The Broken Shore is a 2013 Australian crime thriller directed by Rowan Woods and starring Don Hany, Claudia Karvan, and Tony Briggs. The movie is based on the 2005 novel of the same name by Peter Temple.
The story follows Detective Joe Cashin (Don Hany), who returns to his hometown of Port Munro in Victoria, Australia, after a traumatic incident that left him physically and emotionally scarred. Cashin is assigned to investigate the brutal murder of a wealthy businessman, Charles Bourgoyne (Anthony Hayes), whose body is found by the shore.
As Cashin delves deeper into the case, he uncovers a web of deceit and corruption in the town, involving the police, the local council, and the wealthy elite. He suspects that the murder is connected to a land development scheme that could bring millions of dollars to the town, but also threatens to destroy its natural beauty and way of life.
Along the way, Cashin faces resistance from his colleagues, who prefer to turn a blind eye to the corruption, and from the townspeople, who are fiercely protective of their secrets and resentful of outsiders.
As the investigation progresses, Cashin must also confront his own demons and come to terms with his past. He develops a complicated relationship with Helen Castleman (Claudia Karvan), a journalist investigating the same story, and confronts his estranged father (Tony Briggs), a former cop who abandoned him as a child.
The Broken Shore is a dark and suspenseful movie that explores themes of identity, loyalty, and justice in a small town that is anything but idyllic. It captures the rugged beauty of the Australian coastline and the complexities of the human psyche with equal precision.