The 7 best ‘explosive’ Australian thrillers free to watch in UK

It seems like Australian TV is finally having its moment in the spotlight.

For decades the biggest exports from Down Under has been soaps like Home and Away and Neighbours, with Brits drawn to the sun and sea that was on offer through screens.

However, in the past few years interest in other shows has grown, with many now flocking to see completely different versions of the country.

Instead of the shores of Summer Bay or the community centred around Ramsay Street, interest is now sky high in thrillers and crime dramas that might not have you dreaming of hopping on a plane there anytime soon.

You may have heard of the exceptional The Kettering Incident, Mystery Road and Underbelly.

But if you’re looking for other hidden gems to discover here are our picks – just in time for a weekend binge too!

Scrublands (Streaming on BBC iPlayer)

Based on the debut novel of the same name by journalist Chris Hammer, Scrublands first hit screens in 2023.

It follows journalist Martin Scarsden (Luke Arnold) as he investigates what he initially thinks is a straightforward story about a small town a year on from a tragedy.

As he digs deeper to discover the details of what actually happened after a priest shot dead five parishioners, Martin comes up against local residents who want to keep the past buried.

The four-parter was a hit with critics and audiences alike, with The Guardian writing: ‘It’s a rock-solid addition to the rural noir genre, engaging from the start, all the way to a satisfyingly explosive finale.’

A second season recently aired in Australia, so here’s hoping the BBC will drop the follow-up episodes soon too.

Wake in Fright (Streaming on Channel 4)

Another book-to-screen adaptation that’s well worth a watch is Wake in Fight.

Based on Kenneth Cook’s 1961 novel of the same name, the 2017 miniseries starred Sean Keenan as John Grant, a schoolteacher who becomes trapped in an isolated outback town.

The TV show had big shoes to fill after the 1971 film adaptation was nominated for the Grand Prix du Festival at the 24th Cannes Film Festival.

When watching the reimagining, many viewers said they’d been left ‘on the edge of their seat’.

‘The cinematography is splendid, certainly rivalling the original movie. The sun-bright, yet dark, landscape and decaying town paints a delicious background for Grant’s seemingly endless nightmare. The spirit of the original remains very well intact despite most of the modernisation,’ user dnj-96166 posted on IMDB.

Black Snow (Streaming on BBC iPlayer)

Vikings star Travis Fimmel stars in Black Snow, which follows Detective James Cormack (Fimmel) as he investigates cold cases while also battling his own personal demons.

Released in 2023, the first season was set in 2019 and saw him investigating the inquiry into the cold case murder of 17-year-old Isabel Baker in 1994, in the fictional Australian town of Ashford.

In its review, Flicks called it a ‘moody, well-made crime drama that forefronts a little-explored area of Australian culture and history’.

Meanwhile viewers called it ‘suspenseful’, ‘superb’ and a ‘edge of your seat’ watch.

The second season, which follows the investigation of another crime, was also recently released in the UK.

The Tourist (Streaming on BBC iPlayer)

Waking up with amnesia in an Australian hospital, a man played by Jamie Dornan, is assisted by a local woman who remembers him and offers to help rediscover his identity.

However, it quickly emerges that he has a dark past and must do what he can to escape it before it finally catches up with him.

After premiering in 2022, The Tourist was followed by a second season last year, with those episodes set in Ireland.

With a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, critics said it was ‘gripping’, ‘suspenseful’ and even ‘merrily unhinged’.

Speaking to Forbes about the challenge to keep his character likeable enough to the audience to throw their support behind him, Jamie previously said: ‘It’s tough because we want to be on his side. The whole idea of the show hinges on the audience rooting for him.’

Jack Irish (Streaming on Channel 4)

Beginning with three feature-length TV movies in 2012, Jack Irish was based on Peter Temple’s novel series of the same name.

Set in the Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, it starred Guy Pearce as the titular character, a former criminal lawyer turned investigator and debt collector.

After the murder of his wife by a client, Jack then pursues detective work and chasing people down for money.

Following the success of the movies, Jack Irish was turned into a TV show, with the three seasons airing between 2016 until 2021.

In its review of the first season, the New York Times wrote: ‘It’s straightforward, noirish mystery starring a laconic, mostly noble, unapologetically genre-friendly gumshoe.’ All three movies and the three seasons are streaming on Channel 4.

High Country (Streaming on BBC iPlayer)

A fictional story that was inspired by true events, High Country stars Leah Purcell as detective Andrea ‘Andie’ Whitford who is transferred to the town of Brokenridge in the Victorian High Country and assigned to investigate the mysterious case of five missing people who have disappeared into the wilderness.

But as she gets deeper into the investigation, she begins to uncover a complex web of murder, deceit and revenge.

The eight-part series also stars Game of Thrones’ and Derry Girls’ Ian McElhinney, Sara Wiseman (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes), Aaron Pedersen (Mystery Road) and Shannon Berry (The Survivors).

TV Tonight’s review read: ‘It’s fair to say the themes of High Country, being missing persons and associated crimes, have been explored in a range of other series, including Scandi-noir drama. Here it gets the First Nations treatment thanks to the fine talents of Leah Purcell.’

Both seasons are currently available to stream in the UK.

Critical Incident (Streaming on ITVX)

Red, White and Royal Blue star Akshay Khanna plays Senior Constable Zil Ahmed in Critical Incident.

After he pursues a suspect at a train station while off duty, a shocking incident unfolds that sees an innocent bystander injured.

As the investigation unfolds, Zil discovers the person he suspected of being the suspect was not the perpetrator of a crime he was chasing her for.

Despite this he becomes obsessed with pinning something on her.

Viewers called it ‘riveting’, ‘nuanced’ and ‘layered’.

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