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4/5
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Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
(2024)
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Graeme Tuckett
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In its best moments, there's a The Road-meets-Road Runner energy to this film that will leave no one who loved Fury Road feeling short-changed.
Posted May 27, 2024
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BlackBerry
(2023)
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James Croot
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A fascinating, entertaining and – somewhat ironic – look back at a one-time, must-have item that once made up 45% of the cellphone market.
Posted May 26, 2024
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3.5/5
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The Way, My Way
(2024)
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Graeme Tuckett
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The Way, My Way is a film that delivers exactly what the marketing is promising. This is a cheerful, modest and good-hearted movie – and I hope it finds the audience it deserves.
Posted May 26, 2024
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1.5/5
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The Strangers: Chapter 1
(2024)
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Graeme Tuckett
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The Strangers: Chapter 1 is a compendium of bad ideas, shot through with a nasty line in creepy misogyny. There is nothing here that a hundred other films haven't already done better.
Posted May 26, 2024
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4.5/5
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The American
(2023)
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Graeme Tuckett
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Dance... lends itself almost too perfectly to film – and Robertson and his crew have maybe set a new benchmark with Joika for just how excruciatingly well the physicality and the stresses of dance – ballet especially – can be put on screen.
Posted May 26, 2024
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3.5/5
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Stewart
(2022)
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Graeme Tuckett
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Jackie Stewart might not win the sport any new fans, but it is an immersive and affectionate piece of work.
Posted May 26, 2024
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3/5
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Arthur the King
(2024)
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James Croot
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Those who enjoy a good underdog story with a message, or are committed fans of the increasingly shaggy charms of down-to-earth “everyman” Wahlberg, will find their King in solid, if unspectacular form and territory.
Posted May 26, 2024
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3.5/5
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IF
(2024)
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James Croot
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While cloaked in celebrity voices, a cadre of kooky animated creations and Ryan Reynolds in full charm-offensive mode, adults may find more in this cross between Drop Dead Fred, Sixth Sense and Monsters, Inc than they perhaps banked on, or bargained for.
Posted May 15, 2024
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4/5
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Unfrosted
(2024)
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James Croot
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This scattershot farce may seem like the Austin Powers of the recently burgeoning making-of-a-brand genre (see Tetris, Air, The Beanie Bubble), but is in fact a whip-smart parody of the Space Race and a pointed satire of both 1960s and today's politics.
Posted May 13, 2024
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3.5/5
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The Idea of You
(2024)
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James Croot
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A reminder of just what a charismatic and compelling presence noughties star Hathaway can be, more proof of Galtzine’s leading man potential and that Tinseltown really should make more of these kind of complex, messy, thought-provoking romances.
Posted May 13, 2024
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4.5/5
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Robot Dreams
(2023)
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James Croot
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Filled with clever match shots, colourful characters, a terrific soundtrack and a series of simply fabulous flights of fancy, Robot Dreams is an endearing, engrossing, delightfully enveloping tale that multiple generations can fully enjoy.
Posted May 09, 2024
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3.5/5
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The Lie: The Murder of Grace Millane
(2024)
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Graeme Tuckett
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If the film's existence in any way speeds up a ban on the so-called "rough sex" defence, and helps to spare another family from having to sit through a trial in which that is deployed, then it will have achieved a great deal.
Posted May 09, 2024
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3.5/5
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The Fall Guy
(2024)
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Graeme Tuckett
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This is a film that knows how to put on a show. If it had a story that made just a tiny bit more sense, and was smart enough to generate any tension or intrigue at all, I might even have liked the damn thing a bit more myself.
Posted May 09, 2024
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2/5
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Before Dawn
(2024)
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James Croot
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Despite its title, this works best in the daytime scenes, where you can really feel for the mud-caked troops. But while the young cast do their best to bring this intimate epic to life, they are hampered by a soggy script that offers few fresh ideas.
Posted May 09, 2024
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4/5
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The Moon Is Upside Down
(2023)
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Graeme Tuckett
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This is a literate, clever and blackly funny gem that will be a polarising and provocative entry into the local roster. It swings from tender and reflective one moment, to raucous and gleefully filthy the next, without striking a false note.
Posted May 09, 2024
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3.5/5
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Golda
(2023)
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James Croot
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While screenwriter Nicholas Martin’s dialogue occasionally veers into the territory known as overly-portentous, director Guy Nattiv’s use of monochrome both enhances and benefits greatly from the script’s tight focus.
Posted May 09, 2024
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4/5
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Fremont
(2023)
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James Croot
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Shot in a crisp monochrome, our protagonist occasionally seemingly staring straight back at us, Iranian-born film-maker Babak Jalali’s deliberately understated drama is a touching tale of loneliness and isolation.
