A family torn apart. A public filled with outrage. A woman accused of murder.
Overview
Based on the true story of Lindy Chamberlain who, during a family camping trip to Ayers Rock in central Australia, claimed she witnessed a dingo take her baby daughter, Azaria, from their tent. Azaria's body was never found and, after investigations and two public inquests, she is charged with murder.
Ratings
Curator score: 5.0/10
IMDb: 6.9/10
Letterboxd: 3.50/5
TMDB: 6.8/10
Director
Fred Schepisi
Production
Golan-Globus Productions, Cinema Verity, Warner Bros. Pictures, The Cannon Group
Cast
Meryl Streep, Sam Neill, David Hoflin, John Howard, Debra Lawrance, Pat Thomson, Maurie Fields, Dorothy Alison, Peter Hosking, Charles Tingwell, Michael Wetter, Jason Reason, Dale Reeves, Kane Barton, Trent Roberts, Jane Coker, Rae-Leigh Henson, Nicolette Minster, Brian James, Matthew Barker
Curator Review
Verdict
A serious, carefully made courtroom-and-media drama that turns a notorious true case into a study of grief, prejudice, and public certainty. Meryl Streep gives it emotional force, and Fred Schepisi keeps the film restrained rather than sensational. It can feel procedural and emotionally distant at times, but the craftsmanship and historical weight make it worthwhile.
Best for
true-crime drama viewers
courtroom and legal-case stories
prestige 1980s dramas
films about media frenzy and public judgment
viewers interested in Australian cinema
Skip if
you want a fast-paced thriller
you prefer crime stories with clear catharsis
you are looking for a highly emotional, manipulative tearjerker
you dislike procedural, issue-driven dramas
Overview
Evil Angels is less a mystery than an anatomy of suspicion. It takes a case that became a national obsession and treats it as a tragedy of institutions, headlines, and the human need to settle on a story before the facts are secure.
Worth noting
Fred Schepisi directs with a cool, observant hand, letting the legal process and public reaction build the pressure. The film’s restraint is one of its strengths: it avoids melodrama and instead finds unease in the ordinary details of a family under scrutiny.
Bottom line
Meryl Streep anchors the film with a performance that is controlled, wounded, and increasingly isolated. The result is a thoughtful, unsettling drama that lingers because it understands how quickly empathy can be replaced by certainty.
2015 · Drama, History · 2h 9m · R · Curator 9.1/10 (1.2M ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV
Methodical investigative drama that values evidence, patience, and the slow unfolding of truth.
Topics
true crime, courtroom drama, legal thriller, media sensationalism, grief, institutional injustice, 1980s drama, Australian cinema, based on a true story, prestige drama