Author: Peter Gray

Seasoned film critic and editor, music reviewer, occasional lifestyle collaborator. Gives a great interview. Penchant for horror. Unashamed fan of Michelle Pfeiffer and Jason Momoa. Voter for the 84th Annual Golden Globes. Contact: [email protected]

Corpus is a hypnotic slow-burn horror that rewards patient viewers: Fantasia International Film Festival Review

Some horror films announce their intentions immediately. Others prefer to lure audiences into a false sense of security before revealing what lies beneath. Corpus, the feature debut from writer-director Corrin Evans, firmly belongs in the latter category, delivering an unsettling blend of psychological horror, erotic tension and surreal mystery that asks viewers to surrender to…

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Interview: Andy Huang on discussing the ethics of AI and humanity’s relationship with technology

Artificial intelligence is often framed as a technological revolution, but for producer Andy Huang, it’s the profoundly human stories emerging from that revolution that matter most. His latest documentary, Replica, follows women who have formed intimate relationships with AI companions, using their experiences to explore loneliness, connection and the rapidly shifting boundaries of what we…

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Interview: Destin Daniel Cretton on why Spider-Man: Brand New Day is Peter Parker’s most personal battle yet

For Peter Parker, saving the world came at the ultimate personal cost. After the heartbreaking ending of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Spider-Man: Brand New Day finds Marvel’s iconic hero navigating a life where everyone he loves has forgotten he exists. But rather than simply raising the stakes with another city-destroying threat, director Destin Daniel Cretton…

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Australia’s horror SOULM8TE: Why Australian actress Lily Sullivan has quietly become horror’s next leading lady

For many audiences, Australian actress Lily Sullivan is about to feel like an overnight discovery. When SOULM8TE, the erotic sci-fi thriller set within the expanding M3GAN universe, premieres digitally on August 1st, Sullivan steps into her biggest international leading role yet, playing an advanced android companion purchased by a grieving widower. It’s the kind of…

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Series Review: Furious; Emmy Rossum fronts one of 2026’s most essential pieces of television

Serial killer thrillers are comfort food for television. We know the rhythm by now: a brilliant investigator, a methodical killer, a trail of bodies, a race against time. Furious begins by inviting us into exactly that kind of story, only to reveal that it has something far more confronting on its mind. Created by Elizabeth…

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Interview: Furious creator Elizabeth Meriwether, star/executive producer Emmy Rossum and the cast on approaching damage with empathy

On paper, Furious sounds like a familiar crime thriller. Emmy Rossum plays FBI agent Alice Black, a former NYPD detective hunting Catherine (Lola Petticrew), a calculating serial killer who targets powerful men. But creator Elizabeth Meriwether (The Dropout, Dying for Sex) is far less interested in asking who committed the crimes than why these women…

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Test is a powerful story of self-acceptance: OutfestNEXT Film Review

There are certain films that feel as though they’re speaking directly to you. Test is one of them. On paper, Sam McConnell‘s drama could easily be dismissed with a glib elevator pitch: the gay bodybuilding movie. But reducing it to that does both the film and its creator a disservice. Yes, bodybuilding is its world….

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Interview: Talking Test: Brock Yurich, Sam McConnell and Paloma Garcia-Lee on finding the strength in softness

On its surface, Test is about bodybuilding: the relentless pursuit of physical perfection, the sacrifices demanded in chasing a professional career, and the dangerous temptations that can accompany that ambition. But beneath its sculpted physiques and competition stages lies something far more intimate. Director Sam McConnell and writer-star Brock Yurich use the sport as the…

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Interview: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers on what to expect from Season 4; “We really try to see each episode as its own little movie.”

