At Darren's World of Entertainment - a movie, DVD and game review blog.
The latest movie and DVD reviews - plus game reviews as well. And cool stuff thrown in when I see it.
Developed by THA Published by Enhance Platform: PS5
Reminiscent of both Kula World and Lemmings, Humanity's power lies in its deceptively simple premise and execution.
Playing as a Shiba Inu, you have to bark commands to an endless stream of people and guide them round structures into the light and their ascension. It's as simple as that - but what this third-person, crowd-bossing game hides is an addictivity that proves to be as confounding as it is welcome.
The puzzler game puts you in a 3D room during each level and then throws obstacles in your way as you try and guide the wandering masses to their ultimate resolution. A mysterious power grants the occasional extra ability, ranging from jumping, floating and more later on - but it's largely up to you to consider the best route for survival and to achieve future unlocks.
There's also a twist in proceedings that makes Humanity more than just a puzzler, but to reveal more is to spoil the game's dynamics and also its desire to keep you in its thrall.
Graphically, it's simple stuff that's well executed, and with camera work that largely supports your goals the game is very easy to dive into. But what becomes increasingly harder aside from the puzzles, is the desire to detach from its grip.
The designers have included solutions videos to help on trickier levels (though this saps your success rate and sometimes simply watching the start can provide an answer) but what works best about Humanity is its god powers as you move the masses around. It's fascinating to see, and horrifying in later levels, but what Humanity does is much more than throw puzzles at your mind.
It has a way to get into your subconscious and burrow deep within, a rare puzzle game that will keep you awake for hours, and will burn itself into your life, resulting in "Eureka" moments when you least expect them.
A clever and cerebral way to tickle the grey matter, Humanity is well worth a deep dive.
Here's everything that's streaming on Shudder in July.
Class of Nuke ‘Em High
Film Premieres Exclusively on Shudder and AMC+
Monday 8 July
The pupils at a high school next to a nuclear power plant start acting and looking strange ater buying contaminated drugs from a plant worker.
House on Haunted Hill (1959)
Film Premieres Exclusively on Shudder and AMC+
Monday 8 July
A millionaire offers $10,000 to five people who agree to be locked in a large, spooky rented house overnight with him and his wife.
Rabid Grannies
Film Premieres Exclusively on Shudder and AMC+
Monday 15 July
Two sweet little old ladies fall victim to an ancient curse that transforms them into bloodthirsty killers!
Tromeo and Juliet
Film Premieres Exclusively on Shudder and AMC+
Monday 22 July
Tromeo, a filmmaker, falls in love with Juliet, the daughter of a former partner who tried to steal his business from him. Written by James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy).
Nightbeast
Film Premieres Exclusively on Shudder and AMC+
Monday 22 July
A creature from outer space crash lands in a small town and starts killing people.
After 7 episodes, consisting of snot monsters, shadowy figures from afar and cosplaying killer birds, the first season of Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor Who comes to an end.
After The Legend of Ruby Sunday's big reveal, writer Russell T Davies has a lot of ground and season-long mysteries to wrap up.
But the episode picks up from the cliffhanger with god of gods Sutekh threatening the world's inhabitants and looking to lay waste as part of his "gift to humanity". And in the opening moments of the episode, it demonstrates the very real threat of Sutekh and his power with some truly shocking imagery inside of UNIT HQ.
Yet if all of that is enough to bring the menace, Empire of Death suddenly hits a stutter a few moments later as it doesn't quite seem to know how the Doctor will be able to reverse the damage done by Sutekh.
Fortunately the slowing of the pace allows for more emotional moments and the central arc of Ruby Sunday's lineage to come to the fore. And once again, Ncuti Gatwa shows off his acting chops, with sequences that both add depth to the Doctor and reveal the cracks in his own existence - the realisation of how long Sutekh has been latched onto the TARDIS utterly destroys him and in those scenes alone, Gatwa shines.
Packed full of nods to the past as only a fan of Doctor Who like Russell T Davies can do, the finale does serve to wrap much of season one's mystery up - and there will be those who will feel with a truncated season, it doesn't quite pack the emotional heft it needed in the end.
But Davies' writing has always been about the celebration of the ordinary - and in this case, the revelation of who Ruby's mother is certainly brings that to the fore. (Though Big Finish and Sheridan Smith fans will be sure there is a sly nod to a certain fan favourite amongst the explanations.)
Certainly the mystery of who Mrs Flood is feels like it's been stretched out into season two - and there will be many theories made following the very Mary Poppins-esque ending - but that's the nature of the Who beast these days.
Perhaps disappointingly the resolution to the threat of Sutekh betrays the utter menace that was built up by the cliffhanger and by having other threads to resolve or reflect on, there's definitely a consideration that the villain was sidelined through the finale.
While ultimately Empire of Death serves to wrap up the Ruby Sunday arc (and to discuss it more is to spoil for many), it does show both the strengths and weaknesses of this first season. And the usual Russell T Davies' impulses for finales and endings once again come to the fore - from fan service to retcons, there's much here that fails to live up under closer scrutiny, sadly.
