Mistress Dispeller: DocPlay Movie Review

Director: Elizabeth Lo

An intriguing documentary that sensitively handles the issue of infidelity in a surprisingly frank and different way, Elizabeth Lo's Mistress Dispeller begins and closes with a view of one woman getting her hair done.

With extreme close-ups, Lo follows Mistress Dispeller Wang Zhenxi, a person for hire who enters into relationships that are going wrong to help mend what's broken and break the cycle.

But what actually happens is that Wang joins a Mrs Li to hear of her suspicions and of her heartbreak when she received a random text on her husband's phone that shattered her world. Opining that his heart is elsewhere, she opens up to Wang who then ingratiates herself into both the life of the couple and the mistress Fei Fei who's travelling to see her man.

While Mistress Dispeller could have been a salacious look at the implosion of a marriage, Lo's careful and mindful grasp of the situation shows that everyone involved has emotions - and with a great deal of empathy, Lo's surprisingly subtle film uncovers the gravity of the situation and even the hardship of the mistress who Wang always believes are the ones who suffer the most.

There is a complexity knit through this film that keeps its subjects both close and the morals of the situation under control. Winsomely shot rather than excessively over-played, the honesty of the trio is what helps as well - especially given there's no feeling of an overarching control and narrative during this - it merely organically plays out.

Mistress Dispeller is a subtle explanation of the idea that there's always more than one side to every story - and while the tale of infidelity is universal, the intimacy of this documentary is more than engaging.

Mistress Dispeller is playing as part of the NZIFF - for more details, visit nziff.co.nz

What's on DocPlay in March

Here's everything that's streaming on DocPlay in March.

Enjoy a blockbuster month of the best local and international documentaries: in March, Oscar®-nominated and shortlisted docs premiere exclusively on the platform, alongside two crowd-pleasing local films- Signorinella: Little Miss and Pelligrinis: A Melbourne Legacy - that pay tribute to the significant impact of Italian migrants on Australian society.

Oscar®-nominee Mr Nobody Against Putin streams excusively on the platform from March 2, alongside the exceptional shortlisted titles 2000 Meters to Andriivka and Folktales. Orwell: 2+2=5, from celebrated documentarian Raoul Peck, also releases exclusively on DocPlay on March 2.

The uncompromising and extraordinary life of legendary athlete Carl Lewis, a nine-time Olympic gold medallist and 'Sportsman of the Century', is brought to life in a definitive portrait: I’m Carl Lewis streams on DocPlay from March 16.

 

2 March

Orwell: 2+2=5 (Exclusive)

Acclaimed director Raoul Peck seamlessly interweaves historical clips, readings from Orwell's diary, cinematic references, and dynamic modern day footage to craft not only a definitive portrait of the writer himself, but an entirely fresh take on how remarkably relevant and prophetic his work has become.

2 March

2000 Meters to Adriivka (Exclusive) | Oscar®-shortlisted

From the Oscar®-winning team behind 20 Days in Mariupol, 2000 Meters to Andriivka documents the toll of the Russia-Ukraine war from a personal and devastating vantage point. 

2 March

Mr Nobody Against Putin (Exclusive) | Oscar®-nominated

A Russian teacher secretly documents his small town school’s transformation into a war recruitment center during the Ukraine invasion, revealing the ethical dilemmas educators face amid propaganda and militarisation.

2 March

Folktales (Exclusive) | Oscar®-shortlisted

A heartwarming documentary following three teens on a journey of self-discovery at a remote folk school in Norway's far north. 

9 March

Secret Mall Apartment (Exclusive)

This stranger-than-fiction doc recounts how a 2000s artist collective spent four years living inside a shopping mall. 

16 March

I’m Carl Lewis! (Exclusive)

In track and field he’s remembered as The Greatest. Athletics' first commercially global star. Away from the spotlight, his is a life often misunderstood. Carl Lewis did it his own way - unwilling to conform to what the US expected from its athletes. 

19 March

Signorinella: Little Miss (Exclusive)

Narrated by Italian-Australian actress Greta Scacchi, this fascinating documentary, written, directed and produced by the creators of Lygon St - Si Parla Italiano, celebrates the tenacity and spirit of Italian women who helped shape the Italian-Australian community.

19 March

Pellegrinis - A Melbourne Legacy (Exclusive)

From its humble beginnings in 1954 to its revered status as one of Melbourne’s most beloved institutions, Pellegrinis - A Melbourne Legacy chronicles the Espresso Bar’s journey as a cornerstone of the city’s post-war Italian identity. 

