It’d be an arduous task to contemplate a more significant moment in the history of cinema than that of the shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s masterful slasher Psycho. As not only would its value of shock go on to define the representation of violence and sex for years onwards, it has definitively etched itself into…
In many ways, Cãlin Peter Netzer’s latest feature Ana, mon amour provides an elegantly poignant dissection of when solicitude collides with mental illness. It is unflinchingly explicit, raw in its psychoanalysis and mostly effectual to the ideals it is aiming to exude. Although, dissimilar to Netzer’s previous film, the Golden Bear winning Child’s Pose, the…
There is certainly something splendid somewhere within Maliglutit, the first collaboration between directors Zacharias Kunuk and Natar Ungallaq, unfortunately, it is all but concealed. The distinguished pair have taken on the task of adapting classic material, and despite the endeavour of imbuing the film with idealism and vigour, Maliglutit can never amount to anything significantly…
In 2015 there was the outstanding film Amy by Asif Kapadia and following on from that comes yet another biopic that examines the life and all too tragically early death of a different powerhouse musical performer. In Whitney ‘Can I Be Me’ we go from the beginning right through to the end of Whitney Houston’s…
In 2014 it was believed that the Luke Evans-led Dracula Untold was going to launch Universal Studios’ proposed shared universe of classic movie monsters. Dubbed Dark Universe, the ambitious project akin to the connected phases of Marvel and DC films ultimately let that idea fall to the wayside when the aforementioned feature was hardly the…
Neil Finn may have said that history never repeats but former British PM and legendary statesman, Winston Churchill worried that the opposite would happen. During World War II he was concerned that the tragedy of Gallipoli would be repeated. The film Churchill is a dramatic bio-pic that examines this very issue in fine detail but…
After detailing his own father’s coming out at the age of 75 in the Oscar-winning 2010 outing Beginners, writer/director Mike Mills tackles the stories of his mother and sister in 20th Century Women, an exploratory tale of finding one’s own happiness. As Mills opts to create an individual snapshot for each of his female role…
Ever since the first trailer was released, Baywatch has always been self-aware. The wind in a golden-blondes hair as she runs down the beach (obviously in slow motion) in the iconic red bathing suit is an image the new reboot has embraced, but it doesn’t fare well in a feature length film. To put it…
After what can only be said as the frustrating and disappointing efforts of Man Of Steel and Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad in the DC Comics movie universe. The hopes of the DCEU and an opportunity for it to be redeemed appeared to rest on the shoulders of Wonder Woman. The…
Assuredly disturbing and revelling in its ability to flip the conventions of the serial killer genre, Ben Young‘s debut feature Hounds of Love is one for those that appreciate their stories without gloss. Counterbalancing its Christmas setting with a tale unflinching in its disturbing nature, this Australian thriller manages to escape the confinements of the “torture porn”…
After showcasing his worth as a filmmaker to keep an eye on with 2014’s The Skeleton Twins, Craig Johnson sadly suffers a sophomore slump with Wilson, an episodic dramedy that proves to be too far removed from Johnson’s directorial capabilities. It’s not that he is unable to guide dark material to fruition – something he…
In the fifth installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Dead Men Tell No Tales, we return to the seas on another adventure with our ridiculous Captain Jack Sparrow. This time pairing up with a new bickering couple of non-pirates, and being chased down by his old frenemy Captain Barbossa and his even older…
Handsome Devil is cut from the same cloth as Sing Street and Dead Poet’s Society, but it also leaves a few things deliberately ambiguous. This is a pleasant, coming-of-age tale set in a private, all-boys boarding school in Ireland. The story ends on an encouraging and positive note where you should be yourself because it…
Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer is a light comedy film about a human of New York. But he’s not just any human. The eponymous Norman is a wheeler/dealer and the undisputed king of networking. The film is what you’d get if The Ides of March were directed by…
With the release 2015’s Beasts of No Nation, the streaming giant Netflix began producing their own Netflix Original movies and to this day their library of original content starring high profile actors and actresses continues to grow. Now we see the release of Netflix’s biggest original movie to date, War Machine. Written and directed by David…
