The Proposition

Play trailer

The Proposition

R,

2005,

1h 44m,

Drama/

Action/

Western

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Stream Now

Watchlist

86%

131 Reviews

Tomatometer

85%

50,000+ Ratings

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

Prime Video

Apple TV

Watch The Proposition with a subscription on Prime Video, rent on Apple TV, or buy on Apple TV.

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

Jul 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

Mar 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

Jun 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, 2025

5/5

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

Go to Full Review

Evan Dossey

Midwest Film Journal

May 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

Feb 5, 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

Harry R

Apr 27, 2019

One of the most boring western movies I've ever seen. Another victim of garbage reviews.

Leia S

Jan 15, 2019

A western from Australia is always a fascinating proposition(no pun intended) but The strength of The Proposition is its relentless moral ambiguity. Characters that would be heroic in more conventional movies show their darker sides, and the blackguards are given lighter, less ominous shades. It comes down to survival and justice. In a harsh land where so many are fighting to attain the former, is the latter an unreachable dream? And when does revenge as a means of justice cross over to become revenge as a means of survival? The Proposition may not answer these questions, but it addresses them and leaves it to the viewer to draw the conclusions. The result is as unsettling as it is compelling.

See more

Abraham S

Oct 23, 2018

This may just be the best Australian movie I've seen yet, as well as one of the most entertaining westerns yet. It's well written, the script doesn't fuck around with slow dialogue and jumps right at you with the story. It's very gritty, dirty, harsh, uncompromising and especially very bloody, and both Guy Pearce, from LA Confidential (1997), and especially Ray Winstone give strong performances. It was a good idea to mix Australian history with a western story of trust and betrayal, and it's a shame that the movie didn't get a wider release, become it's very good. Recommended!!

See more

Rey P

Oct 4, 2018

This is Great, complete opposite of all the phoney hollywood crap that is the norm these days

Abraham S

Jul 8, 2018

It looks beautiful and the performances are great, but at no point did it really grab me if I'm honest. I never felt the stakes, never felt the adrenaline - never, really, felt any kind of enthusiasm or suspense for what was going on. I wasn't in a great mood though, so maybe I'll revisit this one. Or maybe not, we'll see.

See more

Ron P

Nov 11, 2017

Well crafted, even a bit philosophical, western somewhat in the spirit of Jarmusch's 'Dead Man'; fine performances abound.

See more

Read all reviews

John Hillcoat

Director

Guy Pearce

Charlie Burns

Ray Winstone

Capt. Stanley

Emily Watson

Martha Stanley

Danny Huston

Arthur Burns

John Hurt

Jellon Lamb

Idiocracy

71%

60%

Idiocracy

Watchlist

Pi

88%

85%

Pi

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Pi

Miller's Crossing

93%

90%

Miller's Crossing

Watchlist

Hard Eight

82%

83%

Hard Eight

Watchlist

The Game

77%

80%

The Game

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Game

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

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings