At The Movies: Recent Episodes
RNZ
Nights’ resident screen critic Dan Slevin joins Emile Donovan to review: Savage House, a scabrous 18th-century comedy starring Richard E. Grant and Claire Foy; Deep Water, a shark survival thriller; and 1979 sci-fi epic Meteor, streaming free on Tubi.
Nights' resident screen critic joins Dan Slevin Emile Donovan to review:
IN CINEMAS
Savage House (directed by Peter Glanz). Richard E. Grant and Claire Foy star in a scabrous comedy set in the 18th century as a social climbing couple prepare to host an important dinner.
PAID STREAMING - AroVision
Deep Water (Directed by Renny Harlin). Survival thriller in which an airliner en route from Los Angeles to Shanghai is forced to ditch in the Pacific Ocean where the survivors must contend with another danger - hungry sharks. Starring Aaron Eckhart and Ben Kingsley.
FREE STREAMING - Tubi
Meteor (directed by Ronald Neame, 1979). A star-studded affair about a joint USA and USSR effort to save Earth from an imminent extra-terrestrial threat.
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Kate Rodger joins Jesse to share what she's been watching at the New Zealand International Film Festival. Minotaur, The Fox and the classic French film BETTY BLUE.
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Nights' resident screen expert Dan Slevin joins us to chat about the untimely passing of Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard, along with Spider-Man's latest outing which swung into theatres last night. Plus, an oft overlooked Sam Neill performance you can watch for free on TVNZ+.
Nights' resident screen critic Dan Slevin joins us to chat about the untimely passing of Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard, along with Spider-Man's latest outing which swung into theatres last night. Plus, an oft overlooked Sam Neill performance you can watch for free on TVNZ+.
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Michelle Langstone reviews three new films: H is for Hawk, with Claire Foy as a grieving falconer and Brendan Gleeson as her father; Kiri and Lou Go Raah!, Harry Sinclair's feature with Jemaine Clement; and 72 Hours, Kevin Hart as a 40-year-old who gatecrashes a Gen Z bachelor party.
H Is For Hawk TRAILER
Kiri and Lou go Raah! TRAILER
72 Hours TRAILER
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Afternoons movie critic Dominic Corry gives his takes on NZ film, Big Girls Don't Cry - on now at the NZIFF and Spider Man: Brand New Day - in theatres now.
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Dan Slevin previews the NZ International Film Festival: ARCO, Natalie Portman's animated time-travel film; The Ice Tower, with Marion Cotillard as a tyrannical 1960s film star; The Tale of Silyan, a Macedonian documentary about a farmer and a wounded stork; and Rose, with Sandra Hüller.
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Kate Rodger joins Jesse to chat about Olivia Wilde's The Invite, Sam Neill's Dead Calm and what to look forward to at the NZIFF.
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Nights' Dan Slevin, is one of the best film reviewers in any medium, consistently convincing, insightful, unpretentious, perceptive, thoughtful and articulate. He joins us every Friday night, and here's what's caught his eye this week.
Nights' resident screen critic Dan Slevin joins Susana Lei'ataua to review
IN CINEMAS
I, Object – A family comedy set in Wellington about a 10-year-old boy who not only sees faces in everyday objects but talks to them too... with predictably chaotic results.
PAID STREAMING – Netflix
The Rip – Matt Damon reunites with Ben Affleck in this action thriller about a group of cops who stumble across millions of dollars in cartel cash and must decide how much, if any, they hand over to their bosses.
FREE STREAMING – Beamafilm
The Day Shall Come – A good excuse to highlight Beamafilm, the free streaming service available through many public libraries. This sharp political satire follows an ambitious FBI agent who targets a well-meaning but naive preacher, attempting to manipulate him into becoming the centre of a fabricated terrorist plot. Starring Anna Kendrick.
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Dan Slevin reviews three new films: The Invite, Olivia Wilde's dinner party thriller with Seth Rogen, Edward Norton and Penélope Cruz; Evil Dead Burn, the third reboot instalment filmed in New Zealand; and Islands, a Sam Riley drama where a tennis coach's welcome distraction turns sinister.
The Invite TRAILER
Evil Dead Burn TRAILER
Islands TRAILER
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Nights' Dan Slevin, is one of the best film reviewers in any medium, consistently convincing, insightful, unpretentious, perceptive, thoughtful and articulate. He joins us every Friday night, and here's what's caught his eye this week.
Nights' resident screen critic Dan Slevin joins Susana Lei'ataua to review
IN CINEMAS
The Odyssey (directed by Christopher Nolan). Oppenheimer Oscar-winner Nolan turns to the classics for inspiration as Matt Damon plays the famous hero Odysseus, trying to find his way back to Ithaca and his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and son Telemachus (Tom Holland), 20 years after leaving to fight the Trojan War.
PAID STREAMING - Apple TV
Propeller One-Way Night Coach (directed by John Travolta). 60-minute family film inspired by Travolta’s own love of flying. In 1962, eight-year-old Jeff (Clark Shotwell) is going on his first plane journey - New York to Los Angeles on the cheapest flight there is, the overnight “milk run” on a TWA Lockheed Constellation. A love letter to the golden age of air travel, based on Travolta’s 1996 children’s book.
FREE STREAMING - Beamafilm
The Day Shall Come (directed by Chris Morris, 2019). An ambitious FBI agent (Anna Kendrick) tries to use a naive preacher as a dupe to create a fake terrorist plot. Written by Jesse Armstrong (Succession) and directed by Chris Morris (Four Lions).
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Afternoons film critic Dominic Corry joins Emile Donovan to review The Odyssey and Island.
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Michelle Langstone reviews three new films: Moana, the live-action remake with Catherine Laga'aia, Dwayne Johnson, Rena Owen and Frankie Adams; The Richest Woman in the World, an Isabelle Huppert comedy-drama; and Primavera, about a young violinist mentored by Vivaldi.
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Dan Slevin reviews three new films: Jackass: Best and Last, the crew's supposed final outing after 26 years; Lollipop, a debut British drama starring Posy Sterling; and Little Brother, a Netflix comedy with John Cena as an estate agent disrupted by a former mentee.
Jackass: Best And Last TRAILER
Lollipop TRAILER
Little Brother TRAILER
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Nights' Dan Slevin, is one of the best film reviewers in any medium, consistently convincing, insightful, unpretentious, perceptive, thoughtful and articulate.He joins us every Friday night, and here's what's caught his eye this week.
Nights' resident screen critic Dan Slevin joins Susana Lei'ataua to review:
IN CINEMAS
Kiki’s Delivery Service (directed by Hayao Miyazaki, 1989). Returning to cinemas - IMAX in fact - is one of Studio Ghibli’s most beloved animated films. Kiki is a witch and the rules say that when you get to 13-years-old, you have to go out on your own. With her spirit animal (a black cat named Jiji) she tries to make a life helping other people but soon discovers that independence is not all it's cracked up to be.
PAID STREAMING - HBO Max
Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! (Directed by Judd Apatow, 2025). This week was the one hundredth birthday of comedian and filmmaker Mel Brooks. This two-part documentary was made to celebrate his 99th and riffs on one of his earliest TV characters, The 2000 Year Old Man, featuring appearances from friends Carl Reiner (and son Rob Reiner, both now gone), Ben Stiller, Conan O’Brien, Jerry Seinfeld and Patton Oswalt.
FREE STREAMING - Three Now
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (directed by Mel Stuart, 1971). On the subject of Mel Brooks, his great collaborator the late Gene Wilder’s most cherished performance is on Three Now.
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Afternoons Film Critic Kate Rodger joins Emile to share her thoughts on some school holiday movies.
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Kate Rodger reviews three new films: Supergirl, an interstellar mission of vengeance and justice; Minions & Monsters, the latest from the Despicable Me universe; and Toy Story 5, with Buzz, Woody and Jessie facing a new threat to playtime.
Minions & Monsters TRAILER
Supergirl TRAILER
Toy Story 5 TRAILER
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Nights' Dan Slevin, one of the best film reviewers in any medium, is consistently convincing, insightful, unpretentious, perceptive, thoughtful and articulate.He joins us every Friday night, and here's what's caught his eye this week.
Nights' resident screen critic Dan Slevin joins Susana Lei'ataua to review:
IN CINEMAS
Supergirl (directed by Craig Gillespie). New addition to James Gunn’s DC Comics cinematic universe, Australian Milly Alcock plays Superman’s cousin, Kara. Unlike Kal-El/Clark Kent/Superman, Kara arrived on Earth as a teenager and is experiencing all the alienation and grief that results from being separated from her parents and community. When her only companion, Krypton the superdog, is poisoned by Brgands, she has to learn how to use her powers to save him - and another orphan (Eve Ridley) with revenge on her mind.
PAID STREAMING - Netflix
One Hundred Years of Solitude (directed by Alex García López and Laura Mora, 2024-26). An epic adaptation of the legendary magical realist 1967 novel by Gabriel García Márquez, this is the biggest film or television production to come out of Colombia. A multigenerational story of a family and a town against the background of the sweeping social and political changes in Latin America across the second half of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th.
FREE STREAMING - TVNZ+ and ThreeNow
Would I Lie to You (2007). Now in its 19th season, this is a hit British comedy panel show where celebrity guests share unbelievable stories, as panellists attempt to separate truth from lies.
[picture id="4JMFTF3_supergirl_webp" crop="16x10" layout="full"]
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Michelle Langstone reviews three new films: Obsession, a horror about a wish granted too literally, starring Inde Navarrette; Backrooms, YouTuber Kane Parsons' debut horror with Chiwetel Ejiofor; and Office Romance, a forbidden workplace love story with Jennifer Lopez and Brett Goldstein.
Obsession Trailer HERE
Backrooms Trailer HERE
Office Romance Trailer HERE
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Nights' resident screen critic joins Susana Lei’ataua with his latest reviews.The Death of Robin Hood starring Hugh Jackman; Animated series Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires and Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood on Youtube
Nights' resident screen critic Dan Slevin joins Susana Lei’ataua with his latest reviews.
IN CINEMAS
The Death of Robin Hood (written and directed by Michael Sarnoski)
A deconstruction of the myth of the bandit who supposedly stole from the rich to give to the poor. Hugh Jackman plays Robin, a man emotionally broken by a life of crime and violence, who is given a second chance by Jodie Comer’s healing prioress on a remote island.
PAID STREAMING — HBO Max
Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires (aka Batman Azteca: Choque de Imperios) (dir. Juan José Meza-León, 2025)
HBO Max has launched to considerable fanfare, but is it delivering good value? In an effort to find something genuinely new in the lineup, I settled on this animated origin story of an Aztec orphan who adopts a masked identity to fight back against Spanish conquistadores threatening to steal treasure and destroy Indigenous culture.
FREE STREAMING — YouTube
Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood
The beloved children’s television series now has an official YouTube channel, with clips and full episodes being uploaded regularly.
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Dan Slevin reviewsGlenrothan, Brian Cox's directorial debut, about two estranged brothers and a whisky distillery.Devs, a cerebral sci-fi series about a tech company trying to predict the future.The Way, Martin Sheen’s emotional Camino pilgrimage drama, back for its 15th anniversary
Nights' resident screen critic Dan Slevin joins Emile Donovan to review:
IN CINEMAS
Glenrothan (dir. Brian Cox). This is the first feature to be directed by Brian Cox, star of Succession, and it is the story of two estranged brothers and their family whisky distillery. Cox plays the older brother, and the jazz musician younger brother is played by Alan Cumming (who is also one of the stars of Schmigadoon!).
PAID STREAMING - Neon
Devs (written and directed by Alex Garland). This eight-episode cerebral sci-fi series was originally on Hulu in the US in 2020 but never on a local streamer until now. Nick Offerman plays the CEO of a mysterious quantum computing company that intends to use its prodigious computing power to predict the future and rewrite the past.
FREE STREAMING - Brollie
The Way (dir. Emilio Estevez, 2010). The film is back in cinemas this weekend to commemorate the 15th anniversary of its release, but it's also streaming for free on Brollie. Martin Sheen plays a grieving father determined to complete the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage carrying the ashes of his dead son. The first and best of the (many) Camino films.
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Dan Slevin reviews three new films: Disclosure Day, Spielberg's alien whistleblower thriller with O'Connor, Firth and Blunt; Scary Movie 6, with the Wayans Brothers returning; and Re-Creation, Jim Sheridan's courtroom drama imagining the Sophie Toscan du Plantier jury room, starring Vicky Krieps.
Disclosure Day TRAILER
Scary Movie 6 TRAILER
Re-Creation TRAILER
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Kate Rodger reviews three new films: The Christophers, Soderbergh's thriller with McKellen and Coel; Mandalorian and Grogu, the big-screen Star Wars feature with Pascal and Weaver; and Masters of the Universe, with Galitzine, Elba and Leto.
The Christophers TRAILER
The Mandalorian and Grogu TRAILER
Masters of the Universe TRAILER
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Afternoons Film Critic Dominic Corry joins Jesse to share his hot takes on what's new in theatres this week.
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This week on Short-Cuts Dan Slevin takes a look at Moss & Freud imagining the relationship between Kate Moss and Lucian Freud, Marty, Life Is Short; The Martin Short documentary on Netflix and a Jason Statham revenge thriller The Beekeeper streaming free on TVNZ.
This week on Short-Cuts, Dan Slevin takes a look at:
IN CINEMAS
Moss & Freud (dir. James Lucas). In 2002, supermodel Kate Moss sat for a portrait by the great British painter Lucian Freud. With Moss’s help, New Zealand director James Lucas (Whina) imagines what might have unfolded between two famously complicated public figures — one the most photographed woman in the world, the other one of Britain’s most celebrated and notorious artists. Ellie Bamber plays Moss, while the legendary Sir Derek Jacobi stars as Freud.
PAID STREAMING – Netflix
Marty, Life Is Short(dir. Lawrence Kasdan). A warm and funny documentary about beloved comedian and actor Martin Short, charting his rise from suburban Ontario to Saturday Night Live and Hollywood fame. Directed by longtime friend Lawrence Kasdan (The Big Chill), the film features appearances from Short’s equally famous mates including Steve Martin, Tom Hanks, Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara. Expect laughs, stories and a few surprisingly emotional moments too.
FREE STREAMING – TVNZ
The Beekeeper (dir. David Ayer, 2023). Peak Jason Statham. He plays a retired operative turned humble beekeeper, living quietly on the farm of a kind retired teacher played by Phylicia Rashad. But when online scammers steal her life savings, Statham swaps honey for headbutts and launches a brutal mission for revenge.
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Michelle Langstone reviews three films from the French Film Festival: A Dash of Love, a moving road trip about two disabled friends; Case 137, a Cannes-selected thriller starring César winner Léa Drucker; and Guru, a taut film about a predatory life coach.
A Dash Of Love Trailer HERE
Case 137 Trailer HERE
Guru Trailer HERE
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This week on Short-Cuts Dan Slevin takes a look at The first Star Wars film to hit cinemas in seven years. A documentary on the first deaf actor to win an Oscar and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert YouTube channel packed with highlights from its 11-year run.
This week on Short-Cuts, Dan Slevin takes a look at:
IN CINEMAS
The Mandalorian and Grogu (Favreau, 2026). The first Star Wars film to arrive in cinemas in seven years, spun off from the hit Disney+ series about a mysterious bounty hunter who unexpectedly finds himself caring for a powerful alien child with a striking resemblance to a certain Jedi master.
PAID STREAMING - DocPlay
Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore (Stern, 2025). A documentary about the first deaf actor to win an Academy Award, directed by deaf filmmaker Shoshanna Stern, exploring both Matlin’s groundbreaking career and the deaf experience of the hearing world.
FREE STREAMING - YouTube
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ended this week, and the show’s YouTube channel is packed with highlights from its 11-year run, a fitting chance to celebrate Colbert and speculate about what comes next.
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Dan Slevin reviews three new films: Vie Privée, a Paris thriller starring Jodie Foster; Words of War, with Maxine Peake as assassinated Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya; and Finding Emily, a British rom-com featuring Angourie Rice.
Vie privée (A Private Life) trailer HERE
Words of War trailer HERE
Finding Emily trailer HERE
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Dominic Corry joins Jesse Mulligan to give his reckons on Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, Obsession, and Guru, which is playing as part of the French Film Festival
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Kate Rodger reviews the latest releases on The Big Screen: David Lowery's psychological thriller Mother Mary starring Anne Hathaway, French Film Festival drama The Great Arch with Claes Bang as the architect behind Paris' Grande Arche, and Karl Urban in video game sequel Mortal Kombat II.
Mother Mary Trailer HERE
La Grande Arche Trailer HERE
Mortal Combat II Trailer HERE
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Kate Rodger reviews: Devil Wears Prada 2, reuniting Streep, Hathaway, Blunt and Tucci back at Runway; The Weed Eaters, a cannibalistic NZ horror about very bad munchies; and Greenland 2: Migration, Gerard Butler's post-apocalyptic follow-up.
Greenland 2: Migration trailer HERE
Devil Wears Prada 2 trailer HERE
The Weed Eaters trailer HERE
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Nights’ screen critic Dan Slevin reviews Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition, tracing the band’s rise from East End pubs to stadiums; The Young Pope, the timely Jude Law papal drama; and Battletruck, a Kiwi post-apocalyptic cult classic.
On this week’s edition of Short-Cuts, Nights’ resident screen critic Dan Slevin reviews:
IN CINEMAS
Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition — A documentary tracing the band’s journey from East End pubs to global stadiums, blending their story with fans, including Javier Bardem.
PAID STREAMING — Neon
The Young Pope — Not new, but back on Neon. A timely drama about a brash American pope, starring Jude Law and Diane Keaton.
FREE STREAMING — YouTube
Battletruck — A classic New Zealand post-apocalyptic film where rival clans battle over diesel in a broken future world.
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Film Critic Dominic Corry reviews Mortal Kombat II and The Great Arch (part of the Architecture and Design Film Festival) as well as fish and chip shops!
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Michelle Langstone reviews three new films: Peter Hujar's Day, reconstructing a lost conversation with the legendary photographer; Chelsea Preston Crayford's debut feature Caterpillar; and Apex, starring Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton.
Peter Hujar's Day Trailer: https://youtu.be/Rzp8uw-t-eA
Apex Trailer: https://youtu.be/kgv8jf_8dm0
Caterpillar: https://youtu.be/YhzyWBFBSBI
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Nights' Screen Critic Dan Slevin takes a look at The Resene Architecture & Design Film Festival, touring nationwide. Also streaming: Bait on Prime Video, a dark comedy from Riz Ahmed, and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre on Kanopy.
Nights’ Screen Critic Dan Slevin takes a look at the
IN CINEMAS - Nationwide
Resene Architecture & Design Film Festival, which opened in Auckland last night and runs across 13 towns and cities nationwide until 21 June. Dan reviews four of the films; Nuvola, The Great Arch, Googie and Stardust: A Story of Love and Architecture.
PAID STREAMING – Prime Video
Bait is a six-part comedy drama from Riz Ahmed, who also stars. It follows an Asian-British actor whose failed James Bond audition triggers a spiral of personal, professional and psychological fallout. It’s dark, funny and strange, featuring a voice performance by Patrick Stewart as a severed pig’s head.
FREE STREAMING – Kanopy
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is a classic human drama about three men who strike gold in Mexico and quickly discover how greed unravels their pact to share it equally. It’s a tense, richly told story of ambition and mistrust, and a multiple Academy Award winner.
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Afternoons film critic Kate Rodger joins Jesse to give her hot takes on The Devil Wears Prada 2 and Apex.
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On Short-Cuts Dan Slevin reviews: Exit 8 Japanese film where a man is stuck in a looping subway puzzle, Greyhound & Finch – Tom Hanks in WWII naval thriller + post-apocalyptic road trip with a robot and One Life staring Anthony Hopkins as Nicholas Winton who saved hundreds of Jewish children.
On this week's edition of Short-Cuts Nights resident screen critic Dan Slevin reviews:
IN CINEMAS
Exit 8 - A Japanese man on his way to work is trapped in a mysterious loop while trying to escape the subway. Solving the puzzles will lead him to Exit 8 but any failure takes him all the way back to Exit 0.
PAID STREAMING
Greyhound (2020) & Finch (2021) - Two Tom Hanks-led films: Greyhound is a tense World War II naval drama following a rookie commander navigating U-boat attacks in the Atlantic, while Finch is a post-apocalyptic road story about a dying inventor building a robot to care for his dog as they journey across a ravaged America.
FREE STREAMING – Māori+
One Life - the superb drama starring Anthony Hopkins as Nicholas Winton, who - as a younger man played by Johnny Flynn - saved hundreds of Jews from Nazi-occupied Prague.
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Michael, the Jackson biopic starring his nephew Jaafar; The Time Traveller's Guide to Hamilton Gardens, opening the Resene Architecture & Design Film Festival; and Sgt. Haane, Tearepa Kahi's 28th Māori Battalion ANZAC story.
Michael Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-YAcjaLuSI
The Time Traveller's Guide To Hamilton Gardens Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=At3PQESNEwY
Sgt. Haane Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ-qino7ZNg
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Afternoons Critic Dominic Corry on whether 'Michael' really is the worst bio-pic of all time.
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Three new films: The President's Cake, an Iraqi Cannes winner set during the Gulf War; The North, a quiet Scottish Highlands reunion story; and Thrash, Netflix's hurricane shark film with Phoebe Dynevor.
The President's Cake Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIhlE3lfu6w
Thrash Trailer: https://youtu.be/hzyOsNyDkbM?si=enPHvbm9g-xaNzmF
The North Trailer: https://youtu.be/-SG46PKUCfQ?si=pB6YT76CZaADXVAU
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Nights resident screen critic Dan Slevin reviews: Fuze, a WWII bomb evacuation in London that masks a diamond heist; Blind Panic, a New Zealand thriller about a blind woman and an ex-con, both targeted by a crime lord; and the 90s classic crime thriller Heat, starring Robert De Niro.
On this week's edition of Short-Cuts Nights resident screen critic Dan Slevin reviews:
IN CINEMAS
Fuze, an unexploded World War II bomb in central London sparks an evacuation that turns out to be cover for a diamond heist staring Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Theo James, directed by David Mackenzie.
PAID STREAMING
Blind Panic, a NZ thriller about a blind woman and an ex-con on home detention whose paths are crossed by a local crime lord.
FREE STREAMING – TVNZ+
Heat, Michael Mann’s 1995 masterpiece featuring Robert De Niro as Neil McCauley.
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Afternoons critic Dominic Corry joins Jesse Mulligan to discuss Fuze and The Mummy, both are in theatres next week.
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Film critic Dan Slevin reviews three new films: Undertone, a Canadian horror about a podcast host driven to paranoia by eerie recordings; You, Me & Tuscany, a rom-com with Halle Bailey and Regé-Jean Page; and Solo Mio, about a groom honeymooning alone in Italy.
Undertone Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6uDeBYDHu4
You, Me & Tuscany Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09kuFgvohIU
Solo Mio Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvTpQDdZY0k
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Nights resident screen critic Dan Slevin reviews last year’s Caméra d’Or winner at Cannes, the Iraqi Oscar entry The President’s Cake, the Paul McCartney documentary Man on the Run, and MTV Rewind, a site recreating the experience of endless music videos.
Nights' resident screen critic Dan Slevin joins Emile Donovan with his picks for the weekend.
Tonight, Winner of the Caméra d’Or at Cannes last year, as well as the Iraqi entry in the Best international Feature category of the Oscars, The President’s Cake; the documentary about Paul McCartney rebuilding his life and music in the immediate aftermath of leaving the Beatles in 1970, Man on the Run and MTV Rewind, a website that recreates what it was like to watch an endless stream of music videos.
[picture id="4JQDTQ8_The_Presidents_Cake_jpeg" crop="16x10" layout="full"]
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Critic Kate Rodger shares the best picks for the school holidays, her take on The Drama and reacts to the Emmy nods for Prime Minister.
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Kate Rodger explores dark comedy, The Drama, school holiday option Super Mario Galaxy and reflects on ten years of Hunt For The Wilderpeople
The Drama movie trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zmKcUa4Xxk
Super Mario Galaxy Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LX9kXRRJlPw
Hunt For The Wilderpeople: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tICv8QH3oM0
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Nights’ resident screen critic Dan Slevin marks 10 years of the Kiwi classic Hunt for the Wilderpeople, back in cinemas this weekend. He also reviews Resurrection, a delirious Chinese sci-fi arthouse film on AroVision, and revisits Housebound, starring Rima Te Wiata, now streaming free on Māori+.
Nights’ resident screen critic, Dan Slevin celebrates the 10th anniversary of the classic kiwi movie, Hunt for the Wilderpeople which is back on the big screen in cinemas this weekend
He also takes a look at Resurrection the delirious Chinese sci-fi arthouse epic by one of the most exciting directors in the world and streaming on AroVision.
Plus, Housebound, another local feature that got full value out of national treasure, Rima Te Wiata, streaming free on Māori+
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Michelle Langstone reviews three films: a tender, graphic love story, the final Peaky Blinders chapter, and a big-budget children's adaptation that got everything wrong. Pillion, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, and The Magic Faraway Tree, on Culture 101.
Pillion – https://youtu.be/aTAacTUKK00
Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man – https://youtu.be/lcvUGs3xaDM
The Magic Faraway Tree – https://youtu.be/3aHYFwvoGek
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Dan Slevin reviews horror highlights, including Alexandra Heller-Nicholas’ 1000 Women in Horror documentary. He also notes The Babadook streaming free on Brollie, and the cinema release They Will Kill You, where a maid uncovers a deadly cult.
Nights’ resident screen critic, Dan Slevin, takes a look at horror films including Alexandra Heller-Nicholas’ book 1000 Women in Horror which has been made into a documentary on AMC+/Shudder.
Also, one of the key examples chosen in that film, Jennifer Kent’s The Babadook, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdmZABM_9H0is streaming for free on Brollie.
And in cinemas, They Will Kill You is a comedy horror about a woman (Zazie Beetz) who takes a job as a maid in a mysterious hotel to try and find her missing sister, but realises that she’s now required to be a human sacrifice for a group of immortal devil worshippers.
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Afternoons film critic Kate Rodger gives her take on films 'If I had Legs I'd Kick You' and 'No Tears on the Field'.
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Nights’ resident screen critic Dan Slevin is back with three picks: one in cinemas, one on streaming, and one you can watch entirely for free.
Nights’ resident screen critic Dan Slevin reviews Project Hail Mary, a science fiction film in which Ryan Gosling plays an unwilling microbiologist, alone on the edge of the galaxy trying to stop all the stars from dying. When he realises he’s not alone, the fun really begins. In cinemas now.
On paid streaming, Disney+ has Skeleton Crew, an eight-part adventure set in the Star Wars universe. Four school friends from a supposedly safe planet accidentally hitch a ride on a starship and end up at the mercy of space pirates led by Jude Law.
Dan’s free streaming pick is on YouTube: United States of Beauty, a 40-minute meditative film stitched together from still photographs taken aboard the International Space Station.
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Film critic Dan Slevin reviews Kiwi doco No Tears on the Field, I Swear, a biography of a Tourette's Syndrome activis and Pixar's animated comedy, Hoppers.
I Swear Movie Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeWqQN3snCU
No Tears On The Field Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArCkvrgwMRE
Hoppers Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PypDSyIRRSs
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Afternoons Critic Dominic Corry is with Jesse Mulligan to share his thoughts on the latest new releases.
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Kate Rodger reviews Tenor: My Name is Pati and makes her predictions for this year's Oscars winners and losers
Tenor: My Name Is Pati Trailer
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Nights’ resident screen critic, Dan Slevin, reviews Cold Storage, a fun splatter movie about a space fungus; Secret Mall Apartment, about a group of artists who live in a mall undetected for years and the acclaimed 2024 National Theatre production of The Importance of Being Earnest.
Nights’ resident screen critic, Dan Slevin, reviews Cold Storage, a fun splatter movie about a space fungus that escapes from containment due to global warming. Only veteran bioterror expert Liam Neeson can save the world - with the help of the minimum wage night security at the storage facility, Joe Keery and Georgina Campbell. In cinemas now.
On paid streaming, DocPlay has Secret Mall Apartment, about a group of Rhode Island artists who discovered a vacant space in their grand new local mall and decided to live in it, managing to go undetected for four years.
Dan’s free streaming option is on YouTube: The acclaimed 2024 National Theatre production of Oscar Wilde’s timeless comedy The Importance of Being Earnest is available for free on YouTube for five days only. Stars former Doctor Who, Ncuti Gatwa, and Olivier Award-winner Sharon D. Clarke.
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Kate Rodger joins Jesse Mulligan to review Ryan Gosling's latest and indulge in a quick Oscars preview.
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Nights’ resident screen critic, Dan Slevin, reviews the new Spanish road trip drama Sirāt, the second season of the John le Carré adaptation, The Night Manager and the four-time academy award nominated courtroom thriller, A Few Good Men.
Nights’ resident screen critic, Dan Slevin, reviews the new Spanish road trip drama Sirāt, about a father searching for his missing daughter with the help of a group of travelling ravers in North Africa. That’s in cinemas now.
On paid streaming, Prime Video has the second season of the John le Carré adaptation, The Night Manager, starring Tom Hiddleston as the once reluctant and now professional MI6 agent, Jonathan Pine. His quiet life observing the after hours activities of British intelligence targets is disturbed by the reemergence of surprising old faces.
Dan’s free streaming option is on TVNZ+: the four-time academy award nominated courtroom thriller, A Few Good Men. Ambitious military lawyer (Tom Cruise) defends two Guantanamo Marines accused of murder. Also starring Jack Nicholson.
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Michelle Langstone looks at three films making waves internationally, including The Bride, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s punk inspired retelling of the Bride of Frankenstein story, South Korean director Park Chan-wook’s dark satire No Other Choice, and the Cannes Grand Prix winning drama Sentimental Value from Norwegian director Joachim Trier.
Sentimental Value Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKbcKQN5Yrw
The Bride Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhgcUArO3Uo
No Other Choice Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKZpuG_ezvY
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Is there too much plot in The Bride? Should some ideas be left on the page aka Charli xcx The Moment? Heartwarming goodness from Tenor: My Name is Pati. Film critic Dominic Corry has some thoughts on these new releases.
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Boris Jancic joins Culture 101 to unpack Baz Luhrmann’s latest Elvis documentary, revisiting the life and cultural legacy of Elvis Presley through archival material and newly assembled footage. He also reflects on key moments from this year’s BAFTA Awards and what they signal for the rest of awards season. Plus, a look at streaming platform MUBI, its curated approach to cinema, and why it continues to attract audiences seeking international and independent film.
EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert Movie trailer
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Nights’ resident screen critic, Dan Slevin, previews the 2026 Wellington and Auckland film societies' programmes. He also reviews The Swedish Connection; a drama about the Swedish and; One Title: Football in Greenland a short documentary about the 2025 Greenland Football Championship from the BBC.
Every Friday Nights' film and television critic Dan Slevin joins the programme to talk about the best new releases, what's streaming and something you can watch for free.
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Nights’ resident screen critic, Dan Slevin, reviews Wonder Man, the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Merrily We Roll Along, a recording of the 2022 Broadway revival and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.
Nights’ resident screen critic, Dan Slevin, reviews Wonder Man, the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as a struggling Los Angeles actor with secret superpowers (Disney+), and Merrily We Roll Along, a recording of the 2022 Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim’s acclaimed musical starring former Harry Potter, Daniel Radcliffe (AroVision). Dan's free streaming option this week also stars Radcliffe, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (TVNZ+).
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Michelle Langstone reviews three new films, beginning with Emerald Fennell’s much discussed adaptation of Wuthering Heights and its bold creative choices. She then explores the Māori gothic horror Mārama, highlighting its themes of colonial violence, spiritual lineage, and striking cinematography. Finally, she delves into If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, a dark portrait of a mother on the edge that blends sensory overload, surreal escapes, and a standout performance from Rose Byrne.
Watch the trailers here:
- Wuthering Heights
- Mārama
- If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
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Does 'Wuthering Heights' live up to all the hype? What's the story behind local new release 'Mārama'? Get the latest on both films with critic Kate Rodger.
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Nights' resident screen critic, Dan Slevin is back with more movie and TV recommendations. His picks this week are Space 1999, We Bury the Dead, Death by Lightning and This Is New Zealand.
Nights' resident screen critic, Dan Slevin shares his picks of the week with Mark Leishman.
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Dan Slevin reviews Is This Thing On?, Bradley Cooper’s comedy drama starring Will Arnett as a stand up comic navigating divorce and co parenting while rebuilding his career; the anime Scarlet, where a grieving medieval princess on a quest for revenge is pulled into a mysterious realm between life and death; and Shelter, a tense thriller starring Jason Statham as a reclusive islander forced to confront his past after rescuing a girl from the sea.
Watch the trailers here:
- Is This Thing On?
- Scarlet
- Shelter
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Nights’ resident screen critic Dan Slevin is back for the first Short-Cuts of 2026. He’s got one pick playing in cinemas, one streaming and one you can watch for free.
Watch the trailer here:
- It Was Just An Accident
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Thanks for joining RNZ 'at the movies'. We're making this podcast the new home for all the movie reviews appearing on RNZ National. Join us to hear our great cast of New Zealand’s best reviewers discuss the latest releases from must-see blockbusters to indie gems. BYO popcorn!
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In the very last At The Movies, Simon Morris looks back on 24 years of movies – a quarter century that started with the first Lord Of The Rings, and an Oscar for Russell Crowe, and ended with two of the biggest films of the year, both made in New Zealand – The Minecraft movie and Avatar: Fire and Ash. But mostly he picks some (very) idiosyncratic favourites over the years, including the world’s smallest hit musical, the youngest action hero and the four best endings.
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In the penultimate At The Movies, Simon Morris looks back over an eventful year. Apart from the usual winners and losers, he produces his personal Top Three (there seem to be four of them), his picks for the New Faces of 2025, and the traditional, annual Cate Blanchett Award for Being in Everything. Who will win this coveted award? And why has nobody in the western world heard of the biggest film of the year by a country mile? The country being China….
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Simon Morris kicks off the first of the final three At The Movies with films all connected with some old favourites. Wake Up Dead Man director Rian Johnson's career started with the neo-noir Brick back in 2005. Jennifer Lawrence, star of Die My Love, arrived five years later in 2010’s Winter’s Bone. And Zootopia 2 is the sequel to another favourite released in 2016.
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Die My Love is a harrowing tale of a marriage under stress, with a dream team before and behind the camera. Produced by Martin Scorcese, directed by Lynne Ramsay (We have to talk about Kevin) from a book by Alice Birch (TV’s Normal People), it stars Jennifer Lawrence (Hunger Games) and Robert Pattinson (Twilight) with Sissy Spacek (Carrie).
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Wake Up Dead Man is another Knives Out mystery, starring Daniel Craig as detective Benoit Blanc. Among the star-studded list of suspects are Josh O’Connor (Challengers), Glenn Close (The Wife), Andrew Scott (Ripley) and Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker). Written and directed, as always, by Rian Johnson (The Last Jedi) .
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Zootopia 2 is the long-awaited sequel to the popular animated film about a city entirely populated by animals. Will the rookie police team of bunny Judy Hopps and fox Nick Wilde discover what happened to all the reptiles? Featuring Ke Huy Kwan (Everything Everywhere All At Once) as the voice of Gary De Snake.
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Dead of Winter sees Dame Emma Thompson (Sense and Sensibility) shunning the English costume dramas for a gritty thriller set in the frozen North. Can she rescue a kidnapped teenager, with only her grit and determination? Directed by Brian Kirk (TV’s Day of the Jackal).
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Simon Morris notes that A List stars are no longer enough to command big cinema audiences. Is it the end of the line for movies like Jay Kelly, starring George Clooney and Adam Sandler, Dead of Winter, with Dame Emma Thompson, and Prime Video’s After the Hunt, starring Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield?
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Jay Kelly is a made-to-measure comedy-drama for George Clooney, about a top star wondering what he sacrificed for his career. Written and directed by Noah Baumbach (Barbie), it features Adam Sandler, Laura Dern, Greta Gerwig, Isla Fisher, Jim Broadbent and many more.
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After the Hunt has ended up on Prime Video, after a promising start at the Venice Film Festival. Julia Roberts (Erin Brockovich) plays a Yale professor caught in a MeToo situation, when her student (Ayo Edebiri) accuses her colleague and best friend (Andrew Garfield) of conduct unbecoming. But there are more secrets being hidden. Directed by Luca Guadagnino (Challengers).
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Now You See Me: Now You Don’t is the third in the series of tales of conjurors, robbing from the rich. This time the Four Horserman need help from three keen young magicians. Stars Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson and Rosamund Pike.
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The Running Man is set in a world of extreme poverty where the only way out is via high-paying reality TV shows. The most popular one is The Running Man where contestants are hunted down by the general public and killed. Ben Richards (Glen Powell) has to survive 30 days. Based on a Stephen King book, it’s directed by Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead).
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Simon Morris remembers the golden age of Blockbuster Videos, where failed movies could recoup their costs when they went to video. This week, a sequel to one such film Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, and a remake of another, The Running Man. Also this week, a sequel to a similar genre picture, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t.
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Spinal Tap II: The End Continues is the long-awaited – 40 years in fact – sequel to the cult mockumentary This is Spinal Tap. Now everyone’s favourite fake metal band reforms for a final stadium concert. Starring Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer, with guest stars Paul McCartney, Elton John and many more. This one goes up to eleven!
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Happyend is a Japanese drama, set in the near future. Five high school rebels face the prospect of going their separate ways, while corrupt politics arrive at both the school and out in the wider world. To protest or not to protest? Written and directed by Neo Sora, son of the legendary actor and musician Ryûichi Sakamoto (Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence).
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Predator: Badlands finds a young member of the Yautja (Predator) tribe hunting on the most dangerous planet in the Galaxy. His quest: to capture a beast that can’t be killed. Starring Elle Fanning as two robots, and Kiwi Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi (Red White and Brass) as the Predator.
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A Little Something Extra is a hugely popular comedy from France. Two jewel robbers hide out from the cops among a party of holidaying people with disabilities. They find it harder than it looks to fit in. Starring, written and directed by Artus, it’s one of the highest-grossing movies ever at home.
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Simon Morris returns to a group of rather specifically targeted movies. From the recent International Film Festival, a very French farce about two crooks hiding out at a camp for people with disabilities…. And an equally Japanese film about high school rebels. And the latest Predator film seems to be changing the formula.
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Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone (in her fourth collaboration with director Jorgos Lanthimos) star in a black comedy about a desperate young man who kidnaps a wealthy pharmaceutical executive believing that she’s an alien sent to enslave the people of Planet Earth – reviewed by Dan Slevin.
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Dan Slevin reviews Nia DaCosta and Tessa Thompson’s adaptation of Ibsen’s classic play about a frustrated, ambitious and manipulative woman who goes to great lengths to support her husband’s career.
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Dan Slevin reviews a comedy about a low-level angel (Keanu Reeves) who tries to save a struggling gig worker (Aziz Ansari) in present day Los Angeles.
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Bugonia is a black comedy about an executive (Emma Stone) kidnapped after she’s mistaken for an alien . Aziz Ansari’s comedy Good Fortune stars Keanu Reeves as a fallen angel. Hedda is an adaptation of Ibsen’s classic play starring Tessa Thompson.
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Dan Slevin reviews Guillermo Del Toro’s epic passion project, an adaptation of Mary Shelley’s gothic horror about a mad scientist who believes he can breathe life into a dead flesh with disastrous results.
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Robert Sarkies directs a film about the aftermath of New Zealand’s worst modern workplace tragedy – reviewed by Dan Slevin.
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Dan Slevin reviews a biopic about rock star Bruce Springsteen and the creation of his introspective masterpiece Nebraska.
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Dan Slevin reviews three new films: Robert Sarkies directs Pike River, a film about the aftermath of New Zealand’s worst modern workplace tragedy; Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere is a biopic about rock star Bruce Springsteen and the creation of his introspective masterpiece Nebraska; and in cinemas (soon to be streaming on Netflix), Frankenstein is Guillermo Del Toro’s epic passion project, an adaptation of Mary Shelley’s gothic horror about a mad scientist who believes he can breathe life into a dead flesh with disastrous results.
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Dan Slevin reviews a horror sequel set in a snowy Christian youth camp.
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Dan Slevin reviews a five-part Apple TV documentary series about the legendary director Martin Scorsese.
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Channing Tatum plays an escaped convict who hides out in a toy store – reviewed by Dan Slevin.
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Dan Slevin reviews two new films in cinemas: In Roofman, Channing Tatum plays an escaped convict who hides out in a toy store; Black Phone 2 is a horror sequel set in a snowy Christian youth camp; and on Apple TV, Mr. Scorsese is a five-part documentary series about the legendary director Martin Scorsese.
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Australian-New Zealand co-production Went Up The Hill is a ghost story with a twist. Jack returns home for his mother's funeral, where he meets her widow, Jill. And it seems mum is reluctant to leave the family home. Starring Vicky Kriep (Phantom Thread) and Dacre Montgomery (TV's Stranger Things) it's directed by New Zealand-born, Sydney based Samuel Van Grinsven.
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Eleanor The Great sees a grieving 90-year-old woman - played by June Squibb (Thelma) - impersonate a Holocaust survivor with the best of intentions, she thinks. But it all gets away from her. Also starring Chiwetel Ejiafor (12 Years a Slave) and Erin Kellyman (28 Years Later). The directing debut of Scarlett Johansson.
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French favourite Miss Violet sees a woman with a mysterious past arrive in a rural village to take over the local school in the 1880s. But she runs into resistance from village parents who think of education as optional only. Written and directed by Éric Besnard (Délicieux).
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Simon Morris checks out three female-led films, and wonders if the Bechdel test for substantial female characters in movies still applies. From the USA, Eleanor The Great, starring June Squibb and directed by Scarlett Johansson…. From France, Miss Violet fights for free, secular education…. And from New Zealand, Went Up The Hill, a ghost story in which two people are haunted by one (female) ghost.
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Play Dirty sees writer-director Shane Black (Predator, Iron Man 3) bring pulp fiction favourite Parker to the screen. Robber/gunman Parker (Mark Wahlberg) is roped into a billion dollar heist by untrustworthy Zen (Rosa Salazar – Alita). Expect cars, horses and a spectacular train-wreck. On Amazon Prime.
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Steve, starring and produced by Oscar-winner Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer) is the story of a troubled teacher holding a 1990s English reform school together by sheer will-power. Featuring Tracy Ullman, Emily Watson and musician Little Simz, it’s directed by Belgian film-maker Tim Mielants (Patrick). On Netflix.
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The Smashing Machine tells the true story of Mixed Martial Arts pioneer Mark Kerr and his struggles with drugs and depression. Starring Dwayne Johnson/The Rock (Fast and Furious) and Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada), it’s directed by Benny Safdie (Uncut Gems).
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Simon Morris looks at three movies about people who break the rules. The Rock gets out of his comfort zone in The Smashing Machine, about a pioneer of the no-holds-barred MMA…. Maverick director Shane Black brings cult figure Parker to Prime Video in Play Dirty…. And Steve is about the teachers who have to take over the kids that society has discarded.
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Simon Morris looks at two movies divided along left and right lines – Paul Thomas Anderson’s comedy-thriller One Battle After Another, and Spanish Civil War drama The Teacher Who Promised The Sea – and a French film – Holy Cow! – in which the answer is cheese!
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French film Holy Cow tells the story of a teenage ne’er do well who decides to turn his life around by winning a cheese-making gold medal. A multi award-winner for both director Louise Courvoisier and star Maïwene Barthelmy, it was also a huge box-office hit at home.
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The Teacher Who Promised The Sea is a Spanish-Catalan real life account of a teacher who falls foul of the fascists during the Spanish Civil War. Featured at the recent International Film Festival, it stars Bafta Rising Star Laia Costa.
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One Battle After Another sees a retired revolutionary forced to rejoin the struggle when his daughter is captured by an old enemy. Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (Magnolia), it stars Leonardo DiCaprio (The Wolf of Wall Street), Sean Penn (Mystic River), Benicio del Toro (Sicario) and newcomer Chase Infiniti.
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Simon Morris is seduced by some undeniably charming stars – Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell in A Big, Bold, Beautiful Journey, indigenous Australian national treasures Deborah Mailman and Wayne Blair in Kangaroo, and A-Lister politician Dame Jacinda Ardern in Prime Minister.
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Prime Minister is the story of Jacinda Ardern’s eventful five years leading Aotearoa New Zealand. With previously unseen footage shot by Ardern’s partner Clarke Gayford, it’s not just a biopic of a fascinating political figure, but it shows this country at its best and its worst. Directed by American Lindsay Utz (Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry) and Kiwi Michelle Walshe (Chasing Great).
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A Big Bold Beautiful Journey features Colin Farrell (In Bruges) and Margot Robbie (Barbie) being drawn back into their pasts by magical rental car! Directed by Kogonada (After Yang) and featuring Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag) and Kevin Kline (A Fish Called Wanda).
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Kangaroo has all the right elements for a feelgood, family movie – small-town outback Australia, a big city idiot and a teenage girl both looking for redemption, and an awful lot of kangaroos. Featuring Deborah Mailman and Wayne Blair (The Sapphires), Ernie Dingo (Crocodile Dundee) and Rachel House (Boy).
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Simon Morris finds himself on the wrong side of history – or at least the general, critical opinion of the new Stephen King movie, The Long Walk, and millennial sex-comedy Splitsville. Though he agrees with most people about whether we really need yet another Downton Abbey spinoff movie.
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The Long Walk, based on Stephen King’s first novel, is set in a dystopian future where 50 young men compete to be the last one standing. If they slow down they’re shot. Directed by Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games Catching Fire), it stars Cooper Hoffman (Licorice Pizza) and Mark Hamill (Star Wars).
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Splitsville sees the International Film Festival comedy about open marriages get a general release. Essentially a millennial version of a Sixties hit, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, with added (male) nudity. Features Dakota Johnson (Materialists).
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Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is the third and final Downton movie, we’re told. It features all the old favourite characters – and, frankly old favourite plotlines. With added Noël Coward, and scandal in high places.
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Simon Morris looks at three films that use comedy in different ways to make a point – the divorce comedy The Roses, a film about a traumatic event, Sorry, Baby, that uses humour as a healing tool and French farce How To Make A Killingwhich uses comedy to make you laugh!
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The Roses is a gentler remake of the pitch-black Eighties divorce comedy The War Of The Roses. But stars Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch turn out to be worthy successors. Directed by Jay Roach (Meet the Fockers).
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How To Make A Killing sees Laure Calamy (Call My Agent) caught up in a tangle of gangsters, refugees, a big bundle of money – and a gigantic black bear. French farce at its most farcical – and French. See you at the Swinger’s Club on Thursday!
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Sorry, Baby was a big hit when it debuted at Sundance – the story of a young woman getting over a traumatic event. Star, writer and director Eva Victor had never made a feature film before. Produced by Barry Jenkins (Moonlight).
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The Ballad of Wallis Island is a British charmer about a lonely millionaire who just wants to put his favourite folk duo back together. His solution? A reunion concert for an audience of one. Starring and written by Tim Key (See How They Run), Tom Basden (After Life) with Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman).
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Workmates is the latest from husband and wife team writer-star Sophie Henderson and director Curtis Vowell. Can theatre best mates Lucy – Sophie – and Tom – Matt Whelan, get from the friend-zone to love?
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Simon Morris looks at three apparent romances, which all seem to ignore the usual rules. New Zealand comedy Workmates insists they’re just good friends, British music dramedy The Ballad of Wallis Island proves that band breakups aren’t good for love, while action thriller Caught Stealing is more interested in money than “boy meets girl”.
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Caught Stealing is a change in pace for ultra-serious director Darren Aronofski (Noah, Black Swan) – an action thriller, starring Austen Butler (Elvis), Matt Smith (Dr Who) and Zoë Kravitzn (The Batman).
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Night Always Comes sees Vanessa Kirby (The Fantastic Four) as a struggling woman who desperately needs $25 thousand to buy her flat. She just has 12 hours to pull it off. A Netflix thriller, it’s directed by Benjamin Caron (TV’s Andor and The Crown).
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Relay is a thriller in which a modern Robin Hood uses primitive technology to dodge detection by high-tech bad guys. Directed by David Mackenzie (Hell Or High Water) it stars Riz Ahmed (The Sound Of Metal,), Lily James (Yesterday)and Sam Worthington (Avatar).
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Simon Morris wonders what you gain, or lose, when you cast a film with people who have to do an accent? This week he looks at three films set in America, but starring English, Australian and Irish actors. These include The Naked Gun, with Liam Neeson, Relay with Riz Ahmed and Sam Worthington, and Night Always Comes with Vanessa Kirby.
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The Naked Gun sees Liam Neeson take the role of Leslie Nielson in the remake of the Eighties cop spoof. Co-starring Pamela Anderson, it’s written and directed by Akiva Schaffer (Saturday Night Live) and produced by Seth McFarlane (American Dad).
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Eddington is a satire about the year of Covid 19, with Joaquin Phoenix as an anti-mandate sheriff at odds with the Mayor, angry protest groups and conspiracy-nut influencers. Directed by Ari Aster (Hereditary), with Pedro Pascal (The Last Of Us) and Austin Butler (Elvis).
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Nobody 2 sees the return of that most unlikely of action heroes, Bob Odenkirk (TV’s Better Call Saul). His family demands that he take time off beating up bad guys to take a holiday. But trouble seems to follow him. With guest villain Sharon Stone (Basic Instinct).
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Jane Austen Wrecked My Life is, surprisingly, a French film about a fan of the great novelist, who goes to England as part of an Austen residency. And soon her life starts to echo an Austen romance. But which one?
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Simon Morris welcomes two films from two festivals, both offering some originality. From the International Festival comes Ari Aster’s Covid thriller Eddington, while from the French one comes the popular romcom Jane Austen Wrecked My Life. Meanwhile, life goes on with another sequel – Nobody 2.
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Mr Burton is the story of a directionless schoolboy in wartime Wales called Richie Jenkins. He is taken under the wing of his teacher, borrows his name and becomes Wales’s greatest theatrical star. Starring Toby Jones, Lesley Manville and in a star-making role – literally – Harry Lawtey as Richard Burton.
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The Friend sees a grieving New York writer find herself the unwilling recipient of her dead friend’s pet – a gigantic Great Dane called Apollo. Starring Naomi Watts, Bill Murray and a gigantic dog called Bing. And the city of New York.
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Freakier Friday sees Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan in the sequel to 2003’s body-swap comedy Freaky Friday. Now they find themselves in the bodies of two new teenagers, on the eve of another wedding and another rock concert. Look out for plenty of Freaky cameos!
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Simon Morris looks at three films starring strong contenders to follow Dame Maggie, Dame Judi and Dame Helen. Lesley Manville features in Mr Burton, Naomi Watts shines in The Friend and Jamie Lee Curtis (Lady Haden-Guest in real life) is in Freakier Friday.
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Riviera Revenge is another popular comedy from French comedy master Ivan Calbérac (The Tasting). A long-married couple’s lives are upended when some 40-year-old letters prove the wife had a brief affair on the Côte d’Azur. The husband plans belated vengeance!
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Together features real-life husband and wife Dave Franco and Allison Brie as a couple who find themselves getting closer than they intended, with horrific consequences. Co starring Damon Herriman (Charles Manson in Once upon a time in Hollywood).
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When Fall Is Coming is a Hitchcock-style thriller about a woman who finds herself accused of planning to murder her own daughter to get custody of her grandson. She enlists an unlikely ally to clear her name. Directed by the versatile François Ozon (Potiche) it features French theatre star Hélène Vincent.
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Simon Morris looks at three films that aim at very specific audiences – horror film Together, and from France, an elegant mystery thriller called When Fall Is Coming, and a traditional French sex farce, Riviera Revenge.
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Dan Slevin reviews two new films in cinemas: In The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the first family of the Marvel Cinematic Universe defend Earth from a planet eating supervillain; The Life of Chuck is a moving adaptation of a Stephen King novella; and Dan interviews film critic Richard Scheib about his new book, A Viewing Guide to the Pandemic.
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Dan Slevin reviews a moving adaptation of a Stephen King novella about life, death and mathematics.
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Dan Slevin interviews film critic Richard Scheib about his new book - a comprehensive survey of films about plagues and contagion.
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The first family of the Marvel Cinematic Universe defend Earth from a planet eating supervillain – reviewed by Dan Slevin.
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Dan Slevin reviews four new films in cinemas: In Friendship, cringe comedian Tim Robinson plays a middle-aged man who thinks he’s found a lifelong pal; The Divine Sarah Bernhardt is a biopic about the world’s first global superstar; I Know What You Did Last Summer reboots the 90s slasher franchise; and in Four Letters of Love, the west of Ireland is the setting for a romantic miracle.
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Dan Slevin reviews an adaptation of the bestselling Irish romantic novel starring Pierce Brosnan, Helena Bonham Carter and Gabriel Byrne.
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Dan Slevin reviews a remake-slash-reboot of the 90s horror franchise feature g three of the original stars.
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Dan Slevin reviews a biography of the French actress who dominated the stage in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and became the first global superstar.
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“Cringe” comedian Tim Robinson plays a middle-aged man who thinks he’s found a lifelong pal in Tim Rudd’s TV weatherman – reviewed by Dan Slevin.
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Dan Slevin reviews three films in local cinemas: In Superman, Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn reboots the Man of Steel legend; in Bride Hard, Australian comic Rebel Wilson plays a secret agent bridesmaid saving a wedding from a gang of terrorists; and in the absurdist Canadian comedy, Universal Language, a depressed man returns home to snowy Winnipeg to try and find himself.
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Dan Slevin reviews an absurdist Canadian comedy about a depressed man who returns home to snowy Winnipeg to try and find himself.
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Dan Slevin reviews an action comedy in which Australian comic Rebel Wilson plays a secret agent bridesmaid saving a wedding from a gang of terrorists.
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Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn reboots the Man of Steel legend, reviewed by Dan Slevin.
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Simon Morris talks to NZ International Film Festival Director Paolo Bersolin about the programme for 2025. After a rocky few years, Bersolin promises this year’s selection accentuates the positive. Featuring award winners from around the world, a New Zealand selection saluting Jacinda Ardern, Don McGlashan and Fred Dagg, two Beatle-adjacent movies and a famous chainsaw massacre!
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F1 – Formula One racing, and movie star’s movie star, Brad Pitt... What more could anyone want? Producer Jerry Bruckheimer returns to the scene of his Nineties Tom Cruise hit Days Of Thunder with more of the same. Featuring Javier Bardem (Dune), Kerry Condon (The Banshees of Inisherin) and newcomer Damson Idris (TV’s Snowfall).
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The Great Lillian Hall sees multi award winning Jessica Lange play a legendary Broadway star suddenly confronted with a possible life and career-changing disability. Features Kathy Bates and Pierce Brosnan, it's directed by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Michael Cristofer.
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Simon Morris looks at three films that reflect a little more effort on the part of their makers – the star-studded Formula One spectacle, F1, a well-scripted tale from Broadway’s theatre district, The Great Lillian Hall starring Jessica Lange, and France’s hugely successful film version of the classic The Count Of Monte Cristo.
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The Count Of Monte Cristo tells the story of a man wrongfully convicted, determined to take revenge on those who wronged him. The first French film version of Alexandre Dumas’ classic tale for 50 years, it’s produced by the same team who made the recent Three Musketeers films.
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28 Years Later sees the return of director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland to the zombie apocalypse they created 23 years ago. Now survivors settle on a small island, leaving the mainland to the rapidly mutating infected. Starring Ralph Fiennes, Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and newcomer Alfie Williams as the 12-year-old hero Spike.
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Elio is the latest from Pixar Films – the story of a lonely, space-obsessed boy who dreams of being abducted by aliens. With an original story by Adrian Molina (Coco), Elio features the voices of Zoe Saldaña (Avatar), Brad Garrett (Ratatouille) and Shirley Henderson (Bridget Jones).
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Merchant Ivory tells the story of one of the longest ever movie-making partnerships, between Indian producer Ismail Merchant, American director James Ivory – and German-Jewish born writer Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. Featuring interviews with Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Helena Bonham-Carter, Vanessa Redgrave and many others.
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Simon Morris takes a look at an unusually blokey collection of movies this week, including the return of the “infected” in Danny Boyle’s 28 Years Later, a documentary about the films of long-time partners, producer Ismail Merchant and director James Ivory, and Pixar’s Elio, about a boy who gets his wish – to be abducted by aliens!
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How To Train Your Dragon is a remake of the popular animated feature with a difference. The live-action version is written and directed by the maker of the original Dean DeBlois (Lilo and Stitch). Once again starring Gerard Butler as Viking chief Stoick.
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K O is a French Netflix thriller, that sees an MMA fighter accidentally kill an opponent in the ring, then feels obliged to protect his family from dangerous gangsters. Starring actual former MMA star Ciryl Gane.
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Materialists sees a successful matchmaker (Dakota Johnson) find herself torn between her heart and her head – between Mr Perfect and the far-from-perfect One That Got Away. Also starring Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans, it’s written and directed by Celine Song, who made the Oscar nominated Past Lives.
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Simon Morris looks enviously at the French Film Festival highlights that he can’t see until their general release. While he waits he checks out the “re-imagining” of the recent How To Train Your Dragon, the French John Wick, K O on Netflix, and a superior romance from the director of Past Lives. It’s called Materialists.
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Simon Morris regrets the passing of the old-fashioned film star, and reviews two movies featuring one-time “stars of tomorrow” – Ana de Armas in Ballerina, and Prime Video’s The Assessment, starring Elizabeth Olsen and Alicia Vikander. And from Wales, an indie film with no stars to speak of, Chuck Chuck Baby.
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Ballerina – now prefaced "From the world of John Wick" – sees a new face at the Continental Hotel for assassins. A young dancer seeks revenge for the death of her father. Joining John Wick regulars Keanu Reeves and Ian McShane is Ana de Armas (Knives out), Anjelica Huston (The Witches) and Gabriel Byrne (The Usual Suspects).
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Chuck Chuck Baby sees a woman in the production line of a chicken farm of the same name, suddenly confronted by her school crush. A winner at last year’s Welsh Baftas, it features a string of director Janis Pugh’s favourite songs.
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The Assessment finds a couple in a dystopian future trying to get permission to have a baby. But first they need to pass an assessment. Stars Elizabeth Olsen (WandaVision), Himesh Patel (Yesterday) and Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina). Streaming on Prime Video.
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The Phoenician Scheme opens on the fabulously wealthy Zsa Zsa Korda setting out to make even more money, with the help of his daughter, a novice nun, and a Swedish tutor called Bjorn. Directed by Wes Anderson, it stars Benicio del Toro, Michael Cera, Scarlett Johanssen, Willem Dafoe, Benedict Cumberbatch, Richard Ayoade, Tom Hanks and Bill Murray as God.
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Simon Morris finds himself confused by flashbacks, dream sequences – and Wes Anderson’s convoluted story structures. He sets out through the thickets of The Phoenician Scheme, Bring Her Back and New Zealand road-movie Kōkā.
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Kōkā sees an ailing Māori matriarch and an angry delinquent form an unlikely team as they take a journey away from past traumas towards healing and reconciliation. A first feature by writer-director Kath Akuhata-Brown.
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Bring Her Back is a stylish Australian horror, in which two teen siblings are fostered by a woman who turns out to have her own issues. Can partially-sighted Piper get through an unexpected ordeal? Starring Sally Hawkins (The Shape Of Water), it’s directed by brothers Danny and Michael Philippu (Talk To Me).
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Lilo and Stitch – the latest in a string of Disney animated films remade in live action. Lilo is a lonely Hawaiian 6 year old who wishes for a best friend and gets Stitch an anarchic alien who lives for trouble. Look out for cameo appearances from the stars of the original animated version.
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Tarrac is an Irish-language feelgood tale of an amateur team of women rowers who enter the semis in County Kerry. Can they beat the 20 year jinx? And will they pronounce the name of the sport? It’s naomhóg rowing, by the way…
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Simon Morris looks at three different films with one thing in common. They all feature “chosen families” - an Irish rowing team in Tarrac… an extended family of sisters, neighbours and a mischievous alien in Lilo and Stitch… and Bob Trevino Likes It – where a lonely young woman is let down by her real father and finds a better one online.
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Bob Trevino Likes It, sees Lily Trevino saddled with this year’s worst father, Bob. Let down once again, she searches the internet for another, better Bob Trevino – and finds one. Based, astonishingly, on a true event in writer-director Tracie Lymon’s life. Stars John Leguizamo (John Wick) and Barbie Ferreira.
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The Salt Path is the story of real-life couple Raynor and Moth Winn who set out to walk the gruelling track around Devon and Cornwall after they lose everything in a bad investment. Based on Raynor’s best-selling book, it stars Jason Isaacs (the last series of White Lotus) and Gillian Anderson (Sex Education).
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La Cocina is one day in the life of popular restaurant The Grill. Although it’s set in New York, it’s based on a 1961 English play and it’s written and directed by Mexican Alonso Ruizpalacios. Stars Raúl Briones and Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo).
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Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning seems to imply this is Tom Cruise’s last hurrah in the franchise. Though never say “final”. This features old hands Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg, newer hands Hayley Atwell and Pom Klementieff and very old hand Rolf Saxon, last seen in the very first Mission Impossible.
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Simon Morris tests the two methods of movie financing – betting a few dollars on small films like Mexican art-film La Cocina and English real-life memoir The Salt Path… or taking a huge plunge on a blockbuster like Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning.
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The Wedding Banquet is a remake of the 1993 crowd-pleaser, written and directed by Ang Lee. This one stars Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Live), Kelly Marie Tran (Star Wars), Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon) and Joan Chen (Twin Peaks).
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Lies We Tell tells the story of an heiress whose shady uncle plans to get hold of her fortune by forcing her to marry his son. It was a big winner at the Irish Film Awards, including best actress for star Agnes O’Casey (Small Things Like These).
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Fergus Grady, Director of the French Film Festival Aotearoa, previews this year’s programme – a star-studded affair featuring Sarah Bernhardt, Charles Aznavour, Marie Antoinette, the Count of Monte Cristo, Laure Calamy, two films about art thieves and the story behind Ravel’s “Bolero”!
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Simon Morris checks out two films based on well-known material - just not well-known by him! Irish film Lies We Tell is a 19th century thriller, The Wedding Banquet is a remake of one of Ang Lee’s first films. He also previews the upcoming French Film Festival Aotearoa.
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The Accountant 2 sees the return of Ben Affleck as the eccentric, former criminal accountant who sets out to avenge the murder of his best friend. Also stars Jon Bernthal (The Amateur) and Cynthia Addai-Robinson (Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power). Directed by Gavin O’Connor (Mare of Easttown).
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Marlon Williams: Ngā Ao E Rua (Two Worlds) is a documentary about the Kiwi alt-country star and his journey to make his first album entirely in te reo. Spoiler alert: that album went on to top the New Zealand charts first week out.
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Thunderbolts* are the B-Team you summon when Marvel superstars The Avengers are unavailable. Ironically, or not, it’s proving a big hit after a few Marvel misfires. Starring Florence Pugh (Oppenheimer), Sebastian Stan (The Apprentice) and Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Seinfeld).
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Simon Morris has one of those weeks where you need to do your own research. Looking up the minor villains that make up Thunderbolts*…. Brushing up his knowledge of Kiwi household name Marlon Williams…. And struggling to remember an eight-year-old thriller about an autistic accountant.
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Simon Morris goes off the beaten track this week, including two features found on streaming services – Netflix’s Havoc and Prime Video’s My Old Ass. He also finds a surprising number of self-funded New Zealand movies this month, including romantic comedy The People We Love. He talks to director Mike Smith about the pros and cons of independence.
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Independent film The People We Love is that very rare thing, a Kiwi romance. Writer-director Mike Smith (TV’s My Life Is Murder and Siege) wonders we’re so reluctant to make such a popular genre, and how to negotiate the perils of the indie film-maker. The People We Love stars Neill Rea (Brokenwood Mysteries) and Alison Bruce (Tinā).
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Prime Video’s My Old Ass and Netflix’s Havoc have one thing in common – neither was exactly what their trailers promised. The first promises more of TV favourite Aubrey Plaza (White Lotus) than it delivers, while the latter offers rather more Tom Hardy (Venom) than anyone asked for.
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Dan Slevin reviews three new films in local cinemas: In Sinners, Black Panther director Ryan Coogler tells a Southern Gothic horror story with Michael B. Jordan playing identical twins; in Warfare, Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza collaborate on what’s been described as the most authentic modern war film ever, and in Small Things Like These, Cillian Murphy plays a family man troubled by the secrets being kept by his community.
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Dan Slevin reviews an adaptation of Claire Keegan's 2021 novella about an Irish family man prompted to confront his community about the secrets that they have been keeping (starring Oscar-winner Cillian Murphy).
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Civil War director Alex Garland collaborates with that film’s military advisor – and real-life Iraq War veteran Ray Mendoza on the story of a platoon of Navy SEALS having a bad day in Ramadi.
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Ryan Coogler writes and directs a Southern Gothic horror film featuring gangsters, vampires and the Klan, reviewed by Dan Slevin.
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The Penguin Lessons is based on an unlikely true story of an English teacher in Argentina who finds himself stuck with a penguin at the height of a military coup. Written by Jeff Pope (Philomena) it stars Steve Coogan.
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Simon Morris occasionally finds himself out of his comfort zone - but not this week. Three films right up his alley – a true story of a journalist arrested for doing his job, The Correspondent… a straight, old-fashioned thriller, The Amateur… and The Penguin Lessons, a blend of Steve Coogan, a military coup in Argentina and a penguin.
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The Amateur sees a back-room boffin in the CIA turn himself into an avenging killer when terrorists kill his wife. Starring Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody) and Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix), it’s directed by James Hawes (TV’s Slow Horses).
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The Correspondent tells the true story of Australian journalist Peter Greste, covering a military coup in Egypt for Al Jazeera. His arrest on trumped-up charges became a worldwide scandal. Directed by Kriv Stenders (In the wake of Captain Cook with Sam Neill), it stars Richard Roxburgh (Rake).
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The death of a Unicorn sees a father and daughter (Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega) hit a mysterious entity on the way to a weekend with an unscrupulous pharmaceutical family. An entity with the ability to heal any disease. What can go wrong – particularly when the unicorn summons assistance?
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Queer sees Daniel Craig (No time to die) shake off Double Oh Seven in an adaptation of a book by William S Burroughs (Naked Lunch) about an American writer hiding out in Fifties Mexico who falls in love. Directed by Luca Guadagnino (Challengers).
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Grand Tour starts out like a Merchant Ivory passage to Southeast Asia about a man running away from the prospects of a wedding, before turning into a very strange travelogue. Directed by Portuguese auteur Miguel Gomes (Arabian Nights) who won Best Director at last year’s Cannes Film Festival for it.
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Simon Morris realizes people go to the cinema for different things. Some go for the humble “movie”, some for the elevated “film”, some for the even more pretentious “cinema”. Which are this week’s choices: the Portuguese Grand Tour… Queer, starring Daniel Craig… and horror-comedy Death of a Unicorn, with Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega?
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The return sees Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche (The English Patient) reunite to tell the classic tale of Odysseus’s return home after masterminding the fall of Troy. Written and directed by Uberto Pasolini (producer of The Full Monty) it’s a fascinating look at one of the first ever works of fiction, by Greek poet Homer.
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Simon Morris looks at films about rebellion – from Iranian Oscar nominee The Seed of the Sacred Fig, to the biopic of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German cleric who tried to stand up to Hitler. And The Return is a new take on one of the oldest stories ever written, Homer’s Odyssey.
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The Seed of the Sacred Fig – the story of an Iranian judge at odds with his daughters over their campaign for women’s rights – made its own headlines when the Iranian government forbade the director from going to the Cannes Film Festival. But when he defied them, the film picked up four awards there.
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Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin tells the story of a dissident German cleric who was one of the few local voices raised against the might of the Nazi party. He was even prepared to risk his faith to support a plot to kill Adolf Hitler. Written and directed by Todd Komarnicki (Sully).
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The Last Showgirl tells the story of a 50-plus Las Vegas dancer suddenly forced to confront her life and her future when her show Le Razzle Dazzle finishes after 30 years. Featuring a Golden Globes-nominated performance by Pamela Anderson (Baywatch) with Jamie Lee Curtis (Everything Everywhere All At Once) and Dave Bautista (Dune).
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Snow White is the controversial remake of the Disney animated classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. StarringRachel Zegler (West Side Story) and Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman), it’s currently scoring a record low 1.9 on IMDb. Can it be as bad as they say? Directed by Marc Webb (500 Days Of Summer).
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The Rule of Jenny Pen is the latest by New Zealand director James Ashcroft (Coming Home in the Dark), about a rest home terrorised by a patient and his sinister doll. Starring Geoffrey Rush and John Lithgow, it became a favourite of horror legend Stephen King (“one of the best movies I’ve seen this year.”)
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Simon Morris joins the rest of the world in being unimpressed by the new Snow White, though he wonders how much worse it is from a string of Disney cover-versions over the years. He also checks out The Last Showgirl, featuring the return of Pamela Anderson, and New Zealand horror film The Rule of Jenny Pen, with an A-List cast.
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Hard Truths is Mike Leigh’s Bafta nominated study of a woman consumed by anger at the world, despite the best efforts of her family. Featuring a multi-award-winning performance by the brilliant Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Secrets & Lies).
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Firebrand tells the story of Catherine Parr, the sixth and last wife of the brutal Henry the Eighth. Can she keep her head while staying true to her faith? Stars Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina) as Catherine, Jude Law (The Talented Mr Ripley) as Henry, with Erin Doherty (TV’s Adolescence) as the “firebrand heretic”, Anne Askew.
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Black Bag sees American director Steven Soderbergh (Magic Mike) get into John Le Carre territory – a spy drama where two married agents suspect each other of leaking valuable information. What’s more important, their marriage or their country? Stars Michael Fassbender (Inglourious Basterds), Cate Blanchett (Borderlands) and Pierce Brosnan (Mamma Mia).
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Simon Morris accepts that, for all the hard work of everyone on a movie, most people are just looking at the actors. Three character studies this week, including Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths, based on weeks of actors’ improvisations… Black Bag, in which a spy investigates six possible traitors, including his own wife... and the last – and some say the best – of the Six Wives of Henry the Eighth, Catherine Parr in Firebrand.
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Simon Morris looks at life after the glitter of the recent Oscars, in particular three more modest films, all coincidentally connected to earlier hits. Sci-fi comedy Mickey 17 is the belated followup to Korean hit Parasite. Spit follows a character from Australian crime spoof Gettin’ Square. And the villain from tear-jerker Wonder learns a lesson from Grandma in White Bird.
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Spit sees low-life criminal John Spitieri (Gettin’ Square) return after 20 years for his own movie. Can Spit conquer the bad guys, bond with his young nephew, get his new Syrian mate safely employed, all the time staying out of jail? As he says, everyone deserves a seventh chance. Stars David Wenham (Lord of the Rings).
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White Bird is a spin-off from the movie Wonder, in which young Auggie’s tormentor learns a lesson from his grandmother, a survivor from the Nazi occupation of France. Stars Dame Helen Mirren and directed by Marc Forster (Finding Neverland).
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Mickey 17 is Bong Joon Ho’s (Parasite) unique take on science fiction, in which a lowly worker is regularly killed doing dangerous jobs, only to be revived to die another day. Stars Robert Pattinson (Twilight), Mark Ruffalo (Poor Things), Naomi Ackie (Blink Twice) and Steven Yeun (Minari).
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Simon Morris glances at the recent Oscars, and finally gets to see the last nominee for Best Picture, Amazon Prime’s Nickel Boys. Also on this, the Millenial At The Movies, Swedish mockumentary The Last Journey, and a new take on legendary Swiss hero William Tell.
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The Last Journey is a Swedish The Trip-style blend of fact and fiction by popular TV documentary stars Filip and Fredrik (Hasselhoff – A Swedish Talkshow). Filip wants to retrieve his father’s lust for life, and comes up with a novel way of doing it.
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William Tell rounds up some big theatre names (Jonathan Pryce, Rafe Spall, Sir Ben Kingsley) to back up Danish star Claes Bang (TV’s Bad Sisters) as the famous Swiss archer and rebel. Directed by former resident director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Nick Hamm, it surprisingly does without Rossini’s well-known Overture.
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Nickel Boys may have been overshadowed at the Oscars, but it was already a critical favourite before it finally dropped on Amazon Prime this week. Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Colson Whitehead (The Underground Railroad), it’s directed by RaMell Ross and stars Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (King Richard).
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Mozart’s Sister is a documentary of the other Mozart, Wolfgang’s sister Maria Anna. Like her famous brother, she was a child prodigy musician, by all accounts she was a very talented composer, so why is she all but forgotten? Until now, that is.
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Neneh Superstar is a French film about a little, second-generation African girl who aspires to dance at the world-famous Paris Opera Ballet. It seems all the odds are against her – particularly her hostile teacher, ballet superstar Marianne, played by French superstar Maïwenn (Jeanne du Barry).
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Tinā is another crowd-pleasing Kiwi Samoan film, like Three Wise Cousins, Sione’s Wedding and The Orator. Directed by Miki Magasiva (TV’s The Panthers), it stars the great Anapela Polataivao as a grieving Mum who forms a choir at an exclusive – and very white – school in Christchurch.
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Simon Morris checks out another week entirely devoted to women-driven movies, and wonders if, finally, it’s no longer an issue. They include Mozart’s Sister, Neneh Superstar, New Zealand-Samoan feelgood tale Tinā, and Oscar-nominee I’m still here.
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I’m Still Here is a multi-award winning film from Brazilian director Walter Salles (The Motorcycle Diaries). It stars Oscar nominee Fernanda Torres as a mother whose husband has been “disappeared” by the military dictatorship, and what she has to go through to find the truth.
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Captain America: Brave New World sees a brave new Captain – former Falcon Sam Wilson – and several old friends and enemies facing new dangers – including a gigantic Red Hulk. Starring Anthony Mackie, with Harrison Ford as the President of the USA.
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Simon Morris looks at two films with a lot riding on them – the new Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, and the introduction of a new Captain America: Brave New World. But he wonders if Andrea Arnold’s miniscule Bafta nominee, Bird, might be a more helpful way to go.
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Bird is the latest from critically acclaimed British film-maker Andrea Arnold (Fish Tank, Big Little Lies.). It was a nominee at both the Cannes Film Festival and the Baftas, and tells the story of a 12 year old girl with an unexpected new friend. Also stars Barry Keoghan (The Banshees of Innisherin).
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Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy sees the former Noughties party girl struggling with solo motherhood, and also juggling two conflicting suitors. Starring Renée Zellweger, with Hugh Grant, Leo Woodall, Emma Thompson and dozens more familiar faces!
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Simon Morris looks at the art of “true-ish” movies based on real-life events. When does tweaking a story to make sense bury the whole point of a true story? He looks at three films that try and stick to the facts – September 5, Widow Clicquot and Prime Video’s The Order.
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September 5 is a blow-by-blow coverage of the story of how a terrorist invasion of the 1972 Munich Olympics was sent out to the world by a sports TV crew. Stars Peter Sarsgaard (Memory), Ben Chaplin (The Dig) and Leonie Benesch (The Teachers Lounge).
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The Order adapts a best-selling book about a real-life group of domestic terrorists turned armed bank-robbers. Starring Jude Law (The Talented Mr Ripley) and Nicholas Hoult (About a Boy), it’s directed by Australian Justin Kurzel (True History of the Kelly Gang). Showing on Prime Video.
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Widow Clicquot tells how the manufacturer of Veuve Clicquot champagne became the most successful businesswoman of her era. Produced by and starring Haley Bennett (Hillbilly Elegy), with Tom Sturridge (TV’s The Sandman) and Sam Riley (Control).
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Companion is a twisted tale of a man who ropes in his sex-bot…. or rather, his “emotional support companion” – to a plot not covered by her User’s Guide. Starring Sophie Thatcher (Heretic) and Jack Quaid (TV series The Boys).
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Simon Morris returns, having missed out on a bumper summer of good movies all lining up for the awards season. He’s less than impressed with his first selection, involving slightly kinky women CEOs – Babygirl - mothers turning into dogs – Nightbitch - and renegade robot girlfriends - Companion.
