Reviews

Right from the opening of M3GAN it’s obvious what type of film Gerard Johnstone‘s A.I. horror-lite is going to be: one that doesn’t take itself remotely seriously, has its wink poised at the audience, and knows you can’t think it’s ridiculous any more than the creators already do. If its trailer didn’t already clue you…

Originally scheduled for an early release starting in January of 2022, the sudden pulling of Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre from the theatrical schedule certainly didn’t bode well for a film that, from all appearances, seemed like a certified success.  Yes, it wasn’t uncommon for films to shift during the time period due to the…

Kiddo, a short film written and directed by Brett Chapman, is an oddity, to say the least. And that’s meant in the most complimentary of fashions, as the supremely bizarre, always unsettling outing announces itself as an original, individually interpreted horror film that’s likely to sit differently (and divisively) with its audience. In fact, it’s…

Needle drops have become more and more of a popular addition in film over the last year.  The notion of having a song not written for the film – often one that already has a sense of notoriety – and inject it into proceedings has been utilised to either enhance a physical sequence or, perhaps,…

“Mommy and Daddy will be right next to you the whole time.” From the opening line of dialogue in Steven Spielberg‘s The Fabelmans, an autobiographical coming-of-age tale that boasts itself as his first writing credit since A.I. some two decades prior, we get a sense of what’s to come as, outside a New Jersey movie house in the early…

Welcome back, Mr. Hanks. After adopting a not-so-easy to digest accent and exaggerated acting style in Baz Luhrmann’s divisive Elvis, and whatever the hell that adaptation of (not Guillermo del Toro’s) Pinocchio was, America’s loveable dad has returned for another of his committed, affable turns in Marc Foster‘s A Man Called Otto; which is rather…

Given just how successful his last film The Dry was, it’s understandable for their to be a certain expectation and closely examined look at what director Robert Connolly has on his table for his immediate follow-up.  Not that you should expect a crime thriller 2.0 given he’s adapting Tim Winton‘s family-friendly short Blueback, but don’t…

The rich eat, but then suffer mercilessly in Ruben Östlund’s Triangle of Sadness, a wicked, at-times horrifically and humorously gross satire that takes aim at the wealthy in a manner that is deliciously void of any subtlety. Divided into three chapters – all linked by a young, glamorous couple – the film promises one observation…

Though he certainly didn’t lose any of his sense of comfort by travelling across the Atlantic for his last film – 2017’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri – there’s a sense of grandeur in writer/director Martin McDonagh returning to his homeland for The Banshees of Inisherin, an impossibly funny and, at times, heartbreakingly bleak dramedy…

Behind every true story there’s always a slew of accusations as to what is exactly fact and what’s fiction.  In the case of The Lost King, a charming dramedy surrounding everywoman Philippa Langley and her search to find the grave of Richard III, there’s the historians who believes it absolves the king of the supposed…

Much like a Greatest Hits package where it’s all the beats that both fans and the casual listener are familiar with, I Wanna Dance With Somebody, a glossy biopic about “The Voice”, Whitney Houston, Kasi Lemmons‘ film refuses to delve beyond a catchy hook.  There’s no bridge, no worthy duets, and no deep-rooted B-side. And…

Given that it has been 11 years since we last saw Puss in Boots garner his own solo outing, it’s fair for any audiences going into this one to have certain reservations.  Not that the original was bad in any manner, but Puss in Boots: The Last Wish isn’t exactly a continuation many were clamouring…

The term “elevated horror” gets thrown around a lot nowadays.  And as much as supposed film purists like to rib on such a phrase, it’s undeniably becoming a subgenre of the horror space, allowing dark, heavy topics and deep exploration of characters to exist within the structure of a scary story. Such is the mentality…

Whilst there are those that will sternly attest that 2009’s Avatar was an impactful piece of cinema with a lasting relevance, there’s the equally valid counterpoint that beyond the special effects and its introductory lesson to the 3D technique it’s a movie that doesn’t have the emotional weight it so wants to believe it has. …

Whilst the general consensus is that the James Bond franchise has its large share of devoted fans – all eagerly awaiting the resilient secret agent’s next global mission – there are those that take a differing view.  It’s not that they don’t like the films per se, it’s that each film release comes with the…