Do you ever sit back and take stock of your life, and wonder how things might have been if you followed another path? A path you were so adamant you’d pursue at some point? This is the premise for Rooster Teeth’s newest documentary Haus of Pain which sees James Willems of the popular YouTube channel…
Neruda is a film that truly embodies its subject matter. But this proves to be one double-edged sword because it is also to its betterment and detriment. This bio-pic about the eponymous, beloved Chilean poet uses the lyrical qualities the writer employed to bend the narrative in so many ways that the result is virtually…
Just when you think you’ve seen and heard every iteration of the legend of King Arthur and Excalibur, comes a new take and telling of the myth, one that prefers its heroes dirty, its villains seething and its action ridiculously over the top. There are elements in King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword that really…
May I set the scene? On a farm in Queensland, 22-year- old Lyndall (Sara West) is talking to lawyer Stephen Roche (Aden Young) about her willingness to face the might of the Anglican Church in court over the abuse she suffered in boarding school. She asks about Bob Myers (Jack Thompson), the barrister who would represent her…
From comedic roles like his iconic slacker character, Ted “Theodore” Logan to the action heroes like Jack Traven from Speed and Neo from The Matrix films; dramatic roles like in River’s Edge and Hardball; and even villainous roles like in The Gift and Man of Tai Chi, Keanu Reeves is far more versatile an actor than he’s often given credit for. You certainly can’t…
A more appropriate title for the film Snatched would be “Botched” because this was a wasted opportunity. The movie is an uneven one starring comedian Amy Schumer and Hollywood’s own, the truly wonderful Goldie Hawn making her silver-screen comeback after a 15 year hiatus. It’s one that has some decent-enough ingredients but the overall combination…
2012’s Prometheus marked the beginning of a franchised prequel to Ridley Scott’s original Alien, not only taking fans back to the origins of this iconic sci-fi franchise, but diving deeper into the meaty philosophies such a concept brings, finding purpose with the motif of creation. The introduction of synthetic android David (Michael Fassbender) emerged as…
The Zookeeper’s Wife follows the real events of the owners’ of the Warsaw Zoo in Poland from 1939 until 1946. It centres on their moral struggle of not being a mere bystander of the ghettos and executions during the Holocaust. It’s a film that has the rare potential to educate its audience with a fascinating story, without…
Getting a release on Hulu today in the US is the hilarious documentary Becoming Bond, which screened at SXSW earlier this year. It takes a look at the life and times of Australia’s only Bond, George Lazenby, in his own words. The film takes the spirit of Drunk History to deliver an original and entertaining…
Films based on true events are often met with a mixed response; audience left to question the validity of the liberties its filmmakers have taken. Though it can render some films as potentially predictable or even unbelievable, others can be inspiring and heart-wrenching. In the case of The Innocents, we find cinema that belongs to the latter camp; quietly powerful,…
The opening moments of Out Of The Shadows are among its best. The first scene, a tracking shot through a murder scene with grievously damaged bodies, an upset detective and an unsettling atmosphere set by the colour grade and sound, promises a clever indie horror that for the most part, the film fails to deliver….
In ninety-five minutes, The Osiris Child recreates the past twenty years of sci-fi. It’s a fast blend of genre styles new and old, reaching screens in the format of a graphic novel and touching bases with every ‘humanity in crisis’ story ever told. While never profound, The Osiris Child achieves its vision, but the lack of…
My Entire High School Sinking Into The Sea is a psychedelic trip through four storeys of a floating high school. About as bad of a place as someone would want to take a transcendental journey, but for the main characters it’s an edifying one, filled with colour, strange visuals and awkward relationships. Dash (Jason Schwartzman)…
Fresh off the writing table of comedy sketch duo Key & Peele, Jordan Peele tackles his solo directing/writing debut in this racially-fueled thriller determined to leave you with a bad taste in the mouth in the most wonderful of ways. Peele is without a doubt best known for his comedy, so his new project was…
Put in simple terms, Below Her Mouth is a story about a girl meets a girl except that the latter is engaged to a boy. It’s a tender lesbian romance that showcases the sexual awakening of one of its lead characters. But it’s also one that could do with a lot more conversation and a…