Certainly a truncated season means it feels rushed in parts, but given the commanding presence of both Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson, as well as the breadth of stories throughout, this has been a confident reboot of a 60 year old show that promises more life in future.
Elden Ring: The Story so far as Shadow of the Erdtree releases
Ahead of the launch of The Shadow of the Erdtree DLC for Elden Ring, Bandai Namco has released a Story so far trailer.
Brave Adventurer, whether you are coming back to the Lands Between or beginning your search for the Great Runes, bear witness, for Elden Ring's journey has come so far. The journey continues on June 21st with the Shadow of the Erdtree release!
Click below to watch the Elden Ring: Story So Far trailer.
July brings epic insight into the historical arena of the Roman Empire in Those About To Die. Starring Sir Anthony Hopkins, this series will immerse viewers into the spectacular, complex, and corrupt world of chariot racing and gladiatorial fights in ancient Rome (Friday 19 July).
Guy Ritchie tells a story based on true events and the recently declassified files of the British War Department in The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare - an action-comedy about the first-ever special forces organisation formed during WWII by UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill and a small group of military officials including author Ian Fleming (Thursday 25 July).
We have some binge-worthy classic additions to June including Beverly Hills 90201 (the first time it is available on streaming in New Zealand); hugely successful crime drama, Ray Donovan; award-winning series Dexter starring Michael C. Hall and every season of NCIS.
COMING TO PRIME VIDEO JULY 2024
THOSE ABOUT TO DIE
AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY FROM FRIDAY 19 JULY
Panem et Circenses - Bread and Entertainment; Rome in 79 A.D.: The centre of the Roman Empire is the wealthiest city in the world, and there is a heavy influx of slave labourers from the growing empire to take over the work. The Roman population—bored, restless, and increasingly violent—is kept in line mainly by two things: free food and spectacular entertainment, in the form of chariot racing and gladiator fights. Those About to Die delves into the world of the games—a world characterised by bloodlust, greed for money, the pursuit of power, and corruption. The races at Circus Maximus are controlled by four Patrician-owned corporations, the Blue, Red, White, and Green factions, and shares in the four factions are the most valuable things in Rome. As the taste in entertainment of the populace becomes more jaded and bloodthirsty, a specially designed stadium for gladiatorial combat is needed - the Colosseum. The scale of the stadium as well as the gladiatorial and animal combats is enormous – same as the underworld with the flourishing betting business. Underground, beneath the stands, thousands of people work and live—among them thousands who will die for the games.
Those About To Die stars Anthony Hopkins, Iwan Rheon, Tom Hughes, Sara Martins, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Jojo Macari, Gabriella Pession, Dimitri Leonidas, Emilio Sakraya, Moe Hashim and Rupert Penry Jones.
THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE
AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY ON THURSDAY 25 JULY
Based upon recently declassified files of the British War Department and inspired by true events, The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare is an action-comedy that tells the story of the first-ever special forces organisation formed during WWII by UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill and a small group of military officials including author Ian Fleming. The top-secret combat unit, composed of a motley crew of rogues and mavericks, goes on a daring mission against the Nazis using entirely unconventional and utterly “ungentlemanly” fighting techniques. Ultimately their audacious approach changed the course of the war and laid the foundation for the British SAS and modern Black Ops warfare.
The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare stars Henry Cavill, Eiza González, Alan Ritchson, Alex Pettyfer, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Babs Olusamokun, Henrique Zaga, Til Schweiger, with Henry Golding and Cary Elwes.
TYLER PERRY'S DIVORCE IN THE BLACK
AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY ON THURSDAY 11 JULY
Ava, a young bank professional is devastated when her husband Dallas abandons a marriage she is determined to fight for until fate intervenes, revealing Dallas’ wicked deeds that have trashed their marriage, and once upon a time sabotaged Ava’s destiny to be loved by her true soulmate.
Tyler Perry’s Divorce In The Black stars Meagan Good, Cory Hardrict, Joseph Lee Anderson, Shannon Wallace, Taylor Polidore, with Richard Lawson and Debbi Morgan.
SPACE CADET
AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY ON THURSDAY 4 JULY
Tiffany “Rex” Simpson has always dreamed of going to space, but life isn’t going quite as planned. Determined to turn things around, she aims high and with the embellishing touch of her supportive best friend Nadine, her “doctored” application lands her in NASA’s ultra-competitive astronaut training program. In over her head, Rex relies on her quick wits, moxie and determination to get to the top of her class. NASA program directors Pam and Logan certainly take notice, but can this Florida girl get through training and into the cosmos before she blows her cover? Written and directed by Liz W. Garcia (“Purple Hearts,” “The Sinner”), Space Cadet is a comedy about the power of being yourself, following your dreams and shooting for the stars.
Space Cadet stars Emma Roberts, Tom Hopper, Poppy Liu, Gabrielle Union, Kuhoo Verma, Desi Lydic, Sebastián Yatra, Yasha Jackson, Andrew Call, Troy Iwata, Josephine Huang, Dave Foley, Sam Robards and Joshua Harto.