A sweeping melodrama that harkens back to a time when such tales filled local cinemas, The Road Dance would almost be a lush theatrical experience, with its traditional, old-fashioned storytelling, if it wasn’t for one crucial element of its narrative that grounds it in an unpleasant reality. Based on a novel by John McKay, itself…

Few actors possess and exude as much movie star wattage as George Clooney and Julia Roberts.  And it’s his attractive gruffness and her screen-lighting smile that keep Ticket To Paradise from being a destination you’d request a refund for. Local audiences – predominantly those based in Queensland – are sure to get a thrill from…

When Lee Child‘s novel creation Jack Reacher was first introduced to audiences in a motion-captured capacity it was in the form of Tom Cruise’s filmic duo of Jack Reacher (2012) and Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016).  Whilst Cruise’s action capabilities have never been questioned, the fact that he was chosen to portray such a…

You’d think people would learn by now that no good comes from hoping to find a new species.  Or, in the case of the trio at the centre of Australian creature feature Carnifex, an endangered species they’re hoping may still be alive in the aftermath of a bushfire-ravaged Australian forest. There’s been some controversy surrounding…

‘Tis the month before Christmas and in Tommy Wirkola‘s sight, is a deliriously entertaining seasonal film called Violent Night. Taking a few cues from Die Hard and embracing the brutal mentality of Home Alone – here you’ll see what would actually happen to someone if they were pummelled by bowling balls – director Wirkola (Dead…

Given that we’ve had a share of snakes and sharks and bears (Oh My!) over the years as the creatures that have opted to stalk various familiar-faced talent, it’s only fair that the majestic king of the jungle get their due too. If the circle of life taught us anything, it’s that what goes around…

Live. Date. Repeat. The ideal first date and that titular mentality that so many romantic comedies bank on is a concept that, in real life, we wish could be so cinematically charming.  And the idea that a film would take such a concept and build a time travel-influenced narrative around it sounds incredibly promising.  What…

Though Seriously Red is a film that has its heart in the right place and explores the rather fascinating world of celebrity impersonators and, by extension, what that does to one’s own identity, Gracie Otto‘s musically-inclined comedy never quite digs deep enough regarding its thematics. Otto’s film centres itself around Raylene “Red” Delaney (Krew Boylan,…

It goes without saying that there’s a certain irony in Luca Guadagnino helming a cannibalistic tale in the wake of one of his his Call Me By Your Name stars being ousted for their abusive, sexual fantasies involving such anthropophagous tendencies; Armie Hammer, for those who perhaps haven’t heard, having been banished from the industry…

Rian Johnson had far too much fun paying homage to the works of Agatha Christie in 2019’s star-studded crime comedy Knives Out.  To say he executed it perfectly would be putting it mildly, but whilst a sequel to such a set-up seemed like a given, how anything secondary would be navigated was another mystery in…

Period films, especially biopics featuring a famous historical figure, can start to blur together. They’re never revolutionary, always follow the same formula, and the only thing viewers discuss at the end is how great the costumes were. But Corsage is different. This internationally co-produced historical drama by writer/director Marie Kreutzer was practically designed to reverse…

Releasing a horror movie only days out from Christmas doesn’t seem like the smartest marketing ploy.  Add to that a slasher example of the genre at a time when “horror” was a bad word – and so often relegated to the straight-to-video treatment – and you had, essentially, a film slashed dead on arrival.  Such…

With Hocus Pocus 2 proving a sizeable success, The Princess Diaries 3 now officially in the works, and both Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan discussing their interest in a Freaky Friday sequel, the House of Mouse is more than proving itself in the business of revisiting original titles for the sake of nostalgia, fan…

Well, we can’t say we weren’t warned that with such a title as The People We Hate at the Wedding we’re unprepared to be subjected to people at a wedding that we do indeed hate.  A “comedy” that commits the cardinal sin of trying to make its hateful characters relatable and forgivable of their actions,…

A satire surrounding the wealthy, faux celebrities, foodies and their misplaced importance, or chefs with a God complex seems far too easy to execute for a mock artist.  For director Mark Mylod (What’s Your Number, TV’s Succession) and screenwriters Seth Reiss (TV’s Late Night with Seth Meyers) and Will Tracy (TV’s Succession) it’s low-hanging fruit…