With characters that feel lived-in, a gorgeous Australian coastal backdrop and family dynamics that will feel reminiscent at times of *King Lear*, **KANGAROO ISLAND** packs in enough drama, laughs and charm to make this one of the best films about the ties that bind.

Written by Sally Gifford (who herself cameos as a shrewd Hollywood Agent) and directed by her husband, Timothy David – **KANGAROO ISLAND** feels at times like an entire television season of drama packed into its swift 113- minute runtime. It’s almost overwhelming – but brilliant moments of levity – especially the running gag of the “lost luggage” provide comedic oxygen throughout.

Aussie actor Lou Wells (Rebecca Breeds), lured to the bright lights of Tinseltown experiences a career slump when she’s unceremoniously dumped by her Hollywood agent. Reluctantly, Lou accepts a one-way ticket back to home to Australia courtesy of her dad, to her once-idyllic, halcyon life on Kangaroo Island.

The trip back home dredges up uncomfortable sibling and relationship entanglements that led to Lou’s sojourn in Hollywood ten years previously – as her younger sister Freya (Adelaide Clemens) and ex-boyfriend Ben (Joel Jackson) are now married with children. Lou and Freya’s estranged relationship is laid bare before her ailing and long-suffering father Rory (Erik Thomson) who has brought them all together to make a devastating announcement.

But back home, Lou is faced with a (now) born-again sister in an unfulfilled marriage with Ben (who still pines for Lou despite his marital vows to her sister). Their love triangle would strain any family relationship – but in a final act of fatherly wisdom, Rory does what Dad’s know best in this heartwarming story about forgiveness, and acceptance.

David’s direction here (in an impressive feature film debut) balances the madness of the family dynamic, its entanglements, and dramatic reveals from wife Gifford’s brilliant script that leaves no stone unturned. 

The very capable cast, especially from Breed, Clemens and Thomson who bring to life their characters with nuance and dramatic urgency, combined with the picturesque location of Australia’s Kangaroo Island – currently flourishing in the wake of the devastating 2020 brush fires that destroyed 52% of the island’s habitat – is deftly handled from Ian McCarroll’s cinematography.

With its very on-the-nose metaphor about losing one’s baggage – **KANGAROO ISLAND** is a standout film about family featuring one of the best casts in recent memory.