SAUSAGE PARTY: FOODTOPIA
AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY ON THURSDAY 11 JULY
Based off the 2016 animated feature Sausage Party, this highly-anticipated, outrageously funny series, Sausage Party: Foodtopia follows Frank, Brenda, Barry, and Sammy as they try to build their own food society.
Sausage Party: Foodtopia stars the voices of Seth Rogen, Kristen Wiig, Michael Cera, David Krumholtz, Edward Norton, Will Forte, Sam Richardson, Natasha Rothwell, Yassir Lester.
MY SPY THE ETERNAL CITY
AVAILABLE ON THURSDAY 18 JULY
Back by popular demand, My Spy’s dynamic duo, veteran CIA operative JJ (Dave Bautista) and his 14-year-old stepdaughter and protégé Sophie (Chloe Coleman), reunite to save the world when a high school choir tour of Italy is interrupted by a nefarious nuclear plot targeting the Vatican.
My Spy The Eternal City stars Dave Bautista, Chloe Coleman, Kristen Schaal, Flula Borg, Craig Robinson, Billy Barratt, Taeho K, with Anna Faris and Ken Jeong.
BETTY LE FEA, THE STORY CONTINUES
AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY FROM FRIDAY 19 JULY
What comes after happily ever after? Picking up two years since her departure from Ecomoda, Betty is still married to Armando but on the brink of divorce, trying desperately to connect with their adolescent daughter, and wondering whether she’s happy with her chosen path. Roberto, Armando’s father and Ecomoda founder, has passed and his dying wish is for Betty to return to the company. Betty will have to rebuild her relationship with her daughter, assume control of Ecomoda as president, and decide whether to reconcile with Armando, who is determined to regain her affection. Betty will be reunited with mischievous gossips Cuartel de las Feas, vain and arrogant Hugo Lombardi, and seductive gold digger Patricia “La Peliteñida”, each gone through their own changes and struggles in these 20 years.
Betty Le Fea, The Story Continues stars Ana María Orozco, Jorge Enrique Abello, Mario Duarte, Lorna Cepeda, Natalia Ramírez, Julián Arango, Ricardo Vélez, Carlos "Pity" Camacho, Zharick León, Rodrigo Candamil, Juanita Molina González, Jeronimo Cantillo, Sebastian Osorio, Luces Velásquez, Júlio César Herrera and Marcela Posada Arbeláez.
COMING TO PRIME VIDEO LATE JUNE
BINGE-WORTHY CLASSIC SERIES
BEVERLY HILLS 90210
ALL SEASONS AVAILABLE FROM SATURDAY 29 JUNE
Beverly Hills 90210 comes to streaming for the first time in New Zealand. One of the definitive shows of the 90’s, the ensemble drama about young adults growing up in Beverly Hills is a blend of romantic drama and subject matter that crosses all cultural boundaries. A job transfer moves the Walsh family from small town Minnesota to glamour-capital Beverly Hills. Talk about a culture shock... Twins Brandon and Brenda attend West Beverly High, and find that priorities are different here than in farm country.
Beverly Hills 90210 stars Shannon Doherty, Jason Priestly, Luke Perry, Tori Spelling, Jenni Garth, Ian Ziering, Gabrielle Cateris and Brian Austin Green.
RAY DONOVAN
ALL SEASONS AVAILABLE FROM SATURDAY 22 JUNE
Ray Donovan is a "fixer" for Hollywood's elite. He is the go-to guy that the city's celebrities, athletes and business moguls call to make their problems disappear. It's a much more lucrative job than his previous work as a ruthless South Boston thug, vaulting him within reach of the truly wealthy and powerful. But no amount of money or the expensive things it can buy can completely mask Ray's past, a past that continues to haunt him, with troubled brothers always calling and his father's recent release from 20 years spent in prison, threatening to destroy everything Ray has built for himself.
Ray Donovan stars Liev Schrieber, Paula Malcomson, Jon Voight, Eddie Marsan, Dash Mihok, Pooch Hall, Steven Bauer, Katherine Moennig and Elliot Gould.
DEXTER
ALL SEASONS AVAILABLE FROM SATURDAY 22 JUNE
Dexter Morgan is a Miami-based blood splatter expert who doesn't just solve murders; he commits them too. In fact, he's a serial killer -- but he only murders the guilty, so he feels justified with his lifestyle choices. His policewoman sister and his cop co-workers have no idea Dexter lives a double life; however, adoptive father Harry knows his secret, and does, in fact, help Dexter hone his "skills." It's a unique brand of justice for which charming Dexter feels a psychological hunger.
Dexter stars Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, David Zayas, Julie Benz, Luna Lauren Velez, Desmond Harrington and Christina Robinson.
NCIS
ALL SEASONS AVAILABLE NOW
Naval Criminal Investigative Service Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs leads a group of colorful personalities in investigating crimes -- ranging from murder and espionage to terrorism -- that have evidence connected to Navy and Marine Corps personnel. The team includes MIT graduate Timothy McGee, Ellie Bishop, who specialises in international threat assessment, charismatic and unpredictable Nick Torres, and forensic psychologist Jack Sloane. Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard brings his vast experience in forensics into play to help solve cases.
