Groove Armada’s Andy and Tom chat about their 25 year history ahead of their Australian tour

Groove Armada have been releasing banging dance tunes such as “I see You Baby” and “Superstyling” for over 25 years. The British duo of Andy Cato and Tom Findlay are bringing their DJ set back to Australia in January for Adelaide’s Vintage Vibes Festival. We chatted about what’s kept the show fresh over all these…

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Film Review: Race for Glory: Audi vs. Lancia is a likeable, occasionally thrilling underdog racing drama

In the same week that Ferrari arrives in Australian theatres, Race for Glory: Audi vs. Lancia hits American multiplexes, digital and On Demand (an Australian release is yet to be determined), showcasing a more accessible racing story and the men driving such to fruition. Creative licence and enhanced melodrama are unavoidable in telling this particular…

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Brent Faiyaz is the R&B star of the moment, and we’re all here for it

A silky smooth hook on GoldLink’s 2017 hit “Crew” was all it really took for Brent Faiyaz to become one of the brightest R&B stars of the past decade. The earnestness in his soft, vulnerable vocals can carry any message and deliver it with sweet, sharp and precise tones. Back that with deep, bass-driven beats…

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Win a double in-season pass to the new comedy MEAN GIRLS

Plastic is forever! To celebrate the release of MEAN GIRLS, with thanks to Paramount Pictures and Superdream, we are giving away 5 double in-season passes (Admit 2) to see the fetch new comedy from Tina Fey, based on the MEAN GIRLS stage musical, and starring Angourie Rice, Auli’i Cravalho, Reneé Rapp, Jaquel Spivey, Avantika, Bebe…

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Film Review: The Boys in the Boat is a handsome, but hollow, old-fashioned slice of cinema from George Clooney

There’s nothing wrong with a movie being nice, but George Clooney‘s old-fashioned drama The Boys in the Boat is a little too sweet and tropey for its own good.  Based on Daniel James Brown‘s best-selling nonfiction novel of the same name, the 1930s set tale feels as if it’s been made in that era through…

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Film Review: Night Swim aims for a deep dive but comes up shallow

Given the calibre of horror talent on board with Night Swim (between them, producers Jason Blum and James Wan have such genre treats as the Halloween series, The Conjuring films, M3GAN and Malignant), as well as the fact that the short film it’s based on earned critical acclaim upon its release a decade ago, one…

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Interview: Night Swim stars Wyatt Russell and Kerry Condon on being smart and surviving the horror genre

Following his interviews with executive producer Ryan Turek and writer/director Bryce McGuire, Peter Gray wrapped up his talks for the forthcoming Night Swim with the film’s lead actors, Wyatt Russell and Academy Award nominee Kerry Condon. Based on McGuire’s acclaimed short film, Night Swim stars Russell as Ray Waller, a former major league baseball player…

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Film Review: Ferrari needs a tune-up if it wants to be considered an enjoyable ride overall

Compared to the other “exceptional man” biopics of the last year (Oppenheimer, Maestro, Napoleon), Michael Mann‘s Ferrari is, sadly, the least interesting.  Whilst it doesn’t take an entirely traditional narrative – the film only shows us a certain chunk of the man’s life – and Adam Driver does his best with his showy role, to…

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Interview: Bryce McGuire on expanding his short film Night Swim into a feature for James Wan and Jason Blum

Based on his own acclaimed 2014 short film, Night Swim high dives into the deep end of horror as it takes the most banal pleasure of suburban life and transforms it into a wellspring of demonic evil in a movie that combines the style, impishness and wicked world-building that audiences have come to expect from …

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Interview: Producer Ryan Turek on Night Swim and why audiences like being scared; “It’s an escape and a catharsis for them.”

A backyard swimming pool. A symbol of youth, status and wish-fulfillment, quintessentially American yet universal in its shimmering appeal. A life-enhancing luxury to those who can afford the cost, an absolute necessity for those poor souls who live in the most hellishly hot of places. A heavenly playground for people of any age, a devilish…

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Interview: Ben Miller on the new series of famed crime drama Professor T.

Quickly rising to fame as one half of the comedy duo Armstrong and Miller in the late 90s alongside fellow English talent Alexander Armstrong, Ben Miller has amassed a plethora of famed and acclaimed credits, including the Johnny English films, Paddington 2, and as Lord Featherington in Bridgerton. Currently on our screens in Professor T….

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Cabaret Review: GATSBY at The Green Light will enthral and delight

Most people would be familiar with F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel The Great Gatsby (or at least Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 film of the same name) and the story of mysterious and wealthy Jay Gatsby, his love for Daisy Buchanan and his unfortunate end. GATSBY at The Green Light, playing at the Sydney Opera House, transforms…

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Film Review: Next Goal Wins; Inspiring underdog tale returns Taika Waititi to his humble roots as a filmmaker

If you browse long enough on Twitter, sorry, X, you’ll note that there’s still chatter and self-diagnosed “hot takes” regarding Taika Waititi‘s 2019 outing Jojo Rabbit.  The film already had its share of detractors in the immediate aftermath of its release, but an Oscar win for Best Screenplay and the general good word for its…

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Film Review: Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom brings the DCEU to an end with a droplet rather than a splash

And just like that, the DCEU comes to a close with a droplet rather than the splash we were expecting a decade ago. In 2013, when Man of Steel premiered, there was the promise of an exciting future of storytelling to be told for the variety of characters within the DC lore.  There was rousing,…

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Film Review: Wish doesn’t quite conjure the usual Disney magic

