Available on Sky Go and Neon for New Zealand viewers & HBO Max in other territories Hallelujah! After years of consistent grumbling from fans and cast members we have finally arrived at perhaps quite a pivotal moment in cinematic history; not because it involves a film of high quality, but because of the circumstances surrounding…

Hot off the trail of the year 2020, Judas and the Black Messiah sweeps in as a 2021 film to make its statement to the world. There’s no denying that the flurry of racially focussed narratives that have released within the past year are all bolstered by the unnerving recent events that took place in…

In September 2020 the teaser trailer for WandaVision was released – the first television show within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Within this teaser it displayed to audiences what they could expect from the entry into the world of television for the MCU. Simply, WandaVision appeared to be a weird sitcom set across multiple decades following…

When you look back at the year 2019 it’s quite baffling to reminisce on just how indomitable the Russo Brothers were that year; producing hit after hit for Marvel Studios and smashing box office records had made their names echo throughout the industry. This impact was so great that studios and streaming services made great…

The Little Things has a solidly crafted visual aesthetic, an ominous and enticing antagonist, and for the most part provides sufficient engaging material in the lead up to its conclusion. But herein lies the problem, that is all this film ultimately achieves. In noir films, a lot needs to go right in the balancing act…

It’s really quite easy to take a quick glance at the digitally altered cover image of Shadow in the Cloud and come to a negative assumption of what this film is. After all, this cover image is a typical generic pose of the lead character (Chloë Grace Moretz) looking all tattered and standing in what…

At the risk of being labeled as a stereotypical sequel hater; I’m just gonna say it anyway — in my view, this is the best piece of Star Wars live-action content since The Empire Strikes Back. Showrunner and creator Jon Favreau takes advantage of his skilled hand at worldbuilding to create a TV series that…

In 2017 director Patty Jenkins released Wonder Woman – a smash hit both critically and commercially. Its style, action, humor, and overall character work has given this long overdue Amazonian Queen justice on the big screen. Wonder Woman 1984 or WW84 for short, is the colorful long awaited sequel we’ve all been tapping our foot…

With just as much lip-glossed and pink scarfed style as it has deeply translatory messages – ‘Promising Young Woman’ benefits greatly from Mulligan’s superb acting prowess and writer-director Emerald Fennell’s complex storytelling arrangement. Seeking revenge for her friend, Cassie Thomas hatches a chilling cunning plan to teach the people who have wronged her and her…

‘Godmothered’ shows it’s more intent on making its audience laugh than impressing them with a magical story. In order to save the motherland, a fairy godmother in training takes on an impossible assignment as she tries to fulfill a young girl’s  wish to find true love that was made 30 years ago. Despite this family-friendly…

Following the relative success of Happy Death Day (2017) and Happy Death Day 2U (2019) — Freaky takes advantage of writer-director Christopher Landon’s experience in creating wacky horror comedies to the next level by doubling down on his comedic strengths. Freaky follows the story of a young teenage girl named Millie (Kathryn Newton) and a…

If you’ve seen most of Sofia Coppola’s films it quickly becomes apparent that she tends to build the framework of her stories around relationships – but more than that, she builds uncertainty around it all – we never quite know where the characters will end up and this is perhaps the core element of her…

Spontaneous is a trickster disguised as your typical coming-of-age romance. With its quirky camera-work, self-deprecating humor, and gonzo premise — there’s a lot within Spontaneous that gives you the impression you’re simply in for a goofy love story with a few gallons of blood on the side — but who can blame anyone for thinking…

Don’t let the “Love” in Love and Monsters fool you, as this is first and foremost an adventure film. Directed by Michael Matthews, Love and Monsters sees a young man named Joel (Dylan O’Brien) discover his inner hero as he travels across the monster-infested United States to reunite with his high-school girlfriend. Essentially this film…

Sam Kelly’s Savage is as much a film providing social commentary on the complex reality of masculinity as it is a fly-on-the-wall view of the hierarchical nature and complicated world of gang culture. Savage delves deep into the ranks of New Zealand’s gangs as we see a gang enforcer named Dany (Jake Ryan) grow up…

Who doesn’t love dinosaurs! this is Moviegainz review of the entire Jurassic Park franchise. Jurassic Park Stomping into cinemas 27 years ago ‘Jurassic Park’ is still the fun, visually appealing adventure that manages to capture the essence of your childhood nostalgia. Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum deliver iconic performances and manage to gel…

Going into this film there’s an assumption on what to expect; I mean, it’s a film about Pete Davidson (an SNL comedian) by renowned comedy director Judd Apatow. Now, if there’s one thing that surprised me about this biopic; it was that it didn’t feel, look, or pace anything like a typical Judd Apatow flick….