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Nightbitch is a Disney Plus semi-fantasy about a mother of a toddler being driven into unexpected territory. Can she be turning into a dog? Starring Amy Adams (Arrival), Scoot McNairy (Woody Guthrie in A Complete Unknown) and Jessica Harper (My Favourite Year).
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Babygirl sees Nicole Kidman in a Golden Globe-nominated turn as a frustrated CEO of a big tech company, who finds herself being lured into dangerous erotic territory by her new intern. Co-starring Antonio Banderas (Puss in Boots) and Harris Dickinson (Triangle of Sadness).
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Dan Slevin reviews three new films in cinemas: In The Brutalist, Adrien Brody plays a Hungarian emigré architect looking for a new life in post-war America, in the documentary The Haka Party Incident, an Auckland University drinking party is disrupted by Māori activists, and in Maria, Angelina Jolie plays the prima donna Maria Callas during the last days of her life.
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Legendary diva Maria Callas is in denial about her waning powers.
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An Auckland University drinking party is disrupted by Māori activists.
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A Hungarian architect escapes Europe ravaged by World War II for a new life in America.
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Maximum-security prisoners discover an escape through the performing arts.
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A young couple find their dreams of a long and beautiful relationship threatened by serious illness.
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A family on holiday get more than they bargained for when dad gets bitten by a mysterious creature.
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Timothée Chalamet shines in his portrayal of the protean Bob Dylan in director James Mangold's A Complete Unknown, writes Dan Slevin.
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An animated Spanish-Chinese co-production featuring the voices of Bill Nighy and Bill Bailey, about a young girl who goes on a journey to hatch a dragon egg and save the species from extinction. Dan Slevin reviews.
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Dan Slevin reviews an acclaimed animated film from Latvia about a black cat and his animal friends escaping a catastrophic flood.
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Dan Slevin reviews the sequel to the 2018 crime thriller starring Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson Jr.
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Dan Slevin reviews four new films in cinemas: Emilia Pérez is a musical about Mexican cartel boss who goes through gender reassignment; Flow is an animated film from Latvia about a cat and his animal friends escaping a catastrophic flood; Dragonkeeper is an animated Chinese-Spanish co-production with the voices of Bill Nighy and Bill Bailey, and Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson Jr. reunite for the sequel to Den of Thieves, Pantera.
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Golden Globe winning musical about a Mexican drug cartel boss who undergoes gender reassignment treatment, reviewed by Dan Slevin.
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In Pedro Almodóvar’s first English-language film, Tilda Swinton plays a dying woman who asks a final favour from a friend (played by Julianne Moore). Dan Slevin reviews.
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Dan Slevin reviews the Robert Eggers’ remake of the 1922 vampire classic, which features Bill Skarsgård as the monstrous Count Orlok and Lily-Rose Depp as the object of his affections.
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The Pope has died and 118 cardinals must gather to elect a new leader of the Catholic Church. Mystery, intrigue and politics abound and it's up to the Cardinal-Dean (Ralph Fiennes) to lead the process and find the best man for the job.
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94-year-old Clint Eastwood directs a courtroom drama about a man on a jury who discovers he may have an intimate involvement in the death of the murder victim. Dan Slevin reviews.
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Dan Slevin reviews three new films in cinemas and one on digital: in Conclave, Ralph Fiennes and 117 other cardinals attempt to elect a new Pope; Robert Eggers remakes the 1922 horror classic Nosferatu; Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore team up for Pedro Almodóvar’s first film in English, The Room Next Door and 94-year-old Clint Eastwood has made a courtroom drama called Juror #2.
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Dan Slevin reviews three new films in cinemas: Paddington in Peru sees our favourite refugee bear visiting his Aunt Lucy at the Home for Retired Bears and stumbling across a mystery; in All We Imagine as Light, three women in modern-day Mumbai navigate challenges of love and friendship; and in A Real Pain, Kieran Culkin and Jesse Eisenberg are estranged cousins taking a Holocaust tour around Poland to honour their beloved grandmother.
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Estranged cousins, played by writer-director Jesse Eisenberg and Succession’s Kieran Culkin, travel to Poland to honour their beloved grandmother by taking a Holocaust tour. Dan Slevin reviews.
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The third film in the popular franchise sees the most famous refugee bear in the world finally get a UK passport so he can visit his beloved Aunt Lucy at the Home for Retired Bears in Peru. There he stumbles across a mystery that only he (and the Browns) can solve. Dan Slevin is the reviewer.
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Dan Slevin reviews the winner of the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2024, an Indian drama about three women navigating love and friendship in modern Mumbai.
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Biography of Robbie Williams in which the English pop star is portrayed as a performing chimpanzee (digitally created by New Zealand’s Wētā Digital). The film is directed by Michael Gracey (The Great Showman). Dan Slevin reviews.
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Dan Slevin reviews a prequel for the popular Disney musical franchise, directed by Oscar winner Barry Jenkins and featuring the voices of Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Tiffany Boone.
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The 2024 winner of the Cannes Palme d’Or is a comedy/drama about a Brooklyn lap dancer (Mikey Madison) who is given a shot at new life when the big spending son of a Russian oligarch falls head over heels for her. Reviewed by Dan Slevin.
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Dan Slevin reviews three new films arriving in cinemas for the summer holidays. Mufasa: The Lion King is a prequel about the patriarch Mufasa and how he came to lead the animals of Pride Rock. Anora is a Cannes award winner about a Brooklyn lap dancer given a shot at a new life. And Better Man is a biography of Robbie Williams in which the pop star is portrayed as a performing chimpanzee.
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Simon Morris looks back on 2024, a year initially damaged by writers’ and actors’ strikes in Hollywood, and still wondering what happened after Barbie and Oppenheimer changed the rules last year. This year was a bumper year for non-American films, for sequels and prequels, for horror films, and for some reason films about 1970s television! It was also a pretty good year for New Zealand films, low budget films and the best films from Pixar and Marvel in years. All this plus the hotly-contested Cate Blanchett They’re In Everything award. No, Cate didn’t make it this year.
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The Teachers’ Lounge is a German Oscar-nominated drama about what happens when an investigation into thefts at a school escalates out of control. Starring Leone Benesch (Babylon Berlin).
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The Problem With People follows a dying man’s wish to bring together the American and Irish sides of the family after a century-old dispute. Starring and written by Paul Reiser (TV’s Mad About You), with popular Irishman Colm Meaney (TV’s It’s Always Sunny In Philadephia).
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Goodrich finds an LA father of 10-year-old twins in trouble when his wife books herself into rehab for a few months. He calls in his daughter from a previous marriage. Can he become the father he never was with her? Starring Michael Keaton (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice) and Mila Kunis (Bad Moms).
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Simon Morris is underwhelmed by what’s on offer before the holiday movie riches. They include The Problem With People, an American/Irish comedy about a family feud; Goodrich, a comedy-drama about blended families in LA, and, raising the level, an Oscar nominated German drama, The Teachers' Lounge.
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Taki Rua: Breaking Barriers tells the story of the theatre group that started out as an activist group following the Springbok Tour protests, and ended up creating a new art form. Directed by Whetū Fala, it features Wi Kuki Kaa, Jim Moriarty, Rena Owen, Briar Grace Smith and many more.
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Simon Morris is surprised at how smart the Biggest Film of the Year™ is this year, then goes on to look at three rather smaller films. There’s a local documentary about our first Māori theatre group – Taki Rua Breaking Barriers; a rare horror outing for the usually suave Hugh Grant – Heretic; and the most successful Italian film this century – There’s Still Tomorrow.
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Heretic confronts two young Mormon missionaries with their worst nightmare – a man determined to challenge their beliefs in the worst possible way. Starring, of all people, Hugh Grant (Four Weddings and a Funeral) as Mr Reed. Written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (A Quiet Place).
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There’s Still Tomorrow is a hugely popular Italian comedy-drama, set in Rome immediately after World War Two. Fascism may be over, but for Italian women their home is still a battleground. Can Delia get out from under the tyranny of her violent husband and take charge of her own life? Starring, written and directed by TV comedy favourite Paola Cortellesi it cleaned up at the Italian Academy Awards.
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Joy tells the story of the development of IVF – the then-notorious “test-tube babies”. Featuring Bill Nighy (Living) and James Norton (TV’s Happy Valley), it stars New Zealand actress Thomasin McKenzie (Jojo Rabbit) and is produced by New Zealand-born Finola Dwyer (An Education). Streaming on Netflix.
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Memory sees the meeting of two troubled souls, one haunted by bad memories, the other by the loss of them. Starring Jessica Chastain (The Eyes Of Tammy Faye) and Peter Sarsgaard (An Education), it’s written and directed by Mexican filmmaker Michel Franco (Sundown).
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Simon Morris dodges the Musical of the Year - Wizard of Oz prequel Wicked - in favour of three smaller (and harder to find) titles. These include Apple Plus’s Blitz, directed by Oscar-winner Steve McQueen, a small indie film starring Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard called Memory, and the real-life story behind IVF, Netflix’s Joy, starring Bill Nighy and Thomasin McKenzie.
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Blitz follows an 11-year-old boy, trying to rejoin his mother at the height of Hitler’s bombing raids on London. Written and directed by Steve McQueen (12 Years A Slave) and starring Saoirse Ronan (The Outrun), Stephen Graham (Snatch) and musician Paul Weller as Grandad. Streaming on Apple Plus.
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Simon Morris finds himself getting picky at the end of the year as Christmas movies start to clog up the cinemas. Instead he checks out Ridley Scott’s second blockbuster in a year, Gladiator II; a French film that sees a couple stranded at the bottom of the world – Suddenly; and a New Zealand documentary directed by Warrior Queen Lucy Lawless.
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Never Look Away is the story of one of CNN’s first war camerawomen, Margaret Moth. Reckless, courageous and dedicated, the New Zealander’s story is almost as exciting as the events she covered. Directed by actress turned director Lucy Lawless (Xena Warrior Princess)
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Suddenly sees two married adventurers sail round the world, but come adrift when they’re stranded on an Antarctic island when their boat is swept away in a storm. Written and directed by the award-winning Thomas Bidegain (A prophet) it stars Mélanie Thierry (Da 5 Bloods) and Gilles Lellouche (Farewell Mr Haffman).
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Gladiator II sees Paul Mescal take over Russell Crowe’s (unhistoric) leather wrist-straps as Son of Maximus. Directed by the tireless 86-year-old Sir Ridley Scott, it co-stars Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal and from the first movie, Connie Nielsen.
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Jason Reitman’s comedy focuses on the chaotic 90 minutes leading up to the debut of the famous television variety show Saturday Night Live. Dan Slevin reviews.
Dan Slevin reviews a documentary about the legendary screen composer, John Williams, and his seven decade career in Hollywood.
Dan Slevin reviews Music by John Williams, a Disney+ documentary about the legendary film composer; Australian animated tragicomedy, Memoir of a Snail, and Saturday Night, a comedy about the birth of the entertainment juggernaut, Saturday Night Live.
Oscar-winning Australian animator Adam Elliot’s latest feature is a tragicomedy about twins separated after the death of their father and their eventual recovery. Reviewed by Dan Slevin.
On At the Movies, Dan Slevin reviews three films in which change can be welcome or unwelcome but inevitable all the same. In Head South, a Christchurch teenager discovers New Wave music and a way forward to the rest of his life. Here is a simultaneously experimental and sentimental film about the multiple generations of people who pass through a simple suburban Pennsylvania living room. And in A Different Man, a New York actor with a facial disfigurement is offered a miracle cure – but will it make him happy?
Sebastian Stan stars as a struggling New York actor with a face deformed by rapidly growing tumours caused by neurofibromatosis. He is offered a miracle ‘cure’ but will the transformation make him happy? The film also stars Adam Pearson, an actor who has the same condition. Dan Slevin reviews.
An experimental and sentimental drama shot from a single point-of-view in a single location but presenting people and events over many decades. The stars, screenwriter and director of Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Eric Roth and Robert Zemeckis) are reunited (and Dan Slevin reviews it).
Dan Slevin reviews Jonathan Ogilvie’s autobiographical portrait of the Christchurch New Wave music scene in 1979. Ed Oxenbould plays schoolboy Angus, discovering the underground music scene and a community of his own.
The Critic features Sir Ian McKellen as a much-feared theatre critic who’ll do anything to keep his job, no matter who gets hurt. Also starring Gemma Arterton (Byzantium), Mark Strong (Kingsman) and Lesley Manville (Mrs Harris Goes To Paris).
Lee is the story of one of the great World War Two photographers, Lee Miller, and why she slipped into obscurity when the war was over. Starring – and produced by – Kate Winslet, with Marion Cotillard, Andy Samberg and Alexander Skarsgård.
Woman Of The Hour is a true-crime thriller about an actress who goes on a TV dating show, only to discover that one of the contestants for a date with her is a serial killer. Starring and directed by Anna Kendrick (Pitch Perfect). Currently showing on Netflix.
Simon Morris looks at three films that owe their audiences to attractive casts – Kate Winslet in the Oscar hopeful Lee…. a star-studded comedy drama, The Critic featuring Sir Ian McKellen and Gemma Arterton…. And a Netflix true-crime thriller, starring and directed by Anna Kendrick.
My Favourite Cake is a bittersweet romance about two lonely 70-year-olds who hook up over cake and wine in modern day Iran. But how will the notorious Morality Police feel about it? It did well at this year’s Berlin Film Festival, despite being essentially cancelled by the Iranian authorities. What’s that line about success being the best revenge?
Kneecap tells the story of the hiphop group of the same name, starring themselves, with assistance from the likes of Michael Fassbender (Hunger) and Simone Kirby (Peaky Blinders). Kneecap’s point of difference is they rap entirely in Irish. Ireland’s submission to the next Academy Awards.
Last summer is the story of forbidden love between a confident teenager and his stepmother. But writer-director Catherine Breillat (2009’s Bluebeard) offers more than one twist in the tale before it finishes. Starring Léa Drucker (Close).
Simon Morris has a bad day at the office – three films, almost all “not in the English language”. Always a challenge for a radio show! They include festival favourites, Iranian film My Favourite Cake, a French drama called Last summer and a breezy comedy about Northern Ireland hiphop group Kneecap, who only use the Irish language.
The Apprentice is the based-on-reality story of Donald Trump’s sinister mentor - notorious lawyer Roy Cohn - while the documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is the biopic of the actor who came to fame playing the Man of Steel, then suffered a tragic accident confining him to a wheelchair. But it was what happened then that proved truly heroic.
Fergus Grady, Director of the British & Irish Film Festival, previews this year’s programme. Among the highlights are Conclave, starring Ralph Fiennes, We Live In Time, with Florence Pugh, a tribute to the Merchant Ivory team and a documentary on the “lost Rolling Stone”, Brian Jones.
A Mistake is a New Zealand film about a medical misadventure and its consequences. Directed and written by Christine Jeffs (Sunshine Cleaning), based on the best-selling novel by Carl Shuker. It stars Elizabeth Banks (Pitch Perfect), with Rena Owen (Once Were Warriors) and Matthew Sunderland (Out Of The Blue).
The Outrun is a hit from the recent International Film Festival that’s getting very strong reviews around the world. Starring Irish star Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird, Little Women) it’s based on the best-selling memoir of Orkney writer Amy Liptrot. Also stars Stephen Dillane (Game Of Thrones) and Saskia Reeves (Slow horses).
Wolfs went straight to streaming service Apple TV Plus, despite stars George Clooney and Brad Pitt. Has the audience for Hitchcock comedy-thrillers finally dried up?
The sequel to 2019’s surprise hit Joker, Folie à Deux, tries to aim at lovers of both dark drama and light musicals. What could go wrong? Stars Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, with Brendan Gleeson, Steve Coogan and Catherine Keenan.
Simon Morris discovers that audiences aren’t always the best judges of what they may want. Joker: Folie à Deux combines two popular genres, while Wolfs features two hugely popular stars, but both live to regret it. Meanwhile a little gem called The Outrun, starring Saoirse Ronan, proves that quality is the safest bet.
Radical is a Mexican film based on real-life, following in the footsteps of To Sir With Love, Dead Poet’s Society and Dangerous minds. An inexperienced teacher arrives at a poverty-stricken school and turns its fortunes round. A world-wide favourite, it was the most popular film at last year’s Sundance Festival.
The Wild Robot is a heart-warming family film from Dreamworks Animation (Puss In Boots). A robot crashes on a desert island and takes on a job it’s not programmed for – mother to a baby gosling. Voice talent includes Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Mark Hamill and Catherine O’Hara. Directed by Chris Sanders (How To Train Your Dragon).
Megalopolis is Francis Ford Coppola’s multi-million dollar art film - about art, politics and the future. It stars Adam Driver, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jon Voight, Dustin Hoffman and Aubrey Plaza. It’s big, it’s serious, but is there anything in there?
Simon Morris weighs up the relative size of big empty spectacle and smaller stories with gripping characters. Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis is as spectacular as its name, but what’s it about? The Wild Robot is a surprisingly engaging tale of an abandoned appliance looking for a purpose. And Radical is the real-life story of a first-time teacher in a last-chance Mexican school.
Simon Morris sees plenty of things in common among this week’s films – horror, middle-aged women, French directors - in The Substance, Iris and the Men and Never Let Go. Is it a reflection of the times we live in, or completely random? In other words, is it a trend or just a coincidence?
Iris and the Men sees French favourite Laure Calamy (Antoinette dans les Cévennes) return in a hit from the recent French Film Festival. When her husband seems to ignore her, Iris has an answer – a dating app for dissatisfied marrieds. Suddenly it’s raining men! Written and directed by Antoinette’s Caroline Vignal.
Never Let Go is set in a dystopian future where a mother (Halle Berry) and her two young sons are under threat from a mysterious entity in the woods. Their only protection are the ropes attached to their cabin. Directed by Alexandre Aja (Crawl).
The Substance is a Cannes Film Festival winner, starring Demi Moore as an aging film-star who takes a potion that turns her into a younger version. But youth comes at a horrifying price. Written and directed by Coralie Fargeat.
Simon Morris asks Annie Murray, CEO of the New Zealand Film Commission, why local audiences for New Zealand films are currently so low – around just three percent of the total box office? Is it poor promotion and publicity? Do audiences prefer streaming services to cinemas these days? Or are we simply making the wrong movies?
Director Tim Burton returns to his 1988 hit comedy about the afterlife. But does it still pack the same punch? It stars old hands Catherine O'Hara, Winona Ryder and Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice, with newcomers Jenna Ortega and Monica Bellucci.
Simon Morris looks at three specifically targeted films - a sequel to Tim Burton's cult classic Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, a popular documentary from a recent architecture film festival, Maurice and I, and a comedy-drama featuring a 93-year-old grandmother action hero - Thelma. He's interested to see if any of them can reach outside their audiences.
Thelma is the year's least-likely action hero on a mission to get back the money she lost to scammers. Starring 90-plus film veteran June Squibb she's out long past her bed-time, and she's not going back empty handed! Co-starring Robert Roundtree, Parker Posey and Malcolm McDowell.
Maurice and I tells the surprisingly moving story of two of the most successful architects in New Zealand - Sir Miles Warren and Maurice Mahoney - their life, their times and their struggle to save their most famous building after the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.
Eileen is a Netflix noir, starring New Zealand actress Thomasin McKenzie (Last Night in Soho) and Oscar-winner Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables) as co-workers in a juvenile prison whose relationship goes bad.
How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies is a tiny independent from Thailand that’s punching considerably above its weight. It’s being sold entirely on its ability to make audiences cry!
Midas Man tells the story of Brian Epstein, the man who discovered the Beatles and changed the world. Starring Jacob Fortune-Lloyd as Epstein with cameos from Eddies Marsan and Izzard, Emily Watson and talkshow host Jay Leno as Ed Sullivan.
Simon Morris looks at three smaller films that attempt to do more with less – Midas Man, a biopic of the Beatles’ manager, a Thai tear-jerker called How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies and a dark thriller called Eileen that went straight to Netflix.
Simon Morris suggests that when it comes to breaking the film-making rules, it's best to pick your battles. This week The Sitting Duck is a real life French miscarriage of justice, Blink Twice is a thriller about life among the idle rich - yes, another one! And We Were Dangerous sees three teenage girls plan to break out in 1950s New Zealand.
The Sitting Duck is the real-life story of a French trade union dispute that turns nasty. Was the whistleblower really attacked at her home, or did she make it up to publicise her cause? Starring Isabelle Huppert (Elle).
Blink Twice is the directorial debut of actor Zoë Kravitz (The Batman) that sees a tech billionaire (Channing Tatum) invite his celebrity friends to an island getaway where all is not what it seems. Co-starring Naomi Ackie (Whitney Houston in I Wanna Dance With Somebody), Christian Slater (True Romance) and Geena Davis (Thelma and Louise).
New Zealand film We Were Dangerous is set during the famous "moral panic" of 1954, when a new invention - the "teenager" - seemed to terrorise the powers that be! Three rebel girls decide to get out from under. Starring Erana James (Uproar), Nathalie Morris (One Lane Bridge) and newcomer Manaia Hall. With Rima Te Wiata (Hunt for the Wilderpeople) as the Matron.
Alien: Romulus is the latest entry in the space-horror franchise that goes back to basics, and is all the better for it. Directed by Fede Álvarez (Don't Breathe) and starring Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla) and a digital version of Ian Holm (the original Alien).
Action-comedy Jackpot! stars Awkwafina (Crazy Rich Asians) as a woman who wins a billion dollar lottery, only to find she has to stay alive until sundown if she wants to keep it. Co-starring John Cena (The Suicide Squad)and rapper Machine Gun Kelly. Streaming on Prime Video.
Simon Morris investigates the dark art of casting - which gives you the best value for money, a star, a real actor or a trendy celebrity? He checks three contrasting films - Alien: Romulus, a little indie comedy-drama Ghostlight, and a celebrity-dotted action comedy on Prime Video, Jackpot!
Ghostlight is a critically acclaimed indie film about a construction worker and his family who heal when he is bullied into joining a community theatre. Featuring a scene-stealing performance by Dolly De Leon (Triangle of Sadness).
My big fat Greek wedding 3 is yet another visit to the Portokalos family - this time on holiday in Greece. Starring, written and directed by Nia Vardalos, with John Corbett (And just like that) and Andrea Martin (Only murders in the building).
Simon Morris is confronted with several movies that come with a pre-booked audience, you'd think - a popular ethnic comedy, one for anyone who's been to theatre school, and another hit French comedy thriller.
Theatre camp is an independent, semi-improvised mockumentary about a run-down school for child actors. Starring, written and directed by Molly Gordon and Noah Galvin (Booksmart), co-starring Ayo Edebiri (The Bear) and Ben Platt (Dear Evan Hansen).
The innocent is an award-winning French comedy drama, starring, written and directed by Louis Garrel. Co-starring Noémie Merlant (Portrait of a lady on fire) and Roschdy Zem (Chocolat).
A great friend is a typically French character comedy, that takes the old city clicker/country bumpkin formula and adds some unexpected twists. Starring Lambert Wilson (Mrs Harris goes to Paris) and Grégory Gadebois (Délicieux).
Simon Morris looks at three movies that take certain short cuts to reach their audience.
Sound of freedom is an American surprise success - a low-budget real-life thriller about rescuing kidnapped children from traffickers in Colombia. Stars Jim Caviezel (Passion of the Christ) and co-produced by Mel Gibson (Passion of the Christ).
Retribution sees Liam Neeson in Speed territory - trapped in a car with a bomb primed to go off under the driver's seat. Co-starring Noma Dumezweni (The little mermaid) and Matthew Modine (Stranger things).
Last film show is a semi-autobiographical, independent film from India about a poor tea-maker's son who's determined that one day he'll become a film maker. Directed by Pan Nalin (Samsara).
Strays is that rare thing - an R-rated comedy featuring live-action dogs. Abandoned pet Reggie plans revenge on his deadbeat owner. Featuring the voices of Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx and Isla Fisher.
Simon Morris sees three smallish movies, though only one seems interested in selling it to a potential audience
Jules is the story of the small town that gets an unexpected visitor from outer space. But can this one ring any changes to a rather familiar tale. Stars Sir Ben Kingsley and Jane Curtin (Coneheads).
Simon Morris is pleasantly surprised by three films that didn't seem particularly aimed at him - a quirky art-film, a video-game adaptation and an old horror chestnut.
Asteroid City is an all-star oddity from Wes Anderson (Grand Budapest Hotel) that rolls just about every mid-50s element into one package. Stars Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johanssen, Tilda Swinton, Bryan Cranston an many more.
Gran Turismo tells the story of a gamer who took his skills to some of the top real race-tracks in the world. Stars David Harbour (Stranger Things), Orlando Bloom (Pirates of the Caribbean), Archie Madekwe and Geri Halliwell.
The last voyage of the Demeter is the story of the doomed ship that carried Dracula to England. Starring Liam Cunningham (Game of Thrones) and Corey Hawkins (Staright outta Compton).
Meg 2: The Trench sees Jason Statham and Cliff Curtis once again wrestling with giant, prehistoric sharks at the bottom of the Mariana Trench.
Simon Morris checks out three films that set out to convince us of something hard to believe - one true, one "based on real events" and one not remotely true.
Chevalier tells the incredible but true story of Joseph Bologne, the "Black Mozart" - swordsman, composer, virtuoso violinist and lover of women in the court of Marie Antoinette. Starring Kelvin Harrison Jr (Cyrano), Minnie Driver (Good Will Hunting) and Marton Czokas (Shortland Street).
Munich: The Edge of War tells a fictional story behind the British Prime Minister's famous Munich rendezvous meeting with Adolf Hitler. Stars George Mackay (1917), Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a fall) and as Neville Chamberlain Jeremy Irons.
Simon Morris checks out three little movies that may mean more than meets the eye. Anatomy of a fall is the opening movie for the International Film Festival, a French drama that picked up the prized Palme d'Or at Cannes this year. Stars Sandra Hüller (the Oscar-nominated Toni Erdmann). The miracle club is a little Irish film with a better cast than most about four women on a trip to Lourdes. Starring Kathy Bates, Laura Linney and Dame Maggie Smith. And Guy Ritchie's The covenant is set in the recent Afghan War, where Jake Gyllenhaal plays an American soldier looking for the Afghan interpreter who saved his life.
Anatomy of a fall is the opening movie for the International Film Festival, a French drama that picked up the prized Palme d'Or at Cannes this year. Stars Sandra Hüller (the Oscar-nominated Toni Erdmann).
Guy Ritchie's The covenant is set in the recent Afghan War, where Jake Gyllenhaal plays an American soldier looking for the Afghan interpreter who saved his life.
The miracle club is a little Irish film with a better cast than most about four women on a trip to Lourdes. Starring Kathy Bates, Laura Linney and Dame Maggie Smith.
Simon Morris looks at the most famous double feature of the year - the guys who invented the atom bomb in Oppenheimer and the doll that caused the almost as huge upheaval in the toy box - Barbie.
Barbie is a combination colourful romp - so long as it's pink! - and feminist fable. Stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, and written and directed by Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird).
Oppenheimer is the story of the man behind the atom bomb, who ended the Second World War and started the Cold one. Written and directed by Christopher Nolan (Dunkirk), it stars Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Junior and Matt Damon.
Robots imagines a world where your robot can do all the boring parts of your work and play. Stars Jack Whitehall (Bad education) and Shailene Woodley (Big little lies). On Prime Video.
Simon Morris looks at three small-scale comedies - two American on Prime Video and Netflix, one French - and discovers that the secret is to take it seriously.
The Out Laws sees a bank manager discovers his fiancée's parents may not be who they say they are. Stars Adam Devine (Pitch Perfect), Pierce Brosnan (Mamma Mia) and Ellen Barkin (Ocean's 13). On Netflix.
French film A good doctor sees an on-call emergency doctor laid up, and dependent on a totally unqualified courier to pretend to be him on his rounds. Stars Michel Blanc (Monsieur Hire).
Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One - is Tom Cruise finally winding up the Impossible Missions crew? Co-starring Vanessa Kirby (The Crown), Rebecca Ferguson (Dune) and Hayley Atwell (Captain America).
Sugar and stars is the based-on-real-life story about a French-Arab orphan who decides to become one of the world's great pastry chefs. Another hit from the recent French Film Festival.
Simon Morris notices an increasing number of franchise blockbusters reaching the end of the road - including the latest Mission Impossible. He also checks out a French foodie movie, and the latest from the producers of Crazy Rich Asians.
Joy ride sees four Chinese-American women have an eventful holiday in China. An R-rated comedy directed by Adele Lim (Crazy rich Asians), produced by Seth Rogen (Knocked up) and starring Stephanie Hsu (Everything everywhere all at once).
The last rider is a documentary about the first American to win the Tour de France cycle race, and Greg LeMond did it without drugs! Directed by Alex Holmes (Maiden).
Country Cabaret is a French - a very French! - feelgood movie about a real-life farmer who decided to raise money by creating a cabaret, complete with dancers, jugglers, burlesque artists and conjurors - in his barn. A hit at the French Film Festival.
Simon Morris is philosophic about the built in let-downs in so many movies - whether it's an over-extended franchise, a once-reliable studio or simply a film that fails to match expectations. But there's still the possibility of being pleasantly surprised. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny sees Harrison Ford don the hat and crack the whip one last time. Co-starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag) and Toby Jones (The Detectorists). Country Cabaret is a French - a very French! - feelgood movie about a real-life farmer who decided to raise money by creating a cabaret, complete with dancers, jugglers, burlesque artists and conjurors - in his barn. A hit at the French Film Festival. And The last rider is a documentary about the first American to win the Tour de France cycle race, and Greg LeMond did it without drugs! Directed by Alex Holmes (Maiden).
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny sees Harrison Ford don the hat and crack the whip one last time. Co-starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag) and Toby Jones (The Detectorists).
It's coming up to that time of the year when New Zealand's film fanatics brace themselves for an onslaught of over 100 of the best, the most engaging and perplexing, the most confronting and comforting movies of the year - films from around the world and a great collection from Aotearoa, not to mention Senegal, Mongolia, Taiwan, Finland and who knows where. Simon Morris is joined by New Zealand International Film Festival General Manager Sally Woodfield for an overview of the 2023 selection.
Simon Morris looks at three contrasting stories - from a comic-book time traveller and a grumpy retired sailor finding love late in life to an author shocked to discover what her husband actually thinks of her book.
My sailor my love sees James Cosmo (Game of Thrones) as an unlikely romantic lead in an Irish tear jerker about love finding two people late in life.
You hurt my feelings asks what do people want to hear: the truth or a comforting white lie? Written and directed by Nicole Holofcener (Enough Said, Tbe last duel), it stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep) and Tobias Menzies (The Crown).
The Flash sees a super-hero go back in time to save his mother, and runs into the usual time-travel, alternate realities problem. Starring Ezra Miller (We need to talk about Kevin) and both Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck as two conflicting Batmen.
On At the Movies, Dan Slevin reviews three current releases that feature characters leaving home and the mixed feelings that brings: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is the long awaited sequel to the animated smash hit superhero film from 2018; The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry is an understated adaptation of a British novel from 2012, starring Jim Broadbent and Penelope Wilton; And The Tank is a Kiwi-made horror film about a young family who inherit an old house in the country only to discover it is already occupied - and the amphibious creature does not take kindly to having company.
Dan Slevin reviews a Kiwi-made horror film about a young family who inherit an old house in the country only to discover it is already occupied - and the amphibious creature does not take kindly to having company.
An understated adaptation of a British novel from 2012, starring Jim Broadbent and Penelope Wilton, is recommended by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin reviews the long awaited sequel to the animated smash hit superhero film from 2018.
Simon Morris talks to Sam Wasson, one of the authors of the massive Hollywood The Oral History, in which the story of the movie capital of the world is told by the people who made them.
Bones and all is the Venice Film Festival-winning horror film by Italian director Luca Guadagnino (Call me by your name). It stars Timothée Chalamet and Taylor Russell as two young people on the run, sharing a disturbing secret.
The menu is a dark comedy about a gala night at an exclusive restaurant run by a chef with a hidden agenda. Starring Ralph Fiennes (The Grand Budapest Hotel), Anya Taylor-Joy (Last night in Soho), and Nicholas Hoult (Tolkien), and directed by Mark Mylod (Succession).
Poker face stars Russell Crowe - who also wrote and directed it - as a billionaire gambler. Featuring Liam Hemsworth (The hunger games).
Simon Morris warns against assuming an audience shares your enthusiasms, whether it's haute cuisine, high stakes poker or cannibalism!
Simon Morris is reassured by three reliable movie formats - the newspaper story, the Brontë-esque melodrama, and the tale of two lost souls stranded in Central America.
Stars at noon sees distinguished French director Claire Denis adapt an American thriller set in modern Nicaragua. Stars Margaret Qualley (Once upon a time in Hollywood) and Joe Alwyn (Catherine called Birdie).
Emily is a "fictionalized biography" of the three Brontë sisters, Charlotte, Anne and Emily. In particular it's about how Emily's masterpiece Wuthering Heights was created. Starring Emma Mackey (Eiffel) as Emily, with Adrian Dunbar (Line of duty) and Fionn Whitehead (Dunkirk).
She said tells the story of how two New York women journalists took on Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein. Stars Carey Mulligan (Promising young woman), Zoe Kazan (The big sick) and real-life whistle-blower Ashley Judd as herself.
Simon Morris compares a big, crowded blockbuster with two smaller but rather more focused films from Finland and New Zealand.
The award-winning movie Compartment Number 6 puts a Finnish twist on the old Strangers on a Train format.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever struggles to match the power of the 2018 Black Panther film without original star Chadwick Boseman.
Maverick documentary-maker David Farrier tackles his toughest and longest assignment, the notorious Mr Organ who first made headlines by clamping Auckland illegal parkers and charging them hundreds of dollars to be released.
All Quiet on the Western Front is the first German adaptation of the famous novel about World War I. Produced by and featuring Daniel Brühl (Good bye Lenin), it's currently showing on Netflix.
Simon Morris looks at three movies where the story is the point, not the star. All but one…
The Wonder is set in the Nineteenth Century. A nurse is brought to Ireland to confirm that a young girl is staying alive miraculously. Stars Florence Pugh (Lady Macbeth) and directed by Sebastián Lelio (Gloria Bell).
My Policeman, available on Prime Video, is the story of a fraught romance, over a forty-year period, with an interesting cast. It stars Emma Corrin (The Crown), David Dawson (The Last Empire), and in the title role Linus Roache (Mandy) and pop star Harry Styles (Dunkirk).
The woman king is the controversial film about a real-life women's army in 19th century West Africa, and their involvement in the slave trade. Starring and produced by Viola Davis (The help), with John Boyega (Star Wars) and Lashana Lynch (No time to die).
Decision to leave is the award winning South Korean film noir, about a policeman who finds himself falling for the prime suspect in a murder, Directed by Park Chan-wook (Oldboy).
Simon Morris wrestles with challenging storylines, and wonders if you have to understand everything to enjoy them.
The night of the 12 th is a French police thriller about a shocking murder that becomes an obsession for the two detectives trying to solve it. Written and directed by Dominik Moll (Harry he's here to help)
Simon Morris looks at three very different movie heroes - a comic book demigod, a lovable cleaner with an impossible dream, and a real life New Zealand sporting heroine.
In Mrs Harris Goes to Paris, Lesley Manville casts a charming spell as a working-class Englishwoman who falls in love with a Christian Dior dress.
Black Adam sees Dwayne Johnson (aka The Rock) produce and star in his first comic-book franchise film. But where does this character fit in the DC Extended Universe?
Dame Valerie Adams: More than Gold tells the story of one of our most acclaimed sporting figures, and her dream to make it to her fifth Olympics, in Tokyo. Produced by Leanne Pooley (Beyond the edge) and directed by Briar March (Mothers of the revolution)
The Good Boss is an award-winning Spanish film about an unusually toxic boss. In it, Javier Bardem proves there's no-one better at selling deviousness wrapped in charm.
The 355 started out as a blockbuster thriller with a feminist twist, and ended up a programme filler on Prime Video. Stars Oscar-winners Jessica Chastain, Penélope Cruz and Lupita Nyong'o.
Simon Morris looks at three films that all, one way or another, play with audience expectations of a happy ending.
Simon Morris looks at three films that all, one way or another, play with audience expectations of a happy ending.
The 355 - a film that came to life as a blockbuster thriller with a feminist twist and ended up a programme filler on Prime Video. (Stars Oscar-winners Jessica Chastain, Penélope Cruz and Lupita Nyong'o)
The Netflix film Luckiest Girl Alive stars Mila Kunis as a woman in danger of her carefully-arranged life falling apart.
Simon Morris wonders why so many movies at the moment can't seem to end satisfactorily. He checks out a nihilistic thriller, an alternative reality movie with too many twists and turns, and a star studded comedy-thriller that fails at the finish line.
Memory is an unmemorable action film starring Liam Neeson as an ageing hitman with Alzheimer's.
Pop star-turned-actor Harry Styles is by no means the biggest problem with this highly publicised film, says Simon Morris.
Pulling off a realistic comedy thriller with an array of eccentric characters played by Hollywood stars is more than writer-director David O Russell can muster, says Simon Morris.
Millie Lies Low is a comedy-drama about a young Kiwi woman who panics just before leaving for her dream job in New York. Can she fool her friends into thinking that she's in the Big Apple? The film looks great but walks a fine line between quirk and bleakness, says Simon Morris.
Simon Morris welcomes several new women-driven movies, and wishes the directors would hurry up with their next projects. This week, films from New Zealand's Michelle Savill and the hard-working Lena Dunham, and the latest take on the well-worn story of Marilyn Monroe.
Blonde is a "fictional biography" of screen legend Marilyn Monroe. Cuban-born actor Ana de Armas is astonishingly convincing in this uncompromising and tragic take on the American Dream, says Simon Morris.
Catherine Called Birdy is a medieval coming-of-age film about a 13th-century girl with a 21st-century attitude.
Hit the road is a family road movie from Iran - the mishaps when a family tries to get the oldest boy a ticket to a better world - and yes it is a comedy! With breakout star 8-year-old Rayan Sarlak.
