After a lumbering foray into the Star Wars franchise with The Last Jedi, director Rian Johnson returns to what he does best, quirky character-based crime dramas in the flawed but highly enjoyable murder mystery Knives Out. The film plays like an alternate reality Agatha Christie story as a group of suspects (played by a typical all-star cast) gather at a
Read moreCreepy, slow-burn supernatural horror film Hereditary is one of the more stylish additions to the genre of recent times and announces an impressive new filmmaking talent in writer/ director Ari Aster who makes his feature debut here. Hereditary sees the Graham family: Annie (Toni Collette), Stephen (Gabriel Byrne), late-teen son Peter (Alex Wolff) and 13-year-old daughter Charlie (Milly Shapiro) slowly
Read moreThe lightweight comedy/drama The Way Way Back is an archetypal “shy teen comes-of-age” film. As such, the storyline and many of the characters seem very familiar as if they were plucked from other movies but this doesn’t diminish this film’s considerable charm. For a relatively small, low-key film, it features a remarkable cast of name actors including Steve Carrell, Toni
Read morePJ Hogan’s debut film Muriel’s Wedding was a near-perfect combination of energetic kitsch, lovable characters, black humour and Australian social satire. Does Hogan repeat the Muriel magic with his latest film Mental? No, he does not! Despite aping Muriel with its ugly bogan beachside setting, its family (and particularly Mother) neglected and belittled by a philandering politician Father and its
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