The Proposition

Play trailer

The Proposition

R

2005

1h 44m

Drama

Action

Western

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

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.

Watch on Prime Video

Stream Now

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.

Read Critics Reviews

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...

Go to Full Review

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.

Go to Full Review

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.

Go to Full Review

Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

Sep 11

5/5

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

Go to Full Review

Evan Dossey

Midwest Film Journal

05/19/2025

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.

Go to Full Review

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.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

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.

See more

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.

See more

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.

See more

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.

See more

KURT G

@HonestReviewer2000 06/28/2025

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

See more

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.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

John Hillcoat

Director

Guy Pearce

Charlie Burns

Ray Winstone

Capt. Stanley

Emily Watson

Martha Stanley

Danny Huston

Arthur Burns

John Hurt

Jellon Lamb

Django Unchained

87%

92%

Django Unchained

Watchlist

3:10 to Yuma

89%

86%

3:10 to Yuma

Watchlist

Open Range

79%

84%

Open Range

Watchlist

Appaloosa

77%

55%

Appaloosa

Watchlist

Seraphim Falls

57%

53%

Seraphim Falls

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Seraphim Falls

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Trailer Bulletin: The Proposition

Interview: Guy Pearce and John Hillcoat

Guy Pearce and John Hillcoat Discuss "The Proposition"

View more photos

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