The Proposition

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The Proposition

R

2005

1h 44m

Drama

Action

Western

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

86%

Tomatometer

131 Reviews

85%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

In the 1880s Australia, a lawman offers renegade Charlie Burns a difficult choice. In order to save his younger brother from the gallows, Charlie must hunt down and kill his older brother, who is wanted for rape and murder. Venturing into one of the Outback's most inhospitable regions, Charlie faces a terrible moral dilemma that can end only in violence.

Critics Consensus

Brutal, unflinching, and violent, but thought-provoking and with excellent performances, this Australian western is the one of the best examples of the genre to come along in recent times.

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J. R. Jones

Chicago Reader

07/14/2022

Directed by John Hillcoat, this Aussie feature perfectly re-creates the charbroiled landscapes and cruel psychodrama of the old Sergio Leone westerns...

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Brian Tallerico

UGO

03/24/2007

Any movie that can cling to your memory with as much brutal power as this fantastic film is unquestionably a proposition worth taking.

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Ben Walters

Time Out

06/24/2006

A beautifully shot tracker's western that brings the Fordian poles of garden and desert to bear on the bushrangers' Outback, this is also a revenge drama of substantial horror.

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Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

Sep 11

5/5

A grim, grisly, and gorgeous spin on the Western genre.

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Evan Dossey

Midwest Film Journal

May 19

There’s only a shred of hope in The Proposition, and it almost comes too late, in too small a quantity. But it doesn’t feel, to me, like an exercise in misery. There is more on its mind.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

02/05/2025

3.5/4

The Proposition brings to mind Australia’s Outback flicks from the 1970s, mood pieces in which philosophical renegades seek to come to terms with their own restless souls while navigating merciless and uncompromising territories.

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Ian R

@RT23899272 Apr 7

Although piled into the category of, 'Western' movies by critics, it's got much more to do with Australian history and the horrors contained there than that. It's a brutal film, that reflects the brutality of the Australian outback frontier. Excellent cast and script by Nick Cave together with a score by himself and long time collaborator Warren Ellis. It's always good to see Gulpilil on screen.

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Jack F

@MovieFan111 Jan 25

I didn't really like this movie. The acting was good, but I didn't like the story, and it was boring and confusing at times.

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Jay W

@jaw14 Jan 3

Amazing film. Great performances by all. Especially Nick Cave(screenplay), Guy Pearce, Danny Huston, Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Emily Watson.

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Robert C

@RT58374313 Jul 14

Almost fell asleep in the first 40 minutes. But the action and tension accelerate in the next 60 minutes I to a uniquely I interesting western tale.

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KURT G

@HonestReviewer2000 Jun 28

Drawn out at times, subpar script, average acting. A disappoint as the story had real potential.

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Gnoll R

@Gnollrunner 04/14/2025

It was pretty slow. On top of that I basically figured out the ending in the first few minutes. Finally, it was one of those movies where they seemed to add elements just to make it offbeat. The score was strange and there were various odd things sprinkled in that didn’t really advance the story at all and just seemed out of place.

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John Hillcoat

Director

Guy Pearce

Charlie Burns

Ray Winstone

Capt. Stanley

Emily Watson

Martha Stanley

Danny Huston

Arthur Burns

John Hurt

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Trailer Bulletin: The Proposition

Interview: Guy Pearce and John Hillcoat

Guy Pearce and John Hillcoat Discuss "The Proposition"

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Synopsis

In the 1880s Australia, a lawman offers renegade Charlie Burns a difficult choice. In order to save his younger brother from the gallows, Charlie must hunt down and kill his older brother, who is wanted for rape and murder. Venturing into one of the Outback's most inhospitable regions, Charlie faces a terrible moral dilemma that can end only in violence.

Director: John Hillcoat
Producer: Chris Brown, Cat Villiers, Chiara Menage, Jackie O'Sullivan
Screenwriter: Nick Cave
Production Co: Autonomouse, Surefire Films LLC, Jackie O Productions
Rating: R (Strong Grisly Violence|Language)
Genre: Drama, Action, Western
Original Language: English
Rerelease Date (Theaters): May 5, 2006
Release Date (Streaming): May 23, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.9M
Runtime: 1h 44m
Sound Mix: Dolby