23 March

I Could Never Go Vegan (Exclusive)

A filmmaker sets out on a journey to find out the leading arguments facing the vegan movement, and if they're justified.

30 March

I Shot the President

In March 1981, John Hinckley shot U.S. President Ronald Reagan in a failed assassination attempt. This provocative documentary examines the dark side of the American Dream, as Hinckley now seeks redemption through his art and music and grapples with his past in a nation deeply divided by politics and gripped by gun violence. 

What's on Shudder in February

Here's everything that's streaming on Shudder in February.

Honey Bunch – Shudder Original Film

New Film Premieres Exclusively on Shudder and AMC+ Friday 13 February

When Diana wakes from a coma with fragmented memories, she and her husband seek experimental treatments at a remote facility. As the procedures intensify, their marriage is put to the test and Diana begins to question her husband’s true motives.

Crazy Old Lady – Shudder Original Film

New Film Premieres Exclusively on Shudder and AMC+ Friday 27 February

On a stormy evening, Pedro receives a desperate call from his ex-girlfriend asking him to look after her senile mother, Alicia. What begins as a simple favor soon turns into a terrifying ordeal when Alicia refuses to let him leave. Trapped in the house, he’s forced to play along with her sadistic games to survive the night. Winner of Best Director in the Horror Competition at Fantastic Fest and an official selection at the Sitges Film Festival.

Terrifier 3

Film Premieres on Shudder and AMC+ Sunday 1 February

Art the Clown is set to unleash chaos on the unsuspecting residents of Mile County as they peacefully drift off to sleep on Christmas Eve.

The Draft!

Film Premieres on Shudder and AMC+ Monday 16 February

Five typical college students spend their weekend in a typical old villa only to find that they have to survive in a battle of wits against an absolute all-mighty, all-powerful terror that is seemingly undefeated. Fight for your fate!

NEW ADDITIONS TO SHUDDER’S FILM LIBRARY

1 February

A Chinese Ghost Story

A debt collector has no other choice than to spend the night in a haunted temple, where he encounters a female ghost, whom he falls in love with. To save her soul he must work with a monk to defeat the tree demon who owns her spirit.

A Chinese Ghost Story II

Following his encounter with the ghosts, tax collector Lin Choi-San gets caught up with a group of rebels and faces a new batch of supernatural terrors.

 

A Chinese Ghost Story III

100 years after the events of A Chinese Ghost Story (1987), a Buddhist monk and his clumsy disciple journey through a small town to transport a golden Buddha idol and end up taking shelter at the haunted Orchid Temple ruins.

Evil Cat

Master Cheung is the last of a large family whose members for centuries have protected the Earth from a demonic cat with nine lives.

Scurry

Two strangers who find themselves trapped underground when the city is attacked by a monstrous threat. Badly injured with limited resources they must navigate a treacherous, narrowing tunnel in hopes of finding an exit.

Terrifier 3

Art the Clown is set to unleash chaos on the unsuspecting residents of Miles County as they peacefully drift off to sleep on Christmas Eve.

The Collector

Desperate to repay his dept to his ex-wife, an ex-con plots a heist at his new employer’s country home, unaware that a second criminal has also targeted the property and rigged it with a series of deadly traps.

The Collection

A man who escapes from the vicious grips of the serial killer known as “The Collector” is then forced to help rescue an innocent girl from the killer’s booby-trapped lair.

The Doom Generation

Jordan White and Amy Blue, two troubled teens, pick up an adolescent drifter, Xavier Red. Together, the threesome embark on a sex-and-violence-filled journey through an America of psychos and quickie marts.

9 February

 Kill Your Lover

Dakota and Axel’s once passionate relationship has become poisoned by resentment. As emotions boil over, Axel starts sprouting black veins and excreting an acidic liquid. His touch burns flesh and a life-and-death battle ensues.

16 February

 I Will Never Leave You Alone

After being released from prison, a brooding man with a dark past is forced to stay in a haunted house to clear it of spirits. If he leaves, he goes back to prison, but the witch-ghost may be more punishment than he can withstand. 

Black Phone 2: Blu ray Review

Cast: Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies, Demian Bechir
Director: Scott Derrickson

If you're looking for a film that mixes Nightmare on Elm Street with a Friday the 13th style bad guy and setting in a camp near a lake, then Black Phone 2 should be checking all of your boxes with ease.

