Emu Runner
Starring Rhae-Kye Waites, Wayne Blair and Georgia Blizzard
PG
3.75/5
Written and directed by Imogen Thomas, Emu Runner is a touching but insubstantial indie film.
In the New South Wales town of Brewarrina, Gemma (Rhae-Kye Waites), a young Ngemba girl, bonds with a wild emu after her mother abruptly dies from a heart attack.
Emu Runner presents an even-handed view on a struggling family, with sombre and charming scenes.
The plot is effectively bookended by Gemma running to get help in a crisis, and Gemma’s skill in running resonates with her emu companion and her ancestors’ affinity with the animal.
The cinematography by Michael Gibbs renders the arid Australian landscape as both dry and full of life and spirit.
Wayne Blair is engaging as a gruff good man doing his best, and Georgia Blizzard is basically the well-meaning antagonist as social worker Heidi.
However, I found Emu Runner slow and uneventful, with little dramatic momentum until the third act.
I had a similar issue with Chloé Zhao’s 2020 Oscar-winning drama Nomadland, though Emu Runner has more conflict than Nomadland.
Waites also delivers a somewhat flat performance, though this is understandable, as she and much of the cast are Brewarrina locals with no acting experience.
A slice-of-life drama without much flavour, Emu Runner is currently playing at the Memorial Hall in Healesville.
