In Review
Welcome to In Review! Check out the latest reviews across film, TV, theatre and so much more…
Film Review - PREY
Largely free of overt fan service or nostalgia-baiting, Prey is the rare modern prequel that dares to use its framework to propel the series in new directions, widening the universe without overcrowding it with familiar characters or obnoxiously hinting at an immediate sequel.
MIFF 2022 Film Review - Something in the Dirt
Something in the Dirt offers up a bounty of intriguing morsels, and to witness filmmakers attempt so much with so little is inspiring in its own right.
MIFF 2022 Film Review - Lynch/Oz
This is a film for anyone that has ever wanted to look behind the curtain, and find out how the wizard’s magic machine might work.
Film Review - Good Luck to You, Leo Grande
Above all else, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande is a film with lots of heart, which can be quite refreshing amidst a sea of blockbusters, CGI and big sound design.
MIFF 2022 Film Review - The United States of America
Well, this one will do well at parties, presentations or generally just any television that entertains the passive attention of passers-by. The United States of America is certainly not what I expected, although it is exactly what the title promises.
MIFF 2022 Film Review - Fire Front
This film, whilst deeply devastating and distressing, needs to be watched and watched again.
Film Review - Press Play
How do you review a movie that has a complete tonal shift about halfway through without invalidating the impact of the entire first half?
MIFF 2022 Film Review - On the Count of Three
On the Count of Three isn’t your parents' anarchy flick - this is certainly no Ferris Bueller.
Live Performance Review - My Self in That Moment by Chamber Made
This performance was something wholly unique, and beyond what can be provided in a cinema or on a streaming service.
Music Review - So Far So Good (+Time Bomb) by The Chainsmokers
Remember that VMA performance with Halsey? Some have labelled it ‘the worst live performance of all time’. Well, The Chainsmokers didn’t listen to the critics yet again.
Book Review - Ghost Lover
Ghost Lover pulls you in with a marriage of craftsmanship and an uncanny talent for saying the unsayable.
MIFF 2022 Short Film Review - Nowhere to Go but Everywhere
Nowhere to Go... asks us to dive in and look closer.
MIFF 2022 Short Film Review - Anyám macskája (Mom’s Cat)
I wish life was as simple as it appears in Mom’s Cat, a world where you can really just be what you want to be.
MIFF 2022 Short Film Review - An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It
Warning: you may or may not want to quit your office job after watching, I did within 5 minutes of the film’s end. Nothing is real.
Film Review - The Forgiven
Outside of some stunning cinematography and promising themes, The Forgiven feels too inconsequential to be engaging. Hampered by universally unlikable characters and simple moral messaging, the story unfortunately fails the fantastic cast.
Music Review - S.I.D.E.S. by Alice Merton
S.I.D.E.S. by Alice Merton, the overlooked sophomore effort from the same starlet that blessed us with the one hit No Roots a couple of years back, is a great romp through a relationship gone awry.
Film Review - Where the Crawdads Sing
Where the Crawdads Sing is a unique take on the who-dunnit genre, and though it lacks the punch of a satisfying conclusion, it still leaves a lasting impression.
Film Review - The Phantom of the Open
Surprisingly funny, while at the same time using nuance as a blunt-force weapon, delivering crushing sadness, The Phantom of the Open subverts a typical focus.
Film Review - The Black Phone
While its lack of teeth in the back end of its runtime is somewhat of a letdown, and Derrickson may not quite recapture the highs of earlier works like Sinister, there's no doubt that The Black Phone is still an effective, nasty little horror flick.