julia garner

Interview: Wolf Man stars Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner on shaping their unique performances an genre navigation

What if someone you loved became something else? From Blumhouse and visionary writer-director Leigh Whannell, the creators of the chilling modern monster tale The Invisible Man, comes a terrifying new lupine nightmare: Wolf Man. Christopher Abbott stars as Blake, a San Francisco husband and father, who inherits his remote childhood home in rural Oregon after…

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Film Review: Wolf Man; Self-contained thriller is complex, a little bit nasty and a lot of fun!

Similar to how he shifted our expected perspective from predator to prey in 2020’s slick reimagining of The Invisible Man, which layered the tale with a topical #MeToo sheen, Aussie genre helmer Leigh Whannell is, once again, altering the ingredients for what we think a Wolf Man narrative should be. Generational trauma, the uncertain dynamic of a marriage and meditations on…

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Interview: Kitty Green on directing The Royal Hotel, subverting genre tropes and committing to an unhappy ending

After the uncomfortable mastery of The Assistant, an increasingly intense drama following the daily activity of an assistant to an insidious, powerful movie mogul, director Kitty Green easily placed herself on the map of filmmakers to follow. For her sophomore feature she’s maintaining that sense of dread – though she would beg to differ –…

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The Royal Hotel manipulates our expectations with a lingering sense of unease: Brisbane International Film Festival Review

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…

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The Royal Hotel is a slow-burn thriller ripe with human horror: SXSW Sydney Screen Festival Review

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…

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Brisbane International Film Festival unveils full program, including the Australian premiere of Next Goal Wins

The Brisbane International Film Festival (BIFF), presented by MINI, has announced its 2023 program with an incredible line-up of Queensland and Australian premiere features, with Taika Waititi’s Next Goal Wins, starring Michael Fassbender, serving as the Australian premiere and Closing Night event. BIFF’s program is further brimming with Queensland premieres from highly acclaimed and visionary…

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Film Review: The Assistant is uncomfortable but necessary viewing

Though disgraced movie producer Harvey Weinstein does not physically appear in The Assistant, nor does his likeness or even his name, this quietly disturbing drama from Australian filmmaker Kitty Green very much has him in mind. There’s a humiliation and systemic mentality that rings true throughout the film’s brisk 85 minute running time as it…

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