2016

KATIE SAYS GOODBYE: An Absence of Thematic Meaning
KATIE SAYS GOODBYE: Substituting Masochism For Meaning

Katie Says Goodbye proves playing an uplifting song at the end of a film doesn’t resolve the absence of thematic meaning that was lacking throughout the entire movie.

TAMARA AND THE LADYBUG: Heartbreaking Portrayal Of Female Compassion
TAMARA AND THE LADYBUG: Heartbreaking Portrayal Of Female Compassion

With her film Tamara and The Ladybug, Lucía Carreras has managed to craft a small scale film with a social awareness and universality reminiscent of The Bicycle Thieves.

SHADOWHUNTERS: THE MORAL INSTRUMENTS: "Lost Souls (S3B E 11): The Final Season Begins
SHADOWHUNTERS “Lost Souls” (S3E11): The Final Season Begins

With the end in sight, there seems to be trouble brewing from every angle for the Shadowhunters in the coming future.

ADULT LIFE SKILLS: Another Showcase for Jodie Whittaker’s Unique Charm
ADULT LIFE SKILLS: Another Showcase For Jodie Whittaker’s Unique Charm

Adult Life Skills is a poignant examination of a young woman whose growth has been stunted by grief, carried by Jodie Whittaker’s charming performance.

57 LAWSON: Stories From The Poets Corner Flats
57 LAWSON: Stories From The Poets Corner Flats

Ben Ferris’ experimental docu-drama hybrid 57 Lawson has aged as an important archive of a brief period of time, a lyrical tribute to Australia’s often ignored lower class population.

CITY OF JOY: Hope for Congolese Women Lost in a Sea of War
CITY OF JOY: Hope For Congolese Women Lost In A Sea of War

With an unapologetic, feminine roar, City Of Joy takes on a wholly ignored genocide, racism, toxic masculinity and bloodthirsty greed, a rallying cry for survivors of violence and product consumers.

SACRED HEART: Wrestles With Our Inner Demons

Australian writer-director Kosta Nikas’ Sacred Heart is a mature, thoughtful, and dramatic piece of filmmaking for a first-time feature director.

DUSTY & ME: Slight Dog and His Boy Story Not Without Its Charms
DUSTY & ME: Not Without Its Charms

Dusty & Me is a greyhound leap ahead of similar films that have come before but as dog tales go it can’t quite keep the company of classic animal epics – it’s not quite that memorable.

MY EROTIC BODY: Breaking The Stigma Around Pole Dancing

My Erotic Body shows that a woman’s true erotic self is not defined by a specific body type, age, or what society deems as attractive.

THE LIGHTHOUSE: Interesting Drama That Drifts Into Stormy Seas
THE LIGHTHOUSE: Interesting Drama That Drifts Into Stormy Seas

The Lighthouse is one of the best locked-room dramas that Britain has ever produced, and it works as an impressive showcase of the talents behind it.

SPIDARLINGS: An Incoherent Camp Experience
SPIDARLINGS: An Incoherent Camp Experience

Spidarlings is a love letter to a forgotten era of midnight movies – but in 2018, it feels less revolutionary than in their 70’s heyday.

THE NIGHT OF THE VIRGIN: A Horror Comedy That Isn't Quite Either
THE NIGHT OF THE VIRGIN: A Horror Comedy That Isn’t Quite Either

With no clever jokes and not enough scares to build any real suspense or fear, The Night of the Virgin falls flat.

ZEN DOG: A Psychadelic Trip That Isn't Worth Taking
ZEN DOG: A Psychadelic Trip That Isn’t Worth Taking

Despite promise and an interesting concept, Zen Dog in anything but unique disintegrating into a series of indie tropes.

95 AND 6 TO GO: A Personal Documentation Of Transgenerational Memory
95 AND 6 TO GO: A Personal Documentation Of Transgenerational Memory

95 And 6 To Go follows the Takesues in a one-of-a-kind document; exploring the family’s innately meaningful transgenerational memories.

AFTER THE STORM: Tokyo At Its Most Personal
AFTER THE STORM: Tokyo At Its Most Personal

Koreeda Hirokazu’s intimate family drama After the Storm captures a side of Tokyo rarely seen in cinema, as well as beautifully depicting a turbulent familial relationship with glimmering hope.