A compelling spiritual horror thriller, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It continues the Warrens’ journey into the occult, with arguably the most complex case yet. Based on fact, it tells the tale of a young man facing the death penalty after an horrific murder. His defence? That he was possessed by the devil….
The noble sport of kings – horse racing – has produced many feelgood and inspirational dramas about champion horses and human-interest stories. We have had films about champions like Seabiscuit and Secretariat as well as our own champion Phar Lap. And there have been films like The Cup which depicted both Media Puzzle’s extraordinary win…
Before Hamilton, there was In the Heights. Cultural phenomenon Lin-Manuel Miranda finally brings his Broadway musical about the largely Latin-American community of Washington Heights to the big screen. He once again collabs with Quiara Alegría Hudes (who wrote the book for the musical) and brings in Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians) to direct. The…
If there was any doubt The Fast and Furious franchise couldn’t up the ante, #9 eradicates that. Think outer space and mega magnetic force for starters. It’s action-packed from start to finish, with no shortage of surprises. The central concept is a feud between two brothers as a result of their father’s untimely death on…
Sebastián’s Borensztein’s Heroic Losers is a feel-good comedy set in a small Argentinian community in the early 2000s. Fermin Perlassi (Ricardo Darin) and his wife, Lidia (Veronica Llinas), decide they will take over an abandoned grain store facility and form a cooperative. Doing so will require financial input from many of the locals who are…
The New Zealand drama Cousins deals with themes of family, culture, and the impact of colonialism on the indigenous population, all of which should also resonate strongly with Australian audiences. The film is based on the 1992 novel written by Patricia Grace, which spanned several decades. Actor, playwright and writer and co-director Blair Grace-Smith (Grace’s…
Directors Elaine Bogan and Ennio Torresan deliver a charming and colourful animation in DreamWorks’ Spirit Untamed. The story concerns a feisty 13-year-old girl and a wild horse. The youngster is Lucky Prescott (the voice of Isabela Merced), who is being brought up by her aunt Cora (Julianne Moore), in a prim and proper household, governed…
The gig economy has grown exponentially in recent years. So much so, concerns are now being forcefully voiced about its actual and potential dangers. Director Noah Hutton taps into those fears as he takes audiences on an intriguing and sometimes frightening journey into a digitised future in Lapsis. Lapsis has something in common with one…
Based on a true story this drama about industrial pollution and environmental damage caused by giant chemical companies. Minamata explores their greed, corruption and refusal to accept responsibility or take action. This puts the film in the same wheelhouse as films like Erin Brokovich and Dark Waters, although it is nowhere near as provocative or…
Not to be confused with the so-so 2014 supernatural themed thriller starring Eric Bana, Deliver Us From Evil is a frenetic and violent hard-boiled action thriller from Korean director Won-Chang Hong (who wrote films like The Yellow Sea). It delivers plenty of action and will delight fans of this genre. Korean action cinema seems to…
