Rex is a man of few words. He’s spent most of his life behind the wheel of a taxi in Broken Hill, a town where the dust seems to settle into your skin and stay there. He’s lonely, though he’d never admit it to you. He loves a woman named Polly who lives across the road, but he can't quite bring himself to make it "official" in the way the world expects. Then, everything changes. A doctor tells him he’s dying.
Last Cab to Darwin isn't just another flick about a sick guy. It’s a gritty, beautiful, and sometimes painfully uncomfortable look at what it means to own your own life—and your own death. When Rex hears that a doctor in Darwin, Nicole Farmer, has a "death machine" that could end his suffering legally, he doesn't panic. He just starts driving. Three thousand kilometers. In a taxi.
It’s based on a true story, sort of. Max Bell was the real-life inspiration, a terminally ill taxi driver who sought out Dr. Philip Nitschke back in the 90s when the Northern Territory briefly legalized voluntary euthanasia.
The Broken Hill Connection and Why Setting Matters
Broken Hill is practically a character in this movie. If you’ve ever been there, you know that red-dirt vibe. It feels isolated. Director Jeremy Sims, who also directed the stage play this was adapted from, captures that isolation perfectly. Rex, played by the legendary Michael Caton, is the embodiment of the "old school" Australian male. He’s stoic. He’s stubborn. He’s basically a human version of a weathered fence post.
Most movies about terminal illness are "weepy." They want you to cry every five minutes. Last Cab to Darwin doesn't care if you cry. It cares if you understand why a man would drive across a continent just to have a computer screen ask him three times if he's sure he wants to die.
The Road Trip You Didn’t See Coming
The middle of the film is where it gets interesting. Rex picks up Tilly, a young Indigenous man from Oodnadatta who’s got a lot of heart but not much direction. Tilly is played by Mark Coles Smith, and honestly, he steals almost every scene he’s in. Their dynamic isn't that cliché "wise old man teaches young kid" thing. It’s messier. Tilly is a failed footballer with a drinking problem, and Rex is a dying man with no patience.
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They end up in Alice Springs. They meet Julie (Emma Hamilton), a British nurse who’s working at a pub. The trio becomes this weird, makeshift family. It reminds you that even when you’re literally driving toward your end, life keeps happening. People keep bothering you. You still have to eat, sleep, and deal with broken-down cars.
The Reality of the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act
We need to talk about the legal stuff because that’s the engine of the plot. In 1995, the Northern Territory passed the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act. It was a massive deal. It was the first law of its kind in the world.
- The law was only active for a very short window.
- It was eventually overturned by the Federal Government in 1997.
- The film captures that ticking clock. Rex is racing against time, not just because of his cancer, but because the politicians are already moving to shut the door.
Jacki Weaver plays Dr. Nicole Farmer. She’s based loosely on Dr. Philip Nitschke. Weaver plays her with this cold, clinical determination. She believes she’s doing the right thing, but you start to wonder if she sees Rex as a human being or just a "test case" for her machine. It’s a sharp contrast to the warmth—however buried it is—that Rex gets from Polly back home.
Why Michael Caton was the Only Choice
You probably know Michael Caton from The Castle. "Tell 'em they're dreaming." That's his legacy. But in Last Cab to Darwin, he’s different. He’s stripped back. There’s a scene where he’s looking in a mirror, and you can see the weight of the Nullarbor on his face. It’s a physical performance.
He didn't just play a sick guy; he played a man losing his autonomy. That’s what the movie is actually about. It’s not about death. It’s about the fear of being helpless. Rex has spent his whole life driving people where they need to go. Now, he’s the passenger in his own body, and he hates it.
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Dealing with the "White Savior" Trope
Some critics at the time pointed out that the film skirts around some heavy racial themes. You’ve got a white man driving through the heart of the country, meeting Indigenous characters who mostly serve his narrative journey. It’s a valid critique. However, the chemistry between Caton and Mark Coles Smith feels genuine enough that it doesn't feel like a lecture.
Tilly represents a different kind of "dying"—the death of potential. He’s a great footballer who can't get out of his own way. In a weird way, Rex’s journey gives Tilly a reason to care about something again. It’s subtle. It doesn't fix everything, because life doesn't work like that.
The Ending That Divides People
I won't spoil the very last frame, but the climax in Darwin is tough. Rex gets to the machine. He sits in the room. The clinical nature of it all—the white walls, the computer prompts—suddenly feels very different from the red dust of Broken Hill.
He realizes that being "in control" of your death isn't the same thing as being at peace with it. The movie asks a hard question: Is it better to die on your own terms in a sterile room, or to die in pain but surrounded by the people who actually know your name? There’s no right answer. That’s why it’s a good movie.
Lessons from the Road
If you’re watching this for the first time or revisiting it, look at the background. Look at the way the landscape changes from the scrub of New South Wales to the lushness of the Top End. It’s a metaphor for Rex’s internal shift.
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Honestly, the film is a bit long. It meanders. But so does a road trip. If you rush it, you miss the point. You’ve got to sit with the boredom and the flies and the awkward silences between the characters.
How to Approach the Themes of Last Cab to Darwin
If this story sparked an interest in the actual history of euthanasia laws in Australia, you should look into the life of Max Bell. His real journey was much darker and less "cinematic" than the movie, but it’s the bedrock of why this story exists.
- Watch for the silence: The best parts of the movie are when no one is talking.
- Research the 1995 Act: Understanding how groundbreaking (and controversial) that law was adds a layer of tension to Rex’s deadline.
- Check out the play: Reg Cribb wrote the original play, and seeing the differences between the stage and screen versions is a masterclass in adaptation.
Actionable Insights for Fans of Australian Cinema
If you enjoyed the vibe of Last Cab to Darwin, you aren't just looking for another "sad movie." You’re looking for "Outback Gothic" or "Australian Realism."
- Seek out 'The Nightingale' or 'Sweet Country': These films deal with the harshness of the Australian landscape and its history with much more intensity.
- Explore Michael Caton’s late-career work: He has a way of capturing a specific type of Australian masculinity that is rapidly disappearing.
- Visit the locations: If you ever get the chance, drive the stretch between Broken Hill and Alice Springs. You’ll realize the movie didn't exaggerate the scale of the isolation.
The legacy of this film isn't just about the right-to-die debate. It's about the realization that we are all just driving our own cabs toward an inevitable destination. The only thing we really get to choose is who we pick up along the way and when we decide to turn the meter off.
It’s a film that stays with you. You’ll find yourself thinking about Rex and his yellow taxi weeks later, especially when you’re alone on a long stretch of highway. That’s the mark of a story told well. It’s raw, it’s dusty, and it’s unapologetically Australian.
Next Steps for Deepening Your Understanding
To truly appreciate the context of the film, read the original 1995 Northern Territory Rights of the Terminally Ill Act to see the specific legal hurdles Rex was facing. Additionally, compare the film's portrayal of the "death machine" with the actual "Deliverance" machine developed by Philip Nitschke, which is now part of the collection at the Science Museum in London. This provides a stark reality check against the cinematic dramatization of Rex's final journey.