The 2025 Drama film Ancestry Road is a heartfelt ode to family. It proves that the River Styx is not just a one way street. More importantly, the movie is about where we come from, where we go and how it happens. Writer/director, producer and editor Glenn Triggs tells us about death and the journey it takes.
When the end credits roll, you should feel raw emotion and a lump the size of Australia in your throat. If these are absent, check your location, and what road you might be on.
Ancestry Road The Story
The McGavin’s have lived on this stretch of Scottish land since time out of mind. Daughter Cora has suddenly taken to disappearing from the family farm. She is drawn to a hill. Dad Kevin builds a road to the hill itself to make it easier to retrieve his eldest child.
Soon, the family start getting visits from the hill. These visitors are all deceased McGavins. This new addition to the farm is indeed an ancestry road of sorts.
The Main Cast
Seb Muirhead is Kevin McGavin.
Jessica Stanley is Anadele McGavin.
Charlotte Gray is Cora McGavin.
Bill Munro is Stephen, aka Granddad.
Finn Bertschi is Walter McGavin.
Jodie Wolf is Rosie.
John Xintavelonis is Roger.
Behind the Camera
Ancestry Road looks beautiful. Shot in Tasmania, over 17 days, the vistas are earthy, deep and full of colour. DP Benjamin Bryan allows us the privilege of seeing Australia as Scotland. The frames almost linger on the spacious countryside with a touch of loving care.
Triggs, as editor, marries each shot perfectly. In terms of looking impressively cinematic, each set piece still feels as down home as haggis and bagpipes a pipin’.
The story itself starts inauspiciously, a daughter who is wont to visit a hill without reason. Soon, the idea behind the visits make an appearance, then another, and another. So it goes until we all learn why the dead have returned to intermingle with their loved ones.
This One Will Blindside You.
Ancestry Road will sneak up on you. We follow the events and find a mystery. It then seems we have learned the secret of the hill and its new road. However, just as the road built meanders here and there, so too does this tale. It will surprise you.
Kevin, the most stalwart and loving of fathers, gets there first. This means we will follow close behind and this one hurts as much as it reassures.
Solid Performances All
All the actors bring their own truth to each role. As is so often the case with “lightning in a bottle,” this is a splendid mix of cast and story. Each complement the other and we are carried along effortlessly. The ending may not be what we want, but we buy it.
All of it.
The Verdict
Triggs’ cathartic effort is our gain. This one, despite that tug at the heartstrings, is a full 5 star film. Brought to you by the folks behind Goonies, this one is a winner. When Ancestry Road is available for viewing, watch it. This is Australian Cinema at its finest.
The Trailer