There’s been a lot of chatter around Wish and the fact that its release celebrates Disney’s centennial, where the major theme across a heft of the studio’s films – that of wishes being granted – would be tied together.  It’s a sweet notion, without question, but it would appear that the creatives behind the film…

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The AU Review’s Best Films of 2023

In a year that was ruled by Barbenheimer and mortally wounded the once-unstoppable superhero genre, 2023 definitely saw audiences shift their minds (and money) towards more original content.  Perhaps an indication as to where the industry should place its focus, The AU’s best of list similarly echoes the sentiment that bigger doesn’t always mean better,…

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Film Review: Poor Things is a twisted enormity of a movie with a deeply intimate core

Like his previous works that celebrate their fantastical, absurdist nature with a certain gravitas, Yorgos Lanthimos grounds Poor Things, an undeniably wild, oft-offensive, sexually liberated black comedy, with a stirring sense of emotion and topical commentary. In 19th century London – or what such a time period looks like within Lanthimos’ vivid imagination – the eccentric…

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Interview: Anyone But You‘s Joe Davidson on risky auditions, Aussie slang and THAT shower scene

Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell may be generating plenty of heat throughout their new romantic comedy Anyone But You, but there’s some distinct Australian flavour ready to challenge the duo in the form of one Joe Davidson. The Queensland-born actor, who looks as if he’s a long-lost brother to the famed Hemsworth clan, has snared…

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Film Review: Anyone But You; Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell generate heat and humour in sexy, throwback romcom

Even if Anyone But You isn’t the type of film that would ordinarily interest you, it’s difficult to not know about Will Gluck‘s frisky romcom due to the “Are they/aren’t they” chemistry of stars Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, two impossibly gorgeous actors who leaned into their own sex appeal during the filming in Sydney…

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Book Review: In The Girl In The Band Belinda Chapple exposes the ruthless entertainment industry

The Girl In The Band is a tell all memoir from Australian singer, creative director and interior designer Belinda Chapple. Chapple made a name for herself as a singer, dancer and model, starting her performing career at just ten years old. She shot to stardom as a member of the award-winning and platinum-selling band Bardot….

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Series Review: Dr. Death Season 2 proves equally charming and unnerving as it details its sinister surgeon

Given how implicitly we (mostly) trust those in the medical profession it makes sense that such praise could give way to their intentional negligence.  And such is the case with the stories behind Dr. Death, a (now) anthology series that takes its inspiration from the Wonderey podcast that detailed egregious cases of medial malpractice. The…

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Circus 1903

Review: Roll up, roll up! Circus 1903 is a dazzling reflection of the traditional and spectacular travelling circus.

There are circus performances, and then there are circus performances. Circus 1903, with a very limited run at the Sydney Opera House, is a visual feast, dazzling audiences and leaving jaws on the floor with serious talent. This show has aerialists, contortionists, cyclists, jugglers, strongmen, clowns, and everything in between. Circus 1903, which toured across…

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Film Review: Migration is a lively animated comedy that should resonate with your family this holiday season

Given that Migration, the latest animated offering from the Illumination collective (the production company behind such successes as Despicable Me and the inexplicable Minions), is penned by White Lotus creator Mike White, it makes sense that the film manages to make us care about its characters, rather than just be mildly amused at their comedic…

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The Witching Tide by Margaret Meyer is a midnight blue cover with an illustration of a witchfinder's pricking stick hidden in a field of yellow flowers

Book Review: The Witching Tide is historical fiction that should be read by the light of day

In Margaret Meyer’s The Witching Tide, the story of a witch-hunt is seen through the eyes of Martha Hallybread, a mute midwife, who may actually be a witch. Ironically, she is the only woman in her town who seems to be safe from the paranoia and suspicions of a community riddled with bad luck – failed…

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Photo Gallery: Alvvays – The Forum, Melbourne (12.12.23)

Fresh off the Meredith Music Festival stage, indie darlings Alvvays played a packed-out Forum in Melbourne on Tuesday. The Canadians spent the night rattling off tracks from their glorious catalogue, spanning a humble twelve years. Eloise Coomber was there behind the lens.

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Revealing The 40 Best Albums of 2023

We’re back for the 15th annual list of the 40 best albums of the year, as compiled by the team at the AU review, bringing in music from Australia and around the world. It’s a packed list, with many artists making their debut on our countdown. Read on, and click on the album covers to…

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Best Books 2023

The Best Books of the Year: 2023

With Christmas less than a week away, at the AU we’ve got to the task of agonising and arguing over our end of year lists – best albums, best films, best games, and of course best books. The Books team have taken a look over the year’s releases and compiled a list of some of…

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The Best Games of 2023

It’s that time of the year once again. The holiday season is upon us, Summer has hit down under, and the ever-expanding backlog of games has hit its peak. But at the end of the day, these must lay their claim to the game of the year conversation. As always, we’ve rounded up an honourable…

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Book Review: Heartstopper Volume 5 explores the discomfort of growing up, first times, and hard choices

The Heartstopper franchise is the perfect way to expose young people to diversity, inclusivity, and what it is like to grow up, experience first times, and all the awkwardness that comes with it. At the beginning of the book, one of the main characters, Charlie Spring, turns sixteen. After a year of Nick Nelson and…

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Game Review : Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora feels like a wasted opportunity

Hot off the heels of one of the most commercially successful film sequels of all time, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora delivers a visually stunning experience that showcases the capabilities of the PS5, and earns its stripes as a graphical powerhouse. Running at a smooth 60 frames per second, its visuals are simply breathtaking, and the…

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