American cinema isn’t really noted for its absurdist films. They tends to linger around the edges of an industry dominated by other genres. But The Menu breaks that stereotype wide open; as director Mark Mylod delivers one of the most deliciously absurd – and brutal – black comedies of recent years. Mylod takes his audience…
The career of Mel Gibson, a former A-lister, has faltered due to off-screen indiscretions. He now seems to appear in a number of B-grade movies. And it’s unlikely that his latest film, On the Line – a claustrophobic thriller mainly set in one location – will resurrect his stalled career. Gibson plays Elvis Cooney, an…
Hollywood has a lot to answer for, and Maria Schrader’s She Said delves into one of its most high-profile scandals. The behaviour of Harvey Weinstein, the high-profile founder of Miramax, is now well-documented. But it wasn’t always so. Someone had to uncover the truth. The story was blown open by a New York Times investigation…
In 2019, award winning nature photographer Vincent Munier set out to try and capture vision of the rare snow leopard in its natural habitat. There are fewer than 7,000 snow leopards in the world today and they mostly live in the most remote regions of the Himalayas, and rarely venture below 3,500 feet. Munier was…
The Marvel Cinematic Universe returns to one of its most successful characters with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. With director Ryan Coogler (Creed) back in charge, the signs were good for this sequel. But the film never really comes together, despite a lengthy runtime and some excellent performances. As the film opens, King T’Challa is dead….
A New Zealand fundamentalist church is under the spotlight in Gloriavale. The Christian community, located at Haupiri, north-west of Christchurch, is home to about 600 people from 70 families. Neville Cooper, who changed his name to Hopeful Christian, founded it in 1969. It stands accused of using slave labour and exploiting women and children. The…
Cecilia – known as Sissy – is a charming, good natured influencer relaying messages of positivity to her 200,000 followers. It’s a far cry from her days as a pre-teen when she and her BFF Emma vowed to grow old together. They even buried a time capsule containing video footage of their shared affection. Now…
The deeply personal coming-of-age tale Armageddon Time is loosely based on director James Gray’s own childhood experiences. And while the film explores many themes that have been typical of his canon, this one builds a strong emotional response from the audience. Gray’s counterpart here is Paul Graf (newcomer Banks Repeta) an eleven-year-old who is just…
The church, religion and medical science have a lot to answer for in The Wonder. This is acclaimed director Sebastián Lelio’s first feature since Gloria Bell (2018). In 1862, nurse Lib Wright (Florence Pugh) travels from England to small-town Ireland to watch an 11-year-old girl Anna O’Donnell (Kila Lord Cassidy). The reason soon becomes clear….
Set in New York City in 1980, Armageddon Time is a coming-of-age story highlighting African-American and Jewish experiences. And it’s the vehicle to propel two bright young actors onto the world stage. Fourteen year-old Banks Repeta plays sixth-grader Paul Graff, a boy from a middle class Jewish family. Jaylin Webb, 16, portrays Johnny Davis, a…
