After two decades as one of the most beloved and enduring musicals on the stage, Wicked makes its long-awaited journey to the big screen as a spectacular, generation-defining cinematic event this holiday season. Wicked, the untold story of the witches of Oz, stars Emmy, Grammy and Tony winning powerhouse Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, a young…
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This summer, the epic studio disaster movie returns with an adrenaline-pumping, seat- gripping, big-screen thrill ride that puts you in direct contact with one of nature’s most wondrous – and destructive – forces. From the producers of the Jurassic, Bourne and Indiana Jones series comes Twisters, a current-day chapter of the 1996 blockbuster, Twister. Directed…
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The “Merc with the Mouth” is back and more self-aware than ever in the first-look trailer for Marvel’s dip into the R rated territory of Deadpool with Deadpool & Wolverine. Not much is known about the plot specifics, though we do know Matthew Macfadyen‘s as-yet-to-be-named character works for the Time Variance Authority, the multiversal organization…
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There’s a lot of blunt symbolism and are-they-too-clever-for-their-own-good?-plot twists abound in Marmalade, the feature debut from actor-turned-writer/director Keir O’Donnell (the Australian-American talent known for his roles in Wedding Crashers, American Sniper, and The Dry). It’s an ultimately zippy, enthusiastic caper that probably puts a few too many of its eggs in its culminating basket, but…
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Whilst much can be said about how so much of The Dry‘s success was in large part to it opening at a time when cinemas were still battling the pandemic-stricken productions that were halted, it can’t be denied that Robert Connolly‘s tight thriller was a fine genre film in its own right. The fact that…
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There couldn’t have been a more contrasting set of circumstances for the premiere of Force of Nature: The Dry 2 when compared to its predecessor. The Dry, one of 2021’s most lucrative Australian box office successes, a desolate, drought-stricken set thriller previewed to a downpour of rain in late 2020 ahead of its release. For…
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“I was ready!” Actress Sisi Stringer knew what she was getting herself into when taking on Force of Nature: The Dry 2. So much so that she became an unofficial expert on filming in the harsh realty of the Australian rainforest. Whether or not that advice was taken on by her co-stars is another story…
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As Force of Nature: The Dry 2 treks its way towards Australian theatres, The AU Review’s coverage of the anticipated thriller continues. Following on from his interviews with both director Robert Connolly and star/producer Eric Bana, and producer Jodi Matterson and author Jane Harper, Peter Gray spoke with actresses (and Aussie screen royalty, at this…
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Her web connects them all. Thanks to Sony Pictures Australia we have 5 double in-season passes (Admit 2) to see Dakota Johnson as Marvel’s latest superheroine Madame Web, exclusively set for release in cinemas from Valentine’s Day, February 14th, 2024. In a switch from the typical genre, Madame Web tells the standalone origin story of…
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Following on from his interview with Eric Bana and director Robert Connolly Peter Gray spoke with Force of Nature: The Dry 2 producer Jodi Matterson and author Jane Harper about the dense reality of filming and what they thought of Bana’s embodiment of his character. The film, set for a national release on February 8th,…
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In Force of Nature: The Dry 2, when five women take part in a corporate hiking retreat and only four come out on the other side, Federal Agents Aaron Falk (Eric Bana) and Carmen Cooper (Jacqueline McKenzie) head deep into the Victorian mountain ranges to investigate in the hopes of finding their whistle-blowing informant, Alice…
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The promise of a trilogy based off a series of books that have yet to be released. A planned spy-centred universe of films that is set to crossover with the similarly themed Kingsman and a yet-to-be-named franchise. Taylor Swift theorists believing she’s the real mastermind behind it all. And don’t forget the heavily marketed feline…
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Whether it’s a gangster movie, a fairytale, a comic book adaptation, or a spy series, writer/director Matthew Vaughn always makes sure to bend the rules wherever he can. And after his trio of Kingsman films, the filmmaker is taking on quite possibly his biggest, and most intricate, task yet with Argylle. Based on a series…
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Thanks predominantly to RuPaul, and, more specifically RuPaul’s Drag Race, drag culture has firmly wedged itself in the mainstream. It’s always been there, it’s just more readily acceptable, or at least visible, and Amrou Al-Kadhi’s assured debut feature as both a writer and director, Layla, furthers such with its playful, authentic personality that drives home…
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Though there’s an initial graphicness to the manner in which sex is depicted in the opening minutes of Sebastian, Mikko Mäkelä‘s explorative drama shouldn’t be dismissed as just another recent example of queer cinema that leans into sexual explicitness for the sake of shock or organic representation. Yes, the sex on hand is a realistic…
