As Matariki looms before us, a collection of Aotearoa New Zealand’s best acting talent aligns for the large scale historical epic Ka Whawhai Tonu, and this is a piece of cinema that all who call Aotearoa New Zealand home should witness. Set in Aotearoa New Zealand in 1864, Ka Whawhai Tonu tells the story of […]
Movie Reviews
‘Inside Out 2’ – Review
Every time a new Disney-Pixar release arrives, our hearts tend to flutter a bit. Disney-Pixar’s Inside Out 2 is a joyous, beautiful, and warm watch about the journey that comes with growing up, and it’s sure to make you smile. Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust have been running a successful operation by all accounts. […]
‘Coup de chance’ – Review
Writer/director Woody Allen returns to cinemas with his 50th feature film, Coup de chance, and the noted filmmaker changes things up as he moves away from his typical American setting in favour of Paris, the City of Lights, and it makes for an interesting dynamic of character and genre. A young married woman runs into […]
French Film Festival Aotearoa 2024: ‘Jeanne du Barry’ – Review
This year’s French Film Festival Aotearoa 2024 has brought about an incredible level of cinematic magic for cinephiles. One of its starring releases was Maïwenn’s opulent and lavish historical romantic epic Jeanne du Barry. And this monumental production of cinema magnificence will sweep you up in its elaborate spectacle. The life of Jeanne Bécu, who […]
French Film Festival Aotearoa 2024: ‘Les Trois Mousquetaires : D’Artagnan’ – Review
This year’s French Film Festival Aotearoa 2024 has been a fantastic event for long-time cinephiles, and audiences have been delivered an incredible array of elegant and opulent cinema from a diverse range of genres that celebrate the artistic merits of French artisans who work and play within the medium of cinema. One of the standout […]
‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ – Review
Brace yourselves for all kinds of high-energy, high-octane craziness because Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are back as Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett. They’re ready to blow Miami sky-high with a full-on, in-your-face, action picture that doesn’t let up for a moment in Bad Boys: Ride or Die. Detectives Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus […]
‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’ – Review
Cinematic maestro George Miller is ready to take audiences back to the heavy-metal action of the Wasteland with Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. This is the must-watch prequel to Miller’s lauded 2015 action masterpiece Mad Max: Fury Road and introduces audiences to the darkest of angels, Furiosa, and it’s an utterly insane watch! As the […]
‘Joika’ – Review
New Zealander filmmaker James Napier-Roberston has proven that he’s an artist willing to push the envelope and extend himself in dramatic ways. His new film, Joika, is a true story of Ballet in the pursuit of excellence that plays out like a taut psychological thriller – and you won’t be able to look away. A […]
‘The Strangers: Chapter 1’ – Review
Veteran filmmaker Renny Harlin turns up the horror as he takes audiences into a backwoods nightmare with The Strangers: Chapter 1, which is a creepy and suspenseful sight that will surely make you shudder. After their car breaks down in an eerie small town, a young couple is forced to spend the night in a […]
‘The Moon Is Upside Down’ – Review
The New Zealand cinema industry is on a roll at the moment with some fantastic film and television work coming to screens, and one of the more intriguing and thought-provoking releases to arrive on screen is actress-turned-director Loren Taylor’s The Moon Is Upside Down. Three women – a duped mail-order bride, a numbed anaesthetist determined […]