NCIS stars Mark Harmon, Sasha Alexander, Michael Weatherly, Pauley Perrette, David McCallum, Sean Murray, Cote de Pablo, Lauren Holly, Rocky Carroll, Brian Dietzen, Emily Wickersham, Wilmer Valderrama, Jennifer Esposito, Duane Henry, Maria Bello, Diona Reasonover, Katrina Law and Gary Cole.
JULY 2024 TOP PICKS:
NCIS (TV) 15/06/24
DEXTER (TV) 22/06/24
RAY DONOVAN (TV) 22/06/24
BEVERLY HILLS 90210 (TV) 29/06/24
HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3: SUMMER VACATION (MOVIE) 1/07/24
THE SMURFS 2 (MOVIE) 1/07/24
TROLL 2 (MOVIE) 1/07/24
THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD (MOVIE) 1/07/24
CHILD'S PLAY (1988) (MOVIE) 1/07/24
ARMY OF DARKNESS (MOVIE) 1/07/24
THE SECRET OF NIMH (MOVIE) 1/07/24
THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2 (MOVIE) 1/07/24
KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE (MOVIE) 1/07/24
FAST & FURIOUS PRESENTS: HOBBS & SHAW (MOVIE) 1/07/24
BAD BOYS (1995) (MOVIE) 1/07/24
BAD BOYS II (MOVIE) 1/07/24
BAD BOYS FOR LIFE (MOVIE) 1/07/24
DOWNTON ABBEY (MOVIE) 1/07/24
SPACE CADET (MOVIE) 4/07/24
MY MUSIC WITH RHIANNON GIDDENS S2 (TV) 4/07/24
MIRZAPUR S3 (TV) 5/07/24
TEMPTATION ISLAND: MEXICO S1 (TV) 5/07/24
WNBA: CONNECTICUT SUN AT MINNESOTA LYNX (SPORT) 5/07/24
WNBA: WASHINGTON MYSTICS AT LAS VEGAS ACES (SPORT) 5/07/24
BUTCHER'S CROSSING (MOVIE) 7/07/24
LAW ABIDING CITIZEN (MOVIE 7/07/24
SILENT NIGHT (MOVIE) 7/07/24
THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2 (MOVIE) 9/07/24
SAM MORRIL: YOU'VE CHANGED S1 (TV) 9/07/24
CREED (MOVIE) 9/07/24
ROCKY (MOVIE) 9/07/24
ROCKY II (MOVIE) 9/07/24
ROCKY III (MOVIE) 9/07/24
ROCKY IV (MOVIE) 9/07/24
ROCKY V (MOVIE) 9/07/24
ROCKY BALBOA (MOVIE) 9/07/24
SAUSAGE PARTY: FOODTOPIA S1 (TV) 11/07/24
TYLER PERRY’S DIVORCE IN THE BLACK (TV) 11/07/24
WNBA: CHICAGO SKY AT NEW YORK LIBERTY (SPORT) 11/07/24
HUNGER GAMES:BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKE (MOVIE) 12/07/24
ABOMINABLE (MOVIE) 16/07/24
WNBA: CONNECTICUT SUN AT NEW YORK LIBERTY (SPORT) 16/07/24
WNBA: CHICAGO SKY AT LAS VEGAS ACES (SPORT) 17/07/24
REGRESSION (MOVIE) 17/07/24
MY SPY 2 (MOVIE) 18/07/24
UNINTERRUPTED'S TOP CLASS TENNIS S1 (SPORT) 18/07/24
THOSE ABOUT TO DIE S1 (TV) 19/07/24
BETTY LA FEA – LA HISTORIA CONTINUA S1 (TV) 19/07/24
INTO THE STORM (MOVIE) 23/07/24
ALPHA (MOVIE) 23/07/24
TOP GUN: MAVERICK (MOVIE) 24/07/24
THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE (MOVIE) 25/07/24
Now Headmaster of Auradon Prep, former Villain Kid Uma extends an invite to the school to another VK — Red, the rebellious daughter of the tyrannical Queen of Hearts from Wonderland. The Queen of Hearts has long held a grudge against Auradon, especially against Cinderella, and seizes the opportunity to seek revenge when she drops her daughter off at school. When the Queen of Hearts incites a coup against Auradon, Red must team up with Cinderella’s perfectionist daughter Chloe as they travel back in time to try to undo the traumatic event that set the young Queen of Hearts down her villainous path.
5 July
Brats Star Original Movie
Premiere
Feature documentary BRATS looks at the iconic films of the 1980s that shaped a generation and the narrative that took hold when their young stars were branded the "Brat Pack." Director Andrew McCarthy reunites with his fellow Brat Packers — friends, colleagues and former foes, including Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Ally Sheedy, Emilio Estevez, Jon Cryer, Lea Thompson, and Timothy Hutton, many of whom he had not seen for over 30 years — to answer the question: What did it mean to be part of the Brat Pack?
29 July
Futurama: Season 12
Star Original Series Premiere
Following the critically acclaimed 2023 revival of Futurama, the epic sci-fi series from Matt Groening and David X. Cohen returns in 2024 with ten all-new episodes. On this orbit around the sun, our occasionally heroic crew embarks on mind-bending adventures involving birthday party games to the death, the secrets of Bender's ancestral robot village, A.I. friends (and enemies), impossibly cute beanbags, and the true 5 million-year-old story behind the consciousness-altering substance known as coffee. And, of course, the next chapter in Fry and Leela's fateful, time-twisted romance.