Few television series are as fearless as Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Across its first three seasons, the Paramount+ Original has redefined what modern Star Trek can be, embracing everything from courtroom drama and sweeping romance to a full-blown musical, all while never losing sight of the optimism and humanity that have defined the franchise…

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Interview: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds stars Celia Rose Gooding, Melissa Navia and Jess Bush on the friendships that anchor the Enterprise

Across four seasons, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has boldly proven that its greatest strength isn’t just the adventures awaiting the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise—it’s the people who share them. Whether navigating impossible missions, confronting terrifying new threats or simply finding strength in one another, the series has built a crew defined by empathy,…

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Interview: Babs Olusanmokun and Martin Quinn on the new season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds; “Hope is one of the most powerful forces aboard the Enterprise.“

One of the greatest strengths of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is the way it honours the franchise’s legacy while finding new depths in characters fans thought they already knew. Some, like Montgomery “Scotty” Scott, arrive with decades of expectation attached to their name. Others, like Dr. Joseph M’Benga, have been transformed from little more…

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Interview: Pene Pati on challenging the traditions of opera with his Samoan identity in documentary Tenor: My Name Is Pati

For Pene Pati, opera has never just been about perfect notes or standing ovations. Despite becoming one of the world’s most celebrated tenors and earning comparisons to Luciano Pavarotti, the Samoan-born New Zealander remains driven by something far more personal: family, community and the hope that his journey might inspire someone else to believe their…

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Interview: Director Rebecca Tansley on the family at the heart of Tenor: My Name Is Pati

Opera has long been associated with grandeur, but Tenor: My Name Is Pati reminds us that every soaring performance begins somewhere far more intimate. Charting the remarkable journey of Samoan-born New Zealand brothers Pene and Amitai Pati – from singing in church as children in South Auckland to commanding some of Europe’s most prestigious opera…

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Film Review: Tenor: My Name Is Pati is a documentary that sings with warmth, humility and heart

Some documentaries introduce remarkable people. Others reveal why they became remarkable in the first place. Rebecca Tansley‘s Tenor: My Name Is Pati manages both, crafting a deeply moving portrait of internationally acclaimed Samoan tenor Pene Pati that celebrates not just an extraordinary voice, but the family, culture and unwavering sense of service that continue to…

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Interview: Olivier Assayas on adapting a story whilst history was still unfolding with The Wizard of the Kremlin

As global politics becomes increasingly shaped by disinformation, media manipulation and the battle to control public narratives, Olivier Assayas‘ latest film, The Wizard of the Kremlin, arrives with unsettling relevance. Adapted from Giuliano da Empoli’s bestselling novel, the political drama charts the rise of Vladimir Putin through the eyes of the enigmatic strategist who helps…

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Interview: Producer James Wan and director Rob Savage on their new psychological horror movie Other Mommy

Based on Josh Malerman’s acclaimed novel “Incidents Around the House,” Other Mommy is the latest collaboration between horror powerhouse James Wan and director Rob Savage follows young Bela, whose seemingly ordinary family life is disrupted by a sinister entity that looks exactly like her mother. Starring Jessica Chastain in a remarkable dual role, the film…

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TIFF 2026: Chris Rock, Peter Farrelly, Pedro Almodóvar and Danny Boyle lead dazzling second wave of Gala and Special Presentation titles

The Toronto International Film Festival has officially kicked its 2026 line-up into high gear, unveiling its Gala and Special Presentations slate – and if the opening announcement hinted at an awards-heavy year, this latest wave confirms TIFF is once again pulling together one of the year’s most exciting collections of international cinema. Following the previously…

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Interview: Lazy Susan on joining the judging panel of Drag Race Down Under vs The World; “Drag is such a stupid job – and that’s exactly why it’s wonderful.”

After conquering the competition in RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under Season 4, Lazy Susan is back in the Werk Room – but this time, she’s sitting beside Michelle Visage and Rhys Nicholson on the judging panel for Drag Race Down Under vs The World. Premiering July 24th on Stan, the new series brings together eleven…

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Tinashe announces 8th studio album Popstar as she unleashes new single “Crash Out”

Tinashe is stepping into a bold new era. The multi-platinum singer, songwriter, producer and dancer has announced her eighth studio album, Popstar, arriving on September 25th this year, alongside the release of its latest single, “Crash Out”, giving fans another taste of what’s to come. Following the swaggering confidence of recent single “Too Easy,” “Crash…

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Netflix heads to New Zealand with first locally commissioned series Queenstown

Netflix has unveiled Queenstown, its first locally commissioned New Zealand series, with production now underway in the South Island’s famous alpine resort. Created by Chloe Stearns (Wolf Like Me, The Falling Girls), the eight-part drama is set against the backdrop of Queenstown’s luxury ski scene, where wealth, power and family collide beneath the town’s postcard-perfect…

