Name: Ten Empty
Director: Anthony Hayes
Genre: Drama
Released: 2008-07-03
Duration: 95 min
Rating: 2.5
Cast: Daniel Frederiksen, Geoff Morrell, Lucy Bell, Tom Budge, Brendan Cowell

One weekend. Ten years of lies. Australian family drama that'll make yours seem functional.

suburban suffocationsibling warfareemotional archaeology

Overview

Drama

A disillusioned son's trip home is complicated when ten years of family secrets explode over one weekend.

Content warning

generational traumamasculinity and failurethe performance of familyunspoken resentments

Standout Aspects

Acting

Brendan Cowell's volcanic Shane steals every scene he's in.

Writing

Dialogue that cuts like a family WhatsApp group at 2am.

Best for:Solo·Streaming

Heads up:Emotional

Director

Anthony Hayes

ReleasedJul 3, 2008

Runtime1h 35m

StatusReleased

Vibe

Pacesteady

Intensitymedium

Tonedark

Feelheavy

Yeah Right Productions

Dragonfly Pictures

Top Cast

Daniel Frederiksen

Elliot

Geoff Morrell

Ross

Lucy Bell

Diane

Tom Budge

Brett

Brendan Cowell

Shane Hackett

Blazey Best

Bernadette

Jack Thompson

Bobby Thompson

Andy McPhee

Minister

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Deep Dive

Trivia, insights & behind the scenes

Cultural

Ten Empty captures a specific strain of Australian masculinity in crisis — the '00s suburban male adrift between inherited silence and demanded vulnerability.

Trivia

Director Anthony Hayes went on to helm Gold (2022) with Zac Efron, but this remains his most brutally personal excavation of Australian family dynamics.