Review

With its tried and true premise, and graphic novel origins, one may expect The Killer to fall into the expected traps and tropes of the hitman subsect of the action genre.  And though that wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing, with David Fincher at the helm, as well as reuniting with his Se7en screenwriter Andrew…

Outside of New Zealand it’s highly likely that the political clash at the centre of Hamish Bennett and Paul Middleditch‘s Uproar is one that’s never been heard of. Set in 1981, the ultimately uplifting, oft-powerful coming-of-age dramedy centres around the controversy that arose from the South African rugby team touring New Zealand at the time. …

The action camera market has been dominated by a few key players over the years, and DJI, known for its high-quality drones and imaging technology, has made a significant impact with their Osmo Action series. Their newest addition, the DJI Osmo Action 4, continues to raise the bar for action cameras and solidifies itself as…

Watching Scarygirl it becomes even more increasingly annoying that Australian cinema hasn’t embraced animation as thoroughly as we should.  Sure, we have the likes of Blinky Bill and Ferngully to claim as our own (and, yes, I’m aware of Happy Feet, but it feels like an entity separate from the more independently funded productions), but,…

Watching Dumb Money it’s not hard to be reminded of The Social Network.  Aside from the fact that Craig Gillespie‘s comedic drama is produced by The Winklevoss Twins – the brothers who had a major role in the creation of Facebook, at least according to them – Dumb Money is similarly recounting one of the…

As someone who hasn’t played the Five Nights at Freddy’s video game series and, by extension, has no idea of the attached lore, I can’t comment on how faithful Emma Tammi‘s supernatural horror(ish) film truly is.  I have to hope that the purists will enjoy themselves with what is put forward, but as a casual…

As we have been told across filmic media for years, “The truth is out there”, and referencing the tagline for The X-Files feels more than appropriate when discussing Matt Vesely‘s science-fiction leaning chiller Monolith, an intimate, isolated feature that flirts with the notion of an alien invasion without complete penetration. Such a tease. An incredibly…

After announcing themselves as a queer filmmaking collective that weren’t afraid to take risks with both the horror genre they clearly adore and certain dynamics within their own community with their campy, giallo-inspired slasher Death Drop Gorgeous (now streaming on Shudder), Monster Makeup, LLC have more proven they aren’t a flash in the pan –…

There was something darkly, deliciously special about the way writer/director Emma Seligman and actress Rachel Sennott announced themselves with 2020’s Shiva Baby.  A claustrophobic black comedy that indulged in a spiralling, horrific temperament, their collaboration set a certain precedent for the boundary-pushing, topical humour that’s furthered in Bottoms, a wild, oft-violent, sexually liberated high-school comedy…

If you feel like you’ve heard of Lords of the Fallen before, you’re not going crazy. Its predecessor was released back in 2014 under the exact same name. While this Lords of the Fallen is technically a sequel, set 1000 years after the original, it feels like more of a traditional reboot, managing to rectify…

You have to take your hat off for director Tommy Stovall and writer John Spare for navigating Condition of Return in a manner that I don’t think even the savviest of viewers would predict.  As a whole it may not always adhere to a certain cohesion as it flits between a dramatic thriller detailing the…

Whilst it’s always best to go into films with zero expectations, plot synopses and narrative outlines at least provide an idea of what audiences can expect from a storytelling perspective – however loose the product itself wants to determine as such.  For New Strains, there was the idea of this being sold as a romantic…

In many ways, Killers of the Flower Moon is a celebration of everything we love about Martin Scorsese, whether it’s the flawed gangster charm of Goodfellas or the arresting psychological nuances of Taxi Driver. Though with a budget of between $200-250 million for this epic crime western, you cannot fault this film on being a…

The type of film surrounding a character we know we shouldn’t like, Jennifer Cram‘s Sick Girl manages to overcome its central figure’s questionable morals by never asking its audience to forgive her. The “sick girl” in question is Wren Pepper (Nina Dobrev, great), a slacker, party girl-type who’s never grown up in the same manner…

I must admit, it was that wacky title that first drew me to this game. When it was first revealed two years ago, the amusing concept and great trailer art immediately caught my eye – who wouldn’t be excited at the idea of playing as a wizard with a gun? Now that the game is…

