In a media age where remakes, sequels, and reboots dominate, the weaponising of nostalgia has brought both glee and despair to gamers everywhere. When handled with care, recycling the old can be a fun exercise but there is something to be said for finding something new in the familiar. Akimbot, the latest release by Evil…
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Terrifier 3 continues the story of both Sienna Shaw (Lauren LaVera) and her brother Jonathan (Elliot Fullham). After narrowly surviving the brutal Halloween massacre of the terrorizing Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton), the two siblings are estranged and struggling to piece together the remains of a normal existence in the time of peace, while…
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I’m a huge fan of The Karate Kid films, and even the more recent Cobra Kai series on Netflix, which I would recommend to anyone. But after seeing what became of the recent Cobra Kai tie-in video games, I admittedly hesitated to give this one a go. Upon further research, I was pleased to find…
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A film like Psychosis is a difficult one to review. Whilst there’s never a shortage of features that prove wildly divisive (the Joker sequel says hello), Pirie Martin‘s ambitious debut defies categorization as it blends technique and genre, submitting to an extreme eccentricity that, as off-putting it may be to some, is difficult to not…
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With such documentary series as Cheer and America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (both on Netflix) in the last few years reflecting a far more competitive mentality to the sport of cheerleading, a movie like Backspot feels like its release is suitably timed to capitalise on the fact that this is a sport far removed from…
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Yet again, the amazing Alice Oseman has teamed up with director Euros Lyn to create the third season of Heartstopper. Previously, the Netflix series was well-known for its gradual approach regarding topics of queerness, health, growing-up, the experiencing of firsts, family dynamics and relationships for a teenage and young-adult audience. However, season 3 takes a…
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Even though something like The Problem with People is a film that very much plays by a certain rulebook, you can’t help but still feel the charm of Chris Cottam‘s dramedy across its breezy 100 minutes. Co-written by Paul Reiser, the Mad About You alum layers a certain American view to the Irish countryside that…
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Hopefully a film that won’t just become infamous for its lack of being seen – after it previewed one single screening at 2022’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 of…
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In the same way that it was quite the baffling result that 2019’s Joker “laughed” its way to a billion dollar haul at the box office, Joker: Folie à Deux and all its “Fuck you” energy to WB fandom and mainstream appeal is a strikingly anti-audience effort that deserves praise for being so bold with its…
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A five-part short form black comedy series presented by Screen Australia, Buried is a mum-noir comedy thriller created and written by Miriam Glaser & Charlotte George, directed by George, produced by Fran Derham and starring Glaser as Abi, a single mum who accidentally kills a stranger on her morning school run. With this violent incident,…
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Thanks to polished cinematography, bloody, brutal violence, and another fierce performance from Samara Weaving that furthers her chokehold on horror at large, Azrael transcends any tropes it may flirt with and forges through as a strong example within the post-apocalyptic subsect of the genre. A visceral survivalist actioner with biblical undertones, the Azrael of the title…
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Operating as a double entendre for both the literal titular roadside placement and the relationships within Jason Buxton‘s tense drama, Sharp Corner lays focus on the vehicular and emotional torture put forth by a series of fatal crashes that take place on a suburban front lawn that kisses the edge of a tight curvature on…
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If you grew up in the 90s or even the early 2000s, you will surely have come across one of these titles. I grew up near an Intencity arcade (shout out to those who remember) at my local shopping centre, and spent many weekends and birthday parties slamming my parent’s gold coins into that Marvel…
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Funko Pops have been a staple in the pop culture community since they were first released in 2010. Since then every franchise, character and sports personality seemingly gets their chance to be recreated in plastic with dull black eyes and a signature pose. It was only a matter of time before Funko got their own…
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Though there is a high-concept present in the narrative forming of My Old Ass – shroom induced time travel could be the easiest elevator pitch summary (so, a high-concept if ever there was one) – Megan Park‘s deliriously sweet, always charming, oft-hilarious venture is, at its core, an uncomplicated affair that simply wants to make…