Fire of Love remembers Katia and Maurice Krafft - a French volcanologist couple whose passion for volcanoes is only matched by their love of each other.
Simon Morris reviews three films he wouldn't necessarily have gone to by choice - a light-hearted road movie from Iran, a French couple who bonded over their love of volcanoes, and a film about Superman's dog. He really liked two of them…
DC League of Super Pets wonders what would happen if Superman's best friend was a dog called Krypto. With the voices of Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart and Jemaine Clement as Aquaman.
Hit the road is a family road movie from Iran - the mishaps when a family tries to get the oldest boy a ticket to a better world - and yes it is a comedy! With breakout star 8-year-old Rayan Sarlak.
DC League of Super Pets wonders what would happen if Superman's best friend was a dog called Krypto. With the voices of Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart and Jemaine Clement as Aquaman.
Simon Morris reviews three films he wouldn't necessarily have gone to by choice - a light-hearted road movie from Iran, a French couple who bonded over their love of volcanoes, and a film about Superman's dog. He really liked two of them…
DC League of Super Pets wonders what would happen if Superman's best friend was a dog called Krypto. With the voices of Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart and Jemaine Clement as Aquaman.
Fire of Love remembers Katia and Maurice Krafft - a French volcanologist couple whose passion for volcanoes is only matched by their love of each other.
Hit the road is a family road movie from Iran - the mishaps when a family tries to get the oldest boy a ticket to a better world - and yes it is a comedy! With breakout star 8-year-old Rayan Sarlak.
Simon Morris reviews three films he wouldn't necessarily have gone to by choice - a light-hearted road movie from Iran, a French couple who bonded over their love of volcanoes, and a film about Superman's dog. He really liked two of them…
Fire of Love remembers Katia and Maurice Krafft - a French volcanologist couple whose passion for volcanoes is only matched by their love of each other.
The legendary French detective Maigret returns - this time with controversial acting veteran Gérard Depardieu playing a role that seems tailor-made for him.
See How They Run – a star-sprinkled comedy whodunit – leaves no Agatha Christie cliché unturned, says Simon Morris.
The legendary French detective Maigret returns - this time with controversial acting veteran Gérard Depardieu playing a role that seems tailor-made for him.
Simon Morris takes in three films mostly dependent on star power to get across, featuring famous performers from France, the United States and the UK. Well, Ireland really…
George Clooney and Julia Roberts play two warring divorcees who bury the hatchet to break up their daughter's engagement in Ticket to Paradise. Simon Morris's thing about this frothy romcom is the performance of talented young actor Kaitlyn Drever.
See How They Run – a star-sprinkled comedy whodunit – leaves no Agatha Christie cliché unturned, says Simon Morris.
George Clooney and Julia Roberts play two warring divorcees who bury the hatchet to break up their daughter's engagement in Ticket to Paradise. Simon Morris's thing about this frothy romcom is the performance of talented young actor Kaitlyn Drever.
Simon Morris takes in three films mostly dependent on star power to get across, featuring famous performers from France, the United States and the UK. Well, Ireland really…
The legendary French detective Maigret returns - this time with controversial acting veteran Gérard Depardieu playing a role that seems tailor-made for him.
See How They Run – a star-sprinkled comedy whodunit – leaves no Agatha Christie cliché unturned, says Simon Morris.
George Clooney and Julia Roberts play two warring divorcees who bury the hatchet to break up their daughter's engagement in Ticket to Paradise. Simon Morris's thing about this frothy romcom is the performance of talented young actor Kaitlyn Drever.
Simon Morris takes in three films mostly dependent on star power to get across, featuring famous performers from France, the United States and the UK. Well, Ireland really…
Simon Morris looks nervously at a remake of a childhood favourite, and also reviews a new New Zealand film and a frothy Spanish comedy about two rival actors working together on a prestigious art-film.
Simon Morris looks nervously at a remake of a childhood favourite, and also reviews a new New Zealand film and a frothy Spanish comedy about two rival actors working together on a prestigious art-film.
Simon Morris looks nervously at a remake of a childhood favourite, and also reviews a new New Zealand film and a frothy Spanish comedy about two rival actors working together on a prestigious art-film.
Official Competition is a satire about the film business, in which two rival actors make their first movie together. Starring Penélope Cruz, Antonio Banderas and Oscar Martinez.
Magic is replaced by technical mastery in Robert Zemeckis' unoriginal remake of an 82-year-old film classic. Tom Hanks should have run for the hills from this turkey, says Simon Morris.
Official Competition is a satire about the film business, in which two rival actors make their first movie together. Starring Penélope Cruz, Antonio Banderas and Oscar Martinez.
Punch is a New Zealand coming-of-age film about the unlikely friendship between a schoolboy boxer and a flamboyant, young Māori singer.
Punch is a New Zealand coming-of-age film about the unlikely friendship between a schoolboy boxer and a flamboyant, young Māori singer.
Magic is replaced by technical mastery in Robert Zemeckis' unoriginal remake of an 82-year-old film classic. Tom Hanks should have run for the hills from this turkey, says Simon Morris.
Punch is a New Zealand coming-of-age film about the unlikely friendship between a schoolboy boxer and a flamboyant, young Māori singer.
Magic is replaced by technical mastery in Robert Zemeckis' unoriginal remake of an 82-year-old film classic. Tom Hanks should have run for the hills from this turkey, says Simon Morris.
Official Competition is a satire about the film business, in which two rival actors make their first movie together. Starring Penélope Cruz, Antonio Banderas and Oscar Martinez.
Muru is a thriller based on the notorious Tūhoe raids of 2007. Starring Cliff Curtis (The Dark Horse) and Simone Kessell (Obi-Wan Kenobi), it's directed by Tearepa Kahi (Poi E, Mt Zion).
Simon Morris looks at three movies that play with the idea of stories - a fictionalized account of a famous real event, a low budget movie that dreams big, and a variation of the famous tales of the Arabian Nights.Muru is a thriller based on the notorious Tuhoe raids of 2007. Starring Cliff Curtis (The Dark Horse) and Simone Kessell (Obi-Wan Kenobi), it's directed by Tearepa Kahi (Poi E, Mt Zion). Northspur is an indie New Zealand film set in a plague-torn future, when roaming bandits threatened remote settlements. Starring the late Marshall Napier (Bellbird) and Josh McKenzie (Filthy Rich), it's directed by Aaron Falvey (Rock Bottom). And a variation on all those stories about 'three wishes', Australian director George Miller (Mad Max) presents Three thousand years of longing, starring Tilda Swinton (The French Despatch) and Idris Alba (Beast).
The New Zealand indie film Northspur is set in a plague-torn future where roaming bandits threaten remote settlements. Starring the late Marshall Napier (Bellbird) and Josh McKenzie (Filthy Rich), it's directed by Aaron Falvey (Rock Bottom).
Simon Morris looks at three movies that play with the idea of stories - a fictionalized account of a famous real event, a low budget movie that dreams big, and a variation of the famous tales of the Arabian Nights.Muru is a thriller based on the notorious Tuhoe raids of 2007. Starring Cliff Curtis (The Dark Horse) and Simone Kessell (Obi-Wan Kenobi), it's directed by Tearepa Kahi (Poi E, Mt Zion). Northspur is an indie New Zealand film set in a plague-torn future, when roaming bandits threatened remote settlements. Starring the late Marshall Napier (Bellbird) and Josh McKenzie (Filthy Rich), it's directed by Aaron Falvey (Rock Bottom). And a variation on all those stories about 'three wishes', Australian director George Miller (Mad Max) presents Three thousand years of longing, starring Tilda Swinton (The French Despatch) and Idris Alba (Beast).
Actors Idris Alba and Tilda Swinton and director George Miller are a dream team in this fantastical banquet.
The New Zealand indie film Northspur is set in a plague-torn future where roaming bandits threaten remote settlements. Starring the late Marshall Napier (Bellbird) and Josh McKenzie (Filthy Rich), it's directed by Aaron Falvey (Rock Bottom).
Muru is a thriller based on the notorious Tūhoe raids of 2007. Starring Cliff Curtis (The Dark Horse) and Simone Kessell (Obi-Wan Kenobi), it's directed by Tearepa Kahi (Poi E, Mt Zion).
Muru is a thriller based on the notorious Tūhoe raids of 2007. Starring Cliff Curtis (The Dark Horse) and Simone Kessell (Obi-Wan Kenobi), it's directed by Tearepa Kahi (Poi E, Mt Zion).
Actors Idris Alba and Tilda Swinton and director George Miller are a dream team in this fantastical banquet.
Simon Morris looks at three movies that play with the idea of stories - a fictionalized account of a famous real event, a low budget movie that dreams big, and a variation of the famous tales of the Arabian Nights.Muru is a thriller based on the notorious Tuhoe raids of 2007. Starring Cliff Curtis (The Dark Horse) and Simone Kessell (Obi-Wan Kenobi), it's directed by Tearepa Kahi (Poi E, Mt Zion). Northspur is an indie New Zealand film set in a plague-torn future, when roaming bandits threatened remote settlements. Starring the late Marshall Napier (Bellbird) and Josh McKenzie (Filthy Rich), it's directed by Aaron Falvey (Rock Bottom). And a variation on all those stories about 'three wishes', Australian director George Miller (Mad Max) presents Three thousand years of longing, starring Tilda Swinton (The French Despatch) and Idris Alba (Beast).
Actors Idris Alba and Tilda Swinton and director George Miller are a dream team in this fantastical banquet.
The New Zealand indie film Northspur is set in a plague-torn future where roaming bandits threaten remote settlements. Starring the late Marshall Napier (Bellbird) and Josh McKenzie (Filthy Rich), it's directed by Aaron Falvey (Rock Bottom).
A stitch in time sees an elderly ex-dressmaker decide to go back into business. Starring TV and movie veteran Maggie Blincoe (Crocodile Dundee) and former pop star Glenn Shorrock (the Little River Band).
Simon Morris reviews three films that have a good idea who their audience is - a traditional feelgood movie from Australia, a tale of a French jeweller hiding from the Nazis, and a thriller described as "Jaws on dry land".
Beast pits Idris Alba against a revenge-crazed lion in the African bush. Idris plays a widower hoping that a mini-safari may be just the thing to mend things with his two young daughters. Co-stars Sharlto Copley (District 9), and directed by Iceland's Baltasar Kormakur (Everest).
Farewell Mr Haffmann is based on an award-winning French stage play about a Jewish jeweller hiding from the Nazis in his own basement, while his former assistant makes a fortune using stolen gems. Stars Daniel Auteuil (Jean de Florette) and Sara Giraudeau (TV's The Bureau).
And a documentary looks back on the career of the fashion designer Mary Quant, who more than anyone created the look of Swinging London in the mid 1960's. Directed by actor and fashion designer Sadie Frost (Absolutely Fabulous the Movie).
The conference is German TV movie about the notorious 1942 Wannsee Conference, in which top Nazis planned the details of the "Final solution" - the Holocaust.
Gloriavale is the first big-screen documentary about the secretive, fundamentalist commune on the West Coast. Made by Noel Smyth and Fergus Grady (Camino skies).
Simon Morris reviews three films that all re-tell rather familiar stories - two documentaries and one German docudrama. Gloriavale is the first big-screen documentary about the secretive, fundamentalist commune on the West Coast. Made by Noel Smyth and Fergus Grady (Camino skies). The conference is German TV movie about the notorious 1942 Wannsee Conference, in which top Nazis planned the details of the "Final solution" - the Holocaust. And a documentary looks back on the career of the fashion designer Mary Quant, who more than anyone created the look of Swinging London in the mid 1960's. Directed by actor and fashion designer Sadie Frost (Absolutely Fabulous the Movie).
Simon Morris reviews three films with one thing in common - none of them are remakes, sequels or adaptations. Nope is the latest from the Twilight Zone world of writer-director Jordan Peele. It blends sci-fi, westerns and showbiz into a unique whole. Stars Daniel Kaluuya (Get out!) and Steven Yeun (Minari). Employee of the month is a French smash hit comedy about a civil servant determined to keep his job - no matter where they send him. And Emma Thompson stars in a comedy drama - Good luck to you, Leo Grande - about a 60-something widow who hires a sex worker to show her what she's missed in an uneventful life and marriage. Features newcomer Daryl McCormack as Leo.
Emma Thompson stars in a comedy drama - Good luck to you, Leo Grande - about a 60-something widow who hires a sex worker to show her what she's missed in an uneventful life and marriage. Features newcomer Daryl McCormack as Leo.
Nope is the latest from the Twilight Zone world of writer-director Jordan Peele. It blends sci-fi, westerns and showbiz into a unique whole. Stars Daniel Kaluuya (Get out!) and Steven Yeun (Minari).
Employee of the month is a French smash hit comedy about a civil servant determined to keep his job - no matter where they send him.
The Princess is yet another documentary about the late Princess Diana, with the emphasis this time on the changing attitudes of the media and the public at the time.
Brad Pitt stars in an action comedy romp, set on a high-speed Japanese express - Bullet Train. Co stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kick Ass), Michael Shannon (The Shape of Water) and Brian Tyree Henry (Eternals).
Brad Pitt stars in an action comedy romp, set on a high-speed Japanese express - Bullet Train. Co stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kick Ass), Michael Shannon (The Shape of Water) and Brian Tyree Henry (Eternals).
Ruby's choice is an Australian comedy drama about a family coping with grandmother Ruby as she slips into dementia. Starring Jane Seymour (Dr Quinn Medicine Woman).
Simon Morris wonders when A List directors turned to streaming services like Netflix, while decidedly B List movies get picked up by the cinemas. He checks out three of the latter.
And Martin Scorcese produces the new film by writer Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver). The Card Counter stars Oscar Isaac (Dune, Star Wars) as a poker player trying to forget his past. Featuring Tiffany Haddish (Girls trip).
The Gardener is a love-letter to the late Frank Cabot and the Quebec garden he devoted much of his life creating, Les Quatre Vents.
Thirteen Lives is another film about the rescue of a Thai schoolboy football team that had the world in suspense for weeks. Directed by Ron Howard (Apollo 13) and starring Viggo Mortensen and Colin Farrell.
Simon Morris looks at three films that about veteran artists - a documentary about one of the great modern garden designers, Hollywood favourite Ron Howard's dramatization of a famous rescue, and former Martin Scorcese screenwriter Paul Schrader's latest turn in the director's chair.
The Gray Man is Netflix's biggest budget feature film ever and is a globetrotting spy action comedy starring Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans.
On At the Movies, Dan Slevin reviews three new releases that are all adapted from books: the romantic drama Where the Crawdads Sing set in 1950s North Carolina; Netflix's biggest budget blockbuster ever, The Gray Man from the Russo Brothers; and a gentle and moving film in Irish, The Quiet Girl.
Dan Slevin reviews the romantic drama Where the Crawdads Sing based on the bestselling novel.
Dan Slevin reviews the romantic drama Where the Crawdads Sing based on the bestselling novel.
On At the Movies, Dan Slevin looks at at three new films and one rediscovery. He reviews the new Marvel superhero movie THOR - LOVE AND THUNDER, written and directed by Taika Waititi; Academy Award winner Mark Rylance starring as the real life "worst golfer in the world" in THE PHANTOM OF THE OPEN; and a double-feature of music films, the rediscovered SONGS FOR DRELLA featuring Lou Reed and John Cale, and a new film about Nick Cave, THIS MUCH I KNOW TO BE TRUE.
Dan Slevin reviews the new Marvel superhero movie THOR - LOVE AND THUNDER, written and directed by Taika Waititi.
Dan Slevin reviews a double-feature of music films, the rediscovered SONGS FOR DRELLA featuring Lou Reed and John Cale, and a new film about Nick Cave, THIS MUCH I KNOW TO BE TRUE.
Academy Award winner Mark Rylance starring as the real life "worst golfer in the world" in THE PHANTOM OF THE OPEN (reviewed by Dan Slevin).
Dan Slevin chats to the general manager of Whanau Marama New Zealand International Film Festival, Sally Woodfield, about this year's event which returns to Auckland after two years of Covid restrictions, as well as touring the country during late July and August.
On At the Movies, Dan Slevin looks at three new films. He reviews the new biography of Elvis Presley written and directed by Baz Luhrmann, ELVIS; James Napier Robertson and. Paula Whetu Jones' celebration of the life of Dame Whina Cooper, WHINA; and THE JANES, a documentary about a group of women in early 1970s Chicago who help desperate women get safe abortions.
Whina is a biography of the iconic Maori campaigner and social activist, Dame Whina Cooper (reviewed by Dan Slevin).
Dan Slevin reviews a new documentary about a group of women in pre-Roe v Wade Chicago who helped desperate women get safe abortions.
Dan Slevin reviews the new biography of the King of Rock n Roll, written and directed by Baz Luhrmann.
Distinguished English writer-director Terence Davies talks about his new film Benediction, the life of poet and war hero Siegfried Sassoon. Stars Jack Lowden and Peter Capaldi as Sassoon.
Nude Tuesday is the latest from Kiwi comedy dream team, star Jemaine Clement (What we do in the shadows) and writer-star Jackie Van Beek (The Breaker Upperers). So why is it so nude and so deliberately incomprehensible?
Lightyear is the film that inspired the action figure in the Toy Story films, Buzz Lightyear, we're told. But who exactly is it aimed at, we wonder? Featuring the voices of Chris Evans and Taika Waititi.
Simon Morris looks at three films that respond to - or negotiate their way through - popular taste. There's a Pixar prequel, a more quirky than usual New Zealand comedy, and a heartfelt tribute to a half-forgotten war poet.
Simon Morris compares an over-busy blockbuster with an award-winning Japanese art film, that seems to be stripped to the bone.
Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy is the award-winning film based on three short stories written and directed by this year's Oscar winner Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car).
Jurassic World Dominion is the latest - and probably final - in the "Jurassic" series. This time the dinosaurs share space with Jurassic World stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, and Jurassic Park stars Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum.
The Informer is a Netflix film about an ex-con working undercover for the FBI. It stars Joel Kinnaman (Suicide Squad), Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl) and Clive Owen (Children of Men).
Mothering Sunday is ostensibly a story of a 1920's affair between a housemaid and a friend of her employer. But there's more to it than there appears. Featuring a stellar support cast of Colin Firth, Olivia Colman and the return to the screen after 30 years of Glenda Jackson (Women in love).
Lunana: A yak in the classroom is an Oscar-nominated film from Bhutan. A disillusioned trainee teacher is sent to a remote village in the mountains for his last year. And his life is changed by a group of kids, a yak called Norbu, and a beautiful yak herder.
Hatching is a bizarre and disturbing tale from Finland about a teenage girl, bullied by her mother, who cares for an egg. An egg that eventually hatches something unexpected.
Simon Morris discovers that some events are often too depressing to revisit - like the years after a war or a pandemic. And he's pleased to go off the beaten track with movies from Finland and the Himalayan state of Bhutan.
Simon Morris realizes that not all films are aimed at him - this week being a prime example. Two films are aimed at the popular Girls' Night Out market, while the Tom Cruise blockbuster is a sequel to a film he didn't bother to see the first time. Top Gun: Maverick is the long-delayed follow-up to the 1986 Tom Cruise smash hit. Thirty years on, Pete "Maverick" Marshall (Cruise) is summoned to train a new generation of Top Guns. Also starring Jon Hamm, Jennifer Connolly and Val Kilmer. The Tuesday Club is a Swedish film about disgruntled middle-aged women who look for a new lease on life at a weekly cooking class, run by a Swedish chef, played by Peter Stormare (Fargo). And How to please a woman is an Australian film about a middle-aged woman who sets up a combination house-cleaning and sex-worker business. Stars Sally Phillips (Bridget Jones's Diary) and Erik Thomson (TV's Packed to the rafters).
Top Gun: Maverick is the long-delayed follow-up to the 1986 Tom Cruise smash hit. Thirty years on, Pete "Maverick" Marshall (Cruise) is summoned to train a new generation of Top Guns. Also starring Jon Hamm, Jennifer Connolly and Val Kilmer.
The Tuesday Club is a Swedish film about disgruntled middle-aged women who look for a new lease on life at a weekly cooking class, run by a Swedish chef, played by Peter Stormare (Fargo).
How to please a woman is an Australian film about a middle-aged woman who sets up a combination house-cleaning and sex-worker business. Stars Sally Phillips (Bridget Jones's Diary) and Erik Thomson (TV's Packed to the rafters).
The Innocents is a critically acclaimed Norwegian horror film about a small group of children who gain strange powers. Written and directed by Eskil Vogt (The worst person in the world).
Beloved children's author Roald Dahl (Hugh Bonneville) and his actress wife Patricia Neal (Keeley Hawes) are struck by family tragedy in To Olivia.
The Northman is a chilly, violent retelling of a traditional Icelandic story that was later the inspiration for Shakespeare's Hamlet. Starring Alexander Skarsgård (Godzilla vs Kong) and Anya Taylor-Joy (Last Night in Soho) it was directed by Robert Eggers (The Lighthouse).
Simon Morris looks at three films, all with one thing in common - Scandinavia. One tells an old Viking saga, one is a modern Norwegian horror film, while the third is a biopic of a beloved British-Norwegian children's author.
Simon Morris discovers that rare thing in an age of endless sequels and prequels - three stories that simply stand alone. They include a British war story, a French tale of a street-kid turned dressmaker, and a Belgian-Scottish romance about secrets and lies. Operation Mincemeat is the extraordinary true story of a fake spy dropped off to fool the Nazis about the Allied battle plans. Stars Colin Firth, Matthew McFadyen and Kelly McDonald. Haute Couture sees a retiring Dior dressmaker take a stroppy girl from the Paris slums under her wing and teach her the tricks of the trade. Stars Nathalie Baye (Downton Abbey: A new era.) And Nobody has to know sees a Scottish woman lie to a man with amnesia about their relationship. Stars Michelle Fairley (Game of Thrones).
Nobody has to know sees a Scottish woman lie to a man with amnesia about their relationship. Stars Michelle Fairley (Game of Thrones).
Haute Couture sees a retiring Dior dressmaker take a stroppy girl from the Paris slums under her wing and teach her the tricks of the trade. Stars Nathalie Baye (Downton Abbey: A new era.)
Operation Mincemeat is the extraordinary true story of a fake spy dropped off to fool the Nazis about the Allied battle plans. Stars Colin Firth, Matthew McFadyen and Kelly McDonald.
The Velvet Queen sees French author-adventurer Sylvain Tesson travel with wildlife photographer Vincent Munier to the Tibetan wilderness in search of a rare big cat. In competition at Cannes 2021.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness features Benedict Cumberbatch as Marvel Comics' resident sorcerer trying to make sense of several alternate universes. Featuring Benedict Wong (The Martian), Rachel McAdams (Mean Girls) and Chiwetel Ejiafor (12 Years a Slave), and directed by Sam Raimi (Spider-Man).
Simon Morris wonders if some movies are sacrificing appealing characters for over-complicated plots. And he looks at a documentary where hardly anything happens, and a film where the lead isn't really a character at all. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness features Benedict Cumberbatch as Marvel Comics' resident sorcerer trying to make sense of several alternate universes. Featuring Benedict Wong (The Martian), Rachel McAdams (Mean Girls) and Chiwetel Ejiafor (12 years a slave), and directed by Sam Raimi (Spider-Man). The Velvet Queen sees French author-adventurer Sylvain Tesson travel with wildlife photographer Vincent Munier to the Tibetan wilderness in search of a rare big cat. In competition at Cannes 2021. And After Yang - based on a sci fi short story about a future where children can buy an android sibling for company. But what happens when your mechanical best friend breaks down? Starring Colin Farrell, Jodie Turner-Smith (Queen and Slim)and Haley Lu Richardson (Support the girls).
After Yang - based on a sci fi short story about a future where children can buy an android sibling for company. But what happens when your mechanical best friend breaks down? Starring Colin Farrell, Jodie Turner-Smith (Queen and Slim)and Haley Lu Richardson (Support the girls).
Escape from Mogadishu sees a violent civil war break out in Somalia, trapping man y foreign embassies. And the only way the rivals from North and South Korea - long-standing enemies - can get out alive is if they co-operate with each other.
A Hero is the latest from Iranian master Asghar Farhadi (A Separation, The Salesman). A winner at the Cannes Film Festival last year, it tells of a bankrupt man who gains a popular reputation when he finds a bag of money, and nobly returns it to its owner. But is the story quite as straightforward as it seems?
Simon Morris discovers that, in the age of post-modern irony and multiverses, there are still movies that believe in telling great stories. Just not always in English. A drama from Iran and a thriller from Korea are two of the best of the year. Meanwhile the weight is over for Downton Abbey fans. Downton Abbey: A New Era sees half of Lord Grantham's family go to the French Riviera, while the other half host a film crew, shooting a silent movie at Downton. A hero is the latest from Iranian master Asghar Farhadi (A separation, The salesman). A winner at the Cannes Film Festival last year, it tells of a bankrupt man who gains a popular reputation when he finds a bag of money, and nobly returns it to its owner. But is the story quite as straightforward as it seems? And Escape from Mogadishu sees a violent civil war break out in Somalia, trapping man y foreign embassies. And the only way the rivals from North and South Korea - long-standing enemies - can get out alive is if they co-operate with each other.
Downton Abbey: A New Era sees half of Lord Grantham's family go to the French Riviera, while the other half host a film crew, shooting a silent movie at Downton. Starring Maggie Smith, Michelle Dockery, Tuppence Middleton and new face Dominic West (The Wire).
The unbearable weight of massive talent sees a fictional version of movie star Nicolas Cage going undercover for the CIA at the birthday of his biggest fan. Co-stars Pedro Pascal (Game of Thrones) and Sharon Horgan (Military wives).
Everybody Hates Johan covers almost as long a period, as title character Johan's hobby - and later profession - of blowing things up, gets in the way of his relationship with the patient girl next door.
Elizabeth: A Portrait in Part(s) is a documentary looking at the longest-reigning monarch in British history, Elizabeth II. It's told in chapters covering everything from her love of horses, her mixed feelings about fame and her unmixed feelings about her official crown! It's the final film by the late director Roger Michell (The Duke).
Simon Morris goes to two movies about, in one way or another, celebrity - a comedy that fictionalizes a well-known star, and a documentary about one of the most famous women alive. He also picks a Norwegian entry to the Scandinavian Film Festival.
Simon Morris reviews three wildly diverse movies - one exploring another trendy "multiverse", an old-age pensioner travelling from one tip of the UK to the other, and an old-fashjoned spy thriller with an A-List cast.
In The last Bus, Timothy Spall uses his bus pass o get from John O’Groats to Land’s End. Trouble is it’s a Scottish one.
All the old knives is a spy thriller about an investigation into a hijacking that went very wrong. Stars Chris Pine (Star Trek), Thandiwe Newton (TV's Line of duty), Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix) and Jonathan Price (The two Popes).
Everything everywhere all at once stars former martial arts star Michele Yeoh as a middle-aged laundromat owner suddenly called on to save several universes. Featuring Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween) and Ke Huy Quan (The Goonies)
Movie stars Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum attempt to bring back the romantic comedy by disguising it as an action spoof in The Lost City. Simon Morris likes both actors and Romancing the Stone - one of several films The Lost City references. What could possibly go wrong?
In the horror movie X – which was mostly shot around Whanganui – an adult movie shoot goes bad. X stars Martin Henderson and Mia Goth and is directed by Ti West.
Simon Morris looks at three films with the modest ambition to simply entertain an audience. They include an established franchise, a genre picture blending horror and comedy and an adventure-romom.
Despite its expensive-looking costumes and flash digital effects. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is a bit of a mess, says Simon Morris.
Deep Water is an Amazon Prime film, directed by Adrian Lyne (Fatal Attraction, Indecent Proposal), it stars Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas (No time to die) as a couple in a poisonous marriage.
Morbius is proof that the words "Marvel Comics" are not always a guarantee of success. The title character is a "human vampire" played by Jared Leto (House of Gucci). Also along for the ride is friend Jared Harris (Chernobyl) and foe Matt Smith (Dr Who).
Benedetta sees the return of Paul Verhoeven (Basic Instinct) in the story of a real life nun in Renaissance Tuscany who's accused of scandalous behaviour at the height of a plague.
Simon Morris cries out for more adult movies and gets more than he bargained for, with the return of two directors famous for steamy thriller sin the Eighties.
A totalitarian government kidnaps indigenous children and brainwashes them in the NZ-Canadian sci-fi Night Raiders.
The multi-award winning Drive My Car is about a man throwing himself into work after the sudden death of his wife. He rebuilds his life with the unexpected help of his new driver.
Simon Morris looks back on the Academy Awards - after the dust settled what were the results? He also looks at Oscar-winner Drive my car, and two from last year's Film Festival, including a New Zealand/Canadian sci-fi feature.
One of the most moving films in last year's International Film Festival was the British-Italian co-production Nowhere Special. It stars James Norton as an ailing window-cleaner trying to bring up a four-year-old boy on his own.
It snows in Benidorm sees Timothy Spall (Mr Turner) as a repressed ex-banker in search of his missing brother at the well-known Spanish holiday resort. Directed by Isabel Coixet (The Bookshop).
AT THE MOVIES - WHAT WOULD ROGER MICHELL DO? Simon Morris reviews one of the last films by the late director Roger Michell, as well as two others from directors at different stages in their journey.
The Duke is the true story of a man who stole a famous painting of the Duke of Wellington, planning to give the proceeds to charity. Starring Jim Broadbent and Dame Helen Mirren, and directed by the late Roger Michell.
Dog is the debut directing gig for movie star Channing Tatum. He also takes the lead as a burnt-out ex-army man babysitting a neurotic dog.
Bergman Island, sees two married film-makers (Tim Roth and Vicky Krieps) go to stay at the former home of the late Swedish legend Ingmar Bergman. Will they be inspired, or will it destroy their marriage?
Blind ambition is a documentary about four unlikely contestants in the prestigious World Wine Tasting Championships. Just a few years before, Joseph, Tinashe, Pardon and Marlvin had been refugees from Zimbabwe who knew nothing about any sort of wine!
RETURN OF THE AWARD SHOWS Simon Morris welcomes back the Baftas, and looks at three small films whose virtue is mostly their own reward - a minor Brit-com, a documentary about African wine-buffs and a salute to an art-film legend
Off the rails is a routine tale of middle-aged women attempting to retrieve their youth, with some unexpected cameos. Stars Sally Phillips (Bridget Jones) and Kelly Preston (Jerry Maguire).
Robert Pattinson takes on the mask and cowl in The Batman. After years of nocturnal misery in Bat Land, Simon Morris is nostalgic for the campy '60s TV series.
Carbon: The Unauthorized Biography is a documentary about "the least understood element on Earth". Featuring a parade of big-name scientists, and Sarah Snook (Succession) as the voice of Carbon.
Skies of Lebanon is the romantic story of a young Swiss woman who went to Beirut to work and fell in love - with a professor and the land of Lebanon.
Simon Morris plays the hand he's dealt - one of the biggest films of the year, an environmental documentary, narrated by the element Carbon, and a sweet little romance that remembers Lebanon in happier times.
Hive tells the true story of a group of war widows in a village in Kosovo attempting to go into business, despite the objections of the local men.
Flee is an innovative Danish film about escaping Afghanistan 25 years ago. It's up for three Academy Awards this year - Best International Film, Best Documentary and Best Animated Feature
Cyrano sees Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) take the role of the poet and soldier who helps his rival woo the woman he loves. Directed by Joe Wright (Atonement, Pride and Prejudice).
Simon Morris reviews three movies with international flavours - a Danish documentary about an Afghani refugee, a Kosovo drama, and an American film based on a French play.
C'mon C'mon stars Oscar-winning Joaquin Phoenix and Bafta nominee, 11-year-old Woody Norman. Directed by Mike Mills (Beginners)
Uncharted can only be a "movie". Basedon a video game, it stars two A-listers, Tom Holland and Mark Waahlberg, and it travels the world looking for treasure. Directed by Ruben Fleischer (Venom)
Simon Morris spots the difference between what the Academy Awards want to give awards to and what audiences are prepared to spend their money on.
The Worst Person in the World is definitely "cinema". It's Norwegian, it picked up Best Actress at Cannes Film Festival and it's up for two Oscars this year.
Death on the Nile is Sir Kenneth Branagh's followup to his successful Murder on the Orient Express in 2017. It stars Gal Gadot, Annette Bening, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders, with Branagh himself as Hercule Poirot.
Red Rocket is a new movie written and directed by Sean Baker (The Florida Project). Simon Rex plays a loser hoping to revive his shady movie career with the aid of a young girl called Strawberry.
Simon Morris concedes that luck can often play a big part in a movie's success, and looks at three that have varying amounts of it. Death on the Nile is Sir Kenneth Brannagh's followup to his successful Murder on the Orient Express in 2017. It stars Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman), Annette Bening, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders, with Brannagh himself as Hercule Poirot. Blacklight is another Liam Neeson thriller, where once again he plays an undercover FBI agent on the hunt for whoever kidnapped his family. Fortunately he has a very particular set of skills. And Red Rocket is a new movie written and directed by Sean Baker (The Florida Project). Simon Rex plays a loser hoping to revive his shady movie career with the aid of a young girl called Strawberry.
Blacklight is another Liam Neeson thriller, where once again he plays an undercover FBI agent on the hunt for whoever kidnapped his family. Fortunately he has a very particular set of skills.
And Parallel Mothers, the latest from legendary Spanish film-maker Pedro Almadovar, is the highly-acclaimed story of two mothers and two babies born the same day. Stars Penelope Cruz.
Indian Sweets and Spices sees American-born Alia clash with her traditional Indian mother in suburban Ruby Hill. She is shocked to discover that Mum wasn't always as strait-laced and conservative as she seems. Stars Sophia Ali (Grey's Anatomy).
Simon Morris starts the countdown to the Oscars next month, and looks at two likely contenders - Belfast and Parallel Mothers. He also checks out an Indian-American rom-com, from the producers of Crazy Rich Asians. Belfast is based on Sir Kenneth Brannagh's memories of Troubles broke out. Starring Jamie Dornan, Judi Dench, Ciaran Hinds and young Jude Hill as "Buddy". Indian Sweets and Spices sees American-born Alia clash with her traditional Indian mother in suburban Ruby Hill. She is shocked to discover that Mum wasn't always as strait-laced and conservative as she seems. Stars Sophia Ali (Grey's Anatomy). And Parallel Mothers, the latest from legendary Spanish film-maker Pedro Almadovar, is the highly-acclaimed story of two mothers and two babies born the same day. Stars Penelope Cruz.
Belfast is based on Sir Kenneth Brannagh's memories of growing up in the Northern Ireland capital, just as the Troubles broke out. Starring Jamie Dornan, Judi Dench, Ciaran Hinds and young Jude Hill as Buddy.
The Hating Game is a romantic comedy about two publishing executives struggling with their mixed feelings for each other.
On At the Movies, Dan Slevin looks at four new films in local cinemas. He reviews the new coming-of-age comedy by Paul Thomas Anderson, LICORICE PIZZA; a romantic comedy about two publishing executives struggling with their mixed feelings for each other, THE HATING GAME; a biopic about notorious 80s televangelists, THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE; and Tilda Swinton experiences strange phenomena in Colombia in MEMORIA.
Tilda Swinton experiences strange phenomena in Colombia in Memoria. Reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin reviews the new coming-of-age comedy by Paul Thomas Anderson, Licorice Pizza.
The Eyes of Tammy Faye stars Jessica Chastain in a biopic about notorious 80s televangelists. Reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Zac Efron stars as a drifter in a post-apocalyptic landscape who stumbles across unimaginable riches. Reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin reviews a remake of the 1947 classic film noir starring Bradley Cooper and Cate Blanchett.
Dan Slevin looks at four new films released during the summer break. He reviews the Will Smith vehicle King Richard, about the father of Venus and Serena Williams ; the film noir thriller Nightmare Alley, directed by Guillermo Del Toro; an Australian post-apocalyptic drama called Gold; and Kristen Stewart as the Princess of Wales in Spencer.
King Richard stars Will Smith as the father of tennis champions Venus and Serena Williams. Reviewed by Dan Slevin
Dan Slevin suggests four options for holiday viewing. He reviews the Wes Anderson comedy The French Dispatch ; the latest Spider-man: No Way Home; Steven Spielberg's remake of the 1961 classic West Side Story; and the film that may be Michael Caine's swan song, Best Sellers.
The French Dispatch is a comedy inspired by the New Yorker magazine, written and directed by Wes Anderson. Reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin reviews a drama starring Michael Caine about a reclusive author forced back out on the road to promote his new book.
Simon Morris looks back in 2021, a year where much of the time we relied on streaming services for our movie hit. It saw the return of the big blockbusters, an Academy Awards ceremony dominated by diversity, and a busy year of New Zealand made films and TV.
Encanto is set in an exotic Latin American town, where all the Madrigal family but one have magical powers. Can Mirabel save the town when the powers start to fade? Songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda (In the Heights, Moana).
Simon Morris looks at three films that are all out of the ordinary - an adaptation of a sci-fi book that's defied filming, an animated musical set in Latin America and a biopic of an eccentric Victorian cat-lover.
The Electrical World of Louis Wain is an Amazon Prime feature about a Victorian English illustrator whose whimsical pictures of cats entranced the nation. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Claire Foy (The Crown), Taika Waititi and Olivia Colman.
Dune has defeated the best efforts of Hollywood in the past. Can Denis Villeneuve (Arrival) and an all-star cast triumph where others have failed. Stars Timothée Chalamet, Oscar Isaac, Zendaya and Charlotte Rampling.
Petite Maman is a French "what if?" story about how an 8-year-old girl makes a new friend, who may be her mother at the same age. Written and directed by Céline Sciamma (Portrait of a Lady on Fire).
Simon Morris looks at three films that play with fantasy in contrasting ways. French film Titane was a sensation when it won the Palme D'Or at Cannes this year. An erotic dancer moonlights as a serial killer, and has closer than normal feelings for American muscle cars - where's her happy ending? Stars Vincent Lindon (Anything for her) and directed by Julia Ducournau (Raw). Venom: Let there be Carnage sees Eddie (Tom Hardy) still hosting alien being Venom, but this time he confronts a bad guy in the same predicament. Features Woody Harrelson (The Hunger Games) and Michelle Williams (My week with Marilyn), directed by Andy Serkis (Lord of the Rings). Petite Maman is a French "what if?" story about how an 8-year-old girl makes a new friend, who may be her mother at the same age. Written and directed by Céline Sciamma (Portrait of a lady on fire).