Posted May 09, 2024
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2/5
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Boy Kills World
(2023)
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Graeme Tuckett
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Star Skarsgard has the abs and the moves to sell the stunts – but Boy Kills World’s jokes just don't work and the incessant voice-over from Bob's Burgers' H. Jon Benjamin quickly becomes an irritation.
Posted May 09, 2024
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2.5/5
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Back to Black
(2024)
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Graeme Tuckett
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The 2015 Amy is the sprawling, heart-breaking and jaw-dropping film her life demands. Back to Black is not.
Posted May 09, 2024
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4.5/5
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Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
(2024)
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James Croot
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The commitment to world-building, character and storytelling is impressive, as are the sometimes truly breathtaking and awe-inspiring visuals spearheaded by our own wizards of Wellington Wētā FX.
Posted May 08, 2024
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The Royal Hotel
(2023)
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James Croot
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While cleverly giving the story a crowd-pleasing finale, Aussie director and co-writer Kitty Green’s take just never quite engenders the same sense of voyeurism – or nausea – that made the documentary Hotel Coolgardie such unforgettable viewing.
Posted Apr 28, 2024
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4/5
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Eileen
(2023)
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James Croot
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Like Lady Macbeth, this provides a terrific showcase for his multi-talented leading lady, even if Hathaway gets all the best lines and outfits.
Posted Apr 28, 2024
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4.5/5
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Girls State
(2024)
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James Croot
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You might be eniticed by the wild incongruity of cupcake stations alongside very adult discussions, but you’ll most certainly stay because of how it offers an intimate, in-depth, potentially inspiring platform for a generation’s hopes and fears.
Posted Apr 21, 2024
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4/5
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Mad About the Boy: The Noël Coward Story
(2023)
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Graeme Tuckett
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An affectionate and respectful swing at a storied and fascinating life.
Posted Apr 21, 2024
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4.5/5
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Origin
(2023)
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Graeme Tuckett
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Telling such a vast and potentially unwieldy story in a way that remains human, entertaining and relatable is a hell of an achievement.
Posted Apr 21, 2024
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3.5/5
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Challengers
(2024)
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Graeme Tuckett
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Writer Justin Kuritzkes is clearly loving the power of cinema to skip across a decade and director Guadagnino is equally happy to construct an intricate puzzle of a film, but still have it tick the boxes of a sports rom-com and box-office hit.
Posted Apr 21, 2024
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4/5
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Abigail
(2024)
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James Croot
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An extremely visceral, blood-soaked thrill-ride that boasts a rich vein of black humour.
Posted Apr 21, 2024
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Scoop
(2024)
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James Croot
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Yes, it frequently feels a bit like a filmed stage play, but that’s perhaps less a criticism and more testimony to the strength of the writing - and the cast.
Posted Apr 14, 2024
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Little Richard: I Am Everything
(2023)
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James Croot
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This entertaining, enlightening and truly eye-opening documentary invites viewers to meet the real “king of rock and roll”.
Posted Apr 14, 2024
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2.5/5
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The Tiger's Apprentice
(2024)
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Graeme Tuckett
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The Tiger's Apprentice is so obviously assembled from ideas from other, better films that even the occasional visual flourish isn't enough to elevate the finished product into anything you'll ever be particularly happy you saw.
Posted Apr 14, 2024
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4.5/5
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Late Night with the Devil
(2023)
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James Croot
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Evoking the spirit of Orson Welles’ magnificent 1938 Halloween “hoax”, this might just be the greatest “found footage horror” movie ever made.
Posted Apr 14, 2024
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5/5
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Civil War
(2024)
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James Croot
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Like writer-director Alex Garland’s previous features, this is sci-fi-infused drama that’s designed to make you think. A dystopian vision that has a resonance because it feels like it “could happen”.
Posted Apr 14, 2024
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4/5
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Monkey Man
(2024)
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Graeme Tuckett
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Patel has crafted a deliriously entertaining and pleasantly gritty couple of hours with a decent side-order of social and political commentary that I have no doubt will raise plenty of ire and eyebrows in India and beyond.
Posted Apr 05, 2024
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4.5/5
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Love Lies Bleeding
(2024)
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James Croot
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A heady mix of A History of Violence, Drive, Killer Joe and Thelma and Louise, this sometimes lurid, occasionally surreal 1989-set “romantic-thriller” at times borders on sensory overload.