In this sequel to the 2021 horror film, the big question is what to do with Ethan Hawke's serial killer The Grabber who was offed in the first flick's finale.

The answer? Make him appear as a nightmarish vision made real and amp up the psychological impact being kidnapped would have on your victim and his family. It's no mean feat, but the bleak and at times, downright nasty Black Phone 2 (who would ever be a Christian facing off against a devilish figure here is a valid question) certainly has a way of inveigling its way under your skin.

Four years after escaping the Grabber's greasy clutches, Finney (Mason Thames) is struggling to cope. Reduced to smoking pot and waling on those who mock him for killing a serial killer, he's a mess. Things are further complicated when his sister Gwen starts having visions of being contacted by their dead mother from a camp high in the Rocky mountains and also seeing dead children.

Determined to slay their demons once and for all, the pair head to the camp for one more showdown.

Black Phone 2 works despite its derivative origins and the feeling there was nowhere else to go after the first.

Fashioning a backstory is always dangerous for a seemingly one-shot serial killer, but there's genuine nightmare fuel here, thanks to distorted imagery, discordant soundtracks and some very unsettling imagery and philosophies.

When the Grabber details to Gwen what hell is like and how it strips away all of the humanity, leaving only the sin to fester, it's upsetting stuff delivered with both pain and torture by Ethan Hawke, who once again excels in the less is more approach.

Equally, with a bleak outlook and set mostly at night (or in the twilight hours), the nightmares which play out in that dreamland that any insomniac will be familiar with leads to some haunting imagery. Turning sleepwalking into a kind of 1980s videotape fuzzy vibe also helps with a film that really does have a way of dialling up the creepy edges.

There's an argument that this is anti-Christian in some ways (a child killer at a Christian camp, the way it treats two evangelists) but that aside, this is a largely excellent film that makes great fist of its small clutch of cast.

Packed with tension and unease, upset and disturbing imagery, Black Phone 2 builds on the legacy of the first and unfurls a truly upsetting story that works from its directing restraint and because it taps into many ideas many of us secretly can't shake in the small hours of the morning.

Psychological, cinematic horror Project Songbird launches for consoles and PC in March

Solo developer FYRE Games is today thrilled to announce that its cinematic, narratively-driven horror title Project Songbird will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam on March 26. FYRE Games is self-publishing on PC, while the console ports will be published by Dojo System.

Set deep beneath the isolating canopy of the Appalachian forest, Project Songbird is a grippingly, surreal and psychological tale which explores the dark side of the creative process. Players will take on the role of Dakota, a struggling career musician who, while suffering from writer's block, heads to a remote log cabin to record their new album. As they search amongst the pines for a spark of creativity, they soon discover something more lurks in the darkness - and that not all inspirations are positive.

With a strong-focus on narrative, cinematic presentation and player immersion, Project Songbird effortlessly juxtaposes picturesque, naturalistic environments with surrealist nightmarescapes. Stunning voice performances from a highly-talented cast will pull players headfirst into this dark tale, while tactile and heart-pounding combat encounters will keep them on their toes.

Project Songbird - Key Features

• A dark, enthralling 4-5 hour narrative to keep you hooked and guessing until the end.

• Gorgeous visuals as you traverse numerous and diverse environments, presented with a cinematic, film-like aesthetic.

• Ranged and melee combat with upgradeable weapons to help you survive your nightmarish journey.

• A stellar voice cast, starring Valerie Rose Lohman (What Remains of Edith Finch, Wolfenstein: Youngblood), Jonah Scott (Dying Light 2: Stay Human, Date Everything), and Aleks Le (Persona 3: Reloaded, Marvel Rivals, Ghost of Yotei).

• A beautifully dynamic and haunting soundtrack composed and performed by Jacob Noska, and Jonah Henthorne: members of the band Auric Echoes.

Project Songbird will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam on March 26, 2026.

For more information on FYRE Games and Project Songbird, please visit the official website, or follow on Bluesky, X, Instagram and TikTok.

Killer Inn | Early Access Details Announced

MURDER MYSTERY ACTION GAME KILLER INN LAUNCHES INTO EARLY ACCESS ON FEB. 13, 2026

 

Start Playing for Only AUD$14.95 for a Limited Time

 

 

SQUARE ENIX announced that KILLER INN, the thrilling multiplayer murder mystery action game, will launch into Early Access on Feb. 13^(ANZ), 2026 on PC via Steam®.