Following Spike Lee’s most recent hit BlacKkKlansman (2018), the stage is set for a heavy and a possibly soul-crushingly lamentful watch. So, I shifted in my seat and prepared for exactly that. Just seconds into the opening I am immediately greeted with stomach-churning graphic images of war and terror; “here we go!” I thought; the…

One doesn’t need to be an avid Scooby-Doo fan to know the core themes of the series. A primary one is that things are not always as they seem; something that may be perceived as supernatural may have an explanation, a mystery behind it all. That is the meat and potatoes of Scooby-Doo, the thing…

When watching a Pixar film set in a land that is inhabited by mythical creatures in the “modern world” one would expect to see wacky, wild, and whimsical things within this world — from timely social themes, hilarious plays on social structures, and witty world-building that makes their imagined world feel justified and “real” for…

Writer-director Leigh Whannell stands at the forefront of this long adapted film series – can he succeed? What we do know is that his recent foray into sci-fi with his previous film Upgrade (2018) proved he was a more than capable director, it is only now that we are given confirmation that he may be…

There’s something truly fascinating about the weird and perplexing history of this film; its like reading a bizarre Wikipedia entry on a celebrity that you didn’t realize had such a strange and tragic life. This film’s history has it all; the first reveal of Sonic the Hedgehog sent shock waves throughout the fan-base, with many…

What Bad Boys for Life achieves is seemingly small; simply, it’s a solidly made sequel within the remake and reboot landscape, this is actually quite a significant achievement. In this follow-up film directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah we continue the story of Mike (Will Smith) and Marcus (Martin Lawrence) as the classic…

Is it possible, that in the final weeks of 2019, one of the greatest films of the decade is released – overshadowing many of the films I’ve seen in the past 10 years? Yes, yes it is. What we witness here in 1917 is a pinnacle example of the power of film – a moving…

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is not a new benchmark, but a retelling of the same flavor of morality that we’ve seen before. Simply put, this is a film that speaks highly of conflict, sacrifice, and inner turmoil — however, when the moment arises for its characters to bite the bullet – we’re left…

Marriage Story is a snapshot film; a story that shows us the marriage between two perfectly sane people and how that sanity can rapidly dissolve. Much like the stylistic intimacy of Ingmar Bergman’s TV Miniseries Scenes from a Marriage (1973) – this film also aims to provide a sort of “fly-on-a-wall” peek into two characters…

Adapting a real life character on-screen is never an easy thing; the questions immediately bubble up to the surface whether who is being portrayed on-screen is being done with accuracy and authenticity. Exaggerating personality traits to extremes or caricatures of their real-life counterpart is also something to consider – then there’s the headache of making…

If you know anything about the premise of this film you sense that it’s likely going to be as hilarious as it is somber. Directed by Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit tells the story on a young Nazi boy named Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis) and his imaginary friend Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi) finding out that his…

10 Years on and we are finally met with a sequel to this Zombie cult hit; thankfully with the same cast and director to revisit what many have forgotten. Directed by Ruben Fleischer, Zombieland: Double Tap is quite honestly, the same movie as Zombieland (2009). If I had to describe the Zombieland movies in one…

From his inception in the 1950’s to his recreation in the 70’s, the Joker has always been a figure of mystery and chaos. Joker is a film that takes a tentative approach at humanizing a character that has always been the embodiment of raw chaos. In this interpretation by director Todd Philip’s there is a…

Monos is a drama film directed by Alejandro Landes – it follows the story of a group of young kids atop a large mountain on a secret mission. In this tale of childhood freedom and responsibility, we are whisked away into the rocky altitudes of Chingaza páramo in Colombia – a remote mountain top that…

This unlikely children’s film has to land as perhaps the most surprising film of the year for me – in an ocean of Academy Award front-runners and wild horrors, Dora and the Lost City of Gold is a wild cinematic experience that hides in plain sight. This unsuspecting kids flick stands firmly alongside popular meta…

Directed by Claire Denis High Life follows the story of Monte (Robert Pattinson), a man, like the rest of his crew-mates is stuck on a ship hurtling into outer-space. Monte is a reserved man who struggles with his past actions. Throughout this narrative we get to see Monte’s journey through the lens of a non-linear…

Who would’ve thought that The Angry Birds Movie 2, a film based off of a mobile game, would provide some adequate laughs and greater character work than your average Illumination film? I sure didn’t. The Angry Birds Movie 2 continues the journey of the bird named Red (Jason Sudeikis) and his pals, as they embark…