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There’s universally strong performances across the board and lush cinematography throughout, but one can’t help but wish there was more plotting to Good One for the understated drama to truly land the emotional impact it aims for. The set-up in India Donaldson‘s film is simple, with 17-year-old Sam (Lily Collias, an absolute breakout) gearing up…
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There’s a uniqueness to Desire Lines that writer/director Jules Rosskam (and co-writer Nate Gualtieri) implements to set the film as an open line of communication regarding the LGBTQIA+ community and their placement within their own culture. A narrative-driven drama that combines documentary pieces and talking head confessionals, the film’s hybrid mentality may not always work,…
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Diving both into the cutthroat world of journalism and the medium’s potential to garner fame off the back of manipulation and obsession, Roxine Helberg‘s Cold Copy, whilst not necessarily reinventing the wheel, still manages an air of tension throughout as it details the power dynamic between a journalism student and the media professional she aspires…
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Following its world premiere at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival, Cold Copy is gearing up for its international roll-out, with the tension-filled dramatic thriller first arriving in North American theatres and On Demand this week. Marking Roxine Helberg’s feature film directorial debut, Cold Copy tells the story of two driven women pushing the boundaries of…
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The complexities of forgiveness and accountability against a familial backdrop laced with tension, regret and one’s own personal demons, Exhibiting Forgiveness is a thought-provoking drama, and one that bides its time in surrendering to its emotional explosiveness. Written and directed by Titus Kaphar, marking his feature debut, Exhibiting Forgiveness focuses on Tarell Rodin (André Holland),…
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The controversial historical treatment of Australia’s native people by white settlers and the continuing generational trauma within the Indigenous communities weigh heavy on the narrative themes of Jon Bell‘s The Moogai. There’s a ripe premise to lean into horror genre sensibilities – “moogai” is the Bundjalung language for a malevolent child-stealing entity that is the…
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Following on from yesterday’s poster debut, Amazon MGM Studios have released the first full-length trailer for Doug Liman and Jake Gyllenhaal‘s Road House, an adrenaline-fueled reimagining of the 80s cult classic, about an ex-UFC fighter who takes a job as a bouncer at a Florida Keys roadhouse, only to discover that this paradise is not…
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Though its working with the elements of a dark comedy, a political thriller and topical social commentary, Bruno Mourral‘s Kidnapping Inc. manages to navigate its multiple themes and transition quite successfully from its farcical opening to its more stirring, sobering close. Set in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince (the film utilising both the Creole and…
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Though it’s an at-times lively and emotionally affecting tale, with a slew of stand-out performances across the board (Taraji P. Henson and the rightfully Oscar-nominated Danielle Brooks, for starters), the reimagined The Color Purple can’t help but catch itself between honouring its source material (Alice Walker‘s 1982 novel and the original 1985 film) and the…
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Expect the unexpected. Take it outside. Be nice. These are the 3 simple rules of Road House, and just a slew of the Easter eggs and throwback references to the Patrick Swayze original that the freshly unveiled one-sheet for Doug Liman and Jake Gyllenhaal‘s reimagining is teasing ahead of its global release on Prime Video…
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Thanks to Universal Pictures Australia we have 5 double digital in-season passes (Admit 2) to see Matthew Vaughn‘s razor-witted, reality-bending, globe-encircling spy thriller Argylle, starring Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, John Cena, Dua Lipa, and Samuel L. Jackson. Bryce Dallas Howard is Elly Conway, the reclusive author of a series of best-selling espionage…
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There’s a lot at play throughout the 122 minutes of Antonis Tsonis‘ Brando with a Glass Eye, a bizarre hybrid of a movie that deserves recognition for so confidently going against the grain, even if it doesn’t always successfully lands its execution. It’s offbeat – to say the least – and the opening minutes very…
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Though it leans into the action/thriller genre with a supreme wink, Thelma, Josh Margolin‘s frequently hilarious, always poignant ode to his own grandmother (and, clearly, a love of the action genre), is never spoofing the films it so evidently is earning its laughs from; and it’s that sweetness and keen sense of reinvention that helps…
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Whether it’s something we admit to or discuss or not, the idea of how one might kill themselves and the practical considerations that follow is something I’m sure we’ve contemplated. However morbid it may be to even suggest, pondering what you might jot down in a suicide note or even how many people would come…
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An emotional expedition outlaying the effects of dementia on both the mind its crippling and the hearts of those baring witness, Parida Tantiwasadakran‘s Young People, Old People & Nothing In Between is an affecting short that makes for a large impact. At the centre of the film is young Juice (Deedee Piamwiriyaku), 7-years-old and full…
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