Month: July 2025

Netflix’s Leanne is a wholesome reminder of the classic sitcom format

Earlier this year, Max Mutchnick and David Kohan brought a classic sensibility of the sitcoms of heyday to streamer Hulu (Disney+ here in Australia) with Mid Century Modern.  The Will & Grace creators maintained a sense of nostalgia with the multi-camera format and live audience participation, whilst updating the humour to include a more modern…

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Interview: Jason Momoa and the cast and creatives of Chief of War on connecting to their cultural heritage; “It’s a great moment for us that this is all owned and driven through a Hawaiian sense of agency.”

Performed by a predominantly Polynesian cast led by Jason Momoa, Chief of War follows the epic and unprecedented telling of the unification and colonization of Hawai‘i at the turn of the 18th century. An epic historical drama starring, written and executive produced by Momoa and co-created by Thomas Pa’a Sibbett, Chief of War is set…

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Spotlight on TIFF: Christy, Tuner and Normal set to make their premieres at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival

The Toronto International Film Festival is fast approaching, and, as seems to be tradition with TIFF, the titles making their appearances on the schedule continue to be a spoil of riches. The AU Review will be on the ground this year covering the festival for another year, and today we’re looking at three spotlight titles…

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Win a double in-season pass to the new horror film Weapons

Thanks to Warner Bros. Pictures Australia, we have 5 digital double in-season passes (Admit 2) to see the new horror film Weapons, from director Zach Cregger (Barbarian), in Australian theatres from August 7th, 2025. When all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanish on the same night at exactly the same time, a…

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Part Paladin

Exclusive Single Premiere: Part Paladin “Brave This World” ft. Mikaila Delgado (2025)

We’ve got an absolute banger for you today – the moving new single and video from Sydney based heavy artist Part Paladin, “Brave This World”, featuring Mikaila Delgado of Yours Truly. Yes, we are thrilled to be premiering it ahead of its release tomorrow. Part Paladin is the solo project of Sydney-based instrumentalist, vocalist, and…

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Interview: Brandon T. Jackson on his “not quite Shark Tank” series Makin’ A Brand; “I wanted to find the underdogs of talent.”

Brandon T. Jackson continues to make his mark in Hollywood, both in front of and behind the camera. In addition to standout performances he’s demonstrating his growing influence as a creative force in the industry by moving into production. As the founder and CEO of 1919 Distribution, a rising powerhouse in independent film and content distribution,…

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Gen V levels up with wild trailer for Season Two

At San Diego Comic-Con this past week, fans packed the Gen V panel as Prime Video debuted the official trailer for the highly anticipated second season of the acclaimed spinoff series set in the Emmy Award-winning world of The Boys. This season of Gen V introduces key events and revelations that feed directly into the final chapter of The Boys….

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Prime Video announces premiere date for anticipated Australian series Top End Bub

Prime Video have announced that the highly-anticipated Australian Amazon Original series, Top End Bub will launch in Australia and New Zealand on September 12th this year. A TV series follow-up to the 2019 box office smash Top End Wedding, Top End Bub is a heart-warming eight-part series that sees Miranda Tapsell and Gwilym Lee reprise their roles as…

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Film Review: The Friend is a simple, understated drama about the power of canine companionship

Dog owners are all too aware of how inherently special the bond is between themselves and their four-legged friend.  Regardless of their size, their age or temperament, it’s a deep connection that forms on either side, and the pooch at the centre of The Friend – a gigantic, droopy-faced Great Dane by the name of…

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Verticoli

Exclusive Single Premiere: Verticoli “See You Around” (2025)

We fell in love with Tasmania-based thee-piece alternative rock outfit Verticoli in 2022 when they released their sophomore album, The Echo, and they’ve kept the creative wheels spinning since.  The follow-up LP, So Far, came in 2024 and they are hard at work on their next album, Silverlinings, which will drop on the 6th of…

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Film Review: Bride Hard; Rebel Wilson’s action-comedy fails on both genre accounts

With such a talented cast and a premise ripe with potential, it truly is a shame that Bride Hard succumbs to Shaina Steinberg‘s lazy, exposition-overloaded script, Andrew MacRitchie‘s inexplicable editing, and Simon West‘s continually pedestrian directing (how he has fallen since Con Air in 1997 should be studied), resulting in an action-comedy that fails on…

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Netflix-formed band Midnight Til Morning debut with pop single “Bye”

Launched from the current Global Top 10 Netflix hit series Building the Band, Midnight Til Morning is a four-piece group blending powerful vocals, emotional vulnerability, and undeniable charisma. On August 6th, they’ll officially launch their music career with anticipated debut single “Bye”, a soaring, bittersweet ballad marking the arrival of a new global music force. Crafted alongside a world-class creative…

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James Cameron returns us to the world of Pandora in first Avatar: Fire and Ash trailer

The trailer for Avatar: Fire and Ash from Oscar-winning filmmaker James Cameron is here! The third film in the phenomenally successful Avatar franchise, Avatar: Fire and Ash returns audiences to Pandora for an immersive new adventure with Marine turned Na’vi leader Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), Na’vi warrior Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), and the Sully family. Set…

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Kacey Musgraves announces 2025 Australian tour

Eight-time GRAMMY Award winner Kacey Musgraves is set to return down-under this November. Musgraves has been touring her latest album Deeper Well since 2024 with sold out shows globally and is now bringing it here to Australia. The Texan-born country singer-songwriter has announced a four-date run covering Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, with the tour kicking…

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Interview: Max Martini, LaMonica Garrett and Michael Irby on their escapism action film Osiris; “We don’t really get these movies anymore.”