Also in July…
1 July - Sharkfest - Specials
Shark Attack 360
Shark Beach with Anthony Mackie: Gulf Coast
Baby Sharks in the City
Supersized Sharks
Attack of the Red Sea Sharks
Sharks Gone Viral
Sharks vs. Ross Edgley
3 July
Star Original - International
Red Swan: Season 1
Series
Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted: Season 4
Life Below Zero: Next Generation: Seasons 6-7
The Great North: Seasons 1-3
Special
Miraculous World Paris: Tales of Shadybug and Claw Noir
4 July
Star Original - International
Land of Tanabata
10 July
Star Original - International
Macross Delta: Season 1
International
Macross Frontier: Season 1
Series
Family Guy: Season 22
Wicked Tuna: Season 13
11 July
Star Original -
Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer
12 July
Star Original
Lainey Wilson: Bell Bottom Country
My Home Hero
Macross Delta: Passionate Walküre
Macross Delta: Zettai Live!!!!!!
Macross Frontier: The False Songstress
Macross Frontier: The Wings of Farewell
Macross Frontier: Labyrinth of Time
Movies
Descendants Sing-Along
Descendants 2 Sing-Along
Descendants 3 Sing-Along
Special
Wicked Woods: A Descendants Halloween Story
17 July
Star Original
America's Funniest Home Videos: Seasons 27-29
Series
American Dad: Season 19
Life Below Zero: First Alaskans: Seasons 1-3
Snowfall: Seasons 1-4
19 July
Star Original
International
The Boss: Season 3
Series
EPCOT Becoming: Inside the Transformation
31 July
Series
To Catch a Smuggler: Seasons 2-7
New Episodes
The Acolyte New episodes weekly on Wednesdays, finale 17 July
The Kardashians: Season 5 New episodes weekly on Thursdays, finale 25 July
FX's Clipped Finale 2 July
Criminal Minds: Season 17 New episodes weekly on Fridays
Code Geass: Roze of the Recapture New episodes weekly on Fridays
The Fable New episodes weekly on Sundays
Dino Ranch: Season 3 6 x new episodes 24 July
Mission: Yozakura Family New episodes weekly on Sundays
My Name is Gabriel New episodes weekly on Saturdays
Cast: Steve Carell, Will Ferrell, Kirsten Wiig, Sofia Vergara, Steve Coogan, Stephen Colbert, The Minions Director: Chris Renaud, Patrick Delage
The latest Despicable Me outing feels less of a coherent narrative and more a series of moments thrown together in service of a family movie rather than a compelling reason to continue the series.
Though given the preternatural popularity of the Minions, who readily crop up in this, it's perhaps no surprise that it ends up as amiable - but not essential - fare.
This time around, Steve Carell's Gru is juggling fatherhood with his three girls and a new baby boy. But when his former nemesis Maxime Le Mal (Ferrell) breaks out of prison swearing revenge, Gru and his family are forced into the witness protection programme in a dreary new town.
Compelled to fit in, Gru finds life difficult to adapt to - as do the rest of his family, and his beloved Minions.
Despicable Me 4 isn't a bad family film - but a lack of an emotional centre this time around hinders proceedings a little. Fertile ground such as a bond between Gru and his son is teased early on and then left wanting; hints over how they don't fit into the neighbourhood offer limited returns as well - and most scenes appear to be punctuated by a cut away to the various Minions factions. From a group of super-powered Minions through to Minions invading the Anti-Villain League HQ via the original trio, it feels like many of the scenes are being tested for spinoff potential.
That's no bad thing if you're a fan of the zany antics - and most of the younger end of the audience will find themselves amused as ever, but one can't help shake the feeling this is deja vu.
Equally Maxime Le Mal's evil desire to channel the cockroaches as his underlings comes to nothing as the creatures fail to proffer potential as Minions opposites. It just feels like much of what could have been strong emotional and comedic ground is thrown to the wind.
Most families won't care - and the film has the good grace to only last 90 minutes. But with this fourth outing, you can't help but feel it borders dangerously close to outstaying its welcome - maybe any future installments need to go back to basics, strip out the overstuffing and just focus on what made the series so essential early on.
All the Cannes films heading to the 2024 Whanau Marama Film Festival
Whānau Mārama New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF) has today announced the selection of 16 films in the 2024 programme which are coming to the festival straight off the back of this year’s prestigious Cannes Film Festival. It is a showcase of the very best of international cinema, and includes celebrated directors and award-winning performances.
“These films represent a pinnacle of global cinema,” says NZIFF 2024 Artistic Director Paolo Bertolin. “We are excited to bring such a rich and varied selection to Aotearoa, and we know these films will inspire, challenge, and enchant our festival-goers.”