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Funko brings Heated Rivalry to life with first POP! collection inspired by the hit LGBTQ+ romance

Just days after unveiling its Off Campus collection, Funko is continuing its streak of bringing BookTok favourites to collectors’ shelves, this time turning its attention to the hit LGBTQ+ romance series Heated Rivalry. The pop culture collectibles company has announced its first-ever POP! figures inspired by the television adaptation, celebrating the fan-favourite relationship between professional…

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The gang’s all here in anticipated Avengers: Doomsday trailer

After debuting exclusively for CinemaCon audiences earlier this year, the trailer for Avengers: Doomsday is now available for everyone, delivering an epic first look at the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most ambitious crossover since Avengers: Endgame. Years of multiverse storytelling are set to collide as heroes from across the MCU unite against a terrifying new threat:…

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Interview: Rhys Nicholson on judging Drag Race Down Under vs The World; “You’ve got to have that slightly unhinged level of confidence to make it work.”

For four seasons, Rhys Nicholson has watched queens sashay, lip-sync and occasionally self-destruct from the Drag Race Down Under judging panel. But with Drag Race Down Under vs The World, the competition gets even fiercer, bringing together eleven queens from across the global Drag Race franchise for the first international showdown filmed on Australasian soil….

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Interview: Any Young Mechanic on humanity, community and their debut album; “We’re trying to make something sincere.”

At a time when music is increasingly defined by algorithms, immaculate production and digital precision, Any Young Mechanic have arrived with something refreshingly human. The Tarntanya/Adelaide five-piece have quietly built a reputation as one of Australia’s most exciting new acts through captivating live performances and richly textured songwriting, culminating in their remarkable debut album, The…

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Interview: Andy Serkis on why his Animal Farm feels more relevant than ever

Andy Serkis has spent much of his career exploring what power does to those who wield it. From Gollum’s all-consuming obsession in The Lord of the Rings to Caesar’s reluctant leadership in Planet of the Apes, his work has repeatedly examined the fine line between idealism and tyranny. Now, the acclaimed filmmaker turns his attention…

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Interview: Anna Friel on new Australian medical drama The F Ward, second chances and why tough love saves lives

When lives are on the line, there’s little room for hesitation. Stan’s new Australian drama The F Ward throws audiences into the chaotic reality of Sydney’s underfunded Pines Hospital, where a group of failed medical interns are handed one final opportunity to prove they deserve to become doctors. Battling impossible workloads, life-or-death emergencies and the…

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Every second counts for Gal Gadot in first trailer for The Runner

Gal Gadot swaps superheroes for a desperate fight to save her son in the first trailer for The Runner, an upcoming psychological thriller that transforms a routine morning jog into a relentless race against time. Directed as a high-stakes survival story, The Runner follows Maia Marten (Gadot), a successful London lawyer whose carefully controlled life…

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Interview: Jennifer Garner, D’Arcy Carden, Gemma Chan and Chloë Sevigny on exploring grief and second chances in The Five-Star Weekend

Luxury, laughter and seaside escapes might be what first catches your eye in The Five Star Weekend, but beneath the picture-perfect Nantucket backdrop lies a far more relatable story about grief, forgiveness and the friendships that shape us long after we’ve left different chapters of our lives behind. Based on Elin Hilderbrand‘s bestselling novel, Peacock’s…

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TIFF 2026 adds five more Special Presentations, including new films from Rachel Morrison, Bassam Tariq and the Zellner brothers

The 2026 Toronto International Film Festival has expanded its Special Presentations line-up, unveiling another five films set to screen as part of this year’s festival. The latest additions continue TIFF’s tradition of showcasing some of the year’s most anticipated premieres, with new works from acclaimed filmmakers Rachel Morrison, Bassam Tariq, Benjamín Naishtat, Ben Shirinian, and…

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Film Review: The Odyssey; Christopher Nolan delivers a definitive cinematic epic

For all the technological leaps cinema has made over the last century, Christopher Nolan continues to prove that nothing rivals the tangible. The weight of real bodies. The unpredictability of crashing waves. The texture of weathered stone. The immensity of landscapes that actually exist. The Odyssey is perhaps the purest expression yet of Nolan’s filmmaking…

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