Streaming Movies to Watch This Month: Australian Gems Worth Traveling For

Australian cinema and TV have long been overlooked by international audiences, despite the country's diverse offerings across genres. This month, Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime are highlighting some of the land down under's best films and programs with a curated collection titled "Australia Month."

The collection includes many of the country's most iconic films, such as the buddy comedy The Dish, which earned just under $700,000 in the U.S. when it was released in 2000, and the romantic comedy Muriel's Wedding, which starred Toni Collette and introduced audiences to the term "rousing feminist cry."

Also highlighted is the iconic bush ballad The Man from Snowy River, a classic Outback thriller starring a young Christopher Lee, and the rousing historical epic The Proposition, starring recent Oscar-winner Jack Nicholson and popular Australian actor Heath Ledger.

For those more interested in recent releases, the collection highlights several critically acclaimed Australian TV shows, including the surrealist comedy-drama Lambs of God, the prison drama Wentworth, and the crime-ridden rom-com Mystery Road.

"Australia Month" also showcases international award-winners like the wedding drama The Dressmaker, starring Kate Winslet, and the surfing biopic Blue Crush, starring Kate Bosworth.

The collection aims to excite and introduce viewers to the diverse offerings and under-the-radar gems of Australian cinema and TV, according to Netflix's March 27 announcement. "We want to shine a light on some of the powerful and talented Australian actors, filmmakers, and producers, and share with audiences around the world the many facets of Australia's creative output," said Netflix's director of content acquisition, Australia and New Zealand, Colin Morison, in the announcement.

Last year, Netflix launched a similar initiative focused on Indian cinema, and Hulu has highlighted Japanese films and TV in the past. Both streaming services have found success with such curated collections, proving that an interest in international programming exists among subscribers.

Perhaps aware of this trend, Amazon Prime has also turned to Australia for inspiration, premiering two new Australian shows in March. The first is the reality TV series Killing Fields, which examines the unsolved disappearance of two teenage girls in the coastal town of Belanglo in the 1990s.

The second is the fantasy drama The Wild Girls, based on the best-selling novel by Charlotte Wood, starring Natalie Dormer (Game of Thrones) as the story's unlikely feminist heroine. These new shows join the streamer's existing Australian offerings, such as the drama Total Control and the comedy-drama Upright, starring Hamilton's Leslie Odom Jr.

So whether you're in the mood for some guilty-pleasure rom-coms, thrilling Outback adventures, or inspirational documentaries, Australia Month has something for everyone. It's a great opportunity to explore the diversity of Australia's storytelling culture, which often goes unnoticed by international audiences.