A young ex-con encounters secrets from the past and danger in the present when he returns to the rural Australian community to discover the truth behind a crime he supposedly committed when he was a child.

James has served time for drowning a little boy when he himself was just a child, although the body was never found. Upon his parole, a visit from his victim's mother sends him on a quest to find the truth. With little time and danger at every turn, James risks his freedom and his life to uncover the trail of sins that might give closure to a grieving mother.

Downriver boasts a bold sense of place: under the surface of its seemingly sleepy milieu lies a hidden network of abuse and exploitation, blackmail and desire. Scicluna maintains the suspense with spellbinding layers of flashbacks and dialogue, creating a tense atmosphere that's amplified by the riveting performances from Ireland, Tom Green, and Kerry Fox in the role of James' tormented guardian. Downriver takes us to some dark places, but it does so in pursuit of those brutal truths that aren't so easily washed away.