UW Cinematheque | The Plains (2022)

One of the year’s great cinematic revelations is this minimalist epic, filmed almost entirely from the backseat of a sedan on the Melbourne highway. A middle-aged barrister commutes home from work, calls his mom and wife, and is sometimes joined by a younger coworker (director Easteal). Over the course of several rides brimming with casually philosophical conversations, we come to know these often unseen characters as deeply as if they were in our own lives. “A tremendous achievement, and, in a subtle way, an amazing work of art” (The Guardian). “A most evocative, soul-replenishing journey… this is an astonishingly full-rounded, richly textured portrait of a life, epic in size and scope” (The Film Stage). (MK)