This year, with shrinking audiences and pandemic restrictions, there was a bitter irony in the fact women won more Oscars, across new and highly visible categories, than ever before.
- Lecturer in Communications and Media, University of Notre Dame Australia
A new documentary follows a group of young Australian climate activists, loosely weaving their fresh protests with historical events. It’s powerful, if a little too polite.
The sequel to 2018’s Occupation, this new alien invasion film is overly ambitious, both incomprehensible and shrill.
Total Recall is being re-released on its 30th birthday. With its economical, fast-paced narrative embedded in a spectacular cinematic world, it is a masterpiece of late 20th century Hollywood.
For a film that was destined to do so much wrong, this does a surprising amount right. And in an era of relentlessly ‘clever’ films and knowing reboots, Face the Music has a refreshingly light touch.
In The Meddler, Australian documentarians follow an unassuming mechanic in Guatemala City as he prowls the streets with a camera trying to capture footage of crimes and dead bodies.
Daniel Radcliffe stars in the unispired Escape from Pretoria, which is more procedural than character-driven.
In a strong field, there are a number of contenders for Best Picture at this year’s Academy Awards. Our expert picks his winner and names a couple of blockbusters that didn’t make the grade.
Natural disasters are becoming more frequent and Hollywood cinema has kept pace. In a time of global warming, these ‘eco-disaster’ films are fraught with meaning.
As strippers take another turn around the pole in Hustlers, a look at Hollywood history shows we like to watch.
Dalam seni dan budaya, joker mengubah area-area sosial penting menjadi ruang-ruang karnival dan banyolan. Di era sekarang, ia menjadi kian relevan.
Culturally, the joker turns socially significant places into spaces of carnival, revealing cracks within the social order. He is an enduring character – and a common figure in 2019.
A flawless French film, a Macedonian parable and a documentary following alt-right strategist Steve Bannon are three of the stand out films from this year’s festival.
As revenge films go, Australian writer-director Jennifer Kent’s The Nightingale is watchable if uninspired. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the film is the controversy surrounding the violence it depicts.
An Australian documentary about a group of young Afghanis who form a heavy-metal band highlights rock’s subversive power.
The stand-out film is a delirious parody of royalty with a stellar performance by Olivia Colman. BlacKkKlansman is another strong contender - but the critical darling Roma is over-rated.
Suspiria was one of the best; Black Panther a disappointment. Our critical pick of the films of 2018.
Some of the best examples of horror and fantasy genre films have emerged from Australia. Unfortunately, The School is not one of them.
Venom is an engrossing science fiction film, which balances intense action sequences with disarming humour. Viewing it in 4DX, however, did not add to the experience.
The Sydney Film Festival’s 2018 program was outstanding. Movies to watch out for include a WWII-contemporary mash-up set in Paris, a doco about mammoth hunters, and Spike Lee’s racially charged cop movie, BlacKkKlansman.
Upgrade, the latest film from Saw creator Leigh Whannell, is one of the best Australian films of the 21st century.
In Cargo, zombies roam Australia and Aboriginal people living off the land are best equipped to repel them. The first half hour is brilliant but the film becomes far less satisfying.
Netflix’s Chief Content Officer has said the streaming service is the future of film. But cinemas have survived many other threats to their dominance.
Juxtaposed against this year’s other nominees, Call Me By Your Name reveals just how heavy-handed, self important and downright silly much popular cinema has become.
From the superb Moonlight to the exuberant Thor: Ragnarok, it has been a rather good year for film. Here’s our take on the best (and the rest).
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