Stream It or Skip It: ‘Faraway Downs’ on Hulu, A Laudable Expansion of Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Australia’ That Tries To Repair The Sins Of The Past

Star director Baz Luhrmann reimagines his 2008 drama Australia in Hulu‘s six-part limited series Faraway Downs. No additional footage was captured for the show, however, it employs never-before-seen footage from the original movie and an alternate ending. Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman lead the story about English aristocrat Lady Sarah Ashley (Kidman) trying to sell her million-acre ranch in Australia, following the death of her husband. After discovering that a cattle worker has been plotting to take her land, she seeks a nameless cattle drover (Jackman) for protection. While at her ranch, Lady Sarah meets a biracial Indigenous Australian child Nullah (Brandon Walters), whose life is threatened by the town’s discriminatory policies.

FARAWAY DOWNS: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: Faraway Downs opens with a new title sequence featuring animated kangaroos and Australian landscape to an emotional R&B track. Then, the scene transitions into a CGI rendering of an elder and younger Aboriginal duo as an opening scroll plays with a brief history lesson about violence against Native people in Northern Australia following the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941.

“…. aboriginal children of mixed race were taken by force from their families and trained for service in white society. These children became known as The Stolen Generations,” reads the text, which also appears in the 2008 movie.

The Gist: After the opening credits, the movie introduces Nullah through a voiceover and montage, where the young boy is shown using a spear to hunt fish. He looks up and sees a group of white men with cattle. Nullah points them out to his tribal elder, King George (David Gulpilil), and is warned that the group of men is dangerous.

In a voiceover, Nullah explains that the story begins at an earlier time in England, and an animated establishing shot shows a map that transports viewers from Australia to England. There, Lady Sarah is introduced while riding a horse and explains to her housemate that she is traveling to Australia to convince her husband to sell their ranch. Lady Sarah is warned about violence overseas, but she embarks on the travel regardless. While traveling, she is told by her husband that he cannot meet her upon her arrival, but his trusted peer “the Drover” will guide her to their ranch. Meanwhile, the Drover is engaged in a bar fight, which establishes his brawn and authority in the town.

Lady Sarah and the Drover have a rough start, but they eventually begin to make their way to the ranch. They have a hot-and-cold relationship as Lady Sarah isn’t used to life on the road, or the juvenile humor shared between the Drover and his friend. When the aristocrat returns home, she finds her husband dead. Quickly, she starts making arrangements around the ranch. One evening, Lady Sarah is awakened by a nightmare and finds Nullah and his mother Daisy (Ursula Yovich) in her home. Nullah tells her that the station manager Fletcher has cursed the ranch, but her presence can “heal the land.” Lady Sarah is captivated by the young child’s storytelling ability.

The next morning, Lady Sarah approaches Fletcher with the information that Nullah gave her, and he asks his team to take Nullah to the kitchen. Nullah escapes and reveals Fletcher’s lying tendencies. At this point, Fletcher begins to beat Nullah. Lady Sarah hits Fletcher and fires him and his entire team. Will she turn to the Drover to help her?

What Shows Will It Remind You Of?: Over the last few years, there has been an increase in shows with Western themes that take place on a ranch. Faraway Downs will remind you of Yellowstone and 1923 with its drama surrounding land ownership, as well as the violent crime. There’s also the Netflix series Godless, which takes place in a small town and follows a young widow running a ranch. Hmm, sound familiar?

Our Take: Faraway Downs is a laudable expansion of Australia that dedicates more time to the ensemble cast, particularly Nullah and Daisy. The series effortlessly builds in suspense over its six episodes as a budding love story is introduced while the characters work to uncover the conspiracies in the town and the person responsible for the death of Lady Sarah’s husband.

While the abundance of never-before-seen footage is enough justification for the series, credit is also due to the new score which brings the series alive. The music that appears in the credits, and during intense scenes, feels modern and upbeat with inspiration from Native communities.

However, a core drawback of the reimagining is the excessive establishing shots and animated renderings present in the first half of the premiere episode, which adds a cheesy vibe that detracts from the rest of the story.

Sex and Skin: Oh yeah! The first episode features Hugh Jackman — jacked from his early Wolverine days — shirtless and pouring water down his body, as well as a few allusions to sex between Lady Sarah and the men she encounters on her journey to her ranch, as well as Lady Sarah’s husband and the women of the town.

Parting Shot: Lady Sarah fires Fletcher from working on her ranch, and stands protectively in front of Nullah and his mother. “That strange woman fired Fletcher. He can’t hurt mama no more,” says Nullah in a voiceover as he and his mother watch Fletcher and his team into the distance. “From that day on, we call her Missus Boss.”

Sleeper Star: Brandon Walters received plenty of praise for his role in the original movie, but the expansion gives his character more depth and screen time. His performance is even more impressive in the series! Another worthwhile shout-out is deserved for Ursula Yovich, who plays Nullah’s mother. Her worried screams as her son is beaten by Fletcher and her scramble to stop the violence, as well as her silent gratitude when Lady Ashely steps will, will stick with you far after the episode is over.

Most Pilot-y Line: A strict barkeep tells Lady Sarah, “No women, ladies lounge next door,” as she enters the local pub to find the Drover upon her arrival. She looks around and tells him, “No wonder your establishment is empty.” Shots fired!

Our Call: STREAM IT. Faraway Downs doesn’t entirely fix the criticism of white saviorism that Australia received. That would’ve been an impossible feat given Lady Sarah’s character. That said, the series spends more time with the Aboriginal characters and expands on their origin story and aspirations, rather than casting them to the wayside. Overall, the series transforms the lukewarm drama into the grand epic that Luhrmann originally set out to make.