Featuring in the “Big Nights” strand as the Closing Night Film of NZIFF 2024 is The Substance, a satirical feminist body horror by Coralie Fargeat. Starring Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, ancd Dennis Quaid, the film, which won Best Screenplay at Cannes, tells the story of a fading celebrity who uses a black-market drug to temporarily create a younger, better version of herself.
The programme’s “Fresh” strand features films from Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight and Un Certain Regard sections. Good One by India Donaldson (daughter of New Zealand cinema legend Roger Donaldson) captures the dynamics of a father-daughter relationship during a backpacking trip in the Catskill Mountains. To A Land Unknown by Mahdi Fleifel portrays the tumultuous quest of a Palestinian refugee in Athens. Trương Minh Quý’s Viet and Nam offers a poignant journey of young miners in Vietnam, while Mo Harawe’s The Village Next to Paradise depicts a family’s struggle with modern challenges in Somalia. Agathe Riedinger’s Wild Diamond rounds out the strand, presenting the story of a young woman aspiring for stardom in southern France.
The “Widescreen” strand showcases films that offer expansive and thought-provoking narratives. Hu Guan’s Black Dog, awarded the Cannes UCR Prize for Best Film, explores the bond between a man and a stray dog in China. Mohammad Rasoulof’s The Seed of the Sacred Fig, which took home the Special Jury Prize, Ecumenical Jury Prize, and FIPRESCI Prize, delves into the intense world of an Iranian judge amid political turmoil. Boris Lojkine’s The Story of Souleymane, which garnered multiple accolades including the UCR Jury Prize and Best Performance Award, presents a Paris food delivery cyclist’s desperate bid for legal residency. Rúnar Rúnarsson’s When the Light Breaks is a touching exploration of grief and secrecy.
All We Imagine As Light by Payal Kapadia, the first Indian film in 30 years to compete at Cannes and the winner of the Grand Prix, is a dreamy romantic drama following two women in Mumbai navigating the complexities of love. It will feature in the “Visions” strand, along with Gints Zilbalodis’ Flow, a visually enchanting tale of survival amid a great flood, and Miguel Gomes’ Grand Tour which earned the Best Director Award and depicts a civil servant’s journey across Asia in 1917 while fleeing his wedding.
The festival’s “Journeys” strand highlights Armand by Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel. This incredible debut, which won the Caméra d'Or for Best First Feature, tells the tumultuous tale of a mother and her young son in Norway.
In “Treasures”, NZIFF presents two classics that featured at Cannes: Chantal Akerman’s restored film American Stories: Food, Family and Philosophy, which humorously explores the tales of Jewish immigrants in 1989 New York City, and Wim Wenders’ Paris, Texas returns in stunning 4K, a timeless exploration of loss and redemption and a powerful testament to Wenders’ cinematic prowess.
NZIFF 2024 will screen at The Embassy, Roxy Cinema and Light House Cinema Cuba in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington (31 July – 11 August), The Civic, Hollywood Avondale and ASB Waterfront Theatre in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland (7 – 18 August), The Regent Theatre in Ōtepoti Dunedin (14 – 25 August), State Cinemas in Whakatū Nelson (14 – 25 August), Lumière Cinemas in Ōtautahi Christchurch (15 August – 1 September), Luxe Cinemas in Tauranga Moana (15 – 28 August), MTG Century Theatre in Ahuriri Napier (21 August – 1 September), LIDO Cinema in Kirikiriroa Hamilton (21 August – 4 September), Len Lye Cinema in Ngāmotu New Plymouth (21 August – 4 September), and Regent 3 in Whakaoriori Masterton (21 August – 4 September).
Tickets for Wellington will be on sale from 10am Friday 12 July and tickets for Auckland will be on sale from 10am Friday 19 July, with tickets for all other centres going on sale in late July. Tickets can be booked online at www.nziff.co.nz or in-person at the NZIFF Box Office on Allen Street, Wellington, and at The Civic on Wellesley Street West, Auckland. Keen festival-goers can get advanced booking access and discounts by purchasing multi-passes now fromwww.shop.nziff.co.nz
The first Indian film in 30 years to compete in the main competition at Cannes, All We Imagine As Light sees director Payal Kapadia reunite with her A Night of Knowing Nothing (NZIFF 2021) production and camera team for this debut narrative feature which was awarded the Grand Prix. Centred on three nurses in modern-day Mumbai who have each come to the big city from smaller home villages, this is an absorbing story filled with humanity. Kapadia explores friendship, societal expectations, desire and revelatory discovery. “It is both dreamlike and like waking up from a dream. This is a glorious film.” — Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
American Stories: Food, Family and Philosophy (Histoires d'Amérique: Food, Family and Philosophy)
Director: Chantal Akerman - Belgium/France, 1989
Like most of Chantal Akerman’s films, American Stories: Food, Family and Philosophy, now beautifully restored in 4K, is a deeply personal one. Having yearned to fill the blanks of a past that her mother – an Auschwitz survivor – left largely unspoken, she sought to bring the “invented memories” of her people to life. In these glimpses of grief, longing, and alienation, all the mess of exile and migration is unsilenced with mesmerising intimacy. Storytelling, as Akerman noted, “has permitted people to survive history by laughing – laughing although the source is distress.” It’s this attention to both sides of the coin that makes American Stories a true portrait of a culture.
