Xiofire

While it captures almost every storybeat shot for shot, there is plastic falseness that comes with the added production budget of Benoît Delhomme's remake of Mother's Instinct that takes away from the grounded mundanity of the original. If you absolutely cannot read subtitles for 90 minutes it's not a terrible way to experience the story, but after seeing both, the Belgian originals tighter scope and French je ne sais quoi is certainly the superior of the two.

A nailbiting, paranoid, domestic thriller with a 60s stylish flair, Duelles (or Mothers' Instinct) is a mundane, suburban drama in the best way. Layering on the tension and ratcheting up to a rather suprisingly finale, this was tense and engaging from end to end. It's not genre defining or mould busting, but it's a solid cat-and-mouse game of mindgames and sideways glances that I had a great time with.

Ultimately succumbing to the usual pitfalls that hamstring most timetravel media doesn't stop Time Addicts from being a fresh, firmly-Aussie comedy romp that has a surprising amount of heart and human emotion. The opening really is the weakest part, so I implore you to stick it through if you're thinking of bouncing off it. Just don't try and connect all the dots and take it for what it is, it makes fairly clear outside of a few timeskip tricks that it has no intention of making this a bulletproof timetravel caper. Primer this is not, but it's also a lot more fun.

I'm willing to acknowledge that as the progenitor of most modern post-apocalyptic media, Mad Max has more than earned its place in history. Wholly original and unique with its aesthetic, many have iterated upon the blueprint found within Mad Max and its 90 minutes of disjointed, gritty and explosive vehicular action. Unfortunately, as someone viewing it for the first time in 2024, it doesn't quite stand up to the test of time; its dated filmmaking techniques and limited scope make this a tough, plodding watch. There's a rally in the final third, as all the setup pays off, but it can't save the rest of the movie from feeling antiquated and, for the most part, aimless. I'm thankful for what it's spawned, and I enjoyed it for what it ignited, but I can't say I enjoyed or will ever return to it.

My initial struggles with the Japanese melodrama quickly evaporated when the titular kaiju made his first destructive appearance. Post-war messaging and allegory are heavy and resounding; what initially was difficult melodrama became investment and high stakes. A rare monster flick that manages to interweave human emotion and satisfying character arcs between the folds of giant lizard screeches and city destruction. Deserved Oscar winner and worthy of the constant online praise, Godzilla Minus One shows that the kaiju formula is far from dead in the water.

Much like the photographs captured by the central journalists, multiple shots throughout Civil War are truly captivating; a layered work of subtle world building with few exposition dumps that feels gripping and strangely real. Some will lament the movies restraint in political message, but as a boots-on-the-ground thriller about the mindset of vulturine journalists all preying for the singular photograph to summarise complicated human conflict, it delivers in spades. Toothless for those after a scathing political piece, but an abrasive, character-led thriller for everyone else.

You've already heard how good the Plemons scene is, I'd argue that it's worth the price of admission by itself.

Bursting with sexual and competitive tension, Challengers is hilariously camp at multiple moments, but feels wholly unique in the story it's telling and how it presents it. A stark improvement to Bones & All, Luca Guadagnino is able to construct this time hopping drama in such a way that never feels jumbled or hard to follow, and manages to keep the stakes high even when he rips you back and forth across multiple years in the timeline of these characters. The core message of competition and desire being the driving force behind greatness and personal investment is refreshing, and the finale is such a great climax to this strung out edging session that it's hard not to feel the rush of release as the credits roll. Horny to be sure, but exceptionally constructed horniness nonetheless.

Oh and Zendaya is unfathomably hot in this. Unfathomably. I didn't see it before but I see it now.

Between this and Infested, 2024 is 2/2 for "spider-themed creature features that are actually good". Leaning more into its interpersonal, modern family drama than expected, Sting is an odd conflation of contemporary horror and classic, practical effects silliness. Direct references are made to Aliens and Predator, wearing its 80s influences fully on its sleeve. It's fun, if a little unevenly paced, but I enjoyed my time with it nonetheless.

Excessively bleak with a cringey, edge-of-your-seat layering of tension and absurdity, The Coffee Table is a movie you should certainly go in blind for, but know it's not for the faint-hearted or easily unnerved. Amazing use of minimalistic setting and character work, and weirdly manages a few gritted-teeth laughs durings it's black as night narrative. The only glaring fault is the runtime outstretches the simplistic storyline by quite a large margin, leading to a bit of fatigue before the climactic finale. I'll probably never watch it again, but it's a rollercoaster of an initial viewing that'll stick with me (possibly) forever.

Contemporary comedy chops and a punchy delivery elevate this fairly by-the-book vampire feature into a fun, frantic twisty thriller. The Ready or Not DNA is very apparent, so if you’re a fan of that movie you’ll be right at home here. Solid fun and entertaining popcorn horror flick, the onion joke will live rent free in my head for the next week.

