When it was first announced that Josh Safdie and Timothée Chalamet were teaming up to make a table tennis sports comedy-drama for A24, intrigue was immediate, coupled with genuine uncertainty. It was a pairing of talent and subject matter that felt bold, unexpected, and thrillingly left of centre. What could a ping-pong movie from the […]
Movie Reviews
’28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’ – Review
The bleak future of Britain in 28 Years Later may be ruled by the infected, but it’s the fractured, feral remnants of humanity that deliver the franchise’s most chilling horrors. That truth is driven home, brutally and without mercy, in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, the much-anticipated sequel to Danny Boyle’s ferocious return to […]
‘Hamnet’ – Review
Sometimes a piece of cinema comes along that does more than simply tell a story — it reaches inside you, takes hold, and refuses to let go. By the time the final image fades and the screen drifts to black, you are left quietly undone, emotionally spent, and deeply moved. Academy Award® winner Chloé Zhao’s […]
‘Anchor Me: The Don McGlashan Story’ – Review
As one of New Zealand’s most prolific and beloved songwriters and musicians, Don McGlashan stands as a true original. Across decades, he has carved out a singular, self-determined path through the country’s musical landscape, remaining fiercely true to his artistry while creating songs and albums that have become woven into the fabric of the Kiwi […]
‘Sentimental Value’ – Review
When it comes to the contemporary tastemakers shaping modern cinema, Norwegian filmmaker Joachim Trier stands as one of the medium’s most distinctive and compelling voices. With each new project, Trier continues to captivate audiences through works that thoughtfully explore memory, place, emotion, and personal context. Following his triumphant The Worst Person in the World, he […]
‘Not Only Fred Dagg’ – Review
When it comes to true New Zealand icons, few loom as large as Fred Dagg — the loveable, gumboot-wearing, do-it-yourself farmer who became the embodiment of Kiwi ingenuity, humour, and understated masculinity. Yet as inseparable as Fred Dagg is from our cultural identity, the character was only ever one part of the remarkable man who […]
‘Anaconda’ – Review
Jack Black and Paul Rudd are more than ready to go native, plunging headfirst into the jungle for Anaconda: a wild, unhinged, and gloriously self-aware remake-of-a-remake that fully embraces its own stupidity. Loud, ridiculous, and relentlessly entertaining, this is exactly the kind of sunburnt, beer-in-hand summer blockbuster chaos audiences could use right about now. Doug […]
‘Rental Family’ – Review
2025 has already proven itself to be a year rich with cinematic treasures, delivering film experiences that transcend genre, expectation, and emotional register. As the year begins to crest toward its final act, audiences are gifted something truly special with Rental Family, a heartfelt, deeply resonant comedy-drama from filmmaker Hikari, and one that arrives precisely […]
‘The Housemaid’ – Review
Christmas is almost here, and while most filmmakers are content to serve up cosy sentimentality and sugar-dusted escapism, Paul Feig has other, far more dangerous ideas on his mind. With The Housemaid, the filmmaker behind Bridesmaids and A Simple Favor delivers a seductive, scandal-soaked psychological thriller that slithers under your skin and refuses to let […]
‘The History of Sound’ – Review
Filmmaker Oliver Hermanus firmly cemented his talent with 2022’s Living, an intimate, emotionally resonant masterpiece led by Bill Nighy that quietly emerged as one of the decade’s defining pieces of cinema. It was sincere, deeply human, and profoundly warm: an exploration of life’s small miracles that lingered long after the credits. Now, Hermanus returns with […]