Venom: Let There Be Carnage sees Eddie (Tom Hardy) still hosting alien being Venom, but this time he confronts a bad guy in the same predicament. Features Woody Harrelson (The Hunger Games) and Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn), directed by Andy Serkis (Lord of the Rings).
French film Titane was a sensation when it won the Palme D'Or at Cannes this year. An erotic dancer moonlights as a serial killer, and has closer than normal feelings for American muscle cars - where's her happy ending? Stars Vincent Lindon (Anything for her) and directed by Julia Ducournau (Raw).
Simon Morris looks at three films about stories - one based on an early tale of chivalry, one that smuggles adult concerns into a children's animated movie, and a horror film that taps into indigenous American myths and legends. The Green Knight tells one of the earliest recorded stories of King Arthur and his nephew Gawain 's perilous quest. Features Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire) and Alicia Vikander (Ex machina), directed by David Lowery (Pete's Dragon). Ron's gone wrong is an animated feature about what happens when Barney finally gets his coveted B*Bot, only to find it's a faulty version called Ron. Stars Zach Kalifianakis (The hangover) and Olivia Colman (The Crown). And Antlers tells the story of an Oregon teacher concerned about one of her pupils. What's Lucas got hidden at his home? Stars Keri Russell (Waitress) and Jesse Plemons (Power of the Dog). Produced by Guillermo del Toro.
A boy called Christmas is based on a popular children's book, and stars Dame Maggie Smith, Sally Hawkins, Jim Broadbent and Toby Jones.
Simon Morris goes to a couple of improving documentaries and finds them rather more entertaining than their fictional rivals.
Breaking Bread covers an Arabic Food Festival in Israel, where pairs of chefs - one Jewish, one Arabic - set out to show that food can bring people together. It was the brainchild of Nof Atamna-Ismaeel, the first Muslim Arab to win Israel's Masterchef.
The Rescue is the story of the rescue mission that gripped the world in 2018, when a young Thai football team found themselves trapped at the end of an underground river. Directed by Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi.
And from Netflix, Passing, directed by actor Rebecca Hall (Professor Marston and the Wonder Women). Set in 1929, it tells of a Black woman passing for white in racist New York. Staring Tessa Thomson (Avengers: Endgame) and Ruth Negga (Loving).
Last Night In Soho is director Edgar Wright's tribute to swinging London, starring New Zealander Thomasin McKenzie, with Anya Taylor-Joy (The Queen's Gambit), Matt Smith (Dr Who) and the late Dame Diana Rigg (The Avengers).
Simon Morris is inspired by the Swinging Sixties, and looks at half a dozen potential Next Big Things in three often nostalgic movies.
Falling for Figaro is the story of a successful bank executive who drops it all for opera. With Danielle Macdonald (Unbelievable), Hugh Skinner (Fleabag) and Joanna Lumley (The New Avengers). Directed by Ben Lewin (The Sessions).
The Garden of Evil goes behind the scenes of the tragic murder of legendary New Zealand yachtsman Sir Peter Blake in 2001. Was it just a robbery gone wrong, or was it connected to Sir Peter's environmental work?
The Power of the Dog is a western shot in Otago that's already won Dame Jane Campion a Best Director award at the Venice Film Festival.
And from Marvel, The Eternals are ten semi-divine superheroes, responsible for thousands of years of human progress. But is time up? Stars Gemma Chan (Humans), Richard Madden (Game of Thrones), and Angelina Jolie (Maleficent). Directed by Oscar-winner Chloe Zhao (Nomadland).
Simon Morris warns against trusting the taste of film reviewers - one person's triumph is another's turkey! He also looks at three films that have divided the pundits - from Marvel Comics, from Dame Jane Campion and from the Doc Edge Festival.
The Green Knight tells one of the earliest recorded stories of King Arthur and his nephew Gawain 's perilous quest. Features Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire) and Alicia Vikander (Ex machina), directed by David Lowery (Pete's Dragon).
Antlers tells the story of an Oregon teacher concerned about one of her pupils. What's Lucas got hidden at his home? Stars Keri Russell (Waitress) and Jesse Plemons (Power of the Dog). Produced by Guillermo del Toro.
Ron's gone wrong is an animated feature about what happens when Barney finally gets his coveted B*Bot, only to find it's a faulty version called Ron. Stars Zach Kalifianakis (The hangover) and Olivia Colman (The Crown).
The Last Duel is the true story of the last 'trial by combat', where the truth depended on which combatant was victorious. Stars Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, who also wrote the script, and Jodie Comer. Produced and directed by Sir Ridley Scott.
Simon Morris welcomes the long-awaited James Bond film No time to die, and one of the artier hits of the Cannes Film Festival. And he also checks out a less challenging French story about rose-growers.
No Time to Die is the final Bond film starring Daniel Craig as 007. It features Rami Malek, Lashana Lynch, Ana de Armas Ralph Fiennes and a song from Billie Eilish.
The Rose Maker features French star Catherine Frot as a rose-grower on the verge of bankruptcy who gets assistance from an unexpected quarter.
Annette is the long-awaited rock opera from art-rock duo, Sparks. It premiered this year at Cannes, and stars Adam CDriver, Marion Cotillard and then-6-year-old Devyn McDowell. Directed by Leos Carax (Holy Motors).
Simon Morris welcomes the belated return of the New Zealand International Film Festival, and invites director Marten Rabarts for an overview of the 2021 Festival, which opens - Covid willing - around the country in November.
Simon Morris looks back to 1972, when the first Wellington Film Festival opened with just seven titles! And he reviews two rather less challenging films - a Liam Neeson suspenser, and belated parenting from a hippie mother.
The Ice Road sees Liam Neeson lead a group of truckers on a rescue mission across a frozen lake in northern Canada. Also featuring Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix) and Amber Midthunder (Roswell New Mexico).
In Ride the Eagle a Californian musician - Jake Johnson (New Girl) - is sent by his late mother on a voyage of self-discovery. With Susan Sarandon (Thelma and Louise) and J K Simmons (Whiplash).
And the first director of the Wellington (later New Zealand) Film Festival, Lindsay Shelton talks about how the Festival changed our viewing habits, and also started the local movie industry when it championed films like Peter Jackson's Bad Taste.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings draws on Chinese myths and legends, as well as the all-conquering Marvel Comics country. Featuring Chinese superstars Tony Leung and Michele Yeoh, and popular comedienne Awkwafina (Crazy Rich Asians).
The Night House sees Rebecca Hall (Professor Marston and the Wonder Women) as a widow under siege in her new house from mysterious forces.
Danish director Andreas Koefoed talks about his documentary about the shock to the art world when a new painting by Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci shows up in New Orleans. But that's just the start of a story of art, greed, politics and scandal.
Simon Morris signals his waning interest in the once all-conquering Marvel Cinematic Universe, and wonders if a new hero will turn the tide. He also looks at a good example of the traditional "haunted house" ghost story, and a documentary about the discovery and sale of the most expensive painting ever auctioned.
Eiffel is the lightly-fictionalised story of the Frenchman behind the famous Tower, and the scandal that threatened to wreck the project. Starring Romain Duris (The beat that my heart skipped) and Emma Mackey (Sex Education).
Reminiscence is set in a post-war future, where the seas have risen and the biggest drug on the market is nostalgia. Stars Hugh Jackman, Rebecca Ferguson and Thandiwe Newton, it's directed by Lisa Joy (Westworld).
Respect is the story of the early career of singer Aretha Franklin, and how a failed recording artist became one of the greatest stylists in soul music. Stars Jennifer Hudson and Forest Whitaker.
Summer of soul is a documentary about a forgotten Harlem music festival. A month before the more famous Woodstock Festival, it boasted some of the top soul, pop and jazz artists of all time. Featuring B B King, Sly and the Family Stone, Gladys Knight, Mahalia Jackson and Nina Simone, it also marked the start of the "black is beautiful" movement.
Simon Morris returns in a programme often about nostalgia. Two films deal with some of the biggest musical stars of the late Sixties, a French biopic tells the story behind one of the most famous edifices in the world, and a sci-fi/film noir hybrid is about a world where memory can be bought and sold. Respect is the story of the early career of singer Aretha Franklin, and how a failed recording artist became one of the greatest stylists in soul music. Stars Jennifer Hudson and Forest Whitaker. Summer of soul is a documentary about a forgotten Harlem music festival. A month before the more famous Woodstock Festival, it boasted some of the top soul, pop and jazz artists of all time. Featuring B B King, Sly and the Family Stone, Gladys Knight, Mahalia Jackson and Nina Simone, it also marked the start of the “black is beautiful” movement, Eiffel is the lightly-fictionalised story of the Frenchman behind the famous Tower, and the scandal that threatened to wreck the project. Starring Romain Duris (The beat that my heart skipped) and Emma Mackey (Sex Education). And Reminiscence is set in a post-war future, where the seas have risen and the biggest drug on the market is nostalgia. Stars Hugh Jackman, Rebecca Ferguson and Thandiwe Newton, it’s directed by Lisa Joy (Westworld).
Dan Slevin reviews a new documentary about the attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001, streaming on Apple TV+.
Raised by Wolves is a 10-part science-fiction series streaming on Neon and the first two episodes are directed by Ridley Scott. Reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin reviews Cinderella from Amazon Prime, a new version featuring a selection of repurposed pop songs from the last 40 years.
The White Tiger is a drama based on a Booker Prize winning novel about a young Indian man trying to break down the economic and social barriers that hold him back. Reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin suggests four options for at home lockdown viewing. He reviews the Netflix drama The White Tiger; Amazon Prime's new version of Cinderella, from the creator of the Pitch Perfect trilogy; Neon's science-fiction series Raised by Wolves which has the first two episodes directed by Ridley Scott; and the documentary 9/11: Inside the President's War Room which streams on Apple TV+.
In times of uncertainty, it can feel good to wrap yourself up in something cosy and familiar that can always be relied on to make you feel better.
Steven Soderbergh's Let Them All Talk stars Meryl Streep as an author taking her oldest friends on a trip across the Atlantic. Reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Benedict Cumberbatch plays a monster made of reanimated body parts in the National Theatre at Home production of Frankenstein. Reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin suggests four options for at home lockdown viewing. He reviews the music documentary Count Me In which is on Netflix; Frankenstein starring Benedict Cumberbatch, from the Royal National Theatre's "at home" showcase of their recent theatre productions; Steven Soderbergh's Let Them All Talk, which stars Meryl Streep as an author taking her oldest friends on a trip across the Atlantic; and the classic Baseball magic realism film Field of Dreams starring Kevin Costner.
Dan Slevin reviews the ABC television satire series Utopia about a federal agency tasked with boosting Australia’s infrastructure.
Dan Slevin wholeheartedly recommends this documentary about composer Max Richter's 8.5-hour ‘lullaby’ being performed in front of an audience of sleeping people.
Dan Slevin reviews a science fiction action vehicle for Chris Pratt who plays a Green Beret sent 30 years into the future to fight off an alien invasion.
Gerard Butler stars in a disaster movie about an ordinary man trying to save his family from a planet killing comet. Reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin watches three recent movies that have arrived online as well as an Australian comedy series that’s now on Netflix. He reviews the Gerard Butler disaster movie GREENLAND; THE TOMORROW WAR, a science-fiction film starring Chris Pratt as a former Green Beret sent 30 years into the future to fight off an alien invasion; the documentary MAX RICHTER’S SLEEP about the composer’s eight and a half hour ‘lullaby’; and the Australian satire UTOPIA about the fictional federal agency the Nation Building Authority.
The Man in the Hat (Stephen Warbeck interview) Stephen Warbeck won an Oscar for his score for Shakespeare in Love in 1998 but he’s just made his first film as a director: The Man in the Hat. Reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin reviews a drama starring Nicolas Cage as an Oregon truffle hunter on a mission to retrieve his stolen pig.
Ryan Reynolds stars as a video game ‘non-playable character’ who falls in love and becomes a hero. Reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin is filling in for Simon Morris and watches two new movies and interviews an Oscar-winning composer. He reviews the Ryan Reynolds comedy Free Guy; Pig, a drama starring Nicolas Cage as a truffle hunter who loses his best asset; and he interviews Stephen Warbeck, an Academy Award winning composer who has just made his first film as a director: The Man in the Hat.
This reboot/sequel of DC's supervillain action-comedy again stars Margot Robbie. But unlike the first Suicide Squad movie of 2016, it's funny, smart and light on its feet.
New Zealand actor Daniel Gillies is superbly villainous in Coming Home in the Dark - a deadpan horror about a middle-class Kiwi family on a road trip into the backblocks. Reviewed by Dan Slevin.
In this Chilean documentary, an 82-year-old widower is enlisted by a private detective to investigate alleged abuse at a retirement home. Reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin is filling in for Simon Morris and watches three new movies in cinemas. He reviews the R-rated comic book caper The Suicide Squad; Coming Home in the Dark, a dark drama based on the short story by Owen Marshall; and The Mole Agent, an Academy Award nominated documentary from Chile about a octogenarian investigator under cover in a retirement home.
Pierce Brosnan stars in a heist picture where a group of criminals are enlisted to break into a high-tech prison to steal gold bars from Islamic terrorists. Reviewed by Dan Slevin
Dan Slevin reviews a new Disney adventure based on one of Disneyland’s oldest and best loved attractions and starring Emily Blunt and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.
Essie Davis stars in the debut feature from Gaysorn Thavat about a homeless solo mum battling to be reunited with her kids. Reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin is filling in for Simon Morris and watches three new films in cinemas and at home. He reviews the gritty New Zealand drama The Justice of Bunny King; Jungle Cruise, an adventure inspired by one Disneyland’s oldest and best loved attractions; and The Misfits, a high energy crime caper starring Pierce Brosnan.
Snake Eyes looks at the origins of a famous member of the G I Joe crew. Snake Eyes joins a Japanese ninja clan to get revenge for the death of his father. Stars Henry Golding (Crazy Rich Asians).
Waiting for Anya is an adaptation of a book by Sir Michael Morpurgo (War Horse). Set in Occupied France, a village woman (Anjelica Huston) protects a group of Jewish children, hoping them to smuggle them to safety over the Spanish border.
Old is the latest from thriller king M Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense). A group of holidaymakers are trapped on a mysterious beach, where they find themselves aging incredibly rapidly.
Simon Morris looks at three movies, each one featuring actors strongly picked for future stardom - Kiwi actor Thomasin McKenzie, Australian actor Hugo Weaving’s daughter Samara, and TV show Stranger Things star Noah Schnapp.
Edgar Wright's documentary about American group Sparks is released just as band-members Russell and Ron Mael launch their own musical, Annette, at the Cannes Film Festival. The Sparks Brothers features fans including Todd Rundgren, Duran Duran, Jonathan Ross, Beck and Giorgio Moroder.
French hit The Godmother sees a middle-aged police interpreter, played by Isabelle Huppert (Elle) make a career move when she unexpectedly finds a large consignment of hashish.
Gunpowder Milkshake sees Karen Gillan (Dr Who) and Lena Headey (Game of Thrones) as daughter and mother assassins under attack from The Firm.
Simon Morris is happy with this week’s assortment, featuring two great films and only one, er, other one. There’s a documentary about the current sensation at Cannes - veteran art-rockers Sparks - one of the hits of the French Film Festival, and a strong, mostly women, cast in a comic-book type thriller.
And the remake of the popular Space Jam of 1996 sees basketball legend LeBron James sent to a world of Warner Brothers cartoon characters, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Porky Pig.
How I Became a Superhero is a French Netflix film about a world where people with superpowers co-exist with ordinary people in an alternative Paris.
Black Widow sees Scarlett Johansson finally carry a superhero movie on her own, as the popular member of The Avengers. Also starring Florence Pugh (Little Women) and Rachel Weisz (The Constant Gardener).
Simon Morris looks at three types of superhero movies - the latest from the phenomenally popular Marvel Comics franchise, a uniquely French take on the genre and a remake of a family movie starring basketball superstars and popular cartoon characters.
Two gay school friends - Eddie and Amber - pretend they're going out together in the quirky Irish comedy Dating Amber.
The French romantic comedy Antoinette in the Cevennes might be a good one if you're missing Europe or have a thing for donkeys, says Simon Morris.
Spirit Untamed is a formulaic family movie with phoned-in performances from two big stars. Cranston Academy: Monster Zone makes it look like Spirited Away.
Simon Morris looks at a fairly so-so selection of releases - a French hit that may struggle away from home, a little Irish comedy about surviving high school, and two very minor animated features for the school holidays.
Oscar winner Barry Jenkins has adapted Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel as a limited series for Amazon’s Prime Video. Reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Five years after retiring from Manchester United, the legendary football manager talks to his son Jason about his career and his 2018 brain haemorrhage. Reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin is filling in for Simon Morris and watches three new films in cinemas and at home. He reviews Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In an intimate documentary about the legendary football manager; Bye Bye Morons, an award winning French comedy; and The Underground Railroad Barry Jenkins’ adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel for Amazon Studios.
The latest animated feature from the Pixar studio, screening on the Disney Plus service. Reviewed by Dan Slevin
A single mother in contemporary Dublin tries to protect her family by building a house. Reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin is filling in for Simon Morris and he reviews reviews Irish drama HERSELF, about a victim of domestic violence who builds a house; F9 (or FAST & FURIOUS 9), the latest in the great petrol head adventure franchise; and LUCA, a an animated film about Italian sea monsters from Pixar and Disney Plus.
The latest animated feature from the Pixar studio, screening on the Disney Plus service. Reviewed by Dan Slevin
A single mother in contemporary Dublin tries to protect her family by building a house.
Dan Slevin is filling in for Simon Morris and he reviews reviews Irish drama HERSELF, about a victim of domestic violence who builds a house; F9 (or FAST & FURIOUS 9), the latest in the great petrol head adventure franchise; and LUCA, a an animated film about Italian sea monsters from Pixar and Disney Plus.
The sequel to the popular Hitman's Bodyguard is called The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard - starring once again... Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L Jackson and Salma Hayek.
In The Heights is the Broadway musical that launched the career of writer/composer/star Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton). It's been adapted into a movie by director Jon M Chu.
Percy vs Goliath tells the real-life story of farmer Percy Schmeiser and his battle with the mighty Monsanto Corporation. Stars Christopher Walken (The deer hunter) and Christina Ricci (The Addams Family).
Simon Morris looks back on the chequered past of adaptations of Broadway musicals to the big screen. He welcomes the latest, and reviews a real life underdog story, and an action-comedy sequel.
And comedy actor Simon Bird (The Inbetweeners) talks about his directorial debut, a well-received adaptation of the funny/sad graphic novel, Days of Bagnold Summer.
The Conjuring 3: The Devil made me do it sees demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren return to investigate another case of diabolic possession. Stars Vera Farmiga (Up in the air) and Patrick Wilson (Aquaman).
Simon Morris looks at the grey area of truth, lies and films “based on actual events. There’s one film based on a real-life racehorse, another inspired by a legal defense of "demonic possession", and a realistic story based on a graphic novel.
The villainous fashion designer from the Disney favourite 101 Dalmatians gets her own film - Cruella, starring Emma Stone and Emma Thompson. Directed by Craig Gillespie (I Tonya).
Minamata is the true story of a campaign by a Life Magazine photographer against a Japanese toxic-waste scandal in the Seventies. Starring Johnny Depp, Bill Nighy and opera singer Katherine Jenkins.
Poppy is a New Zealand feel-good film about a young car mechanic with Down syndrome who's determined not to let her disability slow her down. Directed by Linda Niccol (Second hand wedding) and starring Ari Boyland (Shortland Street) and newcomer Libby Hunsdale.
Simon Morris talks about the importance of charm in a film - you can’t find an audience if there’s no-one they like in your film. And he finds three films that all depend on their likeable central characters.
French Film Festival director Fergus Grady picks some of the highlights of this year's programme. These include Antoinette in the Cevennes, the biopic De Gaulle and the thriller Only the animals.
A Quiet Place Part II returns to the alien invasion hit, featuring blind monsters with very sharp hearing. Written and directed by John Kasinski and starring Emily Blunt, with Cillian Murphy.
No Man's Land is yet another attempt to bring back the Western, as trouble on the Texas border leads to a ride to redemption.Featuring Andie McDowell and Frank Grillo, written by star Jake Allyn, and directed by his brother Conor.
Simon Morris welcomes the French Film Festival Aotearoa after a two year break. It couldn't come at a better time, with a batch of formulaic fare currently in the cinemas.
Those Who Wish Me Dead sees Angelina Jolie return to the action genre as a fire-fighter trying to protect a child who witnessed a murder. Featuring Aiden Gillen (Game of Thrones), Nicholas Hoult (About a boy) and a ferocious forest fire.
Litigante is a sharp character study by Colombian director Franco Lolli. A mother and daughter - played by Lolli's real life cousin and mother Carolina Sanin and Leticia Gomez - argue over work, health, romance and children.
From Netflix, two contrasting films about movie fans - The woman at the window puts Amy Adams in a deliberately Rear window predicament, while The Mitchells vs The Machines interrupts Katie’s trip to film school with a robot apocalypse! Featuring Olivia Colman as an evil smart-phone.
Simon Morris sees parallels between the current war against Covid and the Second World War - both featured strong representation of women in their movies, for a start. Like this week’s quartet.
Locked Down - the first post-Covid romcom. Paxton and Linda (Chiwetel Ejiafor and Anne Hathaway) are locked in a flat together, despite being technically separated. Can a disastrous Zoom call, a valuable diamond and Edgar Allen Poe save their relationship? Written by Steven Knight (Locke) and directed by Doug Liman (Edge of Tomorrow).
Son of the South is the true story of Bob Zellner, born into a Ku Klux Klan family and who became one of the first white volunteers for the civil rights movement in Sixties Alabama. Produced by Spike Lee (BlackkKlansman).
James and Isey is another example of New Zealand film-maker Florian Habicht's (Kaikohe Demolition) unique view of a documentary. Here he talks to a mother and son about Mum's upcoming 100th birthday.
Simon Morris counts down to a few bigger movies on the horizon, but makes do with a few smaller ones while he waits.
Wrath of man sees star Jason Statham (The Meg) and director Guy Ritchie (Snatch) reunite in a violent thriller about revenge, greed and a man who bears a grudge. Featuring Eddie Marsan (Vice), Andy Garcia (Oceans 11) and pop star Post Malone.
First Cow tells the story of two friends attempting to get by on the western frontier of 1820s America. They're offered a risky way to make their fortune, involving someone else's cow.
Land is the debut of star Robin Wright (Wonder Woman) as a feature film director. She plays a woman alone in the wilderness with her own reason for wanting to be left alone.
Simon Morris looks at three films very much guided by the taste and personality of their directors.
Editor of the Oscar winner for Best Animated Feature Soul Kevin Nolting talks about his short film 22 vs Earth, and why his boss Pete Docter is one of the great directors.
Six Minutes to Midnight sees Eddie Izzard in the challenging role of World War II secret agent. Co-starring Jim Broadbent and Dame Judi Dench.
The United States vs Billie Holiday features Oscar nominated actress/singer Andra Day in the title role, in the story of the legendary singer and the Song of the Century.
This year's Academy Awards show was more subdued than usual, but the winners were a lot more diverse.
Simon Morris gives credit to one of the most vital members of a film crew - the editor. This year editor/director Chloe Zhao picked up the top two Oscars for Nomadland, and crack Pixar editor Kevin Nolting talks about why the role is quite different in animation.
Love and Monsters - in a dystopian future, can Joel fight off giant bugs and toads to find true love? Stars Dylan O'Brien (The Maze Runner).
Tom and Jerry: The Movie - can a popular cartoon duo of the past win over audiences today? Directed by Tim Story (Fantastic Four) and starring Chloe Grace Moretz (Shadow in the Cloud).
Simon Morris reviews The White Tiger, a film that looks at the post-colonial power shift in India and doesn't offer any easy answers to viewers.
Simon Morris checks out the success-rate of recent, bigger movies when it comes to encouraging world audiences back to cinemas. And he looks at the latest would-be crowd pleaser, as well as two more Netflix films up for Oscars this year.
Bafta-winner Rocks features a teenage girl trying to look after her young brother when their mother abandons them. Directed by Sarah Gavron (Suffragette)
Voyagers takes place on a spaceship entirely crewed by teenagers. When something goes wrong, they split into warring factions. Stars Tye Sheridan (Ready Player One), Lily-Rose Depp (The King) and Colin Farrell.
Baftas and Oscars. This week's Baftas, and a look back at the Academy Awards, past and present - why has the public’s interest continued to drop off, regardless of the quality of the winners?
Simon Morris wonders why award events like this week’ Baftas and the upcoming Oscars seem to have lost their appeal. And he looks at two films about teenagers under stress - in outer space and on a London estate.
Nobody sees an average Joe called Hutch - Bob Odenkirk (Breaking Bad) - with a secret. He used to be an undercover black ops agent called The Auditor. Written and produced by Derek Kolstad (John Wicks).
Peter Rabbit 2 is the followup to the hugely popular update of Beatrix Potter’s classic children’s books. Once again featuring the voices of James Corden and Margot Robbie.
The courier tells the story of a British businessman working for the Secret Service as the Cold War heats up around Cuban missiles. Stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Jessie Buckley and Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvellous Mrs Maisel).
Simon Morris previews the return of some big-screen blockbusters, including children’s favourite Peter Rabbit 2. There’s something for older audiences too, including a secret-identity thriller, and a real-life Cold War drama.
The Father has been nominated for six Oscars - including Best Film - this year. It stars Sir Anthony Hopkins, Olivia Colman, Rufus Sewell and Olivia Williams, and is co-written by Christopher Hampton (Dangerous Liaisons)
Collective is the Oscar-nominated Romanian documentary about corruption in the health system, and the power of the press. It’s up for Academy Awards for both Best Documentary and Best International Feature Film.
Godzilla vs Kong is pretty much what it says on the poster. Stars Alexander Skarsgård, Rebecca Hall, and Kiwi Julian Dennison (Hunt for the Wilderpeople).
Simon Morris wonders how up to date we need to be on previous Godzilla and King Kong movies before going to their latest. And two Oscar nominees - Romanian documentary Collective, and star-studded drama The Father.
French Exit sees Michelle Pfeiffer as a broke New York socialite who gets a second chance in Paris. Directed by Azazel Jacobs (Mozart in the Jungle).
The Dissident reveals the story of journalist Jamal Kashoggi, and his sensational murder at the Saudi Arabian embassy in Istanbul. Directed by Academy Award-winning director Bryan Fogel (Icarus).
Fanny Lye Deliver'd is the story of the awakening of a farmer's wife during the reign of Oliver Cromwell. Stars Charles Dance and Maxine Peake.
Simon Morris looks at three films that don't fit the mould - a drama set in the brief moment when Britain was a republic…. A documentary about the assassination of a Saudi journalist…. And Michelle Pfeiffer as a madcap New York socialite in Paris.
The Disney animated feature Raya and the Last Dragon is a fable based on the myths and countryside of South East Asia. It stars the voices of Kelly Marie Tran (Star Wars) and two of the stars of Crazy Rich Asians - Awkwafina and Gemma Chan.
Cosmic Sin is a predictable alien-invasion thriller that's received an unpredictable reaction from its intended audience. It stars Bruce Willis and Frank Grillo.
Blackbird sees a family coming to grips with the matriarch’s intended suicide. Stars Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet and Sam Neill, and directed by Roger Michell (Notting Hill).
Simon Morris looks at the range of films making the cinemas in the time of Covid. This week a drama starring Sam Neill shot two years ago, a C-grade bit of sci-fi with Bruce Willis, and a new Disney feature, mostly created at the animators' own homes.
Golden Globe nominee One night in Miami sees four famous friends gather to celebrate Cassius Clay’s becoming the heavyweight boxing champion of the world. Based on a play by Kemp Powers (Soul), and directed by Oscar-winning actress Regina King (If Beale Street could talk).
Simon Morris reviews a long-awaited adaptation of a Kiwi classic and two Black American history lessons.
Judas and the Black Messiah is the true story of how desperate the FBI were to topple Sixties Black Panther leader Fred Hampton. Stars LaKeith Stanfield and Golden Globe winner Daniel Kaluuya.
The film of Patricia Grace’s novel Cousins is out, and the wait was worth it. Starring Rachel House and Tanea Heke, directed by Ainsley Gardiner (Boy, The Breaker Upperers) and Briar Grace Smith (Waru).
Australian caper film Never too late sees a group of old Vietnam War vets on a mission to break Jackie Weaver out of hospital. Also starring James Cromwell (Babe) and Dennis Waterman (Minder).
Danish film The Food Club follows three women - long-time best friends - as they go to Italy to learn about food, wine and life!
Netflix documentary Five came back follows directors Frank Capra, John Ford, John Huston, George Stevens and William Wyler as they covered the Second World War.
Simon Morris sees a documentary about the war exploits of five Hollywood greats and finds the Golden Globes rather underwhelming by comparison.
Boss Level reimagines the classic Groundhog Day as a violent video game. Stars Frank Grillo (The Grey), Naomi Watts (King Kong) and Mel Gibson (Hamlet).
The Little Things is a complex police investigation, staring three former Oscar winners - Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody), Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club) and Denzel Washington (Training Day, Glory).
Pieces of a Woman is a harrowing story of a home-birth that goes wrong, with a stellar performance at its heart - one-time Princess Margaret, Vanessa Kirby (The Crown).
Simon Morris looks at two more Oscar hopefuls, and wonders why Princess Margaret is such a gift part for modern actresses!
Ammonite sees a respected, but repressed, woman scientist fall in love with a rich, married woman. Stars Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan.
Tom Hanks plays a man who reads the news in small towns after the American Civil War. In News of the World, he makes news himself when he finds an orphaned German girl, brought up by a tribe of Kiowa.
In Minari, Korean-American director Lee Isaac Chung tells the lightly fictionalized story of his immigrant parents and their early years on an Arkansas farm. Stars Steven Yeun (The Walking Dead)
Simon Morris looks at a trio of films, all dependent in one way or another on how they’re told - an immigrant tale, a western about a kidnapped child, and a romance between two real-life - and sadly almost forgotten - women scientists.
Remember those yuppie risk-takers of the 1980s? The Nest features Jude Law as the ultimate example of ‘fake it till you make it’.
Australian film High ground is equal parts colonial history lesson and outback western. Stars Simon Baker and Jack Thompson.
Roseanne Liang is best known for serious New Zealand independent films. But who knew she had a popcorn movie like Shadow in the Cloud in her?
Simon Morris wraps up the summer holiday season. Even during a pandemic there are still blockbusters, Oscar-hopefuls - even if many are showing on Netflix this year - and a continuing good run of New Zealand and Australian films.
The latest Pixar film Soul is an ambitious look at where character and personality come from, through the character of a jazz musician. Writer-Director Pete Docter talks about where the idea came from - and how New Zealand actor Rachel House came to be part of Soul.
Simon Morris looks back on a rocky year in movies - and everything else. Highlights included an extraordinary year for New Zealand's films and film makers - from Taika Waititi forJojo Rabbit to local hits Savage, This Town and Baby Done. It was also a year when the usual blockbusters were held back and audiences discovered Small was Beautiful.
The Witches - can the new version erase the memories of the 1990 Anjelica Huston classic? This version stars Octavia Spenser, Anne Hathaway and the voice of Chris Rock. Directed by Robert Zemeckis (Back to the future.)
A Christmas gift from Bob is a seasonal swansong for the hugely popular Street Cat Named Bob.
Misbehaviour sees the culture clash between beauty pageants and burgeoning feminism, between old-fashioned standards of beauty and a breath of fresh air from Africa and the Caribbean. Stars Keira Knightley, Jessie Buckley and, as Bob Hope, Greg Kinnear.
Simon Morris realizes you can’t argue with the public’s taste - for sequels, for remakes and, back in the 1970s, for a yearly dose of Miss World.
The comeback trail - an unscrupulous film producer plans to cash in an insurance policy by bumping off his leading man. Stars Robert De Niro, Tommy Lee Jones and Morgan Freeman - what could possibly go wrong?
Let Him Go sees grandparents Kevin Costner and Diane Lane trying to rescue their grandson and his mother. Also starring Lesley Manville (Secrets and Lies).
Six60: Till the lights go out/David Byrne: American Utopia - two contrasting musical films. The first is a documentary about the phenomenally successful Kiwi band, directed by Julia Parnell (The Chills). The second is David Byrnes Broadway show, filmed by Spike Lee (Do the right thing).
Simon Morris wonders the post-war Baby Boomers continue to have such a heavy influence on movies - from Seventies singer-songwriter David Byrne to movie-stars Robert De Niro and Kevin Costner.
Fatman is Santa Claus as you’ve never seen him - but do you want to? Mel Gibson plays a gun-toting, backwoods sort of Santa, doing deals with the Pentagon and facing a hitman hired by a disgruntled child.
Made in Italy stars father and son Liam Neeson and Micheal Richardson as a father and son trying to make a quick sale of a Tuscan villa.
Mank is director David Fincher’s (The Social Network, Gone Girl) love letter to Old Hollywood and the self-destructive genius who wrote the script for Orson Welles’ masterpiece Citizen Kane. Stars Gary Oldman, Charles Dance and Amanda Seyfried.
Simon Morris confesses he occasionally lets prejudices get the better of him when he goes to the movies - favourable ones in the case of movie gossip like Mank, less so when it comes to films about Santa - particularly ultra-violent ones like Fatman.
Freaky sees a cheerleader swap bodies with a serial killer! From the people who brought you Happy Death Day, and starring Vince Vaughan (Swingers).
A Son is an award-winning Tunisian film about a couple desperate to save their son’s life after he’s accidentally shot by a terrorist’s bullet.
Rams stars Sam Neill and Michael Caton (The Castle) as two sheep-owning brothers dealing with an outbreak of disease in the region. Co-stars Miranda Richardson (Blackadder).
Simon Morris defends putting foreign clips on the show, in a week that offers a Tunisian family drama, a comedy thriller set in an American high school, and an Australian remake of a popular Icelandic film.
New Zealand actor Emma Draper talks about the new supernatural thriller, Reunion, and what it was like working with her childhood favourite Julia Ormond (Sabrina).
Charlatan tells the story of a so-called healer in 1950s Czechoslovakia, who may or may not be a total conman. Directed by distinguished Czech/British director Agnieszka Holland (Mr Jones, the TV series House of Cards).
Babyteeth is a touching comedy-drama about a family trying to keep their ailing daughter away from an unsuitable boyfriend. Stars Eliza Scanlen (Little women) and Essie Davis (Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries).
Simon Morris has trouble finding some of the new releases - often having to travel long distances to see films like Babyteeth, Charlatan and Kiwi thriller Reunion.
Rebecca is the latest version of the Daphne Du Maurier classic. Starring Lily James, Armie Hammer and Kirstin Scott-Thomas.
Into the Darkness tells of the effect in a Danish family of the Nazi occupation during the War. Directed by Lars Von Trier's long-time editor Anders Refn.
I am woman tells the story of Australian singer Helen Reddy and the song that became the anthem for the rising feminist movement. Directed by Australian film maker Unjoo Moon.
Simon Morris explains his reservations about rock biopics, and looks at the latest example, a war drama set in Denmark for a change, and the latest outing of a classic Gothic tale.
Honest thief stars Liam Neeson displaying another set of skills - bank robbery. Featuring Kay Walsh (Emily in Paris) and directed by Mark Williams (Ozark).
Monsoon is the story of a former Vietnamese refugee returning home to scatter his mother’s ashes. Stars Henry Golding (Crazy rich Asians).
Baby Done is another of the recent run of New Zealand comedies - but it's got certain extra advantages. Star is the hugely popular Rose Matafeo, and it's written by the team behind the fondly remembered Fantail - writer Sophie Henderson and director Curtis Vowell.
Simon Morris wonders if the thing that’s going to get people back to the cinemas isn’t the much-missed, major blockbusters, but simply some good movies.
Robert Kelly interviews the duo who wrote, directed and starred in American festival season hit The Climb Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin.
Robert Kelly reviews a Texan debut film about the expectations we place on each other and ourselves in the run up to a pageant. Miss Juneteenth is on genreal release in New Zealand currently.
On the Rocks - is Laura's husband cheating in her, and is her playboy father Felix the right one to offer advice? Directed by Sofia Coppola and starring Rashida Jones (Parks and Recreation) and Bill Murray (Lost in Translation).
It must be heaven is a comic, almost surreal fable, set in three cities - Nazareth, Paris and New York - by Palestinian director Elia Suleiman.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 is Aaron Sorkin's take on a headline-grabbing court case at the height of the Vietnam War. With a star-studded cast including Eddie Redmayne, Mark Rylance, Sacha Baron Cohen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Simon Morris checks out three films that try and reflect real life - a famous 1960s trial, the reality of modern-day Palestine, and a film whose lead character may or may not be based on the director’s father.
And the frequently filmed The Secret Garden returns, starring Dixie Egerickx as young Mary Lenox, and featuring Colin Firth and Dame Julie Walters.
Four kids and It is an upgrade of a vintage children's story by E Nesbit by modern children's writer Dame Jacqueline Wilson. This version is modern day, with Sir Michael Caine as the voice of the wish-giving Psammiad. Also features Russell Brand and Matthew Goode.
The War With Grandpa sees young Peter determined to get his room back from an interloper - his grandfather (Robert De Niro). Also featuring Christopher Walken, Uma Thurman and Jane Seymour.
Simon Morris checks out films for the school holidays, each one starring a distinguished actor.
A low-budget Kiwi comedy Dead sees a medium join forces with a deceased cop to solve his murder. Stars Thomas Sainsbury, Michael Hurst and last year's New Zealander of the Year, Jennifer Ward-Lealand.
Hope Gap sees writer William Nicholson (Gladiator, Les Miserables) make his debut as a director. Stars Annette Bening, Bill Nighy and Josh O’Connor (The Crown).
Becky tells the story of a little girl protecting her home from bad guys with extreme violence. It's like Home Alone blended with Rambo, Simon Morris says.