The act of (or is it the art of) lip-syncing is one that practically goes part and parcel within the realms of pop music.  Some artists do so because their studio vocals can’t possibly be emulated live.  Others rely on such due to demanding dance routines.  And then there are those that, well, can’t sing…

Hopefully a film that won’t just become infamous for its lack of being seen – after it previewed one single screening at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival it was withdrawn due to “rights issues” – The People’s Joker is a bold, bonkers debut feature from Vera Drew that reimagines the mythology of a slew…

Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged takes the thrilling formula of its predecessor and cranks up the excitement to a whole new level. The highly anticipated sequel to the 2021 hit Hot Wheels Unleashed; this sequel features a brand new campaign called Creature Rampage that shines a light on the distinct Hot Wheels creatures that have…

Inspired by Hotel Coolgardie, Pete Gleeson’s shock 2016 documentary about two female Finnish backpackers and their work experience at a predominantly male-frequented pub, The Royal Hotel similarly shines a light on the the disturbing, toxic nature that can spawn from a small, isolated town that exploits Australia’s “drinking culture” mentality. An ironic title that will…

I’m around TVs all the time and am constantly admiring the various specs, price points and features of each new model to see how I can upgrade the various panels in each of my viewing areas. The Kogan R94K Roku TV might sit closer towards the entry-level end of the spectrum in terms of both…

Flitting between two separate timelines as it details a forbidden, youthful romance and the remnants of such a memory, Olivier Peyon‘s tender Lie With Me is a poignant journey, laced with beauty and unavoidable crispness despite its emotionally messy mentality. In the present day, Stéphane Belcourt (Guillaume de Tonquédec) is a famous author who has…

I’ve been a fan of the Forza franchise ever since I first played Forza Motorsport 4 on the Xbox 360. Since then, my love of racing simulators has only grown. While I also love the Forza Horizon series for its slick visuals and arcade-style mechanics, I’ve longed for a solid follow-up to the mainline long-running…

I’ll be completely honest; upon getting the opportunity to review the AMBEO Soundbar Mini and AMBEO Sub, it surprised me just how little I knew about Sennheiser’s latest offerings, in which their new range looks seemingly set to challenge the best that both Sonos and Bose have to offer in the Hi-Fi audio department. While…

I don’t want this review to feel like a cop-out, given we checked out the closed beta only a couple of months ago. But in the same breath, Payday 3 feels very much the same at launch, albeit now with the added variety of additional locations, gear and load-outs. Payday 3 is in many ways…

For as much hype as Baldur’s Gate 3 had been building in the months leading up to its release, to its strong early days on PC and now to its release on console, it never really interested me. Allow me to explain. Although I’m a fan of certain titles within the genre, I’m generally not…

  When the insertion of the number 4 in a film’s fourth outing as a substitute for the letter A is the smartest thing it’s able to execute, you know you aren’t in for the smoothest of operations. In a year where we’ve seen certain action sequels prove that there’s ample gas in the tank…

We’re finally here. EA Sports FC 24 is now living and breathing in its own space, having parted from the FIFA branding, seemingly for good. While EA FC 24 might bear a fresh name, there are many things to note about its next chapter, that would appeal to new and old fans alike. While EA…

Given the big swings he took with his take on the Halloween series – the foul cries from fans were deafening at times – it stands to reason that writer/director David Gordon Green‘s tackling of such a classic genre piece as The Exorcist won’t be done by the books or to the liking of purists….

Though it may be a little haphazardly put together, there’s still a heft of intrigue and amusing genre blending in Kim Jee-woon‘s Cobweb, a blurring of reality and fantasy that places the magic of celluloid at the centre. Set in the 1970s, the film builds itself around Kim (Song Kang-ho), a director who has failed…

As much as it can be a mouthful to pronounce, the Asus ROG Swift PG27AQN gaming monitor also feels like a lot for most gamers. Almost too much, if we’re being honest. When you break it down, this 27-inch IPS monitor provides a native 2560 x 1440p resolution, along with HDR10 and a Variable Refresh…