Far-fetched but engaging, Kin is a tense “actioner” with a strong science fiction component. Fourteen-year-old Eli (Myles Truitt) lives in Detroit with his adoptive father Hal (Dennis Quaid), who keeps him on a tight leash. While exploring an abandoned building looking for scrap, Eli happens on the aftermath of an otherworldly shoot-out. In the debris,…
The term “creepypasta” is one I’d never heard of before, but apparently it was created to describe internet-spread urban legends. One of the more notorious was that of the so-called Slender Man, a boogieman that was created by Eric Knudsen under the pseudonym of Victor Surge in 2009. The character went viral on social media,…
Designed to provoke (but ultimately to reflect) The Insult is a powerful film with politics at its core. In present-day Beirut, Tony Hanna (Adel Karam) is a passionate member of the Christian Party. He’s a motor mechanic who employs a number of workers. His wife, Shirine (Rita Hayek), is expecting their first child. Opposite their…
It saddens me to have to return to the theme of lame Aussie movies. The Flip Side is yet another clunky example, with are equally clunky title. The script is thin, the action dull, some of the acting questionable and the direction rudderless. There are even pauses that should never be seen in a film. It…
The action-thriller Mile 22 follows an elite paramilitary team led by the methodical Jimmy Silva (Mark Wahlberg). Silva is direct all-business, incapable of separating himself from his work. His lieutenant is Lauren Cohan (Alice Kerr), and she’s almost as capable. But, unlike Silva, she must contend with distractions from the outside world. Foremost among them…
The sumptuous big-screen soapie Crazy Rich Asians feels like a guilty pleasure. Based on the bestseller by Kevin Kwan, this is a contemporary rom-com that takes a fun look at what can happen when young love collides with old money. The story follows New York economics professor Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) as she accompanies her…
With nine consecutive number 1 albums to his credit, Jimmy Barnes is one of Australia’s most popular recording artists. But there’s more to Barnes than merely being the front man of Cold Chisel, one of the country’s best rock bands, or a successful solo artist. Much of it may surprise even his fans. This painfully…
You can see the raw emotion; feel it; you can almost taste it in the reflective and haunting drama Leave No Trace. Some films mark the breakthrough role for an actor. I’m thinking, for instance, of Winter’s Bone for Jennifer Lawrence.That’s the case here for New Zealander Thomasin McKenzie, who is stupendous as a dutiful…
– The Merger – Only in cinemas from 6 September 2018 We have 5 double in-season passes thanks to Umbrella Entertainment. *(Tickets valid in Australia only)* Watch the trailer HERE A former star footballer returns to his home town, but finds his political views aren’t welcome. When he is persuaded to take over coaching the…
The Melbourne-shot drama West of Sunshine is an exploration of a troubled father-son dynamic. The film follows the plight of Jim (Damian Hill), an inveterate and hapless gambler who’s trying to pay of a $15,000 loan to a ruthless loan shark (Tony Nikolakopoulos). He has until five o’clock to pay off the debt or there will…
