In 1825, a young Irish woman named Clare (Franciosi) gets exiled to the wilds of Tasmania to serve a sentence for petty theft. CompounGding her bad fortunes, one there she catches the eye of Hawkins (Claflin), a sadistic British officer who beats and defiles her before departing to apply for reassignment further north. Filled with equal parts rage and determination, Clare enlists Aboriginal guide Billy (Ganambarr) to help her track Hawkins and exact retribution.
Kent’s film exposes the rot of British colonialism while delivering a suspenseful, often brutal revenge tale. Carrying the film, Franciosi makes Clare a woman transformed by righteous anger, with vengeance her sole reason to live. Ganambarr is also superb as guide Billy, who understandably holds little affection for the white invaders, male or female. Claflin also throws himself into the juicy role of smug, loathsome villain. Writer/director Kent maintains a grim, dark mood and injects plenty of rugged atmosphere along the way. Though not for the squeamish, others hungry for revenge should chase down “The Nightingale.”