The Castle | Rotten Tomatoes (2025)

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87%

Tomatometer

38 Reviews

92%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

The quirky Kerrigan family lives together in a makeshift home they built themselves -- with great pride and a bizarre attention to detail -- a few yards from the edge of Melbourne, Australia's busy Tullamarine Airport. When a building inspector condemns the building and reveals that the government plans to use their land for an airport expansion, Darryl Kerrigan (Michael Caton) and his brood recruit hack attorney Dennis Denuto (Tiriel Mora) and prepare themselves for the fight of their lives.

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Critics Consensus

Home is where the heart is in The Castle, a rousing Australian comedy that gives audiences an endearing family to root for.

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Critics Reviews

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David Ansen

Newsweek

While it obviously struck a deep chord in its homeland, here it's not much more than a light tap on the funny bone. The irrepressibly tacky Kerrigans make an amusing first impression, but the movie essentially has only one joke to offer.

Nov 10, 2008

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Globe and Mail

Rated: 1/4

Jul 12, 2002

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Marjorie Baumgarten

Austin Chronicle

Rated: 2/5

Jan 1, 2000

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Leigh Paatsch

Herald Sun (Australia)

This timeless comic snapshot of suburban life Down Under remains absolutely un-budgeable from its perch as the most widely adored (and quoted) Australian film of all-time.

Rated: 4.5/5

Apr 21, 2020

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Matt Neal

ABC Radio (Australia)

The greatest Australian film of all time.

Rated: 5/5

Feb 4, 2020

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Keeva Stratton

Rescu (Australia)

You can't help but fall in love.

Sep 15, 2017

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Audience Reviews

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Gareth v A classic and one of the greatest Australian movies of all-time. This David v Goliath tale is full classic jokes and lines, that still get quoted today, and has become a part of modern Australian culture. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/04/24 Full Review Torin F THE CASTLE is considered one of the greatest Australian films ever made, and it's every bit as good as I remember, having seen it when I lived there years ago. A charming understated comedy that crackles with low-key humor on multiple levels while uplifting the underdog and offering real insight into the quirks of the culture. It's a real gem. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/14/24 Full Review Not R A real gem, very funny Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/14/24 Full Review no t criminally ignored movie in the USA, excellent, warm-hearted, very quotable, required viewing and excellent family viewing Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/14/24 Full Review Luke S An Australian classic. It's just awesome. Bloke keeps his home despite a massive airline company wanting to acquire it, because he just happens to meet an awesome lawyer willing to take on his case. Give this less than 5 stars? Tell him he's dreamin! Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/07/23 Full Review Adam v who ever came up with this movie is an ideas man Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/08/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Castle

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Cast & Crew

Rob Sitch Director Michael Caton Darryl Kerrigan Anne Tenney Sal Kerrigan Stephen Curry Dale Kerrigan Sophie Lee Tracy Kerrigan Anthony Simcoe Steve Kerrigan

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The Castle

The Castle (1997)

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Synopsis The quirky Kerrigan family lives together in a makeshift home they built themselves -- with great pride and a bizarre attention to detail -- a few yards from the edge of Melbourne, Australia's busy Tullamarine Airport. When a building inspector condemns the building and reveals that the government plans to use their land for an airport expansion, Darryl Kerrigan (Michael Caton) and his brood recruit hack attorney Dennis Denuto (Tiriel Mora) and prepare themselves for the fight of their lives.

Director: Rob Sitch
Producer: Debra Choate
Screenwriter: Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner, Jane Kennedy, Rob Sitch
Distributor: Miramax Films
Production Co: Miramax
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 10, 1997, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 8, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $861.8K
Runtime: 1h 25m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

References

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_castle