The Farewell takes its audience across the sea to a fundamentally different cultural world, exploring the morally conflicting dilemmas involved with saying goodbye to a beloved family member. In this story of cultural conflict we follow the journey of Billi (Awkwafina), a young Chinese American-raised girl who is facing the difficult choice of saying goodbye…

On the surface, Parasite is quite simplistic in its general plot. Simply, we follow the story of two families; a dysfunctional low-income family (the Kim family) and a put-together high-income family (the Park family). We follow the Kim family devising a con to “infiltrate” the home of the prestigious Park family’s residence by posing as…

Live-action remakes are in the firing line as we speak, but The Lion King is different – bigger, much bigger. There is no doubt that the success of this film will determine what happens next for Disney. Recreations are a tricky thing to get right, tonally, visually, narratively – there are countless hurdles that need…

Chucky. Many of us know him, many of us don’t – regardless, he’s no doubt part of the horror halls of fame a like every old franchise that is at least slightly popular, why not reboot it in 2019? Child’s Play is exactly that, a “new approach” to an old franchise. But where many other…

Men in Black: International is the fourth film in the MIB franchise, entirely separating itself from the original series as well as its classic leads Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones; this film focuses on Agent M (Tessa Thompson) and Agent H (Chris Hemsworth) as they face a new threat on Earth. More akin to…

X-Men: Dark Phoenix is quite simply a film without proper direction, figuratively and literally. As this was writer-director Simon Kinberg’s first film – it’s hard to be so tough on someone so new to the job – but it’s important to understand that stories about characters who descend into a melting pot of psychological complexity…

In many ways the lead up to this film reminds me of the death-march that audiences gave Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) before it had released; almost as if audiences (or a loud minority), had announced this movie was destined for failure before it had even released. Funnily enough, just like how Solo: A…

From the director of the Netflix Ted Bundy doco-series; Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile is a film viewed from the perspective of notorious serial killer Ted Bundy (Zac Efron) and his girlfriend Elizabeth (Lilly Collins) – in this film we’re given an intimate look into the complex relationship these two people had, as well…

This is a story about family, those that we lose, moving on, but also, refusing to. Avengers: Endgame doesn’t just signify a closing point for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the fundamental ending of a chapter for the entire superhero film genre. This IS the final chapter in the MCU novel that began it all,…

Based on the novel of the same name Five Feet Apart is a romance film directed by Justin Baldoni. It follows the story of Stella (Haley Lu Richardson) and Will (Cole Sprouse), two very sick teenagers who have to stand at least five feet apart or risk contamination. If it feels like you’ve seen this…

Riding in hot off the tail of Warner Brother’s DCEU franchise films such as Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Justice League (2017) there’s this sense of trepidation that one has when walking into Aquaman; the fear that you’ll receive a mouthful of saltwater like many of the DCEU films have done so…

The Transformers franchise within the past decade has been following what could only be regarded as a downward trajectory; with each successive film suffering from diluted character development, excessive action sequences, and even a severe decrease in box office performance. However, in spite of all of this, I for one can lay back and appreciate…

Grinch is a character who is an icon during the Christmas season and The Grinch (2018) is the second film of the character. The first, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) received mixed reviews, it is now a Christmas classic and this positions The Grinch (2018) in a place where it should be able to…

Much like the previous attempt to reimagine this story in 2010 by director Ridley Scott, this attempt by director Otto Bathurst evokes the same “who the hell asked for this?” feeling that audiences felt nearly a decade ago. Instead of taking the grounded approach of Robin Hood (2010) or the parody approach of Robin Hood:…

With complicated history that already surrounds this film it’s hard not to look at it with microscope and see where all the imperfections lie; I went into this film inherently aiming not to look for these mistakes, but instead, they found me. In this biographical film by director Bryan Singer we follow the history of…

In my view, a sequel should primarily be about one thing, to further build on what has already been built. Creed (2015) was a joint narrative; it ultimately followed the journey of two characters, Adonis and Rocky. In Creed II this focus has shifted, Adonis is champ and he is the focus, paving the way…

It feels as though a neo-noir crime thriller comes along only once every 3 or so years and when it does, it’s always a delight to revisit what the next modern interpretation will be. Bad Times at the El Royale represents the god damn definition of neo-noir crime. However, the lengthy runtime will most certainly…

There was a unique opportunity here to create a Predator film that ticked all the boxes; at their core, the Predator films have been about the hunt; essentially they are monster movies that contain more tension and action than they do horror; but it seems this formula is illusive. The only thing worse than watching…

