The most inspired decision Zach Cregger makes with Resident Evil is also, on paper, one of the strangest: he doesn’t particularly seem interested in making a Resident Evil movie. At least not in the traditional adaptation sense. There’s no slavish recreation of a beloved game narrative, no parade of familiar characters waiting for applause, and…

It was almost inevitable that Frances Neagley would earn her own series. From the moment Maria Sten first appeared opposite Alan Ritchson’s human brick wall in Reacher, she proved one of the few characters capable of matching his intimidating competence without feeling like she had been engineered purely to keep up with him. She was…

Frances Neagley has never needed much introduction. Across Reacher, Maria Sten’s fiercely self-sufficient private investigator proved such a commanding presence that giving the character her own spotlight felt less like a gamble and more like an inevitability. But Neagley isn’t interested in simply replicating the formula of its parent series. Instead, it takes a character…

There’s an inherent challenge in spinning a supporting character off from a series as successful as Reacher. Frances Neagley (Maria Sten) has already proven herself a fan favourite, but the qualities that make a character compelling in concentrated doses don’t necessarily translate to carrying an entire series. For creator and showrunner Nick Wootton, the answer…

Frances Neagley may be the name above the door, but Neagley quickly expands its world beyond the formidable private investigator audiences came to know through Reacher. As a suspicious death from her past pulls Neagley (Maria Sten) into an increasingly dangerous investigation, she crosses paths with Keno (Jasper Jones) and Renee Birdwhistle (Adeline Rudolph), two…

Meanjin/Brisbane indie-rock artist Harley is preparing to release his debut EP, You’re The One I’ll See At Home, this Friday, 18 September, and today we’re stoked to be giving you an exclusive first listen. Harley is no stranger to the AU review. Back in June, we premiered “Tell Me You Love Me”, one of the…

In her song, “Hindsight”, Ruby Mae looks back on her life, reflecting on the uncertainty of young adulthood, pursuing a music career, and feeling “lost” in her 20s. However, in the chorus, she reminds herself that at the end of the day she’s “moving on”, singing, “I’ve caught flights and I’ve been gone… I know…

For several seasons of Slow Horses, Sid Baker has existed almost like a ghost. Shot in the head during the first season and subsequently presumed dead, the capable MI5 agent disappeared from Slough House, leaving River Cartwright – and audiences – without any real sense of closure. But Sid wasn’t dead. She was simply living…

Martin McDonagh has long been fascinated by men who would sooner insult, maim or murder one another than admit they actually care. Friendship in his films is rarely expressed through anything resembling conventional affection; it arrives through arguments, threats, profanities and, occasionally, the reluctant acknowledgement that losing someone might hurt considerably more than expected. It…

If the modern media landscape increasingly feels like a race to see who can shout the loudest, frighten the most people, or manufacture the most irresistible headline, Ink is an electrifying reminder that none of this happened overnight. In adapting James Graham’s acclaimed stage play, director Danny Boyle traces such sensationalism back to the smoke-filled…

Good Things Festival is once again bringing us a massive celebration of alternative music this December, with the 2026 edition landing at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne on Friday December4, Sydney Showgrounds on Saturday December 5 and Brisbane Showgrounds on Sunday December 6. Headlined by Limp Bizkit, the lineup also features Simple Plan, Spiritbox, Bad Religion,…

It’s always special to reconnect with an artist whose journey we’ve been following from the beginning. Back in 2019, the AU review premiered BB Sabina’s debut single, “Feast”, so it’s a genuine thrill, seven years later, to be premiering their new album, Dissolve. A lot has changed in those intervening years. Singer and songwriter Beth…

Universal Studio Hollywood’s highly anticipated new roller coaster Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift officially opens tomorrow, 16th September, and I was lucky enough to ride it last week amidst a summer of technical rehearsals. It’s the first outdoor thrill-coaster the Los Angeles park has ever seen, with the park’s rides typically leaning into the more…

Once upon a time, circa 2019, four young musicians, Ned, Ethan, Bec, and Van, headed out to a Twin Peaks concert in Melbourne. They met unexpectedly and decided to start a band, right there and then. Thus, Stimpies was born. “We were very refreshed to see and meet other people that were interested in the…

Thirty years after the release of If You’re Feeling Sinister, Belle and Sebastian proved that some albums become woven into the fabric of your life. You might not have listened to it for 20 years, but somehow you still know every word, the tracklisting and, as frontperson Stuart Murdoch delighted in testing the audience, exactly…