 

As KILLER INN enters the Early Access stage of its development, the development team will actively seek player input to further refine the game ahead of its official release. The game will be available to purchase at the special Early Access price of AUD$14.95 | €9.99 | USD$9.99. The game price will increase upon its official release*, so players are encouraged to take advantage of this special early bird pricing. Optional in-game cosmetic purchases will also be available.

 

 

 

In KILLER INN, 24 players are invited to a mysterious castle by a shadowy organization known as Astra to compete to win unfathomable riches. They will be randomly and secretly assigned one of two roles: Wolves, whose mission is to hunt and kill, and Lambs, who must fight back and survive the mayhem or escape the castle. Players must use every weapon, tool and clue in their arsenal to survive and win. With the killers hiding in plain sight, players will need to question everything, even their closest allies. By the end of the night, all players must kill, be killed, or escape the madness.

 

KILLER INN is developed by Tactic Studios and published by SQUARE ENIX in collaboration with TBS GAMES. For more information, visit: https://www.square-enix.com/killer-inn/

  

 

About KILLER INN

KILLER INN is a murder mystery action game, fought between the minority team of wolves and the majority team of lambs. Set in a mysterious old castle, 24 players engage in a life-or-death battle of deception. Wolves must disguise themselves amongst the lambs, taking them down one by one. The lambs collect clues (hair, fingerprints, clothing, etc.) left behind at the murder scenes to narrow down the wolves and eliminate them. Enjoy a battle between detectives and murderers as if you have wandered into the world of a mystery drama.

KILLER INN is a collaborative project between TBS GAMES, the game business brand of TBS Television, and Square Enix. Combining the entertainment field know-how of both companies, we will bring a new experience to customers inside and outside Japan with this brand-new IP.

About Square Enix, Inc.
Square Enix, Inc. develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX and TAITO branded entertainment content throughout the Americas as part of the Square Enix group of companies. The Square Enix group of companies boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property including: FINAL FANTASY, which has sold over 207 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST, which has sold over 95 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS. Square Enix, Inc. is a U.S.-based, wholly owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.

More information on Square Enix, Inc. can be found at https://square-enix-games.com

Code Vein II is now available in early access

Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe today announced that CODE VEIN II, the long-awaited follow-up to the 2019 hit CODE VEIN, is now available in Early Access on consoles and PC. Developed by Bandai Namco Studios, the new action RPG takes players on an epic journey where they wield time as a weapon, traverse through past and present versions of an explorable world and uncover a dramatic battle to save humanity. CODE VEIN II features action-packed RPG play with engaging combat and a deep progression system for character, weapon and ability upgrades. CODE VEIN II is available now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam in Standard, Deluxe, and Ultimate Editions. For more information, visit www.playcodevein.com.

  

CODE VEIN II sends players on an epic narrative-driven journey where they wield time as a weapon and join forces with companions. Set in a future where the last remnants of humanity and Revenants struggle against a world on the verge of collapse, players will travel across vast environments with companions as they take on challenging foes and massive, unforgettable bosses. Players assume the role of the Revenant Hunter to prevent the Resurgence, a cataclysmic event that threatens the fate of the world. Accompanied by Lou MagMell, a Revenant girl who revives the protagonist and wields the power to travel through time, the Revenant Hunter embarks on a mission to rewrite history and save the world.

 

CODE VEIN II features distinctive gameplay for an action RPG, where players use blood drained from enemies to unlock a variety of powerful skills, build strategy for combat with Blood codes, and use unique weapons and equipment called Jails to overcome challenging foes and epic bosses. The game also introduces the brand-new Partner System, which lets players seamlessly switch between two forms of combat. The Partner System further elevates player combat into a dynamic action experience with the new Link Points gauge, Link Traits, Partner Trait Bonuses, and the Restorative Offering mechanic where partners can restore the fallen Revenant Hunter with recovered health.

 

The deep customisation system returns in CODE VEIN II for the game’s protagonist Revenant Hunter, where players can customise their characters to perfection with a vast array of settings for body type, hairstyle, facial expressions, accessories, makeup and more. Players can also visit key locations in game called the hot springs to view their character in different lighting environments and use Photo Mode to capture and save their creations.

 

For information on CODE VEIN II and other products from Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe, please

visit www.bandainamcoent.eu. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok or join the conversation on X.