Some films arrive quietly, without the noise of Hollywood blockbusters, and yet leave behind something far more lasting. South Solitary is one such story – an Australian period drama set in the 1920s, praised by viewers as “a beautifully crafted study” and even hailed as “a perfect masterpiece” on Rotten Tomatoes.
Directed by Shirley Barrett, the film follows Miranda Otto as Meredith Appleton, a young woman who travels to a remote island with her uncle George, a lighthouse keeper. The setting could not be more unforgiving – a windswept, isolated outpost where the pounding sea and endless horizon make life as non-glamorous and lonely as it can be. Meredith’s new world soon collides with that of Fleet, an assistant keeper played by Marton Csokas.
Fleet is an enigmatic figure, weighed down by his past, and as fate conspires to leave the two stranded together, their shared isolation begins to form an unexpected bond.
Their story unfolds slowly, through hardship, quiet moments, and the tentative rediscovery of human connection. The themes run deep – resilience in the face of hardship, the lasting scars of the past, and the fragile hope found in companionship.
What could easily have been a conventional love story instead becomes a study of broken people finding solace and strength in each other when stripped of everything else.
Audiences who discovered South Solitary have spoken passionately about its effect. One Rotten Tomatoes reviewer called it “Moody, leisurely paced, and wonderfully filmed… it portrays the loneliness of the place and the people who inhabit it. Simple story, well told, reminds me again why I love cinema!”
Another praised the unconventional romance at its heart: “I loved the slow pace, remoteness and isolation of this little unconventional and somewhat preposterous love story. Aside from some almost slap stick moments, Otto is superb as the focus point. Beautiful photography… Highly recommended.”
A third summed it up as “a beautifully crafted study; broken people fixing each other. The script is tight, almost clipped, acting wonderfully underplayed, photography perfect.”