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A vision wholly unrealised is the biggest downfall against Hold Your Breath. With its gothic horror temperament, dustbowl 1930s Oklahoma landscape and an emotionally anchored performance from Sarah Paulson at its core, Karrie Crouse and Will Joines‘ isolating, atmospheric thriller has the potential, but unfortunately not the power needed to convey its core themes. The…
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So often across cinematic history has it been proven that fact is stranger than fiction, and in the case of Ron Howard‘s Eden, the crazier humanity proves themselves to be, the more seeped in reality their stories are. And it’s what makes Eden – arguably Howard’s most exciting project in over a decade – all…
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Towards the end of the new Australian musical The Deb there’s an uplifting song-and-dance sequence to a ditty titled “Pretty Strong”, and that’s an acceptable enough term to describe Rebel Wilson‘s directorial debut. The comedienne makes for a serviceable presence behind the camera as she injects an infectiousness and often-home-grown-specific humour into the proceedings of…
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When it comes to reboots, remakes, and remasters, the Sega Dreamcast’s catalogue isn’t usually at the forefront of people’s minds. However, Slave Zero X surprisingly revives a long-dormant series with a prequel to the obscure 1999 release Slave Zero. Like many, I never played the original nor owned a Dreamcast, but fans of the classic…
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Following its premiere at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Jury Prize and its female ensemble (Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón and Selena Gomez) won the Best Actress award, there was considerable hype surrounding the TIFF presence of Emilia Pérez, a Spanish-language, crime thriller-cum-musical that was recently crowned the runner-up in the…
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Whether you loved him or hated him as part of Take That or on his own accord as a brash soloist, Robbie Williams, particularly in the 1990s, was a figure you couldn’t escape. Similar to the cultural impact of Geri Halliwell exiting the Spice Girls or Zayn Malik bidding adieu to One Direction, Williams’ exit…
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As much as Halina Reijn‘s Babygirl is an erotic thriller about the power play dynamic of a high-strung female CEO and the young, confident intern who infiltrates her deepest sexual desires, the Bodies, Bodies, Bodies filmmaker ultimately has created a film about the power of communication. Communication in its most carnal form is what draws…
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Described as his most personal work yet, Luca Guadagnino‘s Queer is an adaptation of William S. Burrough‘s 1985 novel of the same name; though published in the 80s, it was written between 1951 and 1953. Guadagnino has made a career out of telling vastly opposing stories with each of his productions – Call Me By…
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Screening so soon after The Substance doesn’t bode well for something like Shell, Max Minghella‘s campy, body horror ode to trashy escapist 90s cinema that similarly explores the world of ageing in Hollywood and how far someone will go to maintain perfection. With both films screening within a week of each other at this year’s…
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For almost 50 years, Saturday Night Live has been an institution of (primarily) American culture. Every weekend it invites audiences to surrender to the thrill of live television, where anything could go wrong at any given moment, amongst a staple of regular segments and musical performances. Its structure has shifted over time, but the core…
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Author Stephen King and filmmaker Mike Flanagan have made careers predominantly out of their affinity for horror. With The Life of Chuck, they have decidedly pivoted and leaned into another of their shared strengths; broadcasting emotional stories. The result, however schmaltzy it may threaten to be, is a beautiful, weird celebration of life and all…
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Just call her M3GAN Fox. One of the few movies in the last few years of Megan Fox‘s career that actually earned acclaim was the 2021 home invasion thriller Til Death. It is a lo-fi VOD affair that has probably gone largely unnoticed, but it has a fun elevator pitch premise – that of Fox…
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Late last year, we took the time to review the CRKD Nitro Deck, which turns the Nintendo Switch into a beefed-up pro controller. We loved it, and couldn’t wait to sink our teeth into CRKD’s latest controller, the Neo S. This wireless controller is compatible with a few different platforms, including the Nintendo Switch, PC…
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A film that speaks volumes in its silences just as much as it does its audible dialogue, Generations of Men, a powerful new short inspired by Judith Wright‘s book of the same name, is just as much a testament to the strength and resilience of women during colonial times as it is a reminder of…
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Based on the beloved novel by Craig Silvey, Runt is an effortlessly likeable Australian family venture that overcomes any of its cheesiness thanks to an ensemble committed to the cause of providing old-fashioned entertainment There’s some topical themes at bay here under the surface – drought-stricken farmers, real estate corruption – but Silvey’s script never…
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