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Australia · 2020
Rated PG-13 · 1h 59m
Director Jeremy Sims
Starring Sam Neill, Miranda Richardson, Asher Keddie, Hayley McElhinney
Genre Comedy, Drama
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In remote Western Australia, estranged brothers Les and Colin raise separate flocks of sheep. When Les’s prize ram is diagnosed with a lethal illness, authorities order a purge of every sheep in the valley. Can the warring brothers set aside their differences to reunite their family, save their herd, and bring their community back together?
Of course, the film’s main selling point is the particular chemistry of its two leads. It’s a delight to see the usually dapper Neill convince as a disheveled farmer, with his unshaven face, wild hair and utilitarian clothing. Meanwhile, Caton, with his baleful glare and drunken muttering, is utterly believable as the older, angrier brother.
The Irish Times by Donald Clarke
No sensitive viewer could deny the spirit of the original remains, but Jeremy Sims’s charming cover version reverberates with unmistakably Australian harmonies.
The New York Times by Glenn Kenny
Directed with a genial breeziness by Jeremy Sims, the movie negotiates emotional downshift and uplift with confidence.
Not as strong as the original, Rams is perhaps best described as a feature-length version of one of Sam Neill’s social media shorts; funny, a little bit rambling, winning.
Wall Street Journal by Joe Morgenstern
This remake isn’t terrible, just tentative and too long by at least 40 minutes.
Rams is a film that goes its own way, settling like a cozy sweater made from beautiful sheep.
The Guardian by Luke Buckmaster
Rams is a lovely, even-tempered drama about men and rural life, gentle but firm of spirit, with a down-to-earth pith and a way of entertainingly and unpretentiously exploring potentially difficult subjects such as masculinity.
Los Angeles Times by Michael Ordona
Rams isn’t earth-shattering, but real-feeling and engaging, with a strong cast and fine sheep and a good dog.
The A.V. Club by Mike D'Angelo
Western Australia’s sunny, arid expanse makes Colin and Les’ endless, pointless rivalry seem small and petty, rather than deeply rooted in the landscape itself.
It’s a bit all over the place, introducing characters and possible story threads that it abandons, which accounts for what feels like a somewhat bloated running time for a dramedy that’s essentially a three-hander, and that wants to be — despite dramatic moments — a comedy. But the leads and the lovely scenery make up for some of that.
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