Gratuity is something I’ve always struggled with in cinema, if I am to see it, it must serve a purpose. Holiday is a film that most certainly skirts the edge of gratuity, showing moments that can unquestionably turn ones stomach. I can say however, there is a method to this madness, or rather, a point…

Before I talk about The Nun we can’t forget where its inspiration resides — The Conjuring Universe is now responsible for collecting a flurry of horror films within its fold. That being said, it is no solemn secret that the films within the Conjuring Universe have had their share of hits and misses. So what exactly…

It is perfectly natural to feel a sense a trepidation when entering a film that uses the notorious webcam perspective for the entire runtime; few films have ever truly succeeded at producing a quality end product. But I assure you, everything you’re about to see here works as naturally as any conventionally good mystery film…

Deconstructing the notion of family, Shoplifters is the kind of film that will keep you wondering when the film will actually begin, until you realize you’d been watching it develop the whole time. Shoplifters follows the lives of a group of ragtag individuals that have formed a family bond together in a small house, as…

What is your definition of a great heist film? Is it the complexity of the plan? Is it the twists and double-crosses? Or is it the exciting and satisfying getaway? If you’re thinking “all of them combined” well then I’ve got news for you; American Animals features none of these things and it is simply…

What was once thought dead has now been reborn, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is the revitalization this franchise needed, complimented by a modern sleek aesthetic and absurd stunts that remind audiences why these films deserve to be around. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol follows the story of Ethan Hunt and his team at IMF as they…

As the fifth installment in the Mission Impossible franchise, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation refuses to bow down, keeping the stunts, production value, and narrative at the quality you’d expect to see in any of the previous installments – and then some. Continuing the story of Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team, they are…

When entering a film of this nature you need to understand a few things; this film is not designed to be an intellectually rewarding comedy, it is also not going to have a plot that leaves your head spinning in glorious ways as you leave the cinema – this is a quick and simple action…

Expectations are undoubtedly going to be monumental when audiences have been asking for a sequel for over a decade and it eventually gets announced – The Incredibles 2 is one of those films that audiences are inevitably going to feel ownership of, as these characters have been a major part of their life since they…

Pixar’s dive into the superhero genre is a truly incredible one, with The Incredibles being among the first superhero films on the big screen to truly delve into the reality of being a super powered individual and the consequences such a life has – with the pioneer being Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man franchise. The Incredibles follows…

I was already eagerly anticipating this film before I had the date set to view it; but if you were to tell me I was about to witness perhaps the best horror film of the decade before entering the cinema, I would’ve perhaps prepared myself mentally – as Hereditary requires it. Do prepare, because this…

Following the truly monumental success of Jurassic World (2015), audiences are undoubtedly expecting these films to continually up-the-ante as this franchise’s rebirth is well underway. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom absolutely attempts to do that – with bigger explosions, deadlier monsters, and greater stakes – but even will all of these components, it misses the mark…

Over 10 years since the last Ocean’s film was released we are met with Ocean’s 8, an all-female spin-off of Steven Sonderbergh’s Ocean’s films. With a huge cast and an ambitious attempt at forming an all-female version, this film pleasantly provides the heist thrills that anyone could reasonably expect from spin-off of the originals. Ocean’s…

There is absolutely no doubt coming into this film that the expectations are lower than usual; if you’ve been following what fans of the Star Wars franchise feel about this film, you’ll know precisely what I mean. Solo: A Star Wars Story is perhaps a case-study example of fandom deciding they don’t like a movie…

The Captain America films have without a doubt shown to be the mini-franchise within the MCU that has shown the greatest sense of progression and impact; with each film pushing Marvel to innovate in how they employ their action sequences or how they form character interactions. Captain America: Civil War continues the story of Steve…

Magic and Marvel Studios has been an aspect long avoided by the franchise, despite its dive into the Thor films and Asgardian history, much of those narratives seemed built around the idea of aliens and technology that seems like magic due to how advanced it is. With Doctor Strange we truly are taking a new…

Roaring with explosive action, wicked character chemistry, and a killer soundtrack that brings it all together; Guardians of the Galaxy stands solidly as one of, if not the best that the MCU has to offer in terms of sheer entertainment value. Why? Well, I’ll tell you why. Guardians of the Galaxy follows the story of…

Marvel takes its first big step at tackling a large scale superhero collaboration. With boundless classically entertaining action sequences and fun character interactions, The Avengers offers viewers blockbuster entertainment at its absolute best. But does it still hold up today? The Avengers follows the story of multiple super-powered individuals teaming up to take on a…

