Picnic at Hanging Rock

On Valentine's Day in 1900, the students of Appleyard College prepare for a special picnic at Hanging Rock. Led by Miss Greta McCraw and Mlle. de Poitiers, the girls are excited to celebrate St. Valentine and enjoy a day away from their studies.

Sara, a quiet orphan, is left behind at the college while her classmates attend the picnic. Under the supervision of Miss Lumley and Mrs. Appleyard, she feels the weight of her separation from her older brother Bertie and the joy of her friends.

During the picnic, adventurous students—Miranda, Marion, Irma, and Edith—decide to stray away from the main gathering. Their curiosity leads them to encounter a young Englishman, Michael Fitzhubert, and his friend Albert Crundell at Hanging Rock.

As they explore the Rock, the girls succumb to a mysterious force and fall into a deep sleep. Edith awakens alone in panic, while Miranda, Marion, and Irma venture further into a hidden crevice, unaware of the danger that awaits them.

The disappearance of Miss McCraw and the three girls alarms the remaining students and staff at the college. A police investigation begins, but despite Edith's fragmented memories of Miss McCraw's distress and a strange red cloud, no sign of them is found.

Haunted by the disappearances, Michael Fitzhubert organizes a search party alongside Albert. They decide to camp overnight at Hanging Rock, where Michael discovers Irma alive in the crevice, yet soon succumbs to heat exhaustion after learning about her disorientation.

When Albert retrieves the police back to the site, Michael discreetly shows him a piece of Irma's dress as evidence. However, Irma awakens with no recollection of the events leading to her disappearance, leaving more questions behind.

The college is thrown into chaos as students begin to leave due to the mysterious happenings. Media attention intensifies alongside Michael's haunting dreams, where he is visited by the image of a white swan, symbolizing Miranda.

Sara learns from Mrs. Appleyard that her tuition fees have not been paid, putting her future at the college in jeopardy. This news crushes her spirit, isolating her further from her peers and leading her to remain in bed, longing for her friend Miranda.

Now back at the college but with lost memories, Irma prepares to leave for Europe to be with her family. Her classmates question her innocence and the reasons behind her amnesia during her farewell visit, highlighting the ongoing trauma.

As Easter approaches, Mrs. Appleyard visits Sara to inform her that unless her fees are settled, she must return to the orphanage. Despite her coldness, Mrs. Appleyard later shows a breakdown, indicating her own turmoil over the situation.

Sara's body is discovered in the greenhouse, appearing to have jumped from the roof. The gardener hastens to inform Mrs. Appleyard, who shockingly remains calm and dressed for a funeral, suggesting her own acceptance of the school's demise.

Mrs. Appleyard is later found deceased at the foot of Hanging Rock, a victim of the very mysteries that have gripped the community. The haunting events and the unresolved fates of Miranda, Marion, and Miss McCraw continue to linger heavily over the townsfolk.

In a poignant flashback to the picnic day, the unresolved disappearance of the girls serves as a lasting enigma for the local populace. The mystery shrouding these events reverberates through the community, leaving a painful mark that persists.