Skip to content
MovieCove
Kangaroo

Kangaroo

2017103 minMidcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
Directors
Kate McIntyre Clere, Michael Mick McIntyre
Starring
Kangaroo Dundee, Tim Flannery, Terri Irwin, Peter Singer

This groundbreaking film reveals the truth surrounding Australia’s love-hate relationship with its beloved icon. The kangaroo image is proudly used by top companies, sports teams and as tourist souvenirs, yet when they hop across the vast continent some consider them to be pests to be shot and sold for profit. KANGAROO unpacks a national paradigm where the relationship with kangaroos is examined.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Kangaroo?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Kangaroo streaming on Pluto TV (free), The Roku Channel (free) and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Subscription

FreeFreeFree

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Kangaroo?

Kangaroo earns 4 badges, led by Hidden Gem and Loved with Detractors.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Kangaroo worth watching?

Kangaroo's Midcredits score is the 81st percentile of all films, from 127 ratings across 4 sources. 67% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

81st percentile

Better received than 81% of films

55th percentile among Documentary81st percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)84th
Approval (how many liked it)75th

72 /100

84th percentile of all films

59th percentile among Documentary83rd percentile among 2010s

Critics 66 · Audience 73

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

Big peaks at both ends — people either love this or bounce off it hard.

67% liked it

75th percentile of all films

50th percentile among Documentary76th percentile among 2010s
67% rated it 7–1033% rated it 1–6

Critics 78% · Audience 96%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 3 wins / 1 noms overall

12th percentile

122 ratings across platforms

34th percentile among Documentary16th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 14% in 30 days

Box office

Opening weekend$2.3K
Domestic gross$4.5K
Worldwide gross$13K

22nd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both sides agree the film presents a strong, emotional case against the kangaroo industry.

Fans praised

  • necessary exposé of a taboo subject
  • beautifully shot with a great score and compelling interviews
  • disturbing but essential viewing

Detractors panned

  • selective facts designed to shock rather than inform
  • ignores regulated industry and population data
  • biased advocacy, not objective documentary

What stands out

Emotional impactDivisive80

disturbing and powerful

Cinematography75

beautifully shot

OriginalityDivisive65

unique perspective but seen as biased

Plot and storyDivisive55

presents a damning case, but detractors call facts false

Watch experience

What is Kangaroo like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Food for thought: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something to think about afterwards.

It is intense, takes its time and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want an easy night or you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings and patience.

What it feels like

Food for thought.

Moods
TenseMelancholic
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Bleak · 8% of filmsSolemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its material straight, presenting unsettling facts about the kangaroo industry with clear advocacy intent.
The rideReviews uniformly describe the film as a disturbing, painful, and difficult watch, suggesting sustained tension and melancholy.
StructureConventional documentary structure with interviews and footage, no notable structural devices indicated.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

The answer rests on this: Thought-provokingHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves viewers unsettled and questioning the kangaroo industry, with its disturbing footage and call for change lingering.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 22% of films: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeThis is a non-narrative documentary examining a national relationship with an animal, not following a protagonist through a plot arc.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfJusticeMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% (this title) · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% (this title) · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Justice · 13% of filmsViolence · 4% of filmsNature · 2% of films
Warns its theme: Presents its theme as a danger or a coming cost.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film investigates whether the commercial treatment of kangaroos is fair, exposing what it frames as an unjust and hidden industry.
StanceThe documentary warns against the unseen harm of the kangaroo industry, calling for a change in national thinking.

The world

ContemporaryRuralWildernessRealistic
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · David Bridie
SettingAustralian outback and commercial kangaroo industry
MusicThe score is described by one fan as 'great' and complements the film's somber tone.

Cast and crew

Who is in Kangaroo?

Cast

Kangaroo Dundee
as Self
Tim Flannery
as Self
Terri Irwin
as Self
Peter Singer
as Self

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Kangaroo?

Movies like Kangaroo include Chasing Coral (2017), Samsara (2011) and Into the Inferno (2016). Of the 4 closest matches, most are films set in the wilderness, and half are films that feel solemn.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

All 4 share its story type: nature documentary. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Kangaroo?

1.1K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: nature documentary. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.