Posted Apr 05, 2024
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3.5/5
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Kung Fu Panda 4
(2024)
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James Croot
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With two fabulous set-pieces at the cllff-top Happy Bunny Tavern and an unforgettable Black version of a late ‘90s banger... you’ll forgive this fourth Panda its failings and foibles and simply be caught up in its flurry of fast-moving fun.
Posted Apr 05, 2024
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3.5/5
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The First Omen
(2024)
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Graeme Tuckett
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The First Omen is an exercise in terrific film-making, that doesn't quite hang together as a film. But on a big screen, with the soundtrack turned up loud, it's still a fun couple of hours.
Posted Apr 05, 2024
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4/5
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My Name is Alfred Hitchcock
(2022)
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James Croot
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Delivered with an impressive approximation of Hitchcock’s notoriously wry, dry sense of humour and illustrated with an almost overwhelming array of astute observations, adroitly-chosen film clips and intimate behind-the-scenes imagery.
Posted Apr 05, 2024
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5/5
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Io Capitano
(2023)
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Graeme Tuckett
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Io Capitano is an astonishing achievement. This is – at times – a tough-to-watch story, but there is something unbreakable and defiantly alive being shown here too.
Posted Apr 05, 2024
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Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer
(2022)
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James Croot
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An entertaining and enlightening trawl through the screen legend’s filmography and life.
Posted Apr 05, 2024
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3.5/5
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Road House
(2024)
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James Croot
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Pitched as a modern-day western, this should appeal to fans of screenwriter Anthony Bagarozzi’s The Nice Guys. There’s just the same desire to entertain, immerse the audience into a particular world and populate it with an array of colourful characters.
Posted Apr 05, 2024
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4.5/5
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Blue Jean
(2022)
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James Croot
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If you’re a fan of the kind of evocative, provocative kitchen sink dramas lovingly crafted by the likes of Mike Leigh, Andrea Arnold and Clio Barnard, then this is well worth seeking out.
Posted Apr 05, 2024
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3.5/5
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Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
(2024)
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Graeme Tuckett
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Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire can't hold a candle to last year's Godzilla: Minus One – and it's nothing like as smart as Gareth Edwards’ 2014 Godzilla relaunch. But it is a likeable enough way to waste a couple of hours.
Posted Apr 05, 2024
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3.5/5
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Ordinary Angels
(2024)
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Graeme Tuckett
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Blasting into the picture at about the 20-minute mark like she's auditioning for a remake of Erin Brockovich and nothing is going to get in her way. Swank grasps this by the scruff and just keeps shaking until it starts to look like a watchable film.
Posted Mar 22, 2024
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3.5/5
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YOLO
(2024)
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James Croot
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Ling certainly isn’t afraid to lean into Rocky-ier elements that follow, piling on the montages and even borrowing Bill Conti’s famous theme. But amongst the soaring strings and slo-mo-a-go-go of the fights, there’s also definitely a sense of déjà vu.
Posted Mar 22, 2024
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4.5/5
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Goodbye Julia
(2023)
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James Croot
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Kordofani’s assured debut delivers plenty of tension-filled and thought-provoking drama. His intimate, domestic approach to wider events reminds one of the work of Iran’s Asghar Farhadi, as does his creation of fully-rounded flawed characters.
Posted Mar 22, 2024
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3/5
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Ricky Stanicky
(2024)
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James Croot
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Whether it’s delivering pitch-perfect “adult” parodies of famous rock tunes, or performing a delicate religious ceremony with a flourish, Cena just lifts Ricky Stanicky to a much higher plane than the rather shaggy, somewhat soiled premise deserves.
Posted Mar 22, 2024
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3/5
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Damsel
(2024)
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James Croot
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What unfurls is a mostly appealing, occasionally pulse-raising, if not entirely original or engrossing, mix of Joe Versus the Volcano, The Descent, The Goonies, Game of Thrones and Dragonheart.
Posted Mar 22, 2024
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4/5
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Immaculate
(2024)
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Graeme Tuckett
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After an effective 60-minute set-up, Immaculate swings for the fences in a couple of deliriously unhinged final scenes, but, by that time, Mohan and star Sydney Sweeney deserve every bat-poo bonkers moment they can throw at the screen.
Posted Mar 22, 2024
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4.5/5
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Wicked Little Letters
(2023)
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James Croot
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A sometimes manic mystery, a compelling character study and a crowd-pleasing courtroom drama all rolled into one, Little Letters is truly wicked fun.
Posted Mar 22, 2024
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4/5
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Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
(2024)
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Graeme Tuckett
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It's been a long time between buckets of popcorn, but it feels like Ghostbusters is back in safe hands.
Posted Mar 22, 2024
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