The Castle
The Castle is a pretty funny movie. There are so many iconic catchphrases in this film, from “Tell him he’s dreaming” to “How’s the serenity” and so much more. A lot of the humour comes from how ridiculous and over-the-top the characters can be, while still feeling like a pretty accurate portrayal of an Aussie family. The film’s plot, while simple, allows for a great uplifting story that ends strongly, causing you to feel somewhat uplifted after finishing the film. It also has that ‘eat the rich’ message that is so common nowadays, but was fresh for its time, with the Kerrigan family standing up against a huge corporation that wants to take their home.
The acting and casting is simply incredible, with pretty much all of them perfectly portraying the Aussie bogan stereotype in a good way. The characters are all really memorable, especially Darryl, whose confidence and determination make him a really entertaining main character. The family also has great chemistry, which makes even the smaller conversations and random moments funny. It never really feels like the actors are trying too hard to be funny, which makes the humour work even better.
The best part of this film though is how simple it is. It’s a light watch, funny, pretty short at only 1 hour and 30 minutes, and has great vibes. You don’t need to think too hard while watching it, but there is still a surprisingly meaningful message underneath all the comedy. It’s one of those movies where you can just sit down, watch it, have a laugh, and finish feeling pretty good.
Overall, The Castle is a simple but incredibly enjoyable Australian comedy that has aged surprisingly well. It has memorable characters, iconic quotes, a great message and plenty of genuinely funny moments. We give it a 74%.
