Jasper Jones

Rachel Perkins directs an outstanding cast of young performers in a riveting story that weaves drama, humour, tragedy and a uniquely Australian touch of the gothic.

Adapted from Craig Silvey’s bestselling Australian novel of the same name and directed by prolific television and feature filmmaker Rachel Perkins (Radiance, Bran Nue Dae, One Night the Moon, First Australians, Mystery Road, Total Control) Jasper Jones is an absorbing coming-of-age story told through the eyes of Charlie Bucktin (Levi Miller), an introverted boy of fourteen living in a small Western Australian town – Pemberton, W.A., standing in for the fictional town of Corrigan.

On a hot summer’s night at the tail end of the 1960s, Charlie is visited by a desperate Jasper Jones (Aaron McGrath), a solitary, mixed-race teen used to keeping his own company. Jasper has made a terrible discovery and, given the suspicion with which he is unfairly but routinely regarded by some in the town, fears the repercussions. Jasper’s secret becomes a shared burden for the boys to keep and a mystery Charlie is determined to solve, with unexpected consequences for them both.

Perkins directs an outstanding cast of talented young performers that also includes Angourie Rice (Ladies in Black), alongside seasoned actors Toni Collette, Hugo Weaving and Dan Wyllie – all excellent in a riveting, multi-layered story that weaves drama, humour, tragedy and a uniquely Australian touch of the gothic.

– Roberta Ciabarra - Curator, Film