I've found myself having an Adam Wingard day, and it's only improving as I go. You're Next is low budget horror done right. It's brutal when it needs to be, is sparing and effective with the jump scares and has some brutally gory kills while keeping an air of humour about the proceedings that is rare to come by; this is a fantastic contemporary realisation of the slasher genre. One that knows when to be grim, when to crack a joke, and when to push it all aside and just have a good time.
Wingard, please come back to your roots. Stop directing Western blockbuster kaiju movies and bless us with another lo-fi horror/thriller blend that you've seemingly got down to a fine art. These are so good, and only get better the further back I go in your filmography.

Caked in 80s action and horror homages, The Guest is a gripping, minimalistic thriller that is infectiously compelling, even if it is a little too camp in the back-half for my liking. A ton of fun and very enjoyable, I'd forgotten what a knack Adam Wingard had for these lo-fi suspense flicks.

The effects are a little dated and it's steeped in found footage tropes, but that doesn't stop Chronicle from being one of, if not the best superhero origin movie of all time. The spider dismantle and Apex Predator scenes are iconic and it's such an easy watch, it's hard to turn off once it gets rolling. The parallels and similarities to Akira are unquestionable and very apparent to me now after watching it earlier this year, but Chronicle is still a fantastic, streamlined Western version of that classics teen-turned-powerful main narrative.

French melodrama only aids this all too relatable, skin-crawling creature feature that'll shake anyone who has even the slightest arachnophobia. Tingly horror which has a layer of depth with its drugs and societal hierarchy metaphors, Infested is a great modern popcorn horror that's sure to be a crowd pleaser. I'll now be checking every wall and crevice in my house for the foreseeable future.

Bleak, cynical and unrelentingly harrowing, Asphalt City is overly indulgent in its dark subject matter and gives zero room for hope or light for the entirety of it's 120 minute runtime. While I can't deny it's ruthlessness in showcasing the hardships that EMT's call their day-to-day, the drudge of callout after callout being a game of escalation feels a little performative and edgy for melodramatic effect. The imagery around guardian angels and the question of playing god were all nice teasers, but when it's wrapped in this much sorrow and darkness, it's hard to see this as anything other than edgy, nihilistic porn.

Directly mirroring the absurdity of the US immigration and banking systems with it's overtly whacky visual style and presentation, Problemista is a wholly unique yet still somehow touching tale of fighting for what you want, and finding growth and friendship in the unlikeliest of places. It's difficult to recommend as it's delivery is anything but the status quo, but those able to stomach it's zany mannerisms will find a surprisingly sensitive character drama with a dash of social commentary and a sliver of sci-fi.

To boil this down to "Indian John Wick" feels reductive of what's being done here. Dev Patel's first directoral outing is an impressive, huge swing; a socially and politically-charged revenge flick, but there is an overbearing feeling of collapse under these lofty ideas that I just can't shake. There is a loss of cohesion when a tale of vengeance is spread this thin, and while everything is a feast for the eyes and ears (god the soundtrack is so GOOD!) you can feel Patel's struggle to keep all his ducks in a row as the narrative chews and chews the fat. Some impressive highs, but they're extinguished by continous lows in the pace and plot that I can't look past. Excited for the future, I hope Dev continues down this path.

Built on the foundations of an all too believable, near-future dystopia, one riddled with the encroaching effects of climate change, amplified political discourse and outsourced human eradication firms, Humane is a strong debut for daughter of David, Caitlin Cronenberg. Retaining some of the families signature body-horror sequences, Humane takes more of an absurdist, dark comedy angle to some very real social issues, and nearly pulls it all off with a wry wink and a tongue buried very firmly in its cheek. While the central plot idea is well realised, I couldn't help but feel it got a little lost in the jumble of its own characters, and which parts of its plot it wanted to darkly chuckle at, and which ones it wanted to hit hard. Still, a great start that is enjoyably unsettling, if a little unfocused.

Objectively I don't think this is a great movie, but it pulls on enough heartstrings with the usual "dog-plot" story beats to pave over some of the shoddy filmmaking and less than compelling central plot, resulting in an enjoyable, serviceable, canine focused tearjerker. The shift in the final quarter to directly focus on the companionship between Arthur and Michael raises the movie above what I was initially going to give it; if only they'd spent more time throughout the race focusing on these moments and letting them shine.

Is it too brash to say that this is Pixar’s greatest achievement since their initial glory days? Inside Out is a touching and surprisingly clever coming-of-age movie that is just as much emotionally destructive as it is whimsical and fun. The core concept runs so deep and is so relatable, frankly I’m worried for you if you’re not even slightly moved by this movie when it’s really swinging for the fences in its final third. Fantastic movie, my own anger is thumbing the controls in headquarters because of how long I put this movie off.

