In Review
Welcome to In Review! Check out the latest reviews across film, TV, theatre and so much more…
Film Review: The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
After being rejected for a “game changer” role, Nick Cage takes the job of entertaining eccentric millionaire superfan Javi (Pedro Pascal) at his birthday party in Spain. Things take an action-movie turn when the CIA recruits Nick to spy on Javi as they believe him to be an extremely dangerous cartel kingpin.
Film Review: Sonic the Hedgehog 2
I could imagine this movie disappointing many crowds: the hardcore lore-centric fans, people who loved the first one and didn’t want change, people who didn’t like the first one even least a little bit, etc. But I can assure you of two crowds that really enjoyed this movie: children (because Jim Carrey seemingly resurrected The Grinch in this performance), and me.
Fantastic Film Fest 2022 Review - We’re All Going to the World’s Fair
While not packing the usual one-two gut punch of most of its horror contemporaries, World’s Fair blends familiar mumblecore, coming-of-age and micro-budget horror elements into a film that’s greater than the sum of its parts, equally unnerving, hypnotic and experimental in the same breath.
Film Review: Happening (L’événement)
Happening is one of those rare films that makes you think just as much as it makes you feel. Its subject matter is intense; a young girl Anne Duchesne becomes pregnant from a one-night stand and is suddenly caught between a painful crossroad wherein one path resigns her to a life of wasted potential and shame, while the other sets her free, only this path appears seemingly impossible to gain access to.
Film Review: The Good Boss
The Good Boss works very well as a corporate satire, with biting insights into how powerful people manipulate those around them in order to maintain said power, but it wouldn’t be the same without the central performance from Javier Bardem, who makes the film endlessly watchable and entertaining.
Film Review: Fantastic Beasts - The Secrets of Dumbledore
Some viewers may find Secrets of Dumbledore to be exactly what they want, after all it does offer a fair amount of fan service and proves there is still some fun to be had with this universe, but I can only speak from my personal experience, which was woefully unmoving.
Alliance Française French Film Festival 2022 Film Review: Full Time
As I was watching this film I couldn’t help but remember a certain A-list celebrity who recently told people to get off their asses and work. Gavel’s film is the perfect response to comments like this; it is just an added bonus that it happens to be an enthrallingly thrilling film too.
Film Review: Morbius
The new trend is “villain” films, and like most of its contemporaries, Morbius can’t commit to that promise, nor does it really commit to much else.
Feature - Fantastic Film Festival Australia 2022 Program Launch/Everything Everywhere All at Once
Wanting to dip your toes into arthouse cinema, or are you a seasoned veteran looking for something that's out of this world bonkers? Look no further, because from April 21st until May 6th, Fantastic Film Festival Australia is back in town, and it's as bold and beautiful as ever.
Film Review: The Bad Guys
At its core the narrative is great on paper: the idea of taking traditionally villainous criminals and attempting to redeem them is ripe with potential, potential reaped by films like last year’s The Suicide Squad, and even Dreamworks’ own Megamind, but it’s the tropes it ends up using to get there that make it feel like it’s largely re-treading familiar ground.
Film Review: Memoria
Reflecting on the way one watches this film is as equally important to the viewing experience as what the film contains. And much like its release strategy, the film refuses to make a splash. Rather, its ambience reflects a still and drifting mist that has a soulful and regenerative impact.
Film Review: Koyaanisqatsi
Koyaanisqatsi is a word used by the Hopi peoples of northeast Arizona which literally translates to “corrupted/chaotic life”, though the film prefers to define it as “life out of balance”, among other similar interpretations.
Film Review: X
Equal parts The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Boogie Nights, [X] follows a film crew as they stay at an elderly couple’s farm to shoot a pornographic film, unknown to the couple themselves.
Film Review: Anonymous Club Preview and Q&A
It is a treat to be able to see a movie like this. For such a seemingly introverted artist, like Courtney Barnett, to agree to a project that is so personal, makes this film a must watch for fans. However, Anonymous Club has something for everyone as we get to witness relatable day-to-day struggles from the perspective of a successful international musician.
Film Review: The Book of Love
The Book of Love follows an English writer, Henry Copper (Sam Claflin) whose book is translated by into Spanish by translator Maria Rodriguez (Verónica Echegui), who completely rewrites his novel into an erotic romance.
Film Review: Studio 666
Studio 666 was released in late February this year. The story revolves around the band trying to find the inspiration to record their tenth studio album. Unfortunately, this inspiration arrives from a possessed tape, which leads to the usual shenanigans you expect from any horror movie.
Tandem Film Review: The Souvenir & The Souvenir Part II
Tandem review of The Souvenir - a semi-biographical drama directed by Joanna Hogg and starring Honor Swinton Byrne - and its sequel The Souvenir Part II.
Alliance Française French Film Festival 2022 Film Review: Lost Illusions
The critic game is a dirty business. Us movie reviewer types are bought off, blackmailing, career-ending mafiosos behind the scenes. Watching Lost Illusions, the wall was shattered, and the gig was up.
Film Review: Friends and Strangers
In Friends and Strangers, we meet two Sydneysiders, Ray and Alice (played by Fergus Wilson and Emma Diazwanders respectively), new friends that have both had recent breakups and are approaching their 30s.
Film Review: Uncharted
The latest gaming entry in the Uncharted franchise is six years old, the movie itself having been caught in development hell since 2008. The finished product is another addition to the library of OK movies based on better games.