them. The movie eventually rights itself in terms of offering a satisfying ending, but there's no happily-ever-after-here, so bailing before the final minutes is a perfectly reasonable option. In any case, the movie's raw brutality, whether resolved well or not, is definitely not for kids.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what the movie is trying to accomplish. Is it trying to be educational regarding the plight of Australia's Aboriginal people? Is it meant to graphically illustrate how badly people in power can treat people below them, as exemplified by British treatment of convicts, ex-convicts, women, and Black people?
Does the movie have any new insights to add to our understanding of the terrible social consequences of prejudice and racism?
What does this movie say about the way poverty makes people vulnerable and can keep capable people from doing well?
Where could you go to learn more about Tasmania's history?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : August 29, 2018
- Cast : Aisling Franciosi , Sam Claflin , Baykali Ganambarr
- Director : Jennifer Kent
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s) , Indigenous Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Writer(s)
- Studio : IFC Films
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : History
- Run time : 136 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : strong violent and disturbing content including rape, language throughout, and brief sexuality
- Last updated : January 22, 2026
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate