In Review
Welcome to In Review! Check out the latest reviews across film, TV, theatre and so much more…
Film Review - The Fabelmans
For Spielberg, the world makes sense through the dreamlike lens of filmmaking. The Fabelmans manages to conjure cinematic spectacle out of family drama with embracive character studies and an unyielding recount of bittersweet youth.
Monster Fest Film Review - Ribspreader
The true purpose of this kind of movie is to shock, and shock it does.
Film Review - Summer of Soul (or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
Summer of Soul is undoubtedly a stunning blend of art and rebellion not likely to ever be seen again on our screens.
Film Review - Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is a breath of fresh air in the animated feature landscape.
Film Review - Mustang
Mustang follows the story of five young girls growing up in rural Turkey, as they navigate their youth and the looming social expectations of marriage and purity.
Film Review - Avatar: The Way of Water
While detractors of the first film will likely not be persuaded by Avatar 2: Aquatic Boogaloo's flashy 3D gimmicks, those on the fence or otherwise still in love with the first film […] will be pleasantly surprised to hear that not only was The Way of Water worth the wait, but it also surpasses the heights of the first film.
Film Review - Triangle of Sadness
Maybe skip the popcorn for this one, but make sure you climb aboard for one of the best films of the year.
Film Review - Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile
What are you expecting from a Sony rendition of a decades old kid’s cartoon strip about a singing crocodile, adapted for the big screens for 2022 with Shawn Mendes taking the lead as the titular Lyle, the crocodile?
Film Review - The Banshees of Inisherin
Don’t expect a barrel of laughs or a feckin’ good time, but McDonagh’s latest is a powerful dark comedy that’ll have you thinking about your own mental state long after you leave the cinema.
Film Review - The Lost King
The Lost King can pretend like it’s focusing on Richard, but the truth is they could change the title to The Lost Queen, and nobody would bat an eye.
Film Review - Moja Vesna
Moja Vesna rewards those with the patience to dig into the details.
Monster Fest Film Review - All Jacked Up and Full of Worms
While some viewers may appreciate All Jacked Up and Full of Worms' feverish blend of influences spanning Henenlotter, Cronenberg and Waters, unfortunately it winds up much like its protagonists, lost in the primordial ooze; buried while attempting to become one with the dirt.
Film Review - She Said
A film whose subject matter should have been treated with the utmost care, She Said can only be described as an overall meagre, flat attempt at capturing a moment in time that will be remembered for its fervent rage and violent passion.
Film Review - NT Live: Much Ado About Nothing
Much Ado About Nothing, unlike the name suggests, actually packages up quite a few happenings before recounting them in a kaleidoscopic stage that seems to have a dozen or two aces tucked up its sleeve.
Film Review - Stars at Noon
A grim look at international relations through the lens of a hostile Nicaragua, Claire Denis’ latest ‘romantic thriller’ Stars at Noon is unfortunately lacking in both romance and thrills.
Film Review - Disney’s Strange World
Offering a slice of pulpy, moralistic sci-fi that feels like a throwback to before 2D animation had died, Strange World is good, lighthearted fun, gesturing gently at the hard-headed nature of father-son relationships.
Film Review - The Menu
Combining bitter comedy with the sensibilities of an A24 horror film, The Menu marks a cool addition to the genre and establishes itself as one of the most exciting blockbusters of this year.
Film Review - Bones and All
Playing like an emotional middle ground between Badlands and the Twilight saga, Luca Guadagnino's new Timothee Chalamet-starrer Bones and All is a romantic cannibal road movie, presenting a tale of both the impossibility and inevitability of love; how even in the bleakest of circumstances, when we least expect, or even want it, romance can blossom like a weed in the desert.
Film Review - The Fire Within: A Requiem for Katia and Maurice Krafft
Herzog has created a film that magnifies the sensitive balance of nature, simultaneously terrifying and touching, the parallels of science and art, the juxtaposition of the volcano’s fascinating beauty yet ultimate destructive force, and the deaths and the lives of Katia and Maurice Krafft.
Film Review - Millie Lies Low
Millies Lies Low is an effective tragicomic story of the way we create truth to find our own, as well as the lengths we will go to and things we will have to lose to get to it.