Title – Ellis Park (2024)

Director – Justin Kurzel (The Order)

Cast – Warren Ellis, Nick Cave, Femke den Haas

Plot – Explores the life experiences of renowned Australian musician Warren Ellis and his special dealings with an Indonesian animal sanctuary he supports.  

“You got the right tune?”

Review by Eddie on 28/05/2026

One of Australia’s most unique, talented and mysterious musical champions, The Dirty Three and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds member Warren Ellis makes for a fascinating central figure in acclaimed director Justin Kurzel’s first foray into documentary filmmaking, Ellis Park.

Responsible for contributing to some of the most notable Australian musical works over his career, which also includes composing legendart film scores alongside friend and collaborator Nick Cave, which has been heard in the likes of The Assassination of Jesse James, The Proposition and The Road, Ellis is an undeniable talent who has remained mostly illusive and mysterious over his time in the spotlight, making Ellis Park a rare treat to be gifted an insight into the mind and life of the bearded genius.

Promoted heavily around Kurzel exploring Ellis’s connection to a prominent Indonesian animal sanctuary of which the film’s title stems from, Ellis Park takes its time to cross the waters as we get a moment to explore Ellis’s early days growing up in the frosty Victorian town of Ballarat as well as intimate moments where Ellis gets to spend time with his parents and old venues he frequented in his early years, experiences and places that helped shape who he would become.

A larger-than-life figure who is as colourful as he is considerate, Ellis makes for a fascinating subject matter as there really isn’t anyone else like him and likely never will be and by the time Kurzel and Ellis make it to Indonesia to spend time with park head Femke den Haas and her dedicated staff, the foundation has been well and truly laid for us as viewers to get a good emotional response out of everything being done while the bonus of seeing some of Ellis’s musical creations come to life is a joyous experience.

Capturing everything with care and thought is Kurzel, who continues to showcase why he should be regarded as one of Australia’s great filmmaking talents, with anyone reading this needing to go and watch his Amazon 5-parter The Narrow Road to the Deep North for hard-evidence of this, with the director never resting on his laurels to produce challenging and unique offerings, with enough time now having passed for us to forgive him for Assassin’s Creed.

It’s clear for all to see that Kurzel values and respects the man Ellis is and their comradery shown throughout this documentary helps it go a long way to becoming the engaging one that it is and it’s hard not to be moved by Ellis’s want to support a great cause, one that reminds us all of the good in the world that can sometimes overwhelm us with the bad.

Quintessential viewing for any long-term fans of Ellis’s works and for fans of original and heartfelt documentaries, Ellis Park is a little-seen Australian offering that is worthy of seeking out.

Final Say –

A unique documentary viewing experience cut from the same cloth as its equally one-of-a-kind central figure, Ellis Park is a wonderfully captured feature that stands out as one of the better Australian productions of recent times.

4 special shirts out of 5