Armand Director: Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel - Norway, 2024 Actress Elizabeth (rising star Renate Reinsve of The Worst Person in the World) is summoned to a meeting at her son Armand’s school with his best friend’s parents, who make a severe accusation against Armand. What really happened among the children? And what does this tell us about the parents raising them? Like Anatomy of a Fall (NZIFF 2023), Armand invites audiences to an unofficial trial, where the divide between truth and lies is blurred – and we know an actress is playing her game. Pulling the strings of this outstanding Bergmanian drama is Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel, Liv Ullman and Ingmar Bergman’s grandson. Winner of the Caméra d’or for Best Debut film at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.
Black Dog (Gou zhen) Director: Guan Hu - China, 2024
Eddie Peng stars as Lang, an ex-convict who returns to his dilapidated hometown on the fringe of the Gobi Desert which has been overrun with stray dogs. Soon he finds gainful employment in helping to round them up as part of a nationwide cleanup campaign. But perhaps the real star of the film is a lively black whippet who is suspected to be rabid. For whatever reason, Lang sees something of himself in the rangy cur, and as fellow outsiders, the two form an unlikely friendship as Lang faces up to his past and the violent grudge held against him by a scary snake venom dealer.
Flow Director: Gints Zilbalodis - Latvia/France/Belgium, 2024 In a world free of humans, a staunchly independent cat narrowly survives a flood by teaming up with a capybara, a lemur, a Labrador, and an enormous, crane-like bird. The menagerie must stay together on a rickety boat to survive this rapidly changing environment. Combining beautiful animation with a captivating and stirring score, the world director Gints Zilbalodis has created is lush, intriguing and mesmerising. Adults and children alike will love the drama and humour derived from accurate observations of each species’ behaviour. Engaging and suspenseful, Flow is a love letter to the natural world that holds a mirror up to our own reality.
Gints Zilbalodis will travel to Aotearoa New Zealand for NZIFF 2024 to present his film at screenings in Auckland and Wellington.
Good One
Director: India Donaldson - USA, 2024
Presented in association with VIVA “You two are fools,” smirks 17-year-old Sam, addressing her father and his oldest friend as they tell one story or another from their glory days. It’s an accurate observation from Sam, one of many she makes over the course of their weekend hiking trip through the Catskills. Both men are divorced, with stunted ambitions and palpable insecurities. At best they’re embarrassing, tactless, a little pathetic. At worst, they’re selfish, oblivious to the casual callousness of their behaviour. Amid mounting tension, Sam remains tolerant, attempting to appease the egos of these middle-aged men, but following a moment of transgression, she is forced to confront the extent of their cowardice.
Presented in association with VIVA.
Grand Tour Director: Miguel Gomes - Portugal/Italy/France, 2024
The latest from director Miguel Gomes takes us on a journey not just throughout Eastern Asia but also through space and time. Grand Tour earned Gomes the prize for Best Director at Cannes as well as widespread critical acclaim. In Rangoon, Burma, 1917, Edward waits on the docks for his fiancée, but faced with sudden cold feet, he jumps on the nearest steamer instead. When he discovers she isn’t far behind, he begins a “grand tour”, fleeing through Asia to avoid her. The marriage of melodramatic artificiality with found footage plays with both time and geography in a truly unique fashion. Unlike the film’s hapless betrothed, this marriage is a beguiling success.
Paris, Texas Director: Wim Wenders - West Germany/France, 1984
Director Wim Wenders fuses his expertise with the road movie and fascination for Americana in this intimate epic of the modern West. A man emerges from the desert, mute and dishevelled. After reconnecting with his brother and son, he embarks on a quest to find his missing wife. Harry Dean Stanton is subtly magnetic as a man recovering from a mysterious existential crisis. Paris, Texas won the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 1984 and secured the Best Director BAFTA the following year. It has become a modern classic, inspiring generations of filmmakers and musicians. We are delighted to present Paris, Texas in a new 4K restoration.
The Seed of the Sacred Fig Director: Mohammad Rasoulof - Iran/France/Germany, 2024 The Seed of the Sacred Fig won the longest and most emotional standing ovation at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. Director Mohammad Rasoulof escaped Iran to attend the premiere, and many believe he should have won the Palme d’Or. This is the most political Iranian film you could see right now. The Seed of the Sacred Fig provides a reverse shot on the Women, Life, Freedom protests, honing in on the shockwaves they send to the women in the household of a judge of the Revolutionary Courts, his wife and two daughters.
The Story of Souleymane (L’histoire de Souleymane) Director: Boris Lojkine - France, 2024
A young Guinean immigrant seeking asylum in Paris rehearses his story for an approvals interview as he tries to survive day-to-day in this tense, heartrending piece of social realism anchored by an astonishing performance from first-time actor Abou Sangare. Souleymane works as a food delivery man, pounding his bicycle through the streets of Paris on a rented account, as he is not legally allowed to work. Following his breathless existence in the days before his interview, director Boris Lojkine rarely leaves Souleymane’s side, evoking the work of legendary French realists the Dardennes as well as Vittorio De Sica’s The Bicycle Thieves, and Sangare’s performance is nothing short of astonishing.
