Sebastian Stan

A Different Man provokes thought but lacks the proper execution: Sydney Film Festival Review

The idea of wearing a mask – physical or metaphorical – can so often be used to uncover a psyche within the realms of dark storytelling, and for Aaron Schimberg‘s chaotic A Different Man a literal representation is at the core.  There’s an undeniably captivating and thought-provoking narrative at play, but the execution feels ultimately…

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Series Review: Pam & Tommy is an engaging, humorous, though surprisingly emotional insight into the infamous sex tape

Over the last year there’s been a heavy re-examination regarding the critical response the media placed upon women in the public eye.  Recent documentaries about Britney Spears and Janet Jackson have truly bought the discussion into a manner that extends beyond their fandom, and something like Pam & Tommy, as exaggerated at times it is,…

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Fresh is an ambitious, genre-skewering effort that should satisfy those with off-kilter pallets: Sundance Film Festival Review

Off-putting it may be, there’s enough deliciousness throughout the wicked Fresh that your pallet is sure to be satisfied in spite of the cannibalistic practices laid forth. An initial romantic dramedy, director Mimi Cave sets up the dating scene with all the discouragement you’d expect, with Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones) endlessly swiping through her Tinder-esque apps,…

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Film Review: The 355 masks its genre simplicities with a willing cast and an escapism attitude

Whilst there’s nothing remotely original about The 355, that certainly doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of fun to be had with this slice of pure escapism fluff that manages to mask its simplicities with a willing cast and a scrappy, can-do attitude. Outside of directing, Simon Kinberg has a rather enviable resume.  He served as…

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First Impressions: Marvel’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is comforting in its canon familiarity

Right from the opening moments of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier – an extended action sequence amid rock formations spearheaded by Anthony Mackie‘s Falcon – it’s evident that the intent of this show is to link it to the prototype of the Marvel canon we’ve come to expect.  After WandaVision took bold swings, this…

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Film Review: Nicole Kidman is unrecognisable as a broken cop in Destroyer (USA, 2018)

Cops are tops. But if you’re Erin Bell in Destroyer you’re less tops and more likely to be drinking hops. Nicole Kidman plays a bedraggled and unrecognisable detective in this noir. While there are some moments where it is thrilling, most of it is far too slow-burning and perfunctory to really cut through. This film…

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Film Review: I, Tonya (USA, 2017) showcases Margot Robbie in the role of her career (so far)

To think that a notorious figure like Tonya Harding could be, in any way, made out to be sympathetic is no mean feat, yet screenwriter Steven Rogers, director Craig Gillespie, and star Margot Robbie (also serving as one of the film’s producers) have achieved just that in I, Tonya. For the uninitiated, the saga of…

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Film Review: Captain America: Civil War (M, USA, 2016)

The Marvel Cinematic Universe seems to be this juggernaut that keeps pumping out successful film after successful film. They’ve been on this upward trajectory for so long that it seems inevitable that they will have to stumble somewhere. Surprisingly and welcomingly so, Captain America: Civil War is not that movie. There is no denying that surpassing…

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