NITRAM IS A KILLER

The Controversial Portrait Of A Mass Shooter

Cover Image: Caleb Landry Jones Starring in Nitram; Above Nitram Car Burning Scene

BY: Amanda Jane Stern

In the psychological drama Nitram, Caleb Landry Jones (Get Out) stars as disturbed young man Nitram. He lives with his parents, played by Judy Davis and Anthony LaPaglia, in suburban Australia in the mid-1990s. A loner who has never fit in, he finds friendship with reclusive heiress Helen (Essie Davis of The Babadook). When that relationship meets a tragic end, Nitram’s loneliness and anger spiral out of control and he commits an act of heinous violence. Before reading any further, please know that this article will discuss a real ocurrence of gun violence, please only read if you feel equipped to do so.

Caleb Landry Jones Starring In Nitram Wearing Beige Sweater Standing on the Beach — Caleb Landry Jones Starring as Mark Bryant, Mass Murderer, Nitram

Justin Kurzel (True History of the Kelly Gang) directed the film from a script written by Shaun Grant (True History of the Kelly Gang). It is based on the true story of Martin Bryant (Nitram is the name Martin spelled backwards). Between April 28 and 29, 1996 Bryant murdered 35 people and injured 23 more in a shooting spree in Port Arthur, Tasmania. The Port Arthur massacre is one of the world’s deadliest mass shootings, and the worst mass shooting committed by a single person in Australian history. Bryant is currently serving 35 consecutive life sentences, plus an additional 1,652 years for his crimes. The crime led to massive changes in Australian gun laws.

The film, which premiered at the Cannes film festival and garnered a Best Actor win for Jones, has not been entirely without controversy. Multiple organizations and individuals in Tasmania were opposed to the making of the film. Mayor of the Tasman Council, Kelly Spaulding, condemned the making of the film, and the police union in Tasmania indicated their discomfort with the project, especially in regards to how it might affect the mental health of its officers. Only two theaters in Tasmania chose to screen the film.

Nitram Starring Caleb Landry Jones Nude — Nitram Starring Caleb Landry Jones As Mark Bryant, Mass Murderer, Nitram

The film does not depict the shootings on screen, but instead explores the several months leading up to the atrocity. Grant had been working on the script for nearly a decade, but was perplexed by what the right angle into the story was. But in 2018, Grant was living in California when the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, and the Thousand Oaks shooting in California happened within two weeks of each other. The events sparked a new round of gun debates across the United States, but nothing came of it. According to Grant: That’s when I knew what the point of view was that the script needed. I wanted everyday responsible people to walk in the shoes of someone who should not have a weapon … and watch them walk into a gun shop and see how easy it was.”

Nitram comes out in the United States on March 30, 2022.