The Substance Director: Coralie Fargeat - UK/USA/France, 2024
After fading star Elizabeth Sparkles is deemed surplus to requirements as a daytime TV fitness instructor, she’s presented with an offer too good to refuse. Take “the Substance” to incarnate two versions of the self: one is young, crisp, unblemished, and goes by the name of Sue. The other remains the same faded star. Seven days apiece are what each “self” is assigned, one week on, one week off… what could possibly go wrong? Coralie Forgeat forgoes any kind of subtlety in her dissection of systemic misogyny, instead opting for broad brushstrokes alongside body-horror prosthetics that’d make Cronenberg cringe – this one is not for the faint of heart. Presented in association with Metro.
To a Land Unknown Director: Mahdi Fleifel - Palestine/UK/France/Greece/Netherlands/Germany/Qatar/Saudi Arabia, 2024 Chatila and Reda are Palestinian cousins stranded in Athens. They live in the margins, trying to make the money that could get them to the “real Europe”. Chatila is determined to make it happen, but Reda is on the precipice of succumbing to drug addiction. Their means of escape keep raising the stakes and getting their hands dirtier. Palestinian-Danish filmmaker Mahdi Fleifel delivers a rough and gripping update on Midnight Cowboy that powerfully captures the plight of Palestinians, deprived of a land and never at home anywhere, without being preachy. Further elevated by terrific performances, To a Land Unknown is one of this year’s must-see debuts.
Viet and Nam (Trong lòng đất) Director: Trương Minh Quý Vietnam/Philippines/Singapore/France/Netherlands/Italy/Germany/USA, 2024 Viet and Nam are two young coal miners enveloped in a languid romantic connection. Their bodies meet and dissolve into each other in the sparkling darkness of the mine, while they seek acceptance in the outside world. Shot in lush 16mm, Viet and Nam effortlessly weaves together a heartbreaking love story with a poetic meditation on the recent history of Vietnam. Trương Minh Quý’s sensuous approach will remind many of Thai maestro Apichatpong Weerasethakul, yet his passionate melancholy is his own trademark. And, when you eat watermelon in the future, you will think of the fairytale told in this film…
The Village Next to Paradise Director: Mo Harawe - Somalia/Austria/Germany/France, 2024 In a country where you could be killed suddenly by an American drone and every street is patrolled by the military, it is difficult to lead a normal life. In Somalian-Austrian Mo Harawe’s stunning debut The Village Next to Paradise, a family negotiates their way maybe not to paradise, but something close to it. Mamargade drives trucks carrying mysterious cargo, his son Cigaal exchanges dreams with his peers, while Mamargade’s sister Araweelo aspires to buy a sewing machine so she may gain her independence. Echoing the sound of the wind and the waves, Harawe’s film fondly and tenderly plunges the viewer into life in Somalia and bestows the gift of hope on his characters and on his country.
Mo Harawe will travel to Aotearoa New Zealand for NZIFF 2024 to present his film at screenings in Auckland and Wellington.
When the Light Breaks (Ljósbrot) Director: Rúnar Rúnarsson - Iceland/Netherlands/Croatia/France, 2024
If you’ve known grief, you’ll know how long the pain lingers, but also how quickly it can come storming into the present. Rúnar Rúnarsson’s moving film perfectly captures the ripple effect of grief and the way it presents itself in different people; separately and together. When the Light Breaks takes place over 24 hours, opening with a romantically quiet moment; a couple watch the sunset over Iceland’s still waters. They affectionately jest, and exchange plans for the future – solo and shared. The next day, a devastating and sudden accident tears these plans apart…
Wild Diamond (Diamant brut) Director: Agathe Riedinger - France, 2024
To most people of a certain age, wanting to be a “reality TV star” is an odd aspiration. But to 19-year-old Liane, it’s everything. Literally. She knows exactly what she will be when she grows up – a star. She wants everyone else to know it, too. Living in difficult circumstances, Liane shoplifts and sells goods on the street to afford her lifestyle. When she’s selected to audition for reality TV show Miracle Island, it seems everything she’s gone through has been worth it. But now she must wait. In Liane, actress Malou Khebizi and director Agathe Riedinger have created a truly unique heroine. Evocatively shot, Riedinger shows us a side of France we don’t often see.
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Katy M O'Brian, Ed Harris, Dave Franco, Jena Malone Director: Rose Glass
Fever dream Love Lies Bleeding crosses an aesthetic that oscillates between 80s B-movie and domestic drama as it tells the love story of Lou (Stewart)and bodybuilding hopeful Jackie, a drifter who happens to roll into town.
Set against a dead-end American backdrop, riddled with crime overseen by a lank-haired Ed Harris, the film's homage to hot, scuzzy life and lustful longing is etched everywhere from beginning to end.
Director Glass zooms in on the almost fetishised aspects of Jackie's musculature and Lou's leering eye as the two fall head over heels in lust for each other over a meet at a garage gym.
But as the affair unravels, both find themselves caught in an ever-tightening noose as consequences catch up to them.
While Love Lies Bleeding is not perfect thanks to occasionally underdