The Craic 1999

In 1988, two best friends from Ireland—Fergus Montagu, Jimeoin and Wesley Murray, Alan McKee—flee Belfast after a violent confrontation with Colin of the IRA and illegally enter Australia, taking seasonal work picking fruit at orchards to cover hostel stays, food, and the rough costs of booze. With their money stretched thin, they often solve the gaps in cash by mixing whiskey and coke right on the run, a rough habit that helps dull the fear of immigration officers hovering nearby.

After a bit of luck and stubborn hope, Fergus tries his luck on a TV dating show and wins a trip to Queensland, a move that promises a fresh start. This twist of fate comes just as their apartment is raided by Derek Johnson, Nicholas Bell, forcing Wesley to slip away and eventually reunite with Fergus in Queensland. Meanwhile, Colin is sent to Australia under a witness protection program after he informs on his former colleagues, and his efforts to point at Fergus and Wesley as terrorists are met with skepticism by the watchers, who doubt the veracity of his claims. Driven by the need to track them down, Colin heads south himself, determined to close the case he believes he has started.

The chase leads Fergus and Wesley up the coast, where they cross paths with fellow travelers and backpackers, including Alice, Jane Hall, and Erica, Catherine Arena. The duo’s luck is tested when their car overheats and explodes in the arid outback, and they narrowly evade Colin, who has finally caught up with them. In a small slice of luck, a local who calls himself Ron Barassi, Kyle Morrison, lends them a hand as they press on toward safety. Their journey brings them to a crowded pub where immigration authorities, the S.A.S., and a police force converge after uncovering the burned-out car and tracing Colin’s pursuit.

As the tension peaks, Colin dismantles a window of the police car by firing shots, creating a distraction that allows Fergus and Wesley to slip free once more. The chase ends on a note of precarious freedom as they run toward the horizon, leaving the constraints of the search behind and stepping into an uncertain, hopeful sunset.