The Nightingale (2018 film)

Plot

In 1825, just before the Black War, an Irish convict named Clare Carroll works as a servant for a colonial military unit led by Lieutenant Hawkins. A visiting officer arrives to evaluate Hawkins for a promotion. Clare, who goes by the nickname "Nightingale," sings and serves drinks to the soldiers. After her shift, she goes to Hawkins to request a letter of recommendation that would free her, her husband Aidan, and their baby daughter Bridget.

Hawkins forces her to sing a special song, then makes unwanted advances, which she rejects. He rapes her for what he sees as insolence. Aidan suspects Clare was harmed and tries to convince Hawkins to give them the letter. That night, Aidan gets into a fight with Hawkins, Sergeant Ruse, and Ensign Jago.

The visiting officer sees this and decides Hawkins is not fit for promotion. Hawkins orders Ruse and Jago to prepare for a journey through the bush to Launceston, hoping to negotiate with the officer. Before they leave, the soldiers intercept the Carroll family as they try to escape. Hawkins rapes Clare again and orders Ruse to do the same.

He then shoots and kills Aidan, and tells Jago to silence the crying baby, which Jago does unintentionally, killing her. The next morning, Clare wakes up and reports the crimes to a military police officer, but realizes he will not help. She decides to get revenge with the help of an Aboriginal tracker named Billy. She lies to him, saying she wants to meet up with her husband, who is traveling with the soldiers.

At first, Clare is openly racist toward Billy, while he sees her as no different from the English colonists who killed his family. Their hostility fades as they learn about each other's terrible losses and recognize they both belong to conquered peoples with persecuted cultures. Billy tells Clare his real name is Mangana, which means "blackbird" in palawa kani, and he wants to go north to find the surviving women of his tribe. Meanwhile, the officers recruit three white convicts and another Aboriginal tracker, Charlie.

Hawkins grows fond of a child convict named Eddie. Ruse kidnaps an Indigenous woman named Lowanna to use as a sex slave. Aboriginal men kill one convict and wound Jago during a failed rescue attempt. Hawkins takes Lowanna hostage and then kills her, which distracts the men.

Reception

Critics were sharply divided on The Nightingale, with Rotten Tomatoes reporting a consensus that the film is not for everyone but that Jennifer Kent channels a deep, palpable fury into a war story that leaves a lasting, bruising impression. The site’s average rating and approval percentage reflect this mixed reception. On Metacritic, the film scored 77 out of 100 from 35 critics, a mark that falls into the “generally favorable” category. Marcella Papandrea of The Super Network called it a difficult but important watch, praising Kent for handling a brutal story with care and respect while laying bare harsh truths.

The film made headlines after its Sydney Film Festival debut, where about 30 out of 600 audience members walked out during scenes of rape and murder. One woman shouted that she would not watch because the protagonist had already been raped twice.

Kent defended the graphic content as historically accurate, depicting the violence and racism faced by Indigenous Australians. The production involved Tasmanian Aboriginal elders, who said the film offers an honest and necessary account of their history. Kent acknowledged the negative reactions but said she remains proud of the work, emphasizing that the story is ultimately about seeking love, compassion, and kindness in dark times.

At the 75th Venice International Film Festival, Italian critic Sharif Meghdoud yelled insults at Kent when her name appeared in the credits. The Nightingale was the only film directed by a woman in the festival’s main competition.

Did You Know?

• Psychologists were brought on set to support the actors due to the brutality of the film's scenes.
• The Nightingale is the first film to include palawa kani, a reconstructed form of the once extinct Tasmanian languages.
• Director Jennifer Kent decided to focus on writing and directing The Nightingale after being deluged with film scripts from the United States following the success of The Babadook.