Now this is cinema. While I have reservations about the haste and overall pace of the finale and the apparent need for a massive final conflict, Dune: Part Two still manages to be one of the most awe inspiring, visually captivating and transportative pieces of film I've ever seen. The way Villeneuve has managed to make something so succinct and captivating out of Herberts stodgy, self-serious epic is truly amazing; I just want more and more of the world and I can't wait to see where he takes us in Messiah. This will join my limited physical collection on release. Truly the best scifi of this century, and it's not even close.

Once again I am faced with the problem of hype and the ratcheted expectations that it sets going into a movie. While I appreciate everything here, from the 70s styling, unhinged meta storyline and twisty narrative, I can't help but think it didn't meet the sky high bar that was set by the people championing this movie online. It's good, don't get me wrong, but not exactly the horror genre revolution they'd have you believe it is on Reddit and Twitter. Still, a very good time and one I can see myself watching again with the hindsight achieved from the initial watch, I just wish I'd gone in a little blinder and a little less influenced.

There is also a funny irony in the fact that the current cinematic devil (Generative AI) is present in this movie, and has become the sole conversation around it. Intentional? Almost certainly not, but apt nonetheless given where the story goes.

Imagine a period piece Chefs Table, with a simplistic romance subplot woven between the layers of masterful cooking and beautiful imagery. A movie that reminds us that cooking and food preparation, no matter how reserved or complex, is the ultimate expression of appreciation and love. Lovely, cozy viewing, but obviously not for everyone, especially those after a multifaceted narrative or complex interpersonal drama.

Please, let me let you go

Perfectly encapsulates the rare feeling of loving someone who hates themselves; and knowing when to call time on mutually beneficial situationships, no matter how hard it may seem with mental health in the balance. Eating disorders, depression and breakdowns are all represented very effectively and never feel superficial in their usage to service the plot. Unlike most protagonists in these types of movies, Riley is infuriatingly difficult and grating with her constant self destruction, but we're sparingly reminded of her best qualities behind these acts of self-loathing which makes Ethans position all the more relatable, and the relationship between the two feel all the more authentic and believable. Outside of some bumpy dialogue, Parachute is a touching drama about some difficult subjects, but it's done with such authenticity and care that it's hard not to get wrapped up in these characters and their respective wrinkles.

Disappointingly toothless but visually splendid. Never fully confronting it's central idea of female body autonomy and oppressive religious institutions, Immaculate languishes in mediocrity and trite horror tropes outside of it's impressive visual aesthetics and grizzly, gnarly finale.

It's not gutbustingly funny or gutwrenchingly sad, but it is a lovely, rambling, soft story about finding friendship and growth in the unlikeliest of places. A film about closure and putting to bed the parts of ourselves that fester and keep us stuck at certain points of our life. It won't blow you away, but it is a solid comedy-lite drama that's easy viewing and pleasantly warm throughout.

You'll Never Find me is dripping with atmospheric dread, a podcast-on-film shot in a single room between two actors, heavy dialogue slowly unfurling the truth behind these characters and what transpired to bring them both here. A little shallow in depth, once revealed the main narrative is a little underwhelming, but everything else is done so well it overrides the simplistic storyline and brings this one far above its Shudder-fodder peers. One that might improve on a second viewing, or as I let it marinate in my head over the coming days, You'll Never Find Me is another Australian horror gem that does a lot with so little. Solid stuff.

You need to take it down a notch .

Hot off my viewing of Snack Shack, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Adam Rehmeier also directed Dinner in America, a movie I'd attempted to watch a few years back but ultimately bailed on because it wasn't hitting me right. I'm very glad (after being blown away by his latest offerings) that I decided to go back. Push through the awkward opening 15 minutes, and you'll be rewarded with a cute, touching, but somehow rebelliously punk rock rom-com that is so off-pitch with it's peers that it feels wholly unique. A whirlwind from start to finish, grungy but also beautiful? It really is in a class and style of it's own, making it so refreshing and impressive. Yeah, Rehmeier is joining the shortlist of directors I'll unconditionally watch going forward. Now to decided if I want to risk this new found adoration by watching The Bunny Game. We shall see.

Adam Rehmeier, I was unfamiliar with your game.

A warm, hazy, nostalgic coming-of-age movie that initially seems tropey and overplayed, but by layering in believable human connection and a lot of heart, Snack Shack manages to surpass its awfully generic namesake into one of the finest best-friend-comedies I've seen. Not many movies manage to make me gasp and tear up like this one did, or leave me with the lingering warm feeling of nostalgia for a place or time I never experienced. Kudos Snack Shack, now be a shit pig and get me a fuck dog.