Reviews

Cameron Crowe relationship dramas aren’t the most novel of films, recently having a yen for ‘trying to find themselves’ lead characters, which has become rather trite. In Aloha this is mostly avoided,...

From those behind the Horrible Histories hit TV show comes Bill, a fabulous Shakespearean romp set during the playwright’s ‘lost years’ between Stratford (where he’s a failed lute player) and his...

At the surface, one might expect Containment to be a paint-by-numbers thriller, sticking seven people on one set, winding them up and letting them go; but there's enough finesse in this little indie film to...

While The Visit doesn't completely see a return to form for Shyamalan, it's certainly a welcome step in the right direction. The Visit cleverly hybridises generic and formal expectations, relying on the...

Oh sequels, what a burden you bear – particularly when the bridge in a trilogy. Any tension or curiosity is firmly nixed from the off as the audience already know that the Gladers, unbeknownst to themselves,...

Legend is a mixed bag, combining undeniable technical brilliance with hokey pseudo-romance. However, framing the myth of the Krays from Frances’ perspective pays off by foregrounding the instability of this...

Redford may not be a master of brevity, but he is a master of the page-to-screen adaptation. Here he handles a plot intricate as clockwork, following reporter Ben’s (LeBeouf) investigation to create a...

In a perfect mix of pathos and comedy, The Second Mother brings light to something key to society: class divide. Regina Casé is a joy to watch as Val, who fosters the unshakable belief that she is a...

The idea that we can receive one final message from dead loved ones is appealing to us as humans, and is interestingly played upon through flashbacks interspersed throughout the narrative, demonstrating how...

The Transporter Refuelled stays true to the extravagance of the original franchise, mixing typical action movie fodder with unusual touches to gratify a wide audience. In many ways the film is dramatic, bold...

Irrational Man is a typically adroit Woody Allen hybrid. What begins as a Manhattan-esque love triangle segues quickly into Manhattan Murder Mystery crime-solving capers, with a heavy dose of moralistic...

Less documentary than visual essay, Out of the Mist relies heavily on its narration by Kiwi author Eleanor Catton. The language employed is more flowery and verbose than your high school final, however, giving...

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is completely undeserving of the cynicism often levelled at films with similar subject matter. It’s entirely sure of its quirky celluloid skin; defiantly utilising unsettlingly...

No Escape takes two people out of their comfort zone and waits to see if they survive. Bell and Wilson, known almost exclusively for comedies, face a distinctly unfunny situation in Southeast Asia and, perhaps...

In making great use of drones, Young explores Christchurch's broken city centre in a fresh and intriguing way, contrasting with more gloomy, traditional news footage of the damage. Highlighting the...