Bringing to mind the classic action films of the 80s and 90s, Osiris is a taut sci-fi actioner about a team of Special Forces commandos who wake up on an alien spacecraft with no memory of how they arrived. They soon horrifically discover they are being hunted by a merciless Alien race. Bringing action legend…

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You need to see the incredible production of 1984 at Riverside Theatres before it’s gone

Riverside Theatres is currently host to a world-class, spine-tingling production of 1984, an adaptation of George Orwell’s iconic novel by Orson Welles, brought to life by the brilliant Shake & Stir Theatre Co. Even if you’ve never read the book, the themes totalitarian control, surveillance, and the distortion of truth that are so deeply embedded…

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Battlefield 6 has officially been revealed

Electronic Arts and Battlefield Studios have revealed the first official look at Battlefield 6 with a brand new trailer, highlighting its new campaign. The trailer shows the United States President addressing U.S. citizens regarding a recent attack by the group Pax Armata, which appears to be at odds with NATO prior to the events of…

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Brisbane’s Torizon drop emotional new single “Currents”

Meanjin/Brisbane petalcore outfit Torizon are back with their new single “Currents”, the third chapter in the story of Sam and Luna, characters navigating the aftermath of a tragic miscarriage. Taken from upcoming EP Meliora, “Currents” follows on from previous singles “Bloom” and “Sober”, exploring themes of grief and resilience. The band say: “This track reflects…

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New Music Discoveries 25th July: MAXON, Seetali, CMAT, and more

For the final time this month we’ve added a further ten new tracks to our Discovery playlist on Spotify and Apple Music; including two singles we exclusively premiered earlier this week. Boonwurrung Country-based queer artist, songwriter and record label co-founder MAXON takes home our Track of the Week with her new single “18” – the…

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Album Review: Folk Bitch Trio – Now Would Be A Good Time (2025 LP)

Have you ever had a bad time listening to female led harmonies on a near acoustic soundtrack? I’m here to tell you the answer is no, and you can add Folk Bitch Trio to the list of bands that meet this description of releasing ridiculously pleasant indie-folk. Here on their debut album Now Would Be…

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Interview: Lou Diamond Phillips on his new dark comedic thriller Et Tu, performance inspiration, and professional aspirations

A multi-faceted performer who has amassed a career across film, television and stage that has spanned over four decades, Lou Diamond Phillips is an industry legend.  But in speaking to our Peter Gray to celebrate the release of his new film, Et Tu – a dark comedic thriller about an unhappy director watching his awful…

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Celebrate the home release of How To Train Your Dragon with a St. George Illawara Dragons-inspired prize pack

How To Train Your Dragon is flying into your home! And to celebrate, The AU Review have an exciting prize pack to giveaway to one lucky Sydney resident thanks to Organic PR and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. To celebrate the launch, Universal are partnering with the St George Illawarra Dragons for a takeover on their 2nd…

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Photo Gallery: The Hives + Clamm – Enmore Theatre, Sydney (23.07.25)

Tick Tick Boom! The Hives just laid proof as title holders to the current “Best Live Rock and Roll Bands In The World” with a wild performance from the Swedish Kings at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre. Led by the marquee of lead singers Howlin Pelle Almqvist, his lethal brother Niklas on guitar plus their dangerous band…

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Northlane’s Marcus Bridge on touring, collaborating, and new music

After wrapping up a whirlwind run of European shows, Northlane frontman Marcus Bridge is catching his breath – but only just. With only a brief moment to settle back into home life, the iconic Aussie metalcore group are gearing up to hit the road again for a massive regional Australian tour, their first in three…

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The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3X Wireless gaming headset is a solid mid-tier contender

SteelSeries has long been a staple in the gaming audio space, and the Arctis Nova 3X Wireless slots neatly into their growing Nova lineup as a feature-packed, affordable option for gamers seeking wireless freedom without breaking the bank. Priced at just A$199, it nestles between the entry-level wired Nova 1 and the premium Nova 5,…

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Poison Oak

Exclusive Single Premiere: Poison Oak “Little Bit Like You” (2025)

Last year, we fell in love with Townsville rockers Poison Oak when we premiered their single “Wasted“, and we are bloody excited to have the first listen of their latest anthemic new tune, the cranking “Little Bit Like You”.  This is the latest single to drop from their upcoming new album, and will be released…

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Film Review: Together is a funny, tragic, and disturbing commentary on how painful and restrictive a codependent relationship can be

It feels inevitable that something like Together will earn comparisons to last year’s The Substance, purely off the fact that the horror it indulges in – that would be the body variety – escalates considerably leading into its wild climax.  Sure, The Substance being a great example of body horror is all well and good,…

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Interview: Michael Shanks on fusing his personal story into body horror flick Together; “As an emotional experience, it’s coming from a very truthful place.”

Years into their relationship, Tim and Millie (Dave Franco and Alison Brie) find themselves at a crossroads as they move to the country, abandoning all that is familiar in their lives except each other. With tensions already flaring, a nightmarish encounter with a mysterious, unnatural force threatens to corrupt their lives, their love, and their…

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Film Review: Another Day in America is an uncomfortable dark comedy that speaks to certain truths about the modern day workplace

Set over the course of one day in a dysfunctional office setting, Another Day in America – as much of a generalisation as it may appear as a title – is an apt description for Emilio Mauro‘s commentative dark comedy, which blends situations both mundane and exaggerated across its 112 minutes, resulting in an oft-uncomfortable,…

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Battlefield 6 to be fully revealed on Friday

While it’s been a long time coming, Battlefield 6 will officially be revealed in detail very soon. At this stage, we’ll receive the first official trailer on Friday, the 24th of July at 1:00 AM. We got some potential story hints in a small X post that mentions the group Pax Armata, who is seemingly…

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