In hopes that this film would show themes regarding the realities of war in a superhero setting, Captain America: The First Avenger falls a little short, instead opting for a comical and cheesy origin tale with plenty of meh moments to go around. Directed by Joe Johnston and set in WWII, it follows the story…

Thor serves up a satisfying popcorn flick that is charming at times and visually entrancing, but plays itself very close to the chest without taking any risks and providing compelling emotional stakes. This Marvel Studios film follows the story of Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the Nordic god of Thunder from the realm of Asgard blindly attempts…

This film stands as somewhat of a unicorn within the MCU’s slate – as it doesn’t technically fit in correctly with continuity due to the actor swap-out from Edward Norton to Mark Ruffalo at a later date. In a sense, this film can be discarded and ignored as one even within the MCU. Following the…

From the visceral visuals to the never-ending barrage of pop culture icons instilled within this fun-filled adventure – Ready Player One captures classic Spielberg magic in virtual form, transporting audiences to a non-stop joyride through the ages. But can its digital charm really translate to a younger generation of audiences? or will falter like Spielberg’s…

With as much bombastic action and showy visuals as its predecessor – Pacific Rim Uprising strays away from offering any dramatic changes to its formula in order to maintain its over-the-top theatricality; but is it enough to sustain the weight of these high concept films? Pacific Rim Uprising is the sequel to Pacific Rim (2013)….

Adapted from the recent rendition of the Tomb Raider/Lara Croft video game series – Tomb Raider follows the story of Lara Croft as she makes for an expedition to the lost island of Yamatai in order to find her father, who has been missing for 7 years. If there’s one thing that Hollywood has yet…

Red Sparrow is based on the novel of the same name and it follows the story of a Russian spy named Dominika Egorova (Jennifer Lawrence) as she undergoes special training to become a “red sparrow” and the conflict she is faced with when she meets an American CIA agent (Joel Edgerton). In order for Red…

Dull writing and a stagnant storyline is the ultimate turnoff – Fifty Shades Freed cuffs you to a chair and exposes you to the horrors of stale characters with no chemistry. If your kink is mind-bogglingly stale writing, you’ve come to the right place.    Fifty Shades Freed is an erotic romance drama film and the…

From director Julius Onah The Cloverfield Paradox came as a surprise to many when it was rushed straight to Netflix, and boy, what an unpleasant surprise. This paradoxical story follows a group of scientists aboard a ship attempting to gain unlimited energy for Earth from a particle accelerator in space, despite not knowing whether it…

Like any sequel, whether it be novel or film, there must be a discernible reason for its existence and a development to the world and characters that inhabit it. The Maze Runner: Scorch Trials feels like a bad neither of things, but merely, a film built around the development of one plot point. The Maze…

This feel-good adaptation of the life of P.T Barnum is exactly what the title of the film suggests, he is the greatest showman and the basis of the entire film is not afraid to run with that – be prepared. The film focuses on the life of the man called P.T Barnum wanting to not…

If an unexpected turn is what you want, that’s precisely what you’ll get from Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Star Wars: The Last Jedi continues the story of Rey (Daisey Ridley), as she attempts to train with the legendary Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) in order to defeat the First Order and face Kylo Ren (Adam…

Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back not only stands firmly as one the greatest adventure films ever conceived, but also as one of the most iconic representations between the conflict of good and evil – this film sinks its claws into the history books by shattering the audience’s mind with arguably the…

Trading away the dull politics and childish humor from the first film for a forced romantic plotline and over exaggerated drama – Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones suffers from the same big problem as the first film, a complete lack of vision. Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones…

In an effort to capture the imagination of the younger generation — Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace consequently alienated its older audience and forcing its younger audience to grow up with the heavy burden that they found Jar Jar funny when they were young. Following the story two Jedi’s named Qui-Gon Jinn…

Wonder is the “feel good, then feel sad, then feel good again” movie of the year – directed by Stephen Chbosky and based on the novel of the same name, this touching story stands as an example that adaptations are always possible to do when you have the right team working on the narrative. In…

Justice League discards the brooding tone that has reigned supreme over the DCEU and trades it away for a much more light-hearted and simplistic storyline. But at what cost? Justice League is director Zack Snyder’s attempt at bringing the legendary team of superheroes to the big screen. In this, these heroes band together to form…

Wasted potential are the words to describe the overwhelming response that Suicide Squad had upon release – from the talented casting choice, to the creative team behind the production design; Suicide Squad stands as an example in cinema of having every available resource supplied and completely wasting all of it. Suicide Squad follows the story…