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Movies & TV

23rd May 2019

#TRAILERCHEST: The Nightingale is a revenge thriller with a colonial twist on Irish history

Paul Moore

The Nightingale

Very strong Black ’47 vibes here. It’s from the director of The Babadook.

After receiving rave reviews for The Babadook, all eyes were on Jennifer Kent to see how she would follow up her critically acclaimed horror. Well, the director is focusing on a very different type of horror in her next feature, The Nightingale.

Ireland’s Aisling Franciosi stars in the lead role – you may already know the talented actress from her time on The Fall and Game of Thrones (she played Lyanna Stark) – and the film has already played at the Cannes and Venice Film festivals to impressive reviews.

Plot’s it all about?: Set in 1825, Clare (Aisling Franciosi), a young Irish convict, chases a British officer through the rugged Tasmanian wilderness, bent on revenge for a terrible act of violence he committed against her family.

Having served her seven year sentence, Clare is desperate to be free of her abusive master, Lieutenant Hawkins (Sam Claflin) who refuses to release her from his charge.

Clare’s husband retaliates and she becomes the victim of a harrowing crime at the hands of the lieutenant and his cronies.

When British authorities fail to deliver justice, Clare decides to pursue Hawkins, who leaves his post suddenly to secure a captaincy up north.

Unable to find compatriots for her journey, she is forced to enlist the help of a young Aboriginal tracker Billy (Baykali Ganambarr) who grudgingly takes her through the rugged wilderness to track down Hawkins.

Cast: Aisling Franciosi, Sam Claflin, Baykali Ganambarr, Michael Sheasby.

Director: Jennifer Kent

Release date: At present, The Nightingale is released on 2 August (subject to change).

Take a look at what’s in store.

Clip via IFC Films

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