Charm can be its own form of menace in God Bless You, Mr Kopu, the feature debut of Tongan Kiwi writer-director Alex Liu, a darkly funny, increasingly sinister thriller that uses the seductive promise of success to explore power, race and belonging. Mafu (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) is a struggling Tongan immigrant whose fortunes seemingly change when…

Eora/Sydney indie-rock outfit The Tambourine Girls have returned with their fourth album, Hold Your Horses, a beautifully melodic record shaped by loss, friendship and the process of finding a way forward. At its emotional core is the death of much-loved band member and close friend Nick Weaver, but Hold Your Horses never feels weighed down…

Community theatre is an inherently strange little ecosystem. It’s a place where people with wildly different levels of talent, ambition and self-awareness come together and, for a few fleeting nights, treat a modest suburban stage as if they’re opening on Broadway. For some it’s a hobby. For others it’s a calling. And for the particularly…

I first saw Empire of the Sun at the Sydney Opera House in 2013. On the way out, I turned to my partner and said, “If you didn’t love that show, there’s something wrong with you.” I’ve caught them every time I’ve had the opportunity since, and the sentiment remains. Empire of the Sun transport you…

Friendships don’t necessarily end with an argument or betrayal. Sometimes life simply starts pulling two people in different directions, and the fear of what might be lost along the way can prove just as painful. That anxiety sits at the emotional centre of DreamWorks Animation’s Forgotten Island, a vibrant fantasy adventure that sends lifelong best…

Growing older has a way of revealing which friendships were chapters and which became part of the entire story. Or, as Forgotten Island co-director Januel Mercado rather wonderfully puts it, perhaps we’re not getting old so much as we’ve simply “been younger, longer.” That perspective feels particularly fitting for DreamWorks Animation’s latest original adventure, a…

DreamWorks has been enjoying something of a creative renaissance in recent years, but even with the studio increasingly willing to push its visual language, Forgotten Island feels like a particularly special swing. Vibrant, wonderfully strange and ultimately far more emotional than its chaotic adventure initially suggests, Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado’s Filipino mythology-inspired feature takes…

I don’t have much of a connection to the original Onimusha games from the PS2 era, but I did play them briefly. While that was many years ago, I did review the more recent remaster of Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny, and felt that it had plenty to offer both new and existing fans amongst modern-day action…

For the second night in a row, Nintendo kept Aussies up till the early hours with a second packed direct full of announcements for new titles, expected titles, and so many ports of existing games coming to the Switch 2. Metroid Ravenous After the middling reaction to Metroid Prime 4, Samus is back in a…

After selling out their six-date Australian tour in 2025, The Fray are wasting little time coming back, announcing a major Australian and New Zealand run for February 2027. The Summer of Light Tour will take in a mix of headline arena shows and outdoor dates, with Dashboard Confessional, Bastille, Killing Heidi, Little Birdy and Rachael…

Hollywood has always been particularly adept at selling dreams whilst quietly destroying the people trying to live them. In Misty Green, Chris Rock turns that contradiction into something funny, furious and increasingly uncomfortable, crafting a showbusiness satire that isn’t afraid to let its laughter curdle. Rock’s latest effort as writer-director centres on Misty Green (Rosalind…

This month the State Library of NSW celebrates its 200th anniversary with a six-week program of talks, performances and live music, including new commissions from some of Australia’s most prolific creatives. On Friday night, the Mitchell Library Reading Room, known for its vast ceilings and the multi-storey bookshelves lining its walls, became the site of…

A name like Housework is one that evokes domestic drudgery, or if you want something a bit more fun, Freddie Mercury in the “I Want to Break Free” video. But do not be fooled; this new play about Australian politics is nothing short of sharp and hilarious. It is a show that will surprise you…

Family can make us feel safest, but it can also reopen wounds we thought had long since healed. That tension sits at the heart of River, the nerve-shredding feature debut from writer-director Joshua Giuliano, which celebrated its world premiere at Midnight Madness at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. Jane Levy, Jessica Rothe and Max…

Make, Believe, Magic: The Worlds of The Jim Henson Company opens today in Brisbane, and we managed to score a sneak peek of the exclusive exhibition yesterday morning. Opening at QAGOMA from September 12th and running right through until April 18th 2027, this world-first exhibition is perfectly timed to celebrate 70 years of Henson magic,…