This Month
‘Wuthering Heights’ and the birth of the toxic boyfriend
In modern parlance, the relationship between Catherine and Heathcliff is what an AI chatbot would vomit out if you asked for a definition of toxic romance.
Decidedly horny Wuthering Heights has one demographic in its sights
Emerald Fennell’s version of the Bronte classic is a two-hour thirst trap with two hot leads who have real chemistry but are occasionally dwarfed by the film.
Everyone is missing the point about the Melania movie
Brett Ratner’s documentary isn’t really a movie at all. It’s the hard launch of a new lifestyle brand – and the clues are all there in black and white.
‘Send Help’ is Sam Raimi’s best film in decades
In this spiky thriller, Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien play off each other wonderfully as a worker and CEO stranded on a deserted island.
From prison to the Oscars: Director’s potent strike against Iran
With “It Was Just An Accident”, Jafar Panahi delivers a compelling ethical dilemma, revenge thriller and comedy all at once.
January
Melania doco is even more banal and boring than feared
Melania’s reflections are as vapid as those you find on posters of mountain vistas, a fact only highlighted in this scandalously expensive “documentary”.
Harrowing Salman Rushdie documentary leaves audience gasping
Alex Gibney’s film is propelled by intimate footage of the novelist’s recovery from a stabbing attack and the global outcry over “The Satanic Verses”.
They don’t make movies like this any more – but they should
Richard Linklater’s “Blue Moon” is a lovely anachronism, and Oscar-nominated Ethan Hawke is fantastic as the complex and conflicted Broadway lyricist Lorenz Hart.
Marty Supreme crackles with humour, violence and vitality
Timothee Chalamet has all but willed himself to the best actor Academy Award, but this sometimes exhilarating film has a confusing message.
Hamnet is captivating and deeply moving
Jessie Buckley is a surefire Oscar winner as the emotional heart of the Shakespeare story, while Ralph Fiennes is spellbinding in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.
This reconstruction of a defining moment in cinema is a joy
Richard Linklater’s “Nouvelle Vague”, a recreation of the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s seminal 1960s film “Breathless”, is brimming with passion, wit and bonhomie.
Sarah Snook and Jacob Elordi take home Critics Choice awards
The two Australian actors have also been nominated for Golden Globes, which this year take place after the journalists’ awards.
Our reviewer’s best films of 2025
There were enough films to enthuse in a year when the release schedule still wasn’t full due to the knock-on effect of the pandemic and Hollywood strikes.
December 2025
Hugh Jackman, Kate Hudson lift corny Neil Diamond tribute
The charisma of the two stars adds something special to “Song Sung Blue”, while “The Choral” makes some thoughtful music as it tackles the futility of war.
Avatar 3 wants to be dazzling, but it’s all a bit meh
The latest film in James Cameron’s series is long and repetitive, and features some of the worst dialogue he’s ever written. The franchise should end here.
Why George Clooney isn’t afraid of humiliation
The Hollywood star plays an ageing actor who has regrets in his latest flick, Jay Kelly, but the 64-year-old insists it’s not about him.
As a Nazi on trial, Russell Crowe wipes the floor with his co-star
The Australian actor is a commanding presence as Hermann Goering, while Rami Malek flaps around wide-eyed in this US-centric story of the Nuremberg trials.
November 2025
Never a dull moment in ‘Wicked’ finale
The musical’s conclusion is big, boisterous and what the fans want, while George Clooney’s “Jay Kelly”, which is generating Oscar buzz, is light but slight.
Rose Byrne delivers one of the best screen performances of the year
The Australian could be on the cusp of her first Oscar nomination as an increasingly frazzled mother who feels her life is crashing.
October 2025
This Springsteen movie is as unlikeable as you probably expected
Scott Cooper’s “Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere” goes for earnestness when it could be rocking out. The fact it focuses on an uncommercial LP doesn’t help.
