News & Opinion
Irish indie drama Herself is almost destined to connect with NZ audiences
“Cheddar-free acts of kindness provide some of the film’s most heartwarming moments.”
F9 is a mid-tier entry into the series that still provides a few thrills
“There’s an unfortunate emphasis on magnet-based vehicle action which, for the most part, is not cool.”
In The Heights breathes new life into the old-fashioned cinema musical
“They don’t make musicals like they used to.” Adam Fresco reckons they just did.
Tom Hiddleston and Owen Wilson’s dynamic in Loki is a pleasure to watch
After seeing the first two episodes, there’s plenty to keep us interested.
Lost 70s George Romero film The Amusement Park is vicious satire
“Indignant, thoroughly cynical and deliberately upsetting” – and now streaming nearly 50 years later.
Aotearoa-shot Netflix series Sweet Tooth is a beautiful apocalyptic fantasy
It’s got a pandemic – and at the same time, it’s pretty bloody cute.
Conjuring sequel is a good, entertaining thriller, twistier than its predecessors
“Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson are great, and downright adorable as The Warrens.”
A Quiet Place Part II has even more creeping dread and jump-out-of-your-seat suspense
Remember the sticky-uppy nail from the first movie? There are more closeups of bare feet than a Tarantino film.
Plodding first act aside, Cruella’s campy absurdity makes for a pretty fun movie
The whole film comes to life with the arrival of a gleefully evil Emma Thompson.
Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead is nowhere near as fun as it should be
The script is mostly garbage, and mostly not in the enjoyable kind of way.
The Woman in the Window just feels sillier the longer it drags on
Amy Adams is the primary reason that the film doesn’t crumble within minutes.
Angelina Jolie’s star power can’t save lukewarm thriller Those Who Wish Me Dead
Taylor Sheridan pic is a star vehicle that can’t decide what makes her a star.
Spiral turns back to the same old tricks that made people sick of Saw films
Chris Rock can command the screen if given the right material. This is not the right material.
Superhero series Jupiter’s Legacy leans on angst, forgets about story
Occasional moments of fun can’t save a poorly written superhero series.
Prepare to fall in love with Florian Habicht’s James & Isey
A singular look into the lives of an intriguing, incredibly lovable mother and son.
Robin Wright goes off the grid and into heavy-handed cliché in directorial debut Land
Robin Wright ditches city life and heads for the sticks in a film that treats the audience “like ninnies”.
Without Remorse should be trashy action-thriller fun, but is mostly a disappointment
It’s hard to believe this script comes from the guy who wrote Hell or High Water and Sicario.
The Mitchells vs the Machines pushes animation—and its running time—to the limits
It’s an inspired wildfire of visual splendour.
Jason Statham exudes quiet determination and pure menace in Guy Ritchie’s latest
Some unusual choices work, some don’t in Guy Ritchie’s Wrath of Man.
At its best, Things Heard & Seen is gleefully pulpy – at its worst, downright silly
It’s almost impressive how little of its haunted house setup actually pays off.
The low-key, patient chemistry of First Cow yields the year’s most singular bromance
“First Cow is almost unusually blissed-out. I’d be content staying in this world for another hour.”
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