On the Beach (1959)

Nominated for 2 Academy Awards:

Best Editing

Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture

For years I’ve been curious about this film, having heard about the premise (residents of Australia waiting for their own death, following a nuclear war that destroyed the rest of the world), but also aware of the mixed reactions. What I can say is this melodrama didn’t quite work for me. Despite the premise, there isn’t a whole lot happening, the characters aren’t interesting enough and the climax of the film doesn’t pay off.

Some performances work (Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire), others - and I will name Anthony Perkins - are just useless. Not recommended.

I give it: 5.5/10

IMDB LINK