Nitram (2021)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
A haunting character study explores the life of a mentally distressed young man leading up to the 1996 Port Arthur massacre.
The story
Nitram is an intellectually disabled young adult living with his parents in Tasmania who regularly sets off fireworks and sells them to children. After his father is denied a business loan, Nitram begins mowing lawns and befriends a retired actress named Helen. She buys him a car, despite his dangerous driving habits. Frustrated with his home life, Nitram moves in with Helen, but a devastating car crash occurs during a trip to the airport, resulting in Helen's death and Nitram's severe injuries. Following the tragedy, Nitram becomes increasingly isolated and begins to exhibit increasingly disturbing behaviors.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film begins with 1979 archive footage of a 12-year-old Martin Bryant. In the present, Nitram lives in Tasmania with his parents, where he sells fireworks and dreams of a bed and breakfast his father hopes to buy. He befriends Helen, a retired actress who buys him a car. After a car crash kills Helen and leaves Nitram injured, he inherits her mansion and money but falls into heavy drinking and isolation. Following his father's suicide, Nitram's mother prevents him from attending the funeral. Obsessed with guns after watching news of the Dunblane massacre, Nitram purchases unlicensed firearms. He eventually seeks revenge on the owners of the bed and breakfast his father wanted, then travels to a café where he opens fire on tourists, capturing the events on video.
- First release year
- 2021
- Runtime (minutes)
- 112
- Production countries
- Australia; Germany
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Justin Kurzel
- Writers
- Shaun Grant · writer
- Cast and characters
- Caleb Landry Jones · Nitram; Judy Davis · Nitram's mother; Essie Davis · Helen; Anthony LaPaglia · Maurice
- Genres
- biographical; psychological drama
- Themes
- mental distress; isolation; violence; grief
- Tone and mood
- grim; tense; despairing; haunting
- Premise and plot tags
- biographical; massacre; murderer; psychological drama
- Source material / true-story basis
- Based on the life of Martin Bryant
- Content notes
- mass shooting
- Reception
- The film received widespread critical acclaim for Kurzel's direction and the cast's performances, though it sparked controversy in Tasmania.
- Awards and nominations
- AACTA Award · Best Film · Won; AACTA Award · Best Direction · Won; AACTA Award · Best Actor · Won; AACTA Award · Best Actress · Won; AACTA Award · Best Supporting Actor · Won; AACTA Award · Best Supporting Actress · Won; AACTA Award · Best Original Screenplay · Won; Cannes Film Festival · Best Actor · Won
- Production trivia
- The name 'Nitram' is 'Martin' spelt backwards.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…