Simon Morris is philosophic about the current state of movies, as the world waits for the big, important titles to be released in the Year of Covid.
The Quarry sees a new preacher arrive in a West Texas town, but is he who he claims to be? Stars Michael Shannon (99 homes, The shape of water) and Shea Wigham (Fargo, Boardwalk Empire).
School life is a hit French film set in a low-decile school in Paris. Directed by the exotically named Mehti Idior and Grand Corps Malade (“Tall sick body!)
Cut Throat City is a heist movie set in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. With cameos from Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes and Terrence Howard, directed by the Wu Tang Clan's RZA.
Simon Morris recognises the appeal of traditional, archetypal stories when times are tough, and looks at three - a gangster movie, a school-year movie and a modern western.
Bill and Ted Face The Music - like it says on the tin - follows their excellent adventures 30 years on. Stars Keanu Reeves (Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure) and Alex Winter (Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey). With William Sadler as Death.
The New Mutants is a spinoff from The X Men that's more Haunted House than superhero. Stars Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones) and Anya Taylor-Joy (Emma).
Savage - a New Zealand drama that offers a clear-eyed look at the gang culture of the 1980s. Stars Jake Ryan (Home and Away, Underbelly) and John Tui (Hobbs and Shaw, The Legend of Baron To’a). Written and directed by Sam Kelly.
Simon Morris looks at three movies that took their time getting here - including a “threequel to a franchise last seen in 1991.
Papi Chulo is a comedy-drama about the relationship between a stressed-out TV weatherman and a middle-aged Mexican odd-job man. It's a delightful film with a uniquely light touch, Simon Morris says.
Project Power is a Netflix thriller about a drug that offers the taker five minutes having a superpower. The film cures Simon Morris of any interest in big, dumb action for the immediate future.
Return to Gandhi Road is a New Zealand-made film about an extraordinary Buddhist teacher and the efforts he made to rescue texts from Tibet during the cultural revolution of the Sixties.
The independent American film Never Rarely Sometimes Always is the story of a young woman's efforts to have her pregnancy terminated away from home. Directed by Eliza Hittman (13 Reasons Why).
Two of Us (Deux) sees two ageing lesbians torn apart when one has a stroke. Stars Barbara Sukowa (Hannah Arendt) and Martine Chevalier (Tell no one).
Two of Us (Deux) sees two ageing lesbians torn apart when one has a stroke. Stars Barbara Sukowa (Hannah Arendt) and Martine Chevalier (Tell no one).
The sign of a great film is one you want to see again, says Simon Morris. So how does Christopher Nolan’s latest Tenet measure up?
Simon Morris looks at three films that encourage a second viewing - a fiendishly complex sci-fi epic, and two smaller films that leave tantalizing holes in the narrative.
The second Kiwi comedy in two weeks - crime-goes-wrong comedy Lowdown dirty criminals. Directed by Paul Murphy (Second hand wedding) and starring James Rolleston (Boy), Rebecca Gibney (Packed to the Rafters) and Robbie Magasiva (Sione's wedding).
Romantic Road tells the story of eccentric travellers Rupert and Jan Grey as they drive across the North of India in an old Rolls Royce. Executive Producer, Sharon Stone (Basic Instinct).
23 Walks follows the romance of Dave Johns (I Daniel Blake) and Alison Steadman (Gavin and Stacey) through their dogs' exercise.
Simon Morris sympathises with films that miss the mood of the times, and welcomes three films that defy time and trends - a middle-aged romance, a travel documentary and a Kiwi crime comedy. 23 walks follows the romance of Dave Johns (I Daniel Blake) and Alison Steadman (Gavin and Stacey) through their dogs' exercise. Romantic Road tells the story of eccentric travellers Rupert and Jan Grey as they drive across the North of India in an old Rolls Royce. Executive Producer, Sharon Stone (Basic Instinct). And the second Kiwi comedy in two weeks - crime-goes-wrong comedy Lowdown dirty criminals. Directed by Paul Murphy (Second hand wedding) and starring James Rolleston (Boy), Rebecca Gibney (Packed to the Rafters) and Robbie Magasiva (Sione's wedding).
The Old Guard is a Netflix B-movie but with A-movie star Charlize Theron. She's the leader of a group of immortal superheroes that includes Chiwetel Ejiofor and KiKi Layne.
Oscar-winning editor John Gilbert (Hacksaw Ridge) talks about how the film industry around the world is coping with enforced idleness, and whether stalled projects will now beat a path to New Zealand's comparatively Covid-free shores?
This Town is a comedy about a man rebuilding his life after being acquitted of a murder. Written, directed and produced by star David White. With Robyn Malcolm (Outrageous Fortune) and Rima Te Wiata (Hunt for the Wilderpeople).
Simon Morris reviews a quirky New Zealand comedy and a Netflix comic-book superhero movie. He also talks to award-winning editor John Gilbert about the effect of the lockdown on the world film industry.
And Swedish feelgood movie Britt-Marie was here sees middle-aged Pernilla August (The Phantom Menace) abandon her safe life and go to a country village to run the local youth club. From the people who brought us A man called Ove.
Kiwi-Australian actor Russell Crowe takes road rage to the lethal level in Unhinged. It's essentially Jaws from the shark's eye view but in this case, the shark is Russell.
Where'd You Go, Bernadette is based on a best-selling self-improvement novel. It stars Cate Blanchett, Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids) and Lawrence Fishburne (The Matrix), and it's directed by Richard Linklater (Boyhood).
Simon Morris remembers the old, low-budget B movies fondly, and wonders if the current cinema fare can learn from them.
A new documentary, Kubrick by Kubrick, offers unique insights into the notoriously reclusive auteur. Director Gregory Monro talks about hearing Kubrick’s own voice for the first time.
Bel Canto stars Julianne Moore (miming) as an opera diva, taken hostage by a group of Latin American rebels. Directed by Paul Weitz (About a boy) it also features Ken Watanabe (Godzilla) and Sebastian Koch (The lives of others). Shirley is a fictional story about real-life horror writer Shirley Jackson. Struggling with writer’s block, she uses a young couple to inspire a new novel. Stars Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale).
Simon Morris looks at two women-led films at the cinemas, and talks to the director of a fascinating Film Festival documentary on a movie legend.
Radioactive tells the story of Nobel Prize-winning physicist and chemist Marie Curie and her husband Pierre. While the Curies did brilliant work, their lives don't make for a brilliant narrative, says Simon Morris.
New comedy star Pete Davidson gets strong acting backup in Judd Apatow's The King of Staten Island and the best bits of the film don't involve him, says Simon Morris.
The Personal History of David Copperfield is a non-traditionally cast version of the Dickens classic. Stars Dev Patel, Tilda Swinton, Peter Capaldi, Hugh Laurie and many more. Directed by Armando Iannucci (Death of Stalin).
Simon Morris welcomes the appearance of some familiar faces this week in movies that depend on some reliable acting performances. The Personal History of David Copperfield is a non-traditionally cast version of the Dickens classic. Stars Dev Patel, Tilda Swinton, Peter Capaldi, Hugh Laurie and many more. Directed by Armando Ianucci (Death of Stalin). The King of Staten Island stars the latest graduate of TV series Saturday Night Live, Pete Davidson. Directed by Judd Apatow (40 year old virgin), it features Marisa Tomei (Spiderman) and Bel Powley (A Royal night out). And the story of Nobel Prize winning physicist and chemist Marie Curie, Radioactive, stars Rosamund Pike (Gone girl) and Sam Riley (Control).
A Bump Along The Way sees what happens when 40-something Irish party girl Pamela (played by Bronagh Gallagher) unexpectedly becomes pregnant.
Israeli film God of the Piano sees a fiercely competitive musician torn between the demands of her demanding father, and the problems of her aspiring pianist son.
Endings Beginnings finds Shailene Woodley torn between the rival merits of Jamie Dornan and Sebastian Stan. Is this Jules and Jim for the millennial generation?
Simon Morris finds himself missing the once sneered at blockbusters, and consoles himself with three smaller, and mostly nicely done, movies.
The Burnt Orange Heresy finds a corrupt art critic trying to get an interview with a famously reclusive painter. Stars Claes Bang (The square), Elizabeth Debicki (Widows) and Mick Jagger.
Greed stars Steve Coogan as a fashion multi-millionaire, throwing himself a wildly expensive birthday party at his tax-haven Mediterranean mansion. Co-stars Isla Fisher, David Mitchell and a lion called Clarence. Directed by Michael Winterbottom (The trip to Greece).
White Riot is a documentary set in Britain's 'winter of discontent' in the late 70s - the era of punk, the rise of the National Front, and the Rock against Racism movement.
Simon Morris looks at an unusually diverse collection of school holiday attractions, but decides to look closer at three films aimed at more adult audiences.
Simon Morris gets ready for the new-look, on-line and virtual International Film Festival. He asks the new Director, Marten Rabarts how it’s likely to work, and more important, what’s on the programme. Among the films discussed are The True Story of the Kelly Gang, Identifying Features, Pablo Larrain’s Ema, New Zealand documentary The girl on the bridge, Kubrick by Kubrick, Once were Brothers about The Band, and many others.
Love Sarah is a family comedy-drama following three generations of women as they set up a bakery in honour of a woman they all love.
The Trip to Greece is the fourth and final in the series starring comedians Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon. Ten years on, they follow in the footsteps of another ten-year journey,
Da 5 Bloods is a Netflix production from veteran director Spike Lee. Part-thriller part-history lesson, it follows four Vietnam veterans on the hunt for buried treasure.
Simon Morris welcomes two hugely respected film-makers to the big and small screens, and checks out a feelgood food movie, starring veteran British actress Celia Imrie. Da 5 Bloods is a Netflix production from veteran director Spike Lee (Do the Right Thing, BlackkKlansman). Part thriller, part history lesson, it follows four Vietnam veterans as they search for hidden treasure. Stars Delroy Lindo (Malcolm X) and Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther). The Trip to Greece is the fourth and final in the series starring comedians Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon. Ten years on, they follow in the footsteps of another ten-year journey, the Odyssey. Directed by the prolific Michael Winterbottom (24 Hour Party People). And Love Sarah is a family comedy-drama that follows three generations of women as they set up a bakery in honour of a woman they all love. Stars Celia Imrie (Best Exotic Marigold Hotel).
Burden tells the story of Mike Burden’s real-life struggle to escape his Ku Klux Klan past. It stars Forest Whitaker, Andrea Riseborough and Garrett Hedlund.
In Fabric is a surreal horror film, featuring a red dress and a very strange department store. It's directed by Peter Strickland and stars Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Secrets and Lies) and Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones).
Resistance tells an unlikely story - famous French mime as action hero. It stars Jesse Eisenberg, Ed Harris and Bella Ramsey.
Simon Morris returns to At the Movies just as the cinemas start inviting audiences in again. He reviews the drama Resistance, In Fabric and Burden.
Dan Slevin reviews a drama about a young woman who discovers her Hollywood executive boss is a monster.
A documentary biography of the young movie star Anton Yelchin who died suddenly in 2016. Reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin is filling in for Simon Morris and he reviews Master Cheng, a romance about a Chinese chef stuck in rural Finland; The Assistant, a drama about a young woman who discovers her Hollywood executive boss is a monster; and Love, Antosha, a documentary biography of the young movie star Anton Yelchin who died suddenly in 2016.
Dan Slevin reviews a drama about the campaign to give a Medal of Honour to Air Force Staff Sergeant William H. Pitsenbarger who saved over 60 soldiers in a Vietnam War gunfight.
An arthouse drama about child soldiers in Colombia with a mission to guard a precious hostage, reviewed by Dan Slevin.
A romantic comedy thriller about a couple whose plans to break up are thwarted by a conspiracy. Reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin is filling in for Simon Morris and he reviews The Lovebirds, a romantic comedy thriller about a couple whose plans to break up are thwarted by a conspiracy; Monos, An arthouse drama about child soldiers in Colombia with a mission to guard a precious hostage; and The Last Full Measure, a drama about the campaign to give a Medal of Honour to Air Force Staff Sergeant William H. Pitsenbarger who saved over 60 soldiers in a Vietnam War gunfight.
Dan Slevin reviews a comedy about misbehaving rest home residents starring Brian Cox and the late Lauren Bacall.
Edward Norton produced, wrote, directed and starred in this adaptation of Jonathan Lethem's 1999 detective novel. Reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin is filling in for Simon Morris and he reviews Motherless Brooklyn, Edward Norton produces, writes, directs and stars in this adaptation of Jonathan Lethem's 1999 detective novel; I Still Believe, the true story of a Christian rock star's tragic first marriage (starring KJ Apa); and All at Sea, a comedy about misbehaving rest home residents starring Brian Cox and the late Lauren Bacall.
The true story of a Christian rock star's tragic first marriage (starring KJ Apa), reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin reviews a Netflix documentary which follows former first lady Michelle Obama on her book tour in 2018.
A new DocPlay documentary about the Biosphere 2 project in the Arizona desert which lasted for two years from 1991, reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Catherine Deneuve and Juliette Binoche star in the Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda’s first film in Europe. Reviewed by Dan Slevin.
British comic writer and director Chris Morris’s new film is a satire on American race and politics, reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin reviews an HBO feature film (playing on Neon in NZ) starring Hugh Jackman in the true story of the biggest school fraud in American history.
A modern coming-of-age romantic comedy from writer/director Alice Wu for Netflix. Reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin is filling in for Simon Morris - and because of the lockdown devoting his attention to home entertainment - and he reviews The Half of It, a modern coming-of-age romantic comedy from writer/director Alice Wu for Netflix; Bad Education, an HBO feature film (playing on Neon in NZ) starring Hugh Jackman in the true story of the biggest school fraud in American history, and The Day Shall Come, a satire on American race and politics from British writer/director Chris Morris.
Chris Hemsworth stars as Tyler Rake, a mercenary trying to rescue a teenage kidnap victim in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Netflix presents this animated adaptation of a well-known children’s book, reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin is filling in for Simon Morris - and because of the lockdown devoting his attention to home entertainment - and he reviews Chris Hemsworth starring as Tyler Rake, a mercenary trying to rescue a teenage kidnap victim in Dhaka, Bangladesh in Extraction for Netflix; Beastie Boys Story, an Apple TV+ documentary about the New York hip hop group and The WIlloughbys, an animated adaptation of a well-known children’s book.
Essie Davis returns to her role as an Australian amateur detective in the 1920s in the first big screen spin-off from the well-loved TV series, reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin reviews an Amazon Prime drama about a high school senior trying to pass on her drug business before she goes to college.
Wagner Mouro and Ana de Armas star in a Netflix film about the UN official Sergio Vieira de Mello who was killed in a truck bombing in Baghdad in 2003. Reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin is filling in for Simon Morris - and because of the lockdown devoting his attention to home entertainment - and he reviews Sergio, a Netflix film about the UN official Sergio Vieira de Mello who was killed in a truck bombing in Baghdad in 2003 Selah and the Spades, an Amazon Prime drama about a high school senior trying to pass on her drug business before she goes to college and Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears - Essie Davis returns to her role as an Australian amateur detective in the 1920s in the first big screen spin-off from the well-loved TV series.
Nick Broomfield’s new documentary about Leonard Cohen and the Norwegian woman who became his muse, reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin reviews a Netflix drama about a Taiwanese man consumed with regret over the relationship he broke off to migrate to America 40 years before.
Winner of the Best Script award at Cannes last year, this film is a costume drama about the doomed relationship between an 18th Century painter and the women whose portrait she is painting. Reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin is filling in for Simon Morris - and because of the lockdown devoting his attention to home entertainment - and he reviews Portrait of a Lady on Fire, a costume drama about a relationship between a painter and the woman whose portrait she is painting; Tigertail, a Netflix drama about a Taiwanese man consumed with regret for the love he left behind when he emigrated to America; and Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love, a documentary about Leonard Cohen and his Norwegian muse, Marianne Ihlen.
Dan Slevin reviews a thriller about a mysterious woman (Diane Kruger) who goes undercover in Iran for the Israeli security service, Mossad.
Ethan Hawke stars in a drama about a just released ex-con who discovers an abandoned baby in a dumpster behind the fast food joint where he works. Reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin reviews an arthouse drama about a young man who tries to win back his childhood home in the face of ongoing gentrification and alienation.
A Netflix drama based on the true story of a mother (Amy Ryan) who campaigned for local police to find her daughter who she believed was a victim of the Long Island Serial Killer. Reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin interviews the acclaimed film scholar Mark Cousins about his career and his new 14-hour collaboration with Tilda Swinton, Women Make Film: A New Road Movie Through Cinema (Rialto Channel). This is the full version of a long and very entertaining conversation.
Dan Slevin is filling in for Simon Morris and – because of the lockdown – is devoting his attention to home entertainment. He reviews the Netflix drama Lost Girls, The Last Black Man in San Francisco (digital video on demand) and interviews Mark Cousins about his new collaboration with Tilda Swinton, Women Make Film: A New Road Movie Through Cinema (Rialto Channel).
Out of control cops in the Paris projects are filmed by a watching drone as they abuse a kid and their attempts to get the footage only makes things worse. Dan Slevin reviews.
Dan Slevin reviews contemporary drama about a mismatched couple on the run from the cops across the Deep South of the US.
Pixar's latest family animation takes place in a fantasy world of elves, centaurs, cyclopses and manticores - who are just like us. Reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin is filling in for Simon Morris and he reviews Pixar’s Onward, the drama Queen & Slim and the French thriller Les Misérables.
Downhill is an American version of a popular Swedish festival hit comedy, Force Majeur starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell.
Bloodshot sees Vin Diesel as soldier repeatedly brought back from the dead by shadowy forces working for the military. Based on a best-selling comic-book.
Dark Waters tells the true story of a lawyer who takes on a giant chemical company and stars Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway and Tim Robbins.
Simon Morris looks at three films that attempt to make up for all the blockbusters postponed because of the coronavirus scare.
Guns Akimbo sees Daniel Radcliffe on the run, with guns bolted to his hands. He has 24 hours to kill or be killed. Directed by Jason Lei Howden (Deathgasm).
At the Movies - In The Legend of Baron To'A, Fritz returns to his South Auckland neighbourhood to try and live up to the legacy of his late wrestling-star dad.
Military wives is about an army social club choir, run by two bickering choir directors. Starring Kristen Scott Thomas and Sharon Horgan.
Simon Morris looks at three films - including two New Zealand films - aimed at very different audiences.
Finally getting a release after years on the shelf thanks to the Harvey Weinstein scandals, The Current War has been handed back to the director (Alfonso Gomez-Rejon) and is now released in a "Director's Cut". Dan Slevin reviews.
Dan Slevin reviews this pan-European drama that tells the story of a mild-mannered Welsh journalist who stumbled across one of the greatest crimes of the 20th Century - the Soviet Famine in Ukraine in 1933. Directed by Agnieszka Holland.
Low budget studio Blumhouse teams up with horror auteur Leigh Whannell and star Elisabeth Moss to reboot the famous Universal Studios property (reviewed by Dan Slevin).
Dan Slevin is filling in for Simon Morris and he reviews Leigh Whannell's The Invisible Man, the drama Mr. Jones and Benedict Cumberbatch in The Current War.
The Lighthouse is a unique-looking drama that plays like an old folk-tale of two men driven mad in a lighthouse off the coast of New England. Stars the Oscar-nominated Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson.
Working Woman is an Israeli film that offers unexpected angles to the old story of sexual harassment in the workplace. Directed by Michal Aviad.
The Professor and the Madman tells the story of the unlikely pair who helped create the Oxford English Dictionary. Starring Mel Gibson and Sean Penn.
Simon Morris looks at three films - one true, one based on an important issue, and one from the Twilight Zone.
The Incredibly Strange Film Festival's Ant Timpson talks about his first film as a director. Come to Daddy stars Elijah Wood and Madeleine Sami.
Emma is a new production of the Jane Austen favourite, written by award-winning New Zealand novelist Eleanor Catton. Featuring Bill Nighy and Miranda Hart.
Richard Jewell is the true story of a man falsely accused of terrorism. Directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Sam Rockwell, Jon Hamm and Kathy Bates.
Simon Morris looks at two films with a Kiwi angle, and the latest from 89-year-old director Clint Eastwood.
This feel-good French romantic comedy is almost custom-designed for a jaded couples' date night, says Simon Morris. It stars Daniel Auteuil and Fanny Ardant.
Birds of Prey: The Fantabulous Emancipation of one Harley Quinn is a mostly all-women comic-book movie with Margot Robbie both producing and starring in the tale of the Joker's ex, writes Simon Morris.
The Oscar-nominated war documentary For Sama is co-directed by Syrian film-maker Waad al-Kateab and dedicated to her baby daughter. It's deserving of every accolade, says Simon Morris.
The 2020 Oscars were all about diversity, with awards for a South Korean film, a Maori script-writer and a female Icelandic composer.
Simon Morris looks at the winners and losers of the Academy Awards 2020, then reviews three movies, all with a decidedly female slant.
Dan Slevin reviews the acclaimed film by the Safdie Brothers which stars Adam Sandler as a New York jeweller and gambling addict hoping to make one more big score.
An epic - and supposedly historically accurate - recreation of the greatest underdog victory in the history of naval warfare (reviewed by Dan Slevin).
Terrence Malick's latest film is based on the true story of an Austrian farmer was named as a martyr by the Catholic Church after refusing to swear allegiance to Adolf Hitler (reviewed by Dan Slevin).
Dan Slevin reviews the new film from director Marielle Heller (Can You Ever Forgive Me?) in which Tom Hanks plays the beloved children's TV host Mr. Rogers.
Kristen Stewart plays the iconic screen actress Jean Seberg who in the late 60s and early 70s was hounded by the FBI for her political views (reviewed by Dan Slevin).
Kristen Stewart plays a marine engineer trapped at the bottom of the Mariana Trench after a drilling rig unleashes a new kind of terror (reviewed by Dan Slevin).
Dan Slevin is filling in for Simon Morris and he reviews two films starring Kristen Stewart (the submerged horror Underwater and Seberg, about the screen actor Jean Seberg) and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, which features Tom Hanks as beloved children's TV host Mr. Rogers..
A 14 year old girl becomes the latest bride of a wealthy farmer in 19th Century Vietnam (reviewed by Dan Slevin).
Dan Slevin reviews a plucked-from-the-headlines drama about the sexual harassment scandal that hit Fox News in 2016 starring Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie.
Robert Downey Jr. takes on the role of Hugh Lofting's famous doctor who preferred animals to people in this expensive reboot. (reviewed by Dan Slevin).
Simon Morris looks back on 2019. It was a year of franchise endings - The Avengers, Star Wars, Toy Story and several others - and diversity. Certainly there were more movies starring women and directed by women than ever before. It was also a good year for New Zealand films and film-makers - Daffodils, Bellbird and Taika Waititi's hugely popular Jojo Rabbit.
The good liar teams up Dame Helen Mirren and Sir Ian McKellen for the first time in a movie in a mystery thriller that starts with an on-line date.
Zombie spoof The dead don't die features an eccentrically diverse cast, including Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Tilda Swinton and Iggy Pop. Directed by Jim Jarmusach (Only lovers left alive)
After the wedding is a remake of an acclaimed Danish film, starring Michelle Williams (My week with Marilyn), Julianne Moore (Gloria Bell) and Billy Crudup (Almost famous).
Simon Morris suggests that most of us go to a movie because of the cast, and reviews three movies all, more or less, dependent on who's in them.
Knives Out is a twist on the traditional whodunit, featuring Daniel Craig moonlighting from James Bond movies to play detective Benoit Blanc. Featuring Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Evans and Christopher Plummer.
Timothy Spall plays English painter L S Lowry and Vanessa Redgrave his mother in Mrs Lowry and son.
Frozen 2 is unlikely to scare off fans of the original Disney animated favourite. All the original elements are present and correct - all but one.
On At The Movies, Simon Morris reviews another Disney sequel, Frozen 2, another Timothy Spall painter biopic, Mrs Lowry and son, and a unique twist on the old whodunit genre, Knives out.
A heavily fictionalised version of the true story of ten Cornish fishermen who became the UK's top folk group (reviewed by Dan Slevin).
Dan Slevin reviews comic horror film about a bride initiated into a rich family by a game of Hide & Seek, Ready or Not.
Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci star in Martin Scorsese's gangster epic, based on the mysterious disappearance of Union boss Jimmy Hoffa (reviewed by Dan Slevin).
On At the Movies, Dan Slevin reviews the 25th feature film by Martin Scorsese, The Irishman, a comic horror film about a game of Hide & Seek gone wrong, Ready or Not, and the story of the Cornish folk group, Fisherman’s Friends.
Ford versus Ferrari - the (mostly) true story of a famous motor-race at Lde Mans in 1966. Stars Matt Damon and Christian Bale.
Cannes Film Festival winner Portrait of a Lady on Fire takes the female gaze in a new direction, in the story of an 18th century woman portrait painter and a reluctant model.
Charlie's Angels returns with three new Angels and a new Bosley, who also wrote and directed it, Elizabeth Banks. Co-starring Kristen Stewart and Patrick Stewart. No relation…
Simon Morris considers a year with a high proportion of women-driven films - including two this week. And as a corrective, he looks at one of blokiest car movies of the year.
Despite being bold, unexpected, and that rare thing - an attempt to improve on Shakespeare - The King never got a cinema release and had to settle for playing on Netflix. It's a film of confidence, intelligence and ambition that's worth your time, says Simon Morris.
Legendary Spanish director Pedro Almodovar takes a semi-autobiographical look back at his childhood, first love and movies in Pain and Glory. It's enjoyable without the mad inventiveness of his earlier films, says Simon Morris.
New Zealand film Bellbird is a sweet, rural dramedy about love, loss and life on a dairy farm. Stars Marshall Napier, Cohen Holloway and Rachel House.
Last Christmas presses all the right buttons - seasonal romance, attractive stars and the music of George Michael. It's an undemanding film with some unexpected pleasures, says Simon Morris.
Simon Morris wonders what defines a movie in the era of Netflix and other streaming services. Is it simply showing at cinemas - like three films this week - or is it intelligence and quality, like a spectacular new Netflix title?
Ride like a girl tells the story of the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup. Stars Sam Neill. And Hillary Ocean To Sky follows Sir Ed Hillary up the Ganges on what he always called his greatest adventure.
New Zealand blockbuster Jojo Rabbit sees Taika Waititi's unique view of life in Nazi Germany for a 10-year-old boy. Features Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, Thomasin McKenzie and young star Roman Griffin Davis.
Terminator Dark Fate sees James Cameron return to the franchise, along with Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzeneggar.
Simon Morris looks at the latest examples of a very strong year for New Zealand films - one from our most popular film-maker, one featuring our biggest star actor, a documentary about our most legendary adventurer, and one from the Wairarapa's most famous new arrival.
Joe Letteri started out at George Lucas's firm, Industrial Light and Magic, and was one of the people responsible for the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park. He joined Weta for the Lord of the Rings trilogy, just in time for another game-changer, the creation of the first truly digital character, Gollum. Joe's currently working on, not one but four sequels to James Cameron's blockbuster Avatar.
Simon Morris talks to Joe Letteri, Head of Weta Digital, about what you can currently do with computers in movies - and whether, just because you can, you should!
Zombieland: Double Tap sees the original four zombie-hunters expand their dysfunctional family. Stars three Oscar nominees - Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, and Abigail Breslin - and one winner, Emma Stone.
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is the sequel to the 2014 hit, starring Angelina Jolie as the misunderstood fairy and Michelle Pfeiffer as her sworn enemy.
Judy Garland, one of the biggest stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age, finally gets a biopic. Renee Zellweger stars in Judy along with Jessie Buckley and Rufus Sewell.
Simon Morris looks at three films all, in one way or another, connected with stardom - a new biopic about one of the most volatile stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, a family movie featuring one of today's most exotic film stars, and a zombie comedy romp featuring four appealing modern leads.
Hustlers is the true story of a group of New York strippers who decided to get a bit of justice - and money - from their Wall Street clientele. Stars Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu (Crazy Rich Asians).
Capital in the 21st Century is a New Zealand film based on the best-selling book by French economist Thomas Piketty. Directed by Justin Pemberton (Chasing Great).
Gemini Man pits hitman Will Smith against his younger incarnation - also Will Smith, digitally rejuvenated. Directed by Ang Lee (Life of Pi, Brokeback Mountain)
Simon Morris notes the fall from fashion of old-fashioned heroes and heroines, in favour of edgy anti-heroes, Wall Street wolves and a real-life - and wildly popular - tale about a group of strippers.
Indian writer-director Ritesh Batra (The lunchbox) returns home to make The photograph, a riff on the Bollywood films he used to watch as a child.
Yuli tells the real-life story of Cuban ballet star Carlos Acosta, who spent much of his childhood struggling against dance-classes.
Joker is the latest outing of the popular Batman villain - but this time more a gritty character study than an action thriller. Stars Joaquin Phoenix and Robert De Niro.
Simon Morris looks at three films that are all, in one way or another, riffs on popular fairy-stories: comic-book villains, a rags-to-riches showbiz biopic, and that Bollywood favourite, the meeting of the rich girl and the poor boy.
Scary stories to tell in the dark is Guillermo Del Toro's tribute to the popular book series.
Dora and the Lost City of Gold sees kids' favourite Dora the Explorer all grown up and off to high school. The film may be cashing in on a popular title, but it's funny enough that you won't feel ripped off – or swiped, as Dora might say.
The Goldfinch is a movie adaptation of a best-selling, award-winning novel by Donna Tartt. Stars Ansel Elgort (Baby driver) and Nicole Kidman.
On At The Movies, Simon Morris looks at three films inspired by other media - a children's TV show, a Young Adult book franchise, and a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.
Maiden tells the story of Tracy Edwards, the skipper of the first all-women crew to compete in the Whitbread Round the World challenge.
Good Boys is a R-rated movie about a trio of foul-mouthed 12-year-olds. I's a lot sweeter and funnier than you'd think, says Simon Morris.
Ad Astra sees an astronaut going in search of his long-missing father. Stars Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones and Donald Sutherland.
Simon Morris takes advantage of the crowded Spring Cleaning season, and picks three movies that aren't sequels, remakes, reboots or cover versions. He picks one science fiction drama, an R-rated comedy for 12-year-olds, and a stirring yachting documentary.
High Life is distinguished French director Claire Denis's first sci-fi film, and also her first film in English. Stars Robert Pattinson and Juliette Binoche.
Florianopolis dream follows an Argentinian family to a favourite holiday resort in Brazil. Written and directed by actress turned film-maker, Ana Katz.
Downton Abbey is what you'd expect - a big screen continuation of the popular TV series, with added royalty this time.
Simon Morris looks at three films that may be difficult to convince people outside the target audience, including a wildly popular costume drama, a festival favourite about rivalry between Argentinians and Brazilians, and French director Claire Denis's first sci-fi film.
The Girls of the Sun tells the story of a Kurdish unit of women fighting against Isis in northern Iraq.
The Farewell - "based in an actual lie" - sees a Chinese family try and keep a grandmother from knowing she only has weeks to live. Starring Awkwafina (Crazy Rich Asians, Oceans 8).
Amazing Grace is a documentary about the best-selling gospel album ever, featuring the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin.
Simon Morris takes advantage of Spring Cleaning season, by capitalizing in rather more choice than usual. He sees two films directed by women, looking at stories from different cultures - a Chinese-American comedy-drama, and a story of women Kurdish rebels - and a prestigious music documentary.
The Kitchen is a classic '70s gangster film told from a female point of view. Writer-director Andrea Berloff has made an entertaining concoction by adding a few new ingredients to an old recipe, says Simon Morris.
Danger Close is a dramatized account of a famous Anzac battle during the Vietnam War. Stars Travis Fimmel (Vikings).
If you want to know why everyone on Earth walked a little taller, and felt a little braver and better on 20 July 1969, watch this spectacular documentary.
Simon Morris looks at three films that look back to 1969 - the year of the Moon landing, the Vietnam War, and the publication of that definitive gangster novel, The Godfather.
Angel has fallen follows thrillers Olympus has fallen and London has fallen as Gerard Butler once again sets out to protect the President of the United States (Morgan Freeman).
2040 looks optimistically towards the future with some potential solutions to global warming. Directed by Damon Gameau (That sugar film.)
Blinded by the light sees a young Asian British kid falling in love with the song-book of American star Bruce Springsteen.
Simon Morris looks at three films whose fate doesn't simply depend on their quality - a movie relying on the hits of Bruce Springsteen, another documentary about the fate of the planet, and the third in a series about a President in danger.
Tearepa Kahi's follow-up to Poi E is a documentary about 40 years of one of New Zealand's most beloved bands (reviewed by Dan Slevin).
Dan Slevin reviews the sequel to the 2017 family movie about a dog who is regularly reincarnated so he can look after three generations of his family, A Dog's Journey.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt star as a fading TV Western star and his stunt double as they navigate the changes in Tinseltown in 1969 (reviewed by Dan Slevin).
Dan Slevin is filling in for Simon Morris and he reviews the new film by Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood; a family movie about a dog with a talent for reincarnation, A Dog’s Journey; and a documentary about a beloved Kiwi band, Herbs: Songs of Freedom.
Asif Kapadia's follow-up to his Oscar winning documentary Amy (and his Bafta winner Senna), this film focuses on the blistering six years of Maradona's career between 1984 and 1990 (reviewed by Dan Slevin).
Dan Slevin reviews a comedy about a veteran New York TV chat show host (Emma Thompson) given a new lease on life by an up and coming comedy writer (Mindy Kaling).
A one-hit wonder Aussie rock band reunites for their manager's birthday and some resentments and frustrations boil over despite the beautiful location (reviewed by Dan Slevin).
Dan Slevin is filling in for Simon Morris and he reviews a film about the reunion of some Australian baby boomers, Palm Beach; a TV chat show host rediscovering her mojo in Late Night and a documentary about arguably the greatest football player who ever lived, Diego Maradona.
Support the girls is a day in the life of a bunch of young female waitresses at a bar strongly reminiscent of the real-life Hooters chain. Stars Regina Hall (Girls Trip, Little)
Here comes the Grump is a remake of a forgotten TV series from the Sixties. Features the voice talent of Ian McShane and Lily Collins.
Hobbs and Shaw features action stars Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham, but they're in danger of having the film stolen from them by Idris Elba, Dame Helen Mirren and Vanessa Kirby (The Crown).
Simon Morris wonders whether the current climate of "big titles, not big stars" always works. He looks at a new movie starring the two current biggest names in action thrillers, a minor children's animation movie with a celebrity voice cast, and a little independent film that rests entirely on its lead performances.
The keeper tells the true story of Bert Trautmann, a German prisoner of war who became one of England's favourite footballers.
The Public features a standoff between the police and a group of homeless people staging a sit-in at the public library. Features Alec Baldwin, Jena Malone (The Hunger Games) and Emilio Estevez, who also wrote, produced and directed it.
Booksmart sees actress Olivia Wilde debut as a director. It's a new female-skewed take on R-rated high school comedies like Superbad, with guest spots from Lisa Kudrow and Jason Sudeikis.
Simon Morris looks at some films that overcome a lack of budget by calling in favours from the film-makers' friends and family. These include a high school comedy, a social drama, the unlikely true story of a German prisoner of war who became a British football legend, and a Kiwi family comedy called Births deaths and marriages.
And What she said: The art of Pauline Kael is a documentary about the life and opinions of the former New Yorker film reviewer. Simon talks to the film's director Rob Garver.
The Lion King is a phenomenally successful - at the box office - digital remake of 1994 Disney film, featuring the voice talent of Donald Glover, Chiwetel Ejiafor, Seth Rogen and James Earl Jones.
Rory's Way features Brian Cox as a crusty invalid from the Hebrides reuniting with his estranged son in San Francisco. Also featuring Roseanne Arquette.
Simon Morris looks at a documentary about the most opinionated - and some say the greatest - film critic ever, the late Pauline Kael. He also checks out two films Kael would have turned her nose up at - the remake of a Disney animated classic, and a tear-jerking, feel-good movie.
Crawl sends a young woman under a house during a Florida hurricane, only to find she's got unwelcome company! Produced by horror king Sam Raimi.
Camino skies follows six veteran trampers from New Zealand and Australia as they challenge themselves on the famous "Camino de Santiago" - the pilgrimage to the shrine of St James in Spain.
Despite the success of sequels to The Avengers and Toy Story, "sequel fatigue" is setting in this year. But what was the secret of the success of the first films in franchises like Men In Black, Jurassic Park, Iron Man and of course Star Wars?
Simon Morris investigates the story that this year's movie sequels are somehow substandard, and wonders what makes a sequel-worthy first episode. He also checks out two other standard features this year: a small, local documentary and a low-budget horror film.
Dan Slevin interviews Kiwi cinema icon Ant Timpson who 25 years ago started the Incredibly Strange Film Festival and has just directed his first feature film, Come to Daddy.
Australian director Claire McCarthy and screenwriter Semi Chellas adapt Lisa Klein's novel reimagining Hamlet from Ophelia's point of view. Review by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin reviews the latest instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in which teenage Peter Parker tries to have a normal life while still being forced to save the world.
Dan Slevin is filling in for Simon Morris and reviews the new Spider-Man movie, Far From Home plus a new film reimagining Shakespeare's Hamlet from Ophelia's point of view and also interviews Kiwi cinema icon Ant Timpson about the 25th anniversary of the Incredibly Strange Film Festival and his first film as director, Come to Daddy.
The first Korean movie to win the Palme d'Or at Cannes, this satirical thriller has been rushed into cinemas and is reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin reviews a high concept British rom-com in which one struggling musician becomes the only person alive to remember The Beatles. Written by Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill) and directed by Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, Trainspotting).
Dan Slevin reviews the latest animated feature from Pixar starring Tom Hanks as Woody and Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear.
Dan Slevin is filling in for Simon Morris and this week he reviews three new films: Toy Story 4, Yesterday and Parasite.
Award-winning dramas, exciting documentaries, ground-breaking art films and classics from the past – all cinematic life will be on display at this year's NZ International Film Festival (kicking off in Auckland on 18 July). Tireless movie scout and long-time NZIFF programmer Sandra Reid joins Simon Morris to discuss the astonishing mix of riches.
