Can plants talk? Some scientific research suggests they are sentient. A humorous new work by Karla Livingstone-Pardy and Zachary Sheridan (who are the writers and directors) takes this concept quite a few fanciful steps further. It concerns a young woman named Anne (Julia Kok) who was abandoned by her parents when she was a child in the…
We take our hearing for granted – until we can’t. Sound of Metal charts a deeply personal journey for a young man who’s going deaf. Heavily tattooed drummer Ruben (Riz Ahmed) has had a troubled past. Although four years clean, he previously took all manner of drugs, although his poison of choice was heroin. Then…
Our selection of the best new music across a range of genres from the week ending 15 January 2021. Pearl Charles has been playing music since she was 5 years old. At 18, she formed country duo The Driftwood Singers with Christian Lee Hutson, singing and playing guitar and autoharp. At 22, she joined garage…
The creature-feature Shadow in the Cloud pays bizarre tribute to the bravery of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force during World War II. It is 8 August 1943 and Flight Officer Maude Garrett (Chloe Grace Moretz) arrives at Auckland Allied Air Base. Her arm is in a sling, and she’s carting a brown leather bag. A…
“You don’t stop playing games because you get older; you get older because you stop playing” was the raison d’etre behind the 2018 film Tag, in which a group of grown men, obsessed with the childhood game of tag, had turned it into a more physical competition that consumed their lives. A similar ethos drives…
Francis Lee follows up his well-received debut feature, God’s Own Country (2017), by mixing fact and fiction in Ammonite*. This finely constructed drama explores a real-life relationship, but takes it in directions not necessarily supported by the historical record. As in God’s Own Country, Ammonite delves into a same-sex relationship in a somewhat remote location….
The decidedly quirky drama-musical Music marks the directorial debut of Sia. She also co-wrote the screenplay (with Dallas Clayton), based on her own short story, and penned the songs that feature prominently. Music (Maddie Ziegler) is on the autism spectrum and never parts from her headphones. She constantly listens to – you guessed it –…
Greatness is never achieved by mere proximity. But that doesn’t stop thousands from trying to get close to their heroes. People feel the need to be a part of those who’ve transcended the mundanity of everyday life – whether in sport, business or art. It could be a piece of memorabilia, an autograph, or even…
Of all the subgenres in crime fiction the accidental detective is one of the toughest to pull off as a series. Particularly when that detective is stuck in a small country town. If only because of the suspension of disbelief becomes harder as the series goes on. Even for established detectives, too much complicated crime…
Two lost souls go on an unexpected journey together in Adrian Ortega’s ultra-low-budget Australian film Cerulean Blue. Alex (Jack Michel) is as introverted as they come. He’s also a germophobe who disinfects at every opportunity. In fact, he goes out of his way to avoid others unless absolutely necessary – which includes turning his back…
