Far from your average mother-daughter flick, Audrey is a twisted, razor sharp comedy that's both gloriously absurd and strangely relatable.

Following its acclaimed US debut at Austin’s prestigious SXSW festival, where it impressed audiences with its acerbic humour and high-stakes deception, the feature is set for a nationwide release on November 7. With New Zealand’s funniest export leading the charge, alongside Australian screen veterans and emerging stars, Audrey is black comedy at its best. 

Forgotten soap star and self-appointed Mother of the Year, Ronnie Lipsick (Jackie van Beek; The Breaker Upperers, The Office Australia) is trapped in a life of unfulfilled dreams and suburban monotony. With a stalled acting career due to an early pregnancy, a disengaged husband, and an unappreciative family, Ronnie’s ambitions seem lost. However, when an accident puts her eldest daughter, Audrey (Josephine Blazier; in soon to be released The Last Anniversary, True History of the Kelly Gang, Fires), into a convenient coma, Ronnie seizes the opportunity to step into Audrey’s shoes and pursue the stardom she was made for.
 
Also exploiting Audrey’s absence for their own gain, Ronnie’s husband Cormack (Jeremy Lindsay Taylor; Heartbreak High, Puberty Blues, The Dry) reawakens his long lost mojo and lust for life with a job producing Christian themed porn, whilst daughter Nora (Hannah Diviney; Latecomers) revels in the attention from Audrey’s friends and boyfriend. Everybody’s life seems better without Audrey in it.

Inevitable chaos ensues as Audrey awakens from her coma to a web of lies and betrayal, and the family’s façade crumbles. Ronnie must confront her choices and reclaim her role as the mother she never truly was, ultimately taking matters — and the fate of Audrey — into her own hands. What begins as a darkly funny take on personal ambition descends into a Greek inspired dramatic denouement, all the while never losing the story’s comic edge. 

Finding inspiration in classics including Muriel’s Wedding, To Die For, Secretary and Jennifer’s Body director Natalie Bailey and screenwriter Lou Sanz make their feature debuts with Audrey, pushing the boundaries and navigating complex moral landscapes with dark humour to expose the underbelly of human desires and fears.

Audrey’s razor sharp script is paired with an uplifting soundtrack, bright and bold costuming and elaborate set pieces for a sensory spectacle. As authentic as it is audacious, the darkly hilarious family fiasco is a uniquely Australian brand of humour that’s absurdly entertaining.
 

IN CINEMAS NOVEMBER 7