Wild Rose features star on the rise, Jessie Buckley in a story about a Glasgow country singer who dreams of cracking the big time in Nashville. Features Dame Julie Walters and Sophie Okonedo.
Sometimes always never stars Bill Nighy in a made-to-measure story about obsession, families - and Scrabble. Co-stars Sam Riley, Jenny Agutter and 80s comedian Alexei Sayle.
Men In Black: International revives the alien invaders comedy with a brand new cast. Can Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson neuralyze away memories of Will Smith and Tommy lee Jones?
Simon Morris looks at films that are sold purely on the strength of their names - whether it's a further instalment of an old franchise, or casting can't-fail actors. And he finds one movie that triumphantly bucks that trend - featuring a newcomer in a star-making role.
Dan Slevin is filling in for Simon Morris and this week he reviews three new theatrical releases: Dark Phoenix, Tolkien and Never Look Away.
Dan Slevin reviews a German drama about the emergence of an artist in the 50s and 60s, based on the life of Gerhard Richter.
Nicholas Hoult stars as the author of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings - reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin reviews a Finnish drama about an ageing art dealer looking for a final score to set up his child and grandchild after he's gone.
The third instalment in the reboot of the Japanese monster franchise is reviewed by Dan Slevin.
On At the Movies, Dan Slevin reviews the Elton John biography, ROCKETMAN, the latest GODZILLA film, KING OF THE MONSTERS and a Finnish drama about an ageing art dealer, ONE LAST DEAL.
British star Nicholas Hoult talks about his new film Tolkien - the surprising life of the creator of the Middle Earth sagas. Also starring Lily Collins (TV's Les Miserables).
Gloria Bell is an American remake of the Chilean art-house favourite Gloria. Starring Julianne Moore and John Turturro, it's directed by the original film-maker, Sebastian Lelo.
Aladdin is the story of the thief who falls in love with a princess, featuring a mostly Asian cast, along with Will Smith as the Genie. Directed by Guy Ritchie.
Simon Morris reviews two twice-told tales - Disney's live-action remake of their classic animated feature Aladdin, and a Chilean film-maker's English language version of his own 2013 romantic drama, Gloria. And he talks to Nicholas Hoult, the star of a film about one of the great story-tellers, J R R Tolkien, creator of Lord of the Rings.
Charm is Australian film director Wayne Blair's stock in trade – he made the popular musical The Sapphires. Blair's new romantic comedy Top End Wedding has a bicultural message under the laughs, says Simon Morris.
This New Zealand documentary lays it all out in the title. It's a film about the Māori film-maker, activist and indigenous film pioneer Merata Mita made by her son Hepi.
In John Wick 3: Parabellum, Keanu Reeves' dog-loving hitman is up against even more assassination. The film is undeniably entertaining but hopefully future installments will give female characters more to do, writes Simon Morris.
Simon Morris discovers that just because there's a range of movies doesn't mean they're exactly diverse. He settles for a blokey action franchise, and two different ways of dealing with biculturalism.
Long shot is the odd-couple pairing of Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen as a Presidential candidate and her speech writer who fall in love.
The Hustle is a switch on old favourite Dirty Rotten Scoundrels with the Michael Caine and Steve Martin roles handed to Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson.
The Chills - The Triumph and Tragedy of Martin Phillipps is a big-screen telling of the tale of one of our best band. Directed by Rob Curry and Julia Parnell.
Simon Morris finds three films for the audience squeezed between the Spiderman set, and the fans of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
Kenneth Branagh’s long obsession with Shakespeare has culminated in a film, All Is True, about the bard’s final years in Stratford-upon-Avon, where he had returned to live “to be this modest man of money.”
The Chaperone (written by Downton Abbey's Julian Fellowes) and The Aftermath (starring Keira Knightley) are a little too reminiscent of older and better movies, according to Simon Morris.
Simon Morris is puzzled that the only audiences being catered for currently seem to be comic-book fans and the older generation. This week sees three staples for the latter audience - Shakespeare, the Downton Abbey period and World War Two.
Dan Slevin reviews Unicorn Store, the directorial debut of Oscar-winning actress (and Marvel movie star) Brie Larson.
Dan Slevin reviews a documentary about a former corporate success story who, after her disastrous marriage ends, reboots herself as an anarcho-feminist medical marijuana dealer.
After 22 films, the story of the Avengers that started with Iron Man in 2008 finally reaches its climax - reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin is filling in for Simon Morris and this week he reviews two new films in cinemas - Avengers: Endgame and Breaking Habits and Unicorn Store.
Dan Slevin reviews a documentary about the ten-year Bougainville civil war and the New Zealand-brokered peace that was made in 1997.
Dan Slevin reviews the stop-motion animated family movie Missing Link in which Hugh Jackman plays a Victorian explorer who is discovered by a lonely Sasquatch.
Judi Dench plays a retired physicist accused of giving nuclear secrets to the Russians in Red Joan, reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin is filling in for Simon Morris and this week he reviews three new films: Red Joan, Missing Link and Soldiers Without Guns.
Where hands touch tells the untold story of the black children of the Rhineland, Germany, during World War Two. Director Amma Asante (Belle, A united kingdom) explains why she's drawn to that sort of plot.
Without the genius of director Guillermo del Toro, this year's Hellboy reboot is predictable and superficial, says Simon Morris.
Simon Morris suggests the subject of a movie isn't nearly as important as the person telling the story. He compares the old and new Hellboys, and talks to one of the new breed of English women directors. Hellboy is a reboot of a series made famous by Guillermo del Toro. So can this film fill those very big - literally - shoes? Stars David Harbour and Ian McShane. Where hands touch tells the untold story of the black children of the Rhineland, Germany, during World War Two. Director Amma Asante (Belle, A united kingdom) explains why she's drawn to that sort of plot.
And a revival of the popular horror film, based on a Stephen King novel - Pet Sematary. An abandoned tribal burial ground offers a way out for a grieving family. But sometimes, dead is better. Starring John Lithgow.
Shazam is a revival of an old comic-book, originally, confusingly, entitled Captain Marvel. Young Billy Batson turns into a superhero by simply uttering the magic word "Shazam!"
Vai - from the producers of Waru - offers another eight short stories directed by women, this time set on eight Pacific Islands.
Simon Morris wonders how much background research you have to do on some of today's movies. Do you need to know all about a forgotten comic-book, the link between the 8 mini-stories in a New Zealand film, or the original of a horror film remake?
What's scarier than being invaded by Us? If you like your horror movies twisty-and-turny, Jordan Peele's follow-up to Get Out is definitely for you, says Simon Morris.
Woman at War is an Icelandic comedy starring Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir as a lone eco-terrorist trying to balance motherhood with saving the planet.
Dumbo sees perennial outsider, director Tim Burton, take on the live-action remake of a classic Disney animation. Starring Colin Farrell, Danny De Vito and Michael Keaton.
Simon Morris looks at the slightly rundown Hollywood "Dream Factory", and notes the increasing reliance on individual "auteurs" to come up with hits.
More yellow bricks in The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part. When Bricksburg is conquered, Emmett wonders if everything will ever be awesome again.
Fighting with My Family tells the real-life story of a British female wrestler who conquered the massive world of WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment). If you're not a true wrestling believer, this film is certainly not going to transform you into one, but it is entertaining, says Simon Morris.
The most surprising thing about Daffodils – the highly-anticipated film adaptation of a NZ stage musical featuring Kiwi pop hits – is how heavily promoted it's been, writes Simon Morris.
Simon Morris wonders whether New Zealand films are still scared of happy endings, and checks out two other films determined to entertain.
Harry – a twenty-something accountant – gets dumped by his fiancée. Fortunately, his BFF Ants is onhand and his other friend Jess is working at a vineyard. Simon Morris reviews a local movie about love, laughs, wine and social media.
Can Netflix-made movies match the undoubted success of their serial dramas? Simon Morris was curious to check out their highly-touted satirical romcom Isn't It Romantic, which stars Aussie actors Rebel Wilson and Luke Hemsworth.
Australia's favourite daughter gives an astonishing performance in Karyn Kusama's award-nominated film Destroyer, writes Simon Morris.
The Price of Everything asks why it's in everyone's interest to keep the price of modern art as high as possible. Directed by Nathaniel Kahn (My architect).
The Academy Award-winning If Beale Street Could Talk is based on the novel by distinguished writer James Baldwin. Directed by Barry Jenkins (Moonlight).
Captain Marvel is the first Marvel Comics super-heroine - how does she shape up? Starring Brie Larson (Room) and a 30 years younger Samuel L Jackson!
Simon Morris accepts that most American films are selling fairy-tales of one sort or another.
Swimming with men stars Rob Brydon as a man who cures his mid-life crisis by joining a men's synchronized swimming group. Directed by Oliver Parker (Dad's Army).
Everybody Knows is a Spanish kidnap drama, starring Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem, and directed by Iranian Oscar-winner Asghar Farhadi (A Separation).
The guilty is a Danish thriller set mostly in one location - a police emergency call centre. One of the hits of the recent NZ Film Festival.
Simon Morris looks briefly at the Oscars, then checks out three very different movies: Stan and Ollie, about the last hurrah of Laurel and Hardy… Vox Lux, a sardonic take on modern pop stardom… and live video-game Escape Room.
Vox Lux stars Natalie Portman as a young woman who uses a high school shooting to build a career as a pop star with music by Sia and the legendary Scott Walker.
Escape room is an affectionate take on old video games and "trapped in a room" thrillers like Saw. Directed by Adam Robitel (Insidious).
Stan & Ollie is a British film that remembers the final tour of comedy duo Laurel and Hardy. Written by Jeff Pope (Philomena) and starring Steve Coogan and John C Reilly.
Simon Morris looks back at this year's Oscars, and admires films that ignore trends and just follow the passion of the film-makers.
Colette stars Keira Knightley as the woman who became one of the best-known writers in French literature.
The front runner tells the story of Senator Gary Hart's doomed bid for the Presidency in 1988. Stars Hugh Jackman and J K Simmons.
On the Basis of Sex tells of the early years of gender-equality campaigner - and later Supreme Court Judge - Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Stars Felicity Jones and Armie Hammer.
Simon Morris looks at three films based on well-known real-life stories, and complains how predictable they mostly are.
On At The Movies, Simon Morris returns to look back on a busy summer and forward to the upcoming Academy Awards. Can The Favourite match its success at this week's British Bafta Awards, or will Oscar favour something more homegrown?
Dan Slevin reviews a new drama about a recovering drug addict who returns home for the Christmas holidays to a family that is less than pleased to see him (starring Julia Roberts).
A 12-year-old Lebanese boy sues his deadbeat parents for bringing him into a world where they couldn't care for him, reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin reviews a contemporary drama about an African-American teenager caught between two cultures after a police shooting.
Dan Slevin is filling in for Simon Morris and this week he reviews three new films: The Hate U Give, Capernaum and Ben is Back.
Pioneers of African-American Cinema & Pioneers: First Women Filmmakers Dan Slevin looks at two collections of rare American films from the silent era to WWII shine a light on previously ignored films and filmmakers.
Dan Slevin reviews Clint Eastwood's 37th film as director, The Mule (in which he also stars).
Dan Slevin is filling in for Simon Morris and this week he reviews two new films and two Netflix anthologies: Green Book; The Mule and Pioneers of African-American Cinema & Pioneers: First Women Filmmakers.
Adapted from a beloved Australian children's book, Storm Boy is a family friendly film about a lonely child who raises three orphan pelicans - reviews by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin reviews a new film about the competition between Mary Stuart and Elizabeth I for the thrones of England and Scotland.
Dan Slevin is filling in for Simon Morris and this week he reviews three new films: Glass; Mary, Queen of Scots and Storm Boy.
On At The Movies, Simon Morris looks back on a year of gigantic blockbusters, successful musicals and films that tackled 2018's big issues - race, gender and fake news.
Review - A wonderful B&W portrayal of '70s Mexican family life directed by one of the best in the world - Alfonso Cuaron (Gravity, Children of Men) - Roma is a hot favourite to do well at the upcoming Oscars.
Rose is an independent American film about a retired cop - Cybill Shepherd - on a road trip through New Mexico in a motorized wheelchair. Co-stars James Brolin and Pam Grier.
Review - A gigantic blockbuster with franchise ambitions, Mortal Engines has enough detailed gadgets to fill a dozen films, but skimped on big-name actors to carry it, Simon Morris writes.
On At The Movies, Simon Morris looks at the surreal Sorry To Bother You and the heroic Creed 2. And he talks to Rupert Everett, star, writer and director of a new film about Oscar Wilde, the acclaimed The Happy Prince.
Rupert Everett talks about writing, directing and starring in The Happy Prince, the story of the last months of the life of Oscar Wilde.
Creed 2 continues the story of Rocky Balboa and the son of his friend Apollo Creed. Adonis Creed is challenged by tbe son of the man who killed his father. Stars Sylvester Stallone, Michael B. Jordan and Dolph Lundgren.
Review - Sorry to Bother You is a surreal satire about capitalism that seems to rejoice in its "cult" status, and while it's done well with the critics it forgot to invite the audience in, writes Simon Morris.
Simon Morris notices a split between the critics and the public when it comes to picking hits. And he previews a film about a writer loved by both factions - until it all came crashing down.
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms seems to follow the Disney Christmas formula, though the story of the ballet isn't as well-known as some fairy-tales. Stars Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman, Keira Knightley and teen star Mackenzie Foy.
Review - This is the first movie in years you can talk about in the same breath as Chinatown, Heat or The Godfather, with unlikely director Steve McQueen proving the mark of a great director is picking great talent, then listening to them, Simon Morris writes.
Japanese drama Shoplifters won the Palme D'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. It tells the story of a family living under the radar in Tokyo. Directed by Koreeda Hirokazu.
On At The Movies, Simon Morris welcomes two films from two top film-makers - from Japan, Koreeda Hirokazu with Shoplifters and from the UK, Steve McQueen's Widows. And in time for Christmas, Disney family movie The Nutcracker and the Four Realms.
The old man and the gun is Robert Redford's swan-song, playing a real life elderly bank robber. Co-stars Sissy Spacek and Casey Affleck.
Suspiria is a controversial remake of a cult horror film of the Seventies. Stars Dakota Johnson, Chloe Grace Moretz and several helpings of Tilda Swinton. Directed by Luca Guadagnino (Call me by your name).
The Crimes of Grindelwald continues to follow Newt Scamander in J K Rowling's Wizarding World series. Stars Eddie Redmayne, Johnny Depp and Jude Law as a young Professor Dumbledore.
Simon Morris is interested in cinema releases in the age of Netflix. Currently out is the latest J K Rowling film Fantastic Beasts 2, and a horror classic remake, Suspiria. And Robert Redford calls it a day with the film The old man and the gun.
Journey's End is a new version of R C Sheriff's classic play about World War I, following a small group of men on the eve of the 1918 Spring Offensive. Stars Sam Claflin (Their Finest, My Cousin Rachel), Paul Bettany and Asa Butterfield.
Review - When Stieg Larssen died, the new author of the "Millenium" novels decided Lisbeth was by far the most interesting character - which is true - and the story would benefit from concentrating on her, which isn't, Simon Morris writes.
Vermilion stars Jennifer Ward-Lealand as a composer whose life undergoes a dramatic change, affecting her and her friends and family. Directed by Dorthe Scheffmann.
On At The Movies, Simon Morris reviews New Zealand film Vermilion, starring Jennifer Ward-Lealand, and the first Lisbeth Salander film not based on a Stieg Larssen book, The girl in the spider's web. Also out this week, a new film of the classic World War One play Journey's End.
Cinematographer Simon Raby talks about his award-winning work on the documentary The Heart Dances, and his upcoming gig as lighting cameraman for Mortal Engines, produced by Sir Peter Jackson.
Bohemian Rhapsody - co-written by New Zealand's Anthony McCarten - tells the story of Freddy Mercury and Queen. Starring Rami Malek as Freddy.
Simon Morris looks at several Kiwi films based on reality - including documentaries Yellow is forbidden and Born Racer: The Scott Dixon story - and talks to one of our most versatile cinematographers.
American Animals cuts between real life and dramatization, telling the true story of a heist that went wrong. Directed by Bart Layton (The Imposter).
Mandy is a revival of the old "video nasties" of the Eighties. It stars Nicolas Cage and Andrea Riseborough (Death of Stalin).
Hunter Killer is an old-fashioned submarine thriller featuring a very unlikely take on modern US-Russian relations. Starring Gerard Butler and Gary Oldman.
Whoever picked the five stars of the Kiwi documentary She Shears deserves some kind of award, says Simon Morris. The film is an appealing look at some highly competitive female shearers.
The Seagull is a new adaptation of the Anton Chekhov play that emphasizes the theme of celebrity culture. If you want to see versatility and talent – and one of the finest actors around – check it out, says Simon Morris.
King of Thieves is a senior heist movie based on a real-life story and starring Sir Michael Caine, Sir Tom Courtenay and Jim Broadbent.
Simon Morris returns in time to review pensioner-heist movie King of Thieves, a new adaptation of Anton Chekhov's famous play The Seagull, and a New Zealand documentary with a title that tells it all - She shears.
Doug Dillaman and Sarah Watt consider Halloween, Westwood and the latest take on A Star is Born.
On At The Movies this week, while Simon Morris is on leave, husband and wife reviewers Doug Dillaman and Sarah Watt review the latest superhero blockbuster Venom, the hard to define Bad Times at the El Royale and the biopic about astronaut Neil Armstrong, First Man.
Film reviewers Sarah Watt and Doug Dillaman host At the Movies while Simon Morris is on leave. This week, they look at: 'House with a Clock In Its Walls', 'RBG' - a documentary about Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and 'Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot'
Dan Slevin reviews a new Japanese anime told from the point of view of a four-year-old boy forced to confront the arrival of a new baby sister.
Britain alone is worthy of a whole chapter in the 2018 Planet Earth Joke Book - but this film seems blissfully unaware of it all, going through the motions as if repeating the same old tired clichés is enough, Dan Slevin writes.
In this live-action Winnie the Pooh spinoff, the story boffins at Disney wonder what would happen if the adult Christopher was ever to meet up again with his adorable beloved stuffed animal friends.
Dan Slevin is filling in for Simon Morris and this week he reviews Christopher Robin, Johnny English Strikes Again, Searching, and Mirai.
The Australian director Bruce Beresford talks to Simon Morris about his new comedy-drama film Ladies in Black, which is set in a Sydney department store in the late 1950s.
Review - Despite the star power of Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick and the smart, women-led comedy director Paul Feig, A Simple Favour packs in too many tonal switches for its own good, says Simon Morris.
Maverick film-maker Shane Black attempts to breathe new life into the '80s monster movie in The Predator, but the twists and turns lose the simplicity that made the original a true action hit.
Simon Morris tries not to be disappointed by three promising films - from a talented film-maker, from a talented cast, and from a book that inspired a hit Australian musical.
In this year's off-peak release schedule are two comedies from either side of the Tasman – a safe, Australian romantic comedy called The Flip Side for no discernable reason, and a rickety, unsafe Kiwi romp called Mega Time Squad.
The story of unlikely bad boy East End fashion designer Alexander McQueen - aptly titled McQueen - is, like so many documentaries about tortured artists, predictably tragic and sadly unenlightening.
There is no doubt that Sir Ian McKellen is one of the best actors treading the boards, but his work is so good because he has devoted so much of his life to it - leaving little room for an underlying story.
Simon Morris continues to explore the unpredictable Spring Cleaning season, with two documentaries about superstar artists, and two contrasting Anzac comedies.
Review - The bittersweetness of Atonement was almost unbearably poignant, and it's repeated in On Chesil Beach, another Ian McEwan book adaptation also starring Saoirse Ronan.
The documentary Spitfire tells the story of the plane that won the Battle of Britain, and features the last surviving RAF pilots – both men and women – remembering those perilous days.
Review - Hollywood's been trying to tap into the Asian market for years, so I'd have thought a Cinderella story among super-rich Chinese would have been a no-brainer, Simon Morris writes.
Simon Morris welcomes the unpredictable Spring Cleaning season, when films without an obvious slot get swept into the cinemas all at once.
Leave No Trace is the new film from director Debra Granik (Winter's Bone) with a star-making role for New Zealand actress Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie.
Review - A film noir parody set in a version of LA inhabited by humans and puppets, The Happytime Murders is directed by Jim Henson's son Brian, and stars Melissa McCarthy.
A 17th-century Spanish magistrate is stuck in a dead-end job in the Argentinian film Zama, directed by arthouse favourite Lucrecia Martel and based on Antonio di Benedetto's 1956 novel of the same name.
On At The Movies, Simon Morris welcomes the first batch of hits of the recent Internatiuonal Film Festival - from Argentina, Zama, and from the United States, Leave no trace starring Kiwi actress Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie. Also on the show, shameless comedy The Happytime Murders.
BlacKkKlansman marks the return of director Spike Lee in a true story of a black policeman who joined the Ku Klux Klan. Produced by Jordan Peele (Get Out!)
Teen sci-fi thriller The Darkest Minds features possible stars of tomorrow, Amandla Stenberg and Harris Dickinson. Directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson (Kung Fu Panda 2).
The Meg may feature Jason Statham and Kiwi Cliff Curtis, but what audiences want to see is the world's biggest shark.
Simon Morris looks at the mega-hit giant shark film The Meg, the true story of the black cop who joined the Ku Klux Klan, Black KKKlansman and teen sci-fi film The Darkest Minds.
Can stars Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon add a feminist slant to a tired old formula? The Spy Who Dumped Me is pretty much what it says on the wrapper, says Simon Morris.
The documentary Midnight Oil 1984 is the result of the discovery of hours of live footage of the band on a tour interrupted when singer Peter Garrett runs for political office.
LBJ is another biopic set during the Kennedy era. But there's more to Jack Kennedy's Vice President - Lyndon Baines Johnson - than meets the eye. Directed by Rob Reiner and starring Woody Harrelson.
Simon Morris tries to get past the expectations generated by three apparently predictable movies this week —LBJ, Midnight Oil 1984 and The Spy Who Dumped Me.
Interlude in Prague gives Wolfgang Mozart the Shakespeare in love treatment, as the composer falls in love and falls foul of a real-life Don Giovanni.
The Wife features Glenn Close as the spouse of a Novel Prize-winner for Literature (Jonathan Pryce). But how supportive has she really been all these years?
Mission Impossible Fallout is the sixth for Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt. This one co-stars Rebecca Fergusson, Michelle Monaghan and Vanessa Kirby (The Crown).
Simon Morris looks at three movies set in various countries in Europe - a globe-trotting spy thriller, a drama about Sweden's Nobel Prize, and one set in the capital of the Czech Republic.
And some of the Kiwi up and comers at the Film Festival - the six finalists in. the Short Film competition, and one of the winners at the Moscow Film Festival, New Zealand film Stray, directed by Dustin Fenelay.
Funny Cow is a love-letter to the old-fashioned comedy circuit of Northern England's clubs, and that rare thing there, a female comic. Stars Maxine Peake.
Whitney charts the rise and fall of one of the great music stars of the Eighties and Nineties - Whitney Houston.
Simon Morris looks at some movies that, one way or another, reflect on film-makers' dreams - to get a film made, to get a good film made, and of course, to achieve fame and fortune.
Sari Braithwaite takes a look at what got cut by the Australian censors between 1958 and 1971 in the documentary [CENSORED].
Estonia is currently the hot centre for 'auteur' animation and the short film 'Mindscape' is a fine antidote to mainstream schlock, say the animation curators for the NZ Film Festival.
The Equalizer 2 sees Denzel Washington return to help out some more people with the odds stacked against them.
Simon Morris goes to the latest sequel - The Equalizer 2, starring Denzel Washington. He also investigates the award-winning animation of Estonia, and a documentary called Censored - what got cut by the Australian authorities in the '50s and '60s.
Adrift – a film about a young couple sailing the Pacific who run into a Category 5 storm – has impressive special effects, strong acting and a cunning structure, says Simon Morris.
Edie’s not perfect, but it does get better as it goes along. You want to know the character, and it’s a tribute to the cunning of Sheila Hancock that she lets you in gradually, rather than all at once.
Dwayne Johnson is an action figure brought to life, says Simon Morris. In the new film Skyscraper he's pitted against heights, fire and bad guys... so pretty much business as usual for the big guy.
Simon Morris goes to three movies about personal danger – the real-life Adrift starring Shailene Woodley, Edie featuring veteran English star Sheila Hancock, and Skyscraper, which stars Dwayne Johnson and a gigantic burning building.
The gay romance film is not a new concept but Ideal Home adds a novel dash of farce and has its heart in the right place, regardless of the choice to cast two straight men in the lead roles.
Ant-Man and the Wasp sees the return of the pint-size (and occasionally kingsize) superhero. Stars Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lily and Michael Douglas.
Mary Shelley tells the story of an influential author and her relationship with two of England's greatest poets. Starring Elle Fanning, Bel Powley and Maisie Williams.
Simon Morris wonders whether versatility is all it's cracked up to be when it comes to judging movie acting. He looks at two films starring the likable - if one-note - Paul Rudd, and the biopic of the unlikely author of Frankenstein.
Review - The Incredibles 2 was worth the wait, continuing the tale of Pixar's family of animated superheroes, featuring the voices of Holly Hunter, Craig T Nelson and Catherine Keener.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom offers more dinosaurs than ever before - but is more crowded necessarily better? Stars Chris Pratt, Bruce Dallas Howard and Jeff Goldblum.
Sicario: Day of the Soldado puts the Benicio del Toro character firmly in the foreground this time. Also starring Josh Brolin and Catherine Keener.
On At The Movies, Simon Morris takes a look at the latest would-be blockbusters - sequels to Jurassic World, Sicario and - 14 years later - Pixar Productions' The Incredibles.
Simon Morris welcomes the New Zealand International Film Festival, and has his annual chat with Festival Director Bill Gosden about a few of the highlights. The web version offers a director's cut, featuring 10 more minutes of essential insights! Some of this year's highlights include Cannes Festival winner Shoplifters from Japan, from American director Debra Granik, the acclaimed Leave no trace, starring New Zealander Thomasin Harcourt-McKenzie, and from Russia with love, Our new President celebrates Donald Trump…
C'est la vie is the work of writer-directors Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano, who made the delightful The Intouchables and Samba, though it's nothing like either of them, writes Simon Morris.
From France, Double lover is a cryptic thriller about twins, doubles and delusion. Directed by Francois Ozon (Potiche, Frantz).
Tag is a yet another comedy childhood friends staying together - in this case the true story of several middle-aged men who play Tag once a year. Stars Ed Helms, Jon Hamm and Isla Fisher.
Simon Morris reviews three films that walk the fine line between what audiences say they want and the boringly predictable.
Karen Waaka-Tibble, the new senior executive of the New Zealand Film Commission's Te Rautaki Maori initiative, talks about what it will mean to the future of New Zealand films as a whole.
Hereditary has been compared to horror classics like The Blair Witch Project, The Exorcist and Rosemary's Baby. Can it match the hype? Stars Toni Collette and Gabriel Byrne.
Ocean's Eight is a new slant on an old hit. But it doesn't convince the heist-phobic Simon Morris.
Simon Morris looks at two twists on old genres - an all-women heist film, and a female driven supernatural horror. And he investigates the Film Commission's new Māori initiative Te Rautaki.
Duck duck goose finds a bachelor goose suddenly in charge of two orphan ducklings. Stars the voices of Jim Gaffigan, Zendaya and Stephen Fry.
Tea with the Dames allows four of the theatre's most distinguished actresses the chance to remember their eventful careers. Stars Dame Judi Dench, Dame Maggie Smith, Dame Eileen Atkins and Dame Joan Plowright.
Upgrade is the latest horror film from the successful, low-budget studio Blumhouse. A paraplegic gets assisted by technology and lives to regret it. Directed by Leigh Whannel (Saw).
Simon Morris finds the rival pickings rather lean during the so-called "blockbuster season" - B-movies, children's cartoons - but one delightful documentary.
Kodachrome sends father and son on a road-trip to the last shop that develops photographic film. Stars Ed Harris, Jason Sudeikis and Elizabeth Olsen.
The Bookshop seems to have everything going for it - a good cast, an attractive setting and a reputable book. Does it deliver? Stars Bill Nighy, Emily Mortimer and Patricia Clarkson.
Solo: A Star Wars story gives Han Solo an origin picture, but will it be enough for the fans? Directed by Ron Howard and starring Alden Ehrenreich (Hail Caesar!) Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) and actor/rapper Donald Glover.
Simon Morris reviews Solo: A Star Wars Story, The Bookshop and Kodachrome, and wonders why some promising projects fail because something gets lost in the telling.
Mr Stein Goes Online is a French farce that puts a modern twist on Cyrano de Bergerac, as a grandfather looks for an internet date using a photo of his granddaughter's boyfriend. it's an olda date using a photo of a his granddaughter's boyfriend.
Deadpool 2 sees Ryan Reynolds return as foul-mouthed superhero Wade Wilson, saving Kiwi Julian Dennison from an assassin of the future.
Simon Morris reviews Deadpool 2, and French films Number One and Mr Stein Goes Online that tackle, respectively, sexism in high places, and old people online-dating.
Head Like a Hole's reunion and recording of a comeback album in 2011 is documented in warts and all fashion by Julian Boshier, reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin reviews John Curran's speculative re-telling of the 1969 scandal that ended Ted Kennedy's chances of becoming president.
Charlize Theron plays a struggling suburban mother in the third collaboration between writer Diablo Cody and director Jason Reitman, reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin interviews the director of the Documentary Edge Film Festival, Dan Shanan, about the 13th event which opens this week.
Dan Slevin reviews Wes Anderson's stop-motion animation about a Japanese conspiracy against the humble canine house pet.
A group of California college students unwittingly unleash a demon after partying too hard at Spring Break, reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Jackie van Beek and Madeline Sami write and direct this raucous and Kiwi anti-romantic comedy, reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin is filling in for Simon Morris and this week reviews Kiwi comedy The Breaker Upperers, Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs and Truth or Dare, and talks to 13th Documentary Edge Film Festival director Dan Shanan.
A host of great British actors are on show in this adaptation of a best-selling novel, reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin reviews Richard Linklater's unofficial sequel to the 1973 Academy Award-nominated drama The Last Detail.
After nearly 34 hours, the Marvel Cinematic Universe saga is nearly at an end and the latest blockbuster is reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin is filling in for Simon Morris and this week he reviews Avengers: Infinity War, Last Flag Flying and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.
I Feel Pretty has Amy Schumer transformed into believing she is a ravishing beauty. Also featuring Michelle Williams, Naomie Campbell and Emily Ratajkowski.
Sherlock Gnomes is the sequel to the successful animated romcom Gnomeo and Juliet. Featuring the voices of Johnny Depp, James McAvoy, Emily Blunt - and Ozzy Osborne.
Peter Rabbit updates the Beatrix Potter books with more state of the art digital animation. Featuring Sam Neill, Rose Byrne and the voice of James Corden.
Simon Morris goes to some children's holiday movies and also checks out the Amy Schumer comedy that's getting lots of coverage on social media.
Sweet Country is an engrossing and unpredictable story of a runaway aboriginal couple, based on events in 1920s Australia.. Directed by Warwick Thornton (Samson and Delilah) and co-starring Sam Neill and Bryan Brown.
A wrinkle in time combines a popular American children's book with Oprah Winfrey and the landscape around Wanaka. Directed by Ava DuVernay (Selma).
Rampage pits Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson against corrupt science and giant mutant animals.
Simon Morris reviews Rampage, starring Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, A Wrinkle in Time featuring Oprah Winfrey, and acclaimed Australian film Sweet Country.
Walking out is a grueling story of a father and son who get in trouble up in the Montana Rockies. Starring Matt Bomer, Josh Wiggins and Bill Pullman.
A quiet place sees a family under threat from creatures with highly-developed hearing. If you make any sort of noise you die. Starring director John Krasinski and his real-life wife Emily Blunt.
The divine order is a Swiss suffragette movie - except Switzerland women didn't get the vote until well into the 1970s.
Simon Morris looks at A Quiet Place, the story of a world where talking can be fatal,The Divine Order, on Swiss women's battle for the vote, and wilderness movie Walking Out.
From beloved animation studio Aardman (Wallace and Grommit) comes Early man, in which Stone Age Dug challenges a Bronze Age tyrant to a winner-take-all football match. Featuring the voices of Eddie Redmayne, Tom Hiddleston and Maisie Williams.
Lost in Paris is an independent comedy from writer-directors Fiona Gordon and Dominique Abel that remembers the classic comedies of Chaplin, Keaton and Jacques Tati.
Ready Player One is set in a future that reveres the Popular Culture of the Eighties. Directed by Steven Spielberg, it's a treasure hunt that takes place in Virtual Reality.
Simon Morris reviews Steven Spielberg’s retro thriller Ready Player One, the latest Aardman animation, Early Man, and a modern – and female - Jacques Tati in Lost in Paris.
The follow-up to Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim promises to be even bigger, with John Boyega (The Force awakens) piloting the gargantuan Jaeger robots this time.
The Square won the Palme D'Or at last year's Cannes Film Festival with its sardonic look at the European art world. Stars Claes Bang and Elisabeth Moss.
The greatest showman has been around for months, and it's high time to find out why. Stars Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron and Michelle Williams.
On At The Movies, Simon Morris looks Cannes Film Festival winner, The Square and the sequel to Guillermo del Toro's other rubber monster film, Pacific Rim. And he also belatedly investigates why people keep flocking to the Hugh Jackman musical The Greatest Showman, over three months later.
Director Garth Davis talks about his film about one of the most controversial characters in the New Testament - Mary Magdalene.
The death of Stalin sees TV satirist Armand Ianucci do to 1950s Russian politics what he did with the modern English and American versions (Veep, The thick of it). Stars Steve Buscemi, Paul Whitehouse and Andrea Risborough.
Tomb raider is a reboot of the old Angelina Jolie series based on a video game. Stars Alicia Vikander, Dominic West and Kristen Scott Thomas.
Simon Morris looks at two films about historic figures who’ve often been sidetracked by history. And once again a movie based on a popular video-game proves a loser on the big screen.
Kobi is a New Zealand documentary about one of our great jewellers, Kobi Bosshard, made by his daughter Andrea.
The Mercy is the true story of a solo, round-the-world sailor who tried to cheat the system. Starring Colin Firth and Rachel Weisz.
Simon Morris reviews the remake of the Death Wish vigilante thriller starring Bruce Willis, The Mercy, and New Zealand documentary Kobi.
Death Wish is a revival of a right-wing fantasy movie of the 1970s - this time starring Bruce Willis.
Red Sparrow sees former Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence spread her wings as a Russian spy, and co-stars Joel Edgerton, Jeremy Irons and Charlotte Rampling.
Chilean film A Fantastic Woman, starring transgender actor and singer Daniela Vega, won an Oscar for Best Foreign Film.
Film stars don't die in Liverpool, the story of an unlikely affair between a young Liverpool actor and Hollywood legend and Oscar-winner Gloria Grahame, stars Annette Bening and Jamie Bell.
Simon Morris reviews movies with an Oscar connection: Film Stars Don’t Die In Liverpool, Chile’s A Fantastic Woman, and Jennifer Lawrence's thriller Red Sparrow.
Simon Morris reviews three comedies all about parties and celebrations; Sally Potter's The Party sees Kristen Scott Thomas invite some friends round, in Game Night reality crashes a couples' quiz night, and Finding Your Feet is set in an old folks' rock-n-roll dance class.
And another Oscar nominee, the extraordinary, hand-painted animated feature Loving Vincent.
Lady Bird is the spectacular directing debut of actor-writer Greta Gerwig. It's currently up for five Oscars.
Simon Morris checks out Marvel Comics' latest superhero Black Panther, Oscar nominated comedy-drama Lady Bird and the animated film Loving Vincent.
Simon Morris previews next month's Academy Awards, assessing the chances of a diverse line-up of films vying for best picture. Favourites include Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, The Shape Of Water and Darkest Hour, written by expat Kiwi Anthony McCarten.
Jessica Chastain stars as the "Poker Princess" Molly Bloom in Aaron Sorkin's directorial debut, reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin reviews the faith-based gang drama, shot in picturesque East Coast locations and featuring lots of local talent.
Daniel Day-Lewis's final screen performance in PT Anderson's 50s fashion drama, reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin is filling in for Simon Morris and this week he reviews Phantom Thread, Broken and Molly's Game and previews the 2018 Wellington and Auckland film society programmes.
Alexander Payne's big budget follow-up to Nebraska and The Descendants, reviewed by Dan Slevin.
If Netflix or Neon doesn't have enough festival or arthouse films for you, Mubi.com might be the answer, according to Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin reviews the second film by Pasifika writer-director Stallone Vaioga-Ioasa (now known as SQS).
Dan Slevin reviews the 'based-on-a-true-story' comedy about the 1994 figure skating scandal.
Dan Slevin is filling in for Simon Morris and this week he reviews I, Tonya, Hibiscus & Ruthless, Downsizing and the streaming video service Mubi.
Guillermo del Toro's Cold War fantasy which has received 13 Academy Award nominations, reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin reviews the final episode in the popular dystopian young adult trilogy, Maze Runner.
Dan Slevin reviews the Liam Neeson thriller The Commuter in which he works with Spanish director Jaume Collet-Sera for the fourth time.
Dan Slevin is filling in for Simon Morris and this week he reviews The Shape of Water, Maze Runner: The Death Cure and The Commuter.
Simon Morris looks back on 2017 - a year of two Star Wars films, two Lego films and two films mostly about Dunkirk. It was also a year that finally did a little more than pay lip-service to the idea of inclusiveness - Moonlight, Wonder Woman and black horror-comedy Get Out!
Simon Morris checks out James Franco's tribute to a one-of-a-kind director in The Disaster Artist, assesses festive fare The Man Who Invented Christmas and bemoans a lack of surprises in Wonder.
Wonder tells of a brave little kid whose parents are the generally adorable Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson. What could possibly go wrong?
Charles Dickens at first struggles to name his leading man in The Man Who Invented Christmas, Starring Dan Stevens and Christopher Plummer.
The Disaster Artist is a tribute to Tommy Wiseau, writer-director-star of the notoriously bad movie The Room. Directed by and starring James Franco with Seth Rogen, Bryan Cranston and Sharon Stone.
