A heavy drama sure to haunt the soul upon completion, Last Ride should be seen for its exceptional performances and spectacular photography.

Based on Denise Young’s book, Last Ride begins with single father and petty criminal Kev (Hugo Weaving) and his young son Chook (Tom Russell) in the midst of a road trip. With the use of carefully placed flashbacks, it is revealed that Kev is on the lamb after committing a violent crime. From the onset it is obvious that the bond between father and son is weak, so as the kilometres click over, the relationship between the two becomes stronger.

To call Last Ride a coming of age story is too rigid a box to package it in. Kev is far too gone to find or even want redemption, and director Gledyn Ivin knows better than to have this story have any semblance of a motivational character arch, since this is a film not driven by a plot. Rather it is an analysis into the relationship between a no good father and his sensitive son, digging deep into the souls of these two characters and laying them bare for all to see.

Being of more experience, it is not surprising that Weaving’s Kev is the more interesting of the two. At first seemingly nothing more than a caricature of the “bogan” (Australian term for white trash), Ivin slowly reveals Kev to be a man of many layers and guises, with one scene having him mercilessly beat his young son with a belt, and the next teaching him how to swim in a truly touching moment.

Last Ride is also a fine road trip movie, and with the South Australian outback as its setting, spectacular views are guaranteed and especially delivered during a trek through Lake Gairdner, a colossal salt lake captured magnificently by cinematographer Greig Fraser.    

Throughout out it all an acting exhibition is given by Weaving and young Tom Russell.

It is always good to see Weaving return home and get down and dirty in a local production, and as expected from the versatile actor he delivers with an exceptional performance.

But it is Russell who truly astounds, keeping up with the veterans while establishing himself as a talent to keep an eye on. Along with Kodi Smit-McPhee (Romulus My Father) and Danielle Catanzariti (Hey, Hey Its Esther Blueburger) it seems that young Australian talent is in fine form.