| Director | John Hillcoat |
|---|---|
| Budget | $2 million |
| Box office | $5 million |
In 1880s Australia, Charlie Burns and his gang of bushrangers engage in a gunfight with the police. All gang members except Charlie and his younger brother Mikey are killed. Captain Morris Stanley tells Charlie that he will have Mikey executed by Christmas, which is in 9 days. Stanley offers to free both Mikey and Charlie if Charlie agrees to kill his older brother Arthur Burns, who is wanted for the rape and murder of pregnant Eliza Hopkins and her family. Mikey remains in custody while Charlie sets out to kill their brother. During a raid, the police capture some Aboriginal Australians who call Arthur a "dog man" and report that no one goes near his cave. In town, Stanley's wife Martha asks him for details about Eliza's death. He hides both the grisly nature of her death and the deal he made with the two other Burns brothers from her. Sergeant Lawrence does not approve of his decision to let Charlie go free, informing the other policemen of Stanley's deal and speaking of their attraction to Martha in secret.
Riding in search of Arthur, Charlie encounters an inebriated old man named Jellon Lamb in a cantina where the owner has been speared to death. Charlie realizes Lamb is a bounty hunter pursuing the Burns brothers and knocks him out. Later, Charlie awakes and is speared in the chest by a group of Aboriginal men. Before passing out, he sees the man who speared him get shot in the head.
In town, word has spread of Stanley's proposition and Martha begins to notice people treating her differently, raising her suspicions. Eden Fletcher, who hired Stanley to "clean up" the area, comes into town and orders that Mikey be given one hundred lashes as punishment for the rape and murder of the Hopkins family. Stanley is aghast at this, as he believes Mikey is not responsible for his actions and the flogging will kill him, and because it will break his deal with Charlie and bring the Burns gang's revenge upon him and his wife. Martha, listening in on their conversation, learns the truth of her friend's rape and murder. Stanley realises Lawrence's disloyalty and sends him and a group of his men away to hunt the Aboriginals responsible for the death of the cantina owner.
Charlie wakes up in his brother Arthur's camp, located in caves among desolate mountains. Arthur's gang consists of Samuel Stoat, a woman named Queenie who tends to Charlie's wound, and an Aboriginal man called Two-Bob. As he recovers, Charlie has several opportunities to kill his brother but does not. He lies to Arthur that Mikey is not with him because he has met a woman.
On the day of Mikey's flogging, Captain Stanley attempts to defend him at gunpoint from the bloodthirsty townspeople but is overruled once Martha arrives and insists on revenge for her dead friend. Mikey is flogged and gravely wounded. The townspeople grow tired at the excessive display, Martha faints, and Stanley flings the bloody whip at Fletcher, who fires him. Back at the abandoned cantina, Sergeant Lawrence and his men have found and massacred a group of Aboriginal people. Arthur and Two-Bob find Lawrence's group while they sleep and kill Jacko and Sergeant Lawrence. Before Arthur stomps Lawrence to death, Lawrence tells Arthur that Charlie has been sent to kill him.
Lamb enters Arthur's camp and ties up Samuel and Charlie, both of whom are sleeping. Lamb is shot in the stomach by the returning Two-Bob. Arthur stabs Lamb in the heart; Charlie points his revolver at Arthur, but instead shoots Lamb in the head, putting him out of his misery. He finally informs Arthur that Mikey is in custody and is set to hang. Charlie decides to break out Mikey; Arthur, Samuel and Charlie ride into town dressed in police uniforms, while Two-Bob poses as an Aboriginal man they have captured. Once at the jail, the men free Mikey, and Charlie and Two-Bob ride off with him, but the injured Mikey dies in Charlie's arms. Arthur and Samuel remain to behead the two officers in the jail.
Stanley fears retribution and makes preparations, but he and Martha let their guard down to have a peaceful Christmas dinner. Shortly after the Stanleys say grace, Arthur and Samuel shoot open the door and invade their home. Arthur pulls Stanley into another room and brutally beats him. Samuel drags Martha inside, and Arthur has Stanley watch as Samuel begins to rape her. Charlie walks in and informs Arthur of Mikey's death; Arthur ignores him and encourages Charlie to listen to Samuel's beautiful singing. Charlie shoots Samuel in the head, then shoots Arthur twice, disgusted by his conduct. Arthur staggers out of the house and Charlie follows to find him seated on the ground. Arthur asks Charlie what his next move is, and dies.