Goodbye Christopher Robin tells the bittersweet story of the father and son behind the Winnie the Pooh phenomenon. Stars Domhnall Gleeson, Margot Robbie and 8-year-old Will Tilston.
Daddy's home 2 is more comedy about fathers, step fathers and sons - mostly. Stars Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg and Mel Gibson.
Human traces puts two men on a lonely island with one woman - but that's just the start. Stars Sophie Henderson, Mark Mitchenson and Vinnie Bennett.
Simon Morris looks at three movies that are mostly driven by men - a bleak New Zealand drama, a comedy about New and Old Men, and the man and boy behind one of the most successful children's books ever.
The Killing of a Sacred Deer reunites Colin Farrell with his The Lobster director Yorgos Lathimos in a story of justice and revenge. Also stars Nicole Kidman.
Professor Marston and the Wonder Women tells the unlikely story about the man who created Wonder Woman and his unconventional relationship with two women. Stars Luke Evans (The Hobbit) and Rebecca Hall (Vicky Cristina Barcelona).
Justice League is another squad of superheroes, featuring Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and the Flash. Stars Ben Affleck and Gal Gadot.
Simon Morris reviews the blockbuster Justice League, but is rather keener on the unlikely Professor Marston and the Wonder Women. He also checks out festival favourite The Killing of a Sacred Deer.
Only the brave tells the story of a crew of real-life firefighters - "hot shots" - in Arizona. Stars Josh Brolin, Miles Teller, Jeff Bridges and Jennifer Connolly.
Ingrid Goes West takes a comic look at social media, obsession and "influencers". Stars Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation) and Elizabeth Olsen (The Avengers).
Murder on the Orient Express is a revival of the star-studded Agatha Christie murder mystery, featuring star/director Kenneth Branagh, Michelle Pfeiffer, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp and another half-dozen suspects.
Simon Morris looks at the latest star-studded version of the old Agatha Christie war-horse Murder on the Orient Express, the social media satire Ingrid Goes West, and a story about real-life fire-fighters – Only The Brave.
French comedy Madame sees a maid promoted to disguised last-minute guest by her snobby employer. Starring Toni Collette, Harvey Keitel and Pedro Almodovar favourite Rossy de Palma. Directed by Amanda Sthers.
Let Me Go is based on a real-life memoir of a German woman’s confrontation with her dying and unrepentant war-criminal mother. Starring Juliet Stevenson. Directed by Polly Steele.
Detroit is a crime drama set on one harrowing night at the Algiers Motel during the race riots of 1967. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow.
Simon Morris welcomes three movies that happen to be directed by women – Detroit, Let Me Go and Madame – and laments that Hollywood has given us unreasonable expectations of justice and a happy ending.
Tulip fever is Shakespeare in Love set in Amsterdam in 1634. Starring Alicia Vikander, Dane DeHaan and Judi Dench.
Brigsby Bear is a not-for-all-tastes tale of a man obsessed with an obscure TV series. Stars Kyle (Saturday Night Live) Mooney, Claire (Homeland) Danes and Mark (Star Wars) Hamill.
Thor:Ragnarok is another Marvel spectacular, with a very Down Under flavour. Director Taika Waititi casts Cate Blanchett as guest villain, and gives roles to every Kiwi actor he knows - including himself as rock-monster Korg.
Simon Morris is as curious as anyone about how Taika Waititi does directing blockbuster Thor Ragnarok. Bad luck for the competition: the cult-y Brigsby Bear and period drama Tulip Fever, starring Alicia Vikander and Judi Dench.
Geostorm solves the climate change problem, only to have it revived by someone who wants to "weaponize the weather"! Stars Gerard Butler, Abbie Cornish and Jim Sturgess.
Maudie tells the story of real-life "outsider" artist Maude Lewis, and her complicated surprising relationship with husband Everett. Stars award-winners Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke.
Waru invites eight women directors - mostly at the start of their careers - to contribute a ten-minute scene, shot in one take, to an 80 minute feature. Produced by Kerry Warkia and Kiel McNaughton. Also - No ordinary Sheila, a documentary about New Zealand writer, naturalist and illustrator Sheila Natusch, made by veteran film maker Hugh Macdonald.
On At The Movies, two New Zealand films that went with their gut rather than a formula - Waru and No Ordinary Sheila - and two very different North American films - Canadian indie Maudie and climate change disaster movie Geostorm.
French-German film Frantz takes an 80-year-old classic film and swaps the plot around. Directed by Francois (Potiche) Ozon.
The Mountain Between Us blends two ideas - the "couple in peril" and the "wilderness survival". Stars Kate Winslett and Idris Elba.
Happy Death Day is daylight robbery of one of the best loved - and best known - comedy plots there is. And it works far better than it ought to! Stars Jessica Rothe, directed by Christopher (Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse) Landon.
Simon Morris goes to three films with very few expectations built in - comedy-horror Happy Death Day, couple in peril The Mountain Between Us and French-German wartime drama Frantz.
Another Mother's Son is a story set in the one part of Britain occupied by the Nazis during World War Two - the Channel Islands. Stars Jenny Seagrove.
Final Portrait is actor and now director Stanley Tucci's tribute to painter and sculptor Alberto Giacometti. Stars Geoffrey Rush and Armie Hammer.
Blade Runner 2049 returns to Ridley Scott's dystopian future 35 years on, and the critics, generally, are wildly supportive. Stars Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford, and directed by Denis (Sicario, The Arrival) Villeneuve.
Simon Morris goes to the sequel to the classic Blade Runner - 30 years later. He also reviews the rather smaller Final Portrait, directed by Stanley Tucci, and Another Mother's Son, the often forgotten story of the Nazi occupation of the Channel Islands.
Lady Macbeth – another hit from the NZ Film Festival – has been described as "Wuthering Heights as directed by Alfred Hitchcock". It stars the riveting Florence Pugh.
Flatliners is a remake of the old Julia Roberts-Keifer Sutherland thriller from the nineties. This time around, it stars Ellen Page and Diego Luna.
The Changeover is a New Zealand film with lots of promise based a book by Margaret Mahy. Its stars include Melanie Lynskey, Timothy Spall and Lucy Lawless and it's directed by Miranda Harcourt and Stuart McKenzie.
Simon Morris checks out the new New Zealand film The Changeover, starring Timothy Spall and based on a Margaret Mahy book. He also looks at the remake of the '90s hit Flatliners and another NZIFF favourite, Lady Macbeth.
A Ghost Story features a traditional sheet-clad ghost, but the end result is touching rather than comedic. Stars Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle takes newly dapper spy Eggsy to America. Co-starring Channing Tatum, Jeff Bridges and Halle Berry.
The Lego Ninjago Movie is more from the plastic brick company - though "more" doesn't necessarily mean better.
Simon Morris goes to two holiday films - The Lego Ninjago Movie and the second Kingsman comedy-actioner The Golden Circle. By contrast, he also reviews one of the favourites at the recent film festival, A Ghost Story.
Victoria and Abdul reunites English director Stephen Frears with his Philomena star Dame Judi Dench, who plays Queen Victoria again - 20 years after Mrs Brown.
Is Darren Aronofsky's drama/allegory mother! a breath of fresh air - or one of the worst films ever?
American Assassin revives the old-fashioned action thriller. Starring Michael Keaton and Dylan (Maze Runner) O'Brien.
Simon Morris notes the lack of independent film 'auteurs' at the moment, but welcomes one in the shape of American Darren Aronofsky. He also welcomes a less elevated thriller, and one from a reliable British actress-director team.
6 Days is a NZ-UK co-production telling the story of the capture of the Iranian embassy in 1980, as seen by three people involved. It stars Mark Strong, Jamie Bell and Abbie Cornish and is directed by Toa Fraser.
The hugely successful Captain Underpants books have been adapted into a raucous, funny movie about two kids who make up a fictitious super-hero.
British director Jason Connery's film called Tommy's Honour about the father and son – both called Thomas Morris – who changed the face of golf.
Simon Morris reviews the New Zealand-UK co-production 6 Days, directed by Toa Fraser, and kids' favourite Captain Underpants The First Epic Movie. He also talks to Jason Connery about the golf film Tommy's honour.
The Beguiled - Sofia Coppola's Cannes favourite that re-imagines an old Clint Eastwood Civil War thriller. Stars Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst and Colin Farrell.
Wind River sees a rookie FBI agent and a trapper join forces to solve a murder on a Wyoming reservation. Stars Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen.
My year with Helen - Gaylene Preston's documentary follows Helen Clark's bid to become the first woman Secretary General of the UN.
Simon Morris looks at a northern summer blockbuster-season, described as the "worst summer in 17 years" and three successful movies from the recent International Film Festival.
An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth To Power is how global-warming activist Al Gore tried to achieve consensus at the Paris climate change conference in 2016.
In Between shows the life of three Palestinian women in Israel, torn between modern club-life and the values of their parents.
American Made stars Tom Cruise as the real-life pilot Barry Seal, who worked for both the CIA and the drug barons in the Eighties.
Simon Morris is reminded of the limitations of "based on real life" by three fact-based movies: American Made, In Between and An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth To Power.
The Trip To Spain -– the third Trip movie – features dueling comedians Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan and a side-order of Spanish cuisine.
Logan Lucky sees director Steven Soderberg (Oceans 11) return to the big screen with a heist movie starring Channing Tatum, Adam Driver and Daniel Craig.
The Dark Tower is very American fantasy from novelist Stephen King, pitting Idris Elba (good) against Matthew McConaughey (evil).
Simon Morris looks at the latest cinematic universe – Stephen King's The Dark Tower, plus Steven Soderberg's heist film Logan Lucky and another Steve Coogan/Rob Brydon trip, The Trip to Spain.
A Date for Mad Mary – a little charmer that recently won the Best Film gong at the Irish Film Awards – sees the titular character Mary determined to get a date for her best friend's wedding.
In Let the Sunshine in, veteran French director Claire Denis plunges into the psyche of an amorous painter, played by Juliette Binoche.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is a very French sci-fi from Luc Besson, starring Dane DeHaan, Cara Delavingne and Herbie Hancock of all people!
Simon Morris reviews Let The Sunshine In and A Date for Mad Mary, and struggles to make sense of the French sci-fi movie Valerian and The City of a Thousand Planets.
Breathing new life into the moribund rom-com genre, The Big Sick is a charming true story reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin reviews the third heavyweight adaptation of Herman Koch's acclaimed novel, starring Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Steve Coogan and Rebecca Hall.
Dan Slevin reviews the new Berlin-based spy thriller starring Charlize Theron, tracking down a mole as the wall comes down.
Dan Slevin (filling in for Simon Morris) reviews Atomic Blonde, The Dinner and The Big Sick.
Tilda Swinton, Jake Gyllenhaal, Ahn-Seo Hyun and a CGI super-pig star in Okja, reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin reviews the winner of the drama prize at this year's Sundance Film Festival, starring Melanie Lynskey.
Dan Slevin reviews three films exclusively on Netflix: Brad Pitt in War Machine; Melanie Lynskey in I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore and Okja, from Korean director Bong Joon-Ho.
80-year-old-Eleanor Coppola is the wife of Oscar-winner Francis Coppola and she's made her first feature film, Paris Can Wait, reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin reviews Edgar Wright's music-inspired heist thriller, Baby Drive, which features lots of car chases.
Dan Slevin is filling in for Simon Morris on At The Movies and this week he reviews Dunkirk, Baby Driver and Paris Can Wait.
Animated film about a young girl from 19th century St Petersburg journeys to the Arctic to search for her grandfather, reviewed by Dan Slevin.
Dan Slevin reviews Nick Hamm's reimagining of a key moment in the Northern Irish peace process, starring Colm Meaney and Timothy Spall.
Dan Slevin reviews the final installment of the modern Planet of the Apes trilogy, War for the Planet of the Apes; a fictionalised portrayal of the Northern Ireland Peace Agreement, The Journey and Long Way North, an animated film about a teenage girl searching for her grandfather at the North Pole.
Monsieur Chocolat plays to the French obsession with traditional mime, with the true story of the clown who became the most famous black man in France.
Polina features a young Russian dancer lured away from the Bolshoi Ballet by French contemporary dance.
Spider-Man: Homecoming goes back to its America comic-book roots, with a young teenage superhero, crime-fighting between homework assignments.
Simon Morris reviews three films about different aspects of popular culture – the American comic-book hero (Spiderman Homecoming) Russia's fixation on ballet (Polina) and France's fascination with clowns (Monsieur Chocolat).
The House stars Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler as a suburban couple who start up a neighbourhood casino, with predictable results.
The Beautiful Fantastic is a whimsical romance, a sort of English version of French favourite Amelie. Starring Tom Wilkinson, Andrew Scott and Jessica Brown Findlay.
My Cousin Rachel is an old-fashioned gothic melodrama, written by Daphne Du Maurier, and starring Rachel Weisz and Sam Claflin.
Simon Morris looks at three films competing with "blockbuster season" – My Cousin Rachel, The Beautiful Fantastic and The House.
Simon Morris and Bill Gosden, the director of the New Zealand International Film Festival, preview the 2017 season, which kicks off in Auckland on 20 July.
Churchill shows the British wartime Prime Minister racked with doubt on the eve of D Day. Starring Brian Cox and Miranda Richardson.
Rough Night takes the old Hangover formula and gives it a female-friendly twist. Starring Scarlett Johannseen and Kate McKinnon, and directed by Lucia (Broad City) Aniello.
At The Movies - Simon Morris discovers that fact may be stranger than fiction, but fiction usually has better endings.
Despite the Falling Snow tells the story of Russian spies - that is, Russians spying for the Americans in the Soviet Union.
The Mummy hopes to start a franchise of famous old classic monsters. Starring Tom Cruise, with Russell Crowe as Doctor Jekyll.
On At The Movies, Simon Morris looks at the start of yet another movie universe - monster mash, The Mummy. He also looks at two rather smaller films - the French domestic comedy Rosalie Blum, and Cold War spy-thriller Despite the Falling Snow, starring Charles Dance.
Adult life skills is a little movie about a woman making even smaller films in her shed. Director Rachel Tunnard taps into her love of Baywatch, Jane Austen, bobble-hats and the band Whitesnake to make the best movie of the week.
Wonder Woman has been a long time coming. Can director Patty (Monster) Jenkins succeed where so many fans have failed?
McLaren is Roger Donaldson's passion-project - the story of Bruce McLaren, the Kiwi kid from Remuera who conquered the international racing scene first as a driver, then as a car designer.
Simon Morris looks at two contrasting female-directed movies, and a new documentary about a New Zealand legend who built an empire from a glorified shed.
And The Passion of Augustine requires some familiarity with nuns, Vatican 2 and Quebec's Quiet Revolution of the early 1960s.
The film version of Stephen Fry's novel The Hippopotamus depends heavily on sharing Fry's enthusiasms.
Norman sees Richard Gere in the unlikely role of a loser, New York "fixer". Also featuring Dan Stevens, Steve Buscemi and Charlotte Gainsbourg.
In At The Movies Simon Morris dives into three movies, all rather outside his usual specialist subjects.
The sense of an ending is based on a novel by Booker Prize-winning author Julian Barnes. Stars Jim Broadbent, Charlotte Rampling and Michelle (Downton Abbey) Dockery.
New Zealand documentary Pecking Order is a fascinating - and often hilarious - view of the world of the poultry-fancier. Directed by Slavko Martinov.
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword sees Guy Ritchie assume, wrongly, that audiences today want a rough-neck, rock and roll version of Camelot. Stars Charlie (Sons of Anarchy) Hunnam and Jude Law.
On At The Movies, Simon Morris looks at the two modern phobias - the fear off missing out, and the fear of being left behind by modern trends.
And After the storm is a charming family drama from writer director Hirokazu (Like father like son) Koreeda.
Viceroy's House tells the story of the last Viceroy of India, and how the struggle for India's independence in 1947 ended in the bloody Partition. Starring Hugh Bonneville and Gillian Anderson.
Alien: Covenant brings back the alien creature, but is more interested in pushing the boundaries of artificial intelligence. Directed by Ridley Scott.
Simon Morris questions the old line “the troubles of three little people don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world.” What makes a better movie - little people or big issues?
The zookeeper's wife is a war story with a female slant - produced by star Jessica Chastain and directed by New Zealander Niki Caro.
Get out! directed by Jordan Peele is a uniquely black take on the old spooky house horror-film. It seems white folks really are out to get you!
Rules don't apply, the comeback of 80-year-old director-star Warren Beatty, remembers Hollywood during the Howard Hughes years.
On At The Movies, Simon Morris reviews three films NOT directed by white, middle aged men.
Colossal blends two apparent opposites - a little comedy drama and a giant monster movie. Starring Ann Hathaway, Jason Sudeikis and Dan Stevens.
Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 reminds us that comic-book movies are meant to be fun as well as eye-boggling.
On At The Movies, Simon Morris reviews the second episode of Marvel Comics' gigantic Guardians of the Galaxy, and an appealing little Irish film about school, rugby and homophobia. Harder to categorise is Colossal - both a monster movie and a comedy-drama starring Anne Hathaway.
French film From the land of the Moon stars Marion Cotillard as a troubled patient in a Swiss nursing home.
New Zealand-Indian co-production Beyond the known world finds itself searching for more than a lost teenager. Starring David Denham and Sia Trokenheim.
Going in style is a creaky story based on that old favourite - elderly bankrobbers. Starring Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Alan Arkin.
On At The Movies, Simon Morris checks out yet another film about elderly bank-robbers, the thriller Beyond the Known World - a New Zealand-Indian co-production and French Film Festival favourite, From the Land of the Moon.
Denial is based on the true story of the law-suit brought by notorious Holocaust denier, David Irving. Starring Rachel Weisz, Tom Wilkinson and Timothy Spall as Irving.
Cannes Film Festival award-winner Personal shopper is a Hitchcockian thriller with an occult twist. Starring Kristen Stewart.
Their Finest takes place in the real-life setting of the wartime film industry of Great Britain. Starring Gemma Arterton and Bill Nighy, and directed by Lone (An education) Scherfig.
On At The Movies, Simon Morris reviews two films with a World War Two connection and one of the winners at last year's Cannes Film Festival.
Glance at the programme of the New Zealand International Film Festival's annual Autumn Events - featuring new prints of classics like Manhattan and Woodstock, and the new Terrence Malick film Voyage of Time: Life's Journey.
Iranian Oscar-winner The Salesman watches the strains on the marriage of two actors appearing in the famous American play Death of a Salesman.
The Lego Batman Movie blends two well-known brands, following up the wildly popular Lego Movie.
Simon Morris reviews the Oscar-winning Iranian film The Salesman, and the wildly popular Lego Batman Movie. He also previews the New Zealand Film Festival's Autumn Events - a collection of classic movies return to the big screen.
A Hollywood - and Wellywood - version of the Japanese cult manga series Ghost in the Shell. Starring Scarlett Johansson and Juliette Binoche.
On At The Movies, Simon Morris reviews two rebooted projects - a new comedy based on 70s TV favourite Chips, and the controversial western version of Japanese cult series Ghost in the Shell. And Beauty and the Beast is the latest Disney animated favourite to get the live-action treatment.
Beauty and the Beast is the latest Disney animated favourite to get the live-action treatment. Starring Emma Watson, Dan Stevens and Kevin Kline.
And a new web-site Never Repeats sets out to watch every New Zealand film - good and bad. Simon talks to hosts Hayden Frost and L J Ritchie.
Brazilian award-winner Aquarius sees ageing Sonia Braga determined to hang onto the beachfront apartment she was brought up in.
Life returns to Alien territory, when a crew of a space-station find themselves hosting an ever-growing, hostile creature from Mars. Stars Ryan Reynolds and Jake Gyllenhaal.
Simon Morris reviews the sci-fi thriller Life and Brazilian award-winner Aquarius and talks to Hayden Frost and LJ Ritchie about their plans to review every NZ film ever in their podcast Never Repeats.
Trespass against us - about a family of traveller criminals - stars the dream team of Michael Fassbender and Brendan Gleeson.
New Zealand comedy Gary of the Pacific is about a real-estate agent who becomes chief of an island Paradise. Stars Josh Thomson.
Loving is the true story of the 1960s couple that defied segregated Virginia and ended up changing the law. Starring Oscar-nominee Ruth Negga, Joel Egerton and Kiwi Marton Csokas.
Simon Morris looks at three films that all, in different ways, fail to excite: Loving, Gary of the Pacific and Trespass Against Us.
Kong: Skull Island revives the old Japanese monster movie version of the story. Starring Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larsen, John Goodman and Samuel L Jackson.
A street cat named Bob is based on James Bowen's best-selling memoir of life on the London streets. Starring Luke Treadaway, Joanne Froggatt and Bob the Cat.
This critically-acclaimed French film tells the story of a group of Polish nuns who were raped by the "liberating army" at the end of World War II.
Simon Morris looks at three rather different films - Kong: Skull Island, A Street Cat Named Bob and The Innocents.
Simon Morris discovers the old western isn't as dead as you'd think and three new films owe more than a little to its influence,
Director Danny Boyle returns to Trainspotting, 20 years later. Is this the sequel that disproves the rule of disappointing sequels?
Despite last year's mixed fortunes, sequel-mania continues to rule this year's slate of blockbusters. Has Hollywood lost the ability to plot?
The Oscars have come and gone. The headlines were taken by the confusion at the end, but were they an improvement on last year's Oscars So White?
Simon Morris looks at two Hollywoods - the sensitive artists reflected in the recent Oscars for Moonlight and La La Land, and the sequel-crazy studio heads.
Martin Scorsese's passion project about the fate of three Portuguese missionaries in 17th century Japan. Stars Andrew Garfield and Liam Neeson.
Toni Erdmann features a high-flying executive being embarrassed by her practical-joking father. Winner at last year's Cannes Film Festival.
Set in the 12th century, sees two European adventurers get more than they bargained for when they reach the Great Wall of China. Stars Matt Damon.
This week, three films that all, in one way or another, are about cultural misunderstanding: The Great Wall, Silence and Toni Erdmann.
Simon Morris previews the French Film Festival, now New Zealand's second-biggest cinema showcase after the winter International Festival and takes a peek at the Baftas.
On At The Movies, Simon Morris reviews a holiday full of Oscar hopefuls - but how many were actually deserving?
Simon Morris looks at the year's big themes – business, the year 1952 and diversity – and crowns Comeback of the Year, Star of the Year and three Movies of the Year.
Underworld: Blood Wars - the latest in the increasingly convoluted timeline of the Underworld vampire series. Starring Kate Beckinsale.
Bad Santa 2 - 13 years on, a sequel to Bad Santa proves harder than it looked. Starring Billy Bob Thornton and Kathy Bates.
Year of Sequels - a look back at the many remakes, sequels and reboots that dominated 2016 - from the latest Star Wars and Star Trek to new versions of Ben Hur, Blair Witch and The Magnificent Seven.
On At The Movies, Simon Morris looks back on a year that seemed very dependent on remakes and sequels - many of them long after their sell-by date. He reviews the latest examples - Bad Santa 2 and the fifth of the Underworld franchise - Blood Wars.
Dan Slevin reviews Terence Davies' adaptation of Lewis Grassic Gibbon's beloved Scottish novel.
On At the Movies this week: Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard as spies fighting Nazis in Allied, Terence Davies adapts a Scottish classic in Sunset Song and Michael Keaton changes the face of food service in The Founder.
Did the CIA fake the moon landings? Some clever Canadians make a mockumentary suggesting that and Dan Slevin reviews.
Dan Slevin reviews Pedro Almodóvar's leading contender for a Best Foreign Language Oscar in 2017.
At the Movies: the mega-profitable Harry Potter world returns, the stylishly-sadistic The Neon Demon, a masterpiece from Almodóvar and a clever thriller about faking the moon landing.
Dan Slevin talks to Englishman David Mackenzie, director of a modern western about fighting back against the banks.
A film about first contact with aliens, and problems in translation - with them, and between us. Also starring Amy Adams, and directed by Denis (Sicario) Villeneuve.
A new film by former top fashion designer, Tom Ford, that juggles three narratives about success, violence and revenge. Starring Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal.
This week Simon Morris reviews two movies, both starring Amy Adams, that are being tipped for Oscar nominations and Dan Slevin talks to David Mackenzie, director of Hell or High Water.
A love story, set on a remote lighthouse. Starring Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander, and partly shot around Dunedin.
A blend of action-thriller with a fascination with autistic maths geniuses. Starring Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick and J K Simmons.
On At The Movies, Simon Morris reviews the new Mel Gibson war story Hacksaw Ridge, about real life conscientious objector Desmond Doss. The Accountant is a thriller starring Ben Affleck and Anna Kendrick, while The Light Between Oceans is tear-jerker, starring real-life lovers Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander - partly shot in Dunedin.
A modern western sees Texas Ranger Jeff Bridges hunting two bank-robbers, and wondering whether he may be on the wrong side.
On At The Movies, Simon Morris welcomes three good movies, for a change! Cannes Film Festival winner I Daniel Blake is Ken Loach at his best - and most passionate. Hell and High Water, starring Jeff Bridges and Chris Pine, sees two Texans take on the banks. And the new Marvel Comics blockbuster Doctor Strange boasts Benedict Cumberbatch and Tilda Swinton
Marvel Studios updates Shangri-La as Benedict Cumberbatch learns the secrets of the Universe from Tilda Swinton.
A suburban couple discover their new neighbours are international spies. Starring Zach Galifianakis, Isla Blair, Jon Hamm and Gal (Wonder Woman) Gadot.
Another nostalgic Woody Allen comedy, this time set in the Golden Age Hollywood of the 1930s. Starring Kristen Stewart, Steve Carrell and Jesse Eisenberg.
On At The Movies, Simon Morris reviews three more films from the Spring Clearout season - Jack Reacher Never Go Back, starring Tom Cruise; Café Society, Woody Allen's new comedy, set in 1930s Hollywood and spy spoof Keeping Up With The Joneses, starring Zach Galifianakis and Jon Hamm.
A comedy about a gang of bank-robbing pensioners, starring Bernard Hill, Virginia McKenna and Una Stubbs.
An Argentinian film about a real-life family of kidnappers who operated during the Galtieri dictatorship. Winner of Best Director at the Venice Film Festival.
On At The Movies, Simon Morris looks the latest film based on a Dan Brown novel, Inferno, starring Tom Hanks, and a little English comedy, obviously aimed at the trendy "grey dollar", Golden Years. He also reviews the multi-award winning Argentinian film The Clan.
Tom Hanks stars in a thriller, with at its heart a puzzle based on Dante's famous poem.
A New Zealand sci-fi comedy in which a group of fans find themselves in a real-life cheesey B-movie.
The story behind the real-life 2010 oil-rig explosion that caused the biggest ecological disaster in history. Starring Mark Wahlberg, Kate Hudson and John Malkovich.
Emily Blunt stars as an alcoholic divorcee who discovers she may have murdered her ex-husband's nanny.
On At The Movies, Simon Morris looks at two new thrillers - The Girl On The Train, starring Emily Blunt, based on the best-selling novel… and Deepwater Horizon, the story behind the worst oil-rig disaster in history. And he reviews a new New Zealand sci-fi comedy with an irresistible name: This Giant Paper Mache Boulder Is Actually Really Heavy.
A very Tim Burton story about a home for "peculiars", whose powers include flight, invisibility and bees!
A documentary about a famous interview that changed the critics' view of the supreme entertainer, Alfred Hitchcock.
Yet another 2016 remake of a classic movie, starring Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt.
Simon Morris looks at the remake of the classic western, The Magnificent Seven, and a documentary about a famous interview - when French critic turned film-maker Francois Truffaut got Alfred Hitchcock to explain his methods. And there's a new Tim Burton film, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.
Captain Fantastic - Viggo Mortensen plays a father who brings his children up, away from the excesses of modern, corporate America.
Don't breathe - from producers Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert, a horror thriller where the villain is blind - but with uncannily good hearing.
Bridget Jones's Baby - 15 years after her Diary, Bridget's back, starring Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth and Emma Thompson.
On At The Movies, Simon Morris reviews two films about parenthood - Bridget Jones's Baby and Captain Fantastic, starring Viggo Mortensen. And he goes to the latest hit, low-budget horror film - Don't breathe.
Alison Maclean's adaptation of Eleanor Catton's novel about young love, scandal and theatre school.
A boy and his invisible dragon. Starring Bryce Dallas Howard, Robert Redford and a Weta-created dragon called Elliot.
On At The Movies, Simon Morris reviews the sentimental remake of Disney's Pete's Dragon, and a rival animated hit, The Secret Life of Pets. And he looks at the film based on a very literary New Zealand novel, The Rehearsal.
The true story of the airline pilot who crash-landed a passenger plane into the Hudson River. Directed by Clint Eastwood, starring Tom Hanks.
A foul-mouthed animated feature about sentient edibles. Starring Seth Rogen, James Franco and Kristen Wiig.
On At The Movies, Simon Morris looks at three films aimed at men - Sully, starring Tom Hanks as a real-life hero… Blood Father, in which Mel Gibson attempts to redeem himself… and perpetual party-dude Seth Rogen's R-rated cartoon, Sausage Party.
A based-on-real-life story of Newt Knight, who deserted from the Confederate Army to form his own country in the heart of Mississippi. Starring Matthew McConnaughey.
The return of the man you loved to hate in TV classic The Office. Starring Ricky Gervais.
Simon Morris reviews the popular Richie McCaw documentary, Chasing Great, and the new Ricky Gervais comedy about an old character - David Brent: Life On The Road. He also looks at a drama about a half-forgotten footnote of American history - Free State of Jones.
When the pressure to be perfect is too much, three Moms go Bad. Starring Mila Kunis, Christina Applegate and Kristen Bell.
A remake of the famous - and multi-Oscar winning - 1959 classic "Story of the Christ." Starring Jack Huston and Morgan Freeman.
On At The Movies, Simon Morris reviews the remake of Ben-Hur, and a new comedy starring Mila Kunis and Chrsitina Applegate - Bad Moms. Pick of the crop though is a small but perfectly formed film from Jordan. Theeb was nominated for a Best Foreign Film Oscar this year.
A little Bedouin boy tags along when his brother guides a British soldier through the Arabian Desert during World War One. Nominated for an Oscar and a Bafta this year.
War Dogs - the true story of two 20-something dropouts who ended up supplying the Pentagon with armaments during the Iraq War. Starring Jonah Hill, Miles Teller and Bradley Cooper.
Our Kind of Traitor - when a Mafia money-launderer wants to defect to Britain, a teacher and his wife find themselves caught in a deadly game of treachery. Starring Ewan McGregor, Naomie Harris and Damian Lewis.
The Shallows - a woman is trapped in a rock by a hungry Great White shark, tantalizingly close to the shore. Starring Blake Lively.
On At The Movies, Simon Morris reviews the minimalist The shallows - just actress Blake Lively and a shark. And two films that take very different looks at military secrets - John Le Carre's Our kind of traitor, starring Ewan McGregor and Damian Lewis, and War Dogs, starring comedians Jonah Hill and Miles Teller.
When a young punk band meet neo-Nazis, everything goes South. No doubt. Starring Patrick Stewart and the late Anton Yelchin.
25 years after the much-loved TV show, Edina and Patsy are back on the big screen. Starring Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley.
With so many blockbusters disappointing, is the fault in the trailers? Are they too good?
On At The Movies, Simon Morris looks at the art of the movie-trailer, and why so many seem to be rather more entertaining than the movies they're previewing. He also looks at the much-anticipated Absolutely Fabulous The Movie and the critically-acclaimed thriller Green Room, starring Patrick Stewart.
A New Zealand co-production, directed by Jake Mahaffay, about a Memphis exorcism. Winner of the Horizon section of last year's Venice Film Festival.
A B-movie horror about a mysterious entity that only appears when the lights go out. Featuring a slumming Maria Bello.
On At The Movies, Simon Morris welcomes back the old Bourne team - star Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass - on the blockbuster Jason Bourne. He also checks out three smaller films: feelgood flick The Carer, B-movie horror, Lights out, and new New Zealander Jake Mahaffy's award-winning Free in deed.
An extended interview with Icelandic director Grimur Hakonarson, whose film won the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival last year.
An independent American film, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Naomi Watts, and directed by Jean-Marc (Dallas Buyers Club) Vallee.
The latest in the franchise, with Fast and furious director Justin Lin taking over from J J Abrams. Written by co-star Simon Pegg.
On At The Movies, Simon Morris looks at the 13th Star Trek movie, Star Trek beyond, and a film called Demolition, in which Jake Gyllenhaal has to break up his life to put it back together again. He also talks to Icelandic director Grimur Hakonarson, whose film Rams was a big winner at the Cannes Film Festival last year.
On At The Movies, Simon Morris looks at the controversial reboot of Ghostbusters - the comedy that launched a million angry tweets. There's a new version of Grandmama's favourite Anne of Green Gables, and a stunning Canadian film called Remember, directed by Atom Egoyan, and starring Christopher Plummer.
On At The Movies, Simon Morris looks at The BFG, based on the Roald Dahl children's favourite and directed by Steven Spielberg… and Sing Street, set in a Dublin boys school in the early Eighties. He also talks animation and Incredibly Strange movies with the Film Festival's Malcolm Turner and Ant Timpson.
The unruly side-bars to the Festival proper - Animation and Incredibly Strange - are unveiled by curators Malcolm Turner and Ant Timpson.
Following the interview with director John Carney a few weeks ago, we look at Eighties school-band movie itself.
Steven Spielberg's first full-on fairy tale, based on a book by Roald Dahl, and starring Spielberg favourite Mark Rylance.
An extended interview with director Whit Stillman, about his adaptation of an unpublished - and very sexy! - novel by Jane Austen.
An odd-couple comedy-drama, starring Jonathan Price (Game of Thrones) as a Jewish Baker forced to employ a young, African, Muslim kid.
100 years old and still going strong, this version comes from the producer and director of the Harry Potter films.
On At The Movies, Simon Morris talks to American director Whit Stillman (The last days of disco) about his take on a never-filmed Jane Austen novella, Love and Friendship. He also looks at another golden oldie - the new film The Legend of Tarzan, and a small, feelgood movie, Dough.
In 1958, Auschwitz remained a secret to many young Germans. This film tells how the secret was let out.
The sequel to 2003's Finding Nemo, this Pixar smash hit features, once again, Ellen DeGeneres as the forgetful reef fish.
The online phenomenon, computer-game World of Warcraft is the latest to be turned into a movie. Directed by Duncan Jones (Moon).
On At The Movies, Simon Morris looks at hugely successful family movie Finding Dory, and just plain huge Warcraft and Independence Day 2. And a smaller German film packs its own wallop - Labyrinth Of Lies looks at the conspiracy to keep Auschwitz quiet in the Nineteen Fifties.
In this web-only At The Movies – an extended version of this week’s interview with Bill Gosden, the director of the New Zealand International Film Festival. More films, more highlights and more reasons to check out this year’s festival programme…
The CEO of the New Zealand Film Commission talks about a busy year, "something for everyone" - and his occasionally prickly relationship with the independent sector.
Jodie Foster directs, George Clooney and Julia Roberts star in a film that blends a hostage drama with a media satire.
Simon Morris looks at the sequel to the heist movie that proved the hand was quicker than the eye, starring Mark Ruffalo and Morgan Freeman.
Simon Morris wonders what happened to traditional, mainstream movies, squeezed out of the cinemas between, on the one hand, gigantic blockbuster franchises, and on the other, by small, festival-friendly independent films. He looks at two recent examples - heist movie Now you see me 2, and hostage drama Money Monster. He also talks to New Zealand Film Commission CEO Dave Gibson about a very busy next 12 months.
On At The Movies, Simon Morris returns and reports on the very mixed messages handed out at the famous Cannes Film Festival. Part the Art of the Cinema, part the Art of the Deal, Cannes nevertheless offers an accurate snapshot of the current state of the industry.
Dan Slevin reviews The Nice Guys, a buddy movie by Shane Black, that stars Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe as the buddies in question.
Dan Slevin is filling in for Simon Morris for the final time and this week he reviews Alice Through the Looking Glass, starring Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter; The Nice Guys, a a throwback to the cynical 70s starring Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe, and Our Little Sister, a graceful and unsentimental Japanese drama.
Dan Slevin reviews Laura Gabbert's documentary about Pulitzer Prize-winning food critic Jonathan Gold.
Dan Slevin chats to Tickled co-director Dylan Reeve about the making of the film and what makes a documentary 'cinematic'.
Dan Slevin reviews the 9th X-Men movie (if you include the two Wolverine and one Deadpool spinoffs).
Once again, Dan Slevin is filling in for Simon Morris and this week he reviews X-Men: Apocalypse, in which our mutant heroes defend the planet from an ancient Egyptian mutant who thinks he is a god; City of Gold, a documentary about the acclaimed Los Angeles food writer Jonathan Gold and Dan talks to Dylan Reeve, co-director of the brilliant new Kiwi documentary, Tickled.
Dan Slevin reviews Michael Moore's latest socially conscious documentary which looks at which great international initiatives he can bring back to the US.
Dan Slevin reviews Andrew Bosshard and Shane Loader's drama about two women stuck in a maternity ward together.
Dan Slevin interviews cinema owner Simon Werry about 'alternative content' like opera and ballet productions and how they are winning over arthouse cinema audiences.
Dan Slevin reviews the 13th entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe series, starring Chris Evans, Robert Downey, Jr. and Scarlett Johansson.
Once again, Dan Slevin is filling in for Simon Morris and this week he reviews Angry Birds - the seven year old video game, book and apparel franchise makes it to cinemas for the first time - and award-winning documentarian Michael Moore's new film Where to Invade Next. He also talks to cinema owner Simon Werry about the explosive growth in alternative content for cinema screens like operas, ballets and theatre productions.
Dan Slevin (filling in for Simon Morris) reviews Captain America: Civil War - the 13th entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe series and Wellington labour of love The Great Maiden's Blush. He also talks to US critic Diana Drumm about her Twitter feed @FemaleCritics, which promotes film writing by women.
Dan Slevin reviews Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant in Stephen Frears' new film about "the worst singer in the world".
Dan Slevin interviews co-director of the DocEdge film festival, Dan Shanan about the 2016 event in Wellington and Auckland.