DIRECTOR
Warwick Thornton
Sweet Country, The New Boy, Samson & Delilah

STARS
Deborah Mailman, Pedrea Jackson, Thomas M. Wright, Joe Bird, Erroll Shand, Matt Nable and John Howard

I have never worked in or been inside a mine, and never intend to either, but I feel like a fitting summary for this down under western is to liken it to how I would perceive mining to be for miners – once the resource has been reached, the reward is worth the effort, but boy the digging to get to it was hard yakka (Aussie slang for hard work for my international readers)!

Beginning at a Tungsten (otherwise known as Wolfram) mine in the Northern Territory in 1932, the set-up of Wolfram’s story includes various characters destined to eventually cross each other’s paths, one way or another. On the colonial frontier, two indigenous kids are subject to being child labourers for their white bosses. In a small township, a white general store owner tactfully but firmly does his best to keep the town’s fragile peace in place while simultaneously protecting his Aboriginal wife. Threatening to disturb that peace are two ruthless and racist men on horseback who trust and believe no one in search of someone by the name of Mick Kennedy, a troubled man who lives remotely with his young indigenous worker, Philomac. Elsewhere in the Territory, a seemingly distressed indigenous woman with a newborn is accompanied by a helpful acquaintance as they travel through the unforgiving outback by horse and carriage, escaping from or in search of someone.

Unbeknown to me prior to watching Wolfram, it acts as a sequel to Warwick Thornton’s masterful 2017 film Sweet Country and is set 4 years later featuring some of the same characters. The story depicted is inspired by true events, based upon some family history of one of the co-writers, and Thornton himself also has a personal connection to it.

Like all of his films to date, Wolfram captures its outback setting in striking cinematic style, but the narrative has problems it struggles to overcome yet eventually does. If you are reading this review prior to watching the film, I am hopeful the synopsis I have written above will be helpful during its first two parts without revealing more than you should know. Throughout that first hour or so, the movie gradually introduces those aforementioned characters, initiates their stories and establishes some themes, but is stagnant in its development and connection of them and feels too slow in reaching its trajectories. It was interesting to learn via a post film Q&A I attended that Warwick Thornton wanted Wolfram to be less brutal than Sweet Country. That is certainly the case, though I will say I have to hold his 2017 epic in much higher regard for Thornton truly took his broken heart and made Sweet Country into a work of art. Perhaps audience members who are more content than I am with story not being the driving force will be able to appreciate Wolfram much earlier than I could. Nevertheless, once the story underpinning all character involvements and movements arrives at the fore, so to do Wolfram’s capabilities. 

Wolfram is showing in selected cinemas across Australia from April 30th, 2026.

Moviedoc thanks Sue Dayes for the invitation to the screening of this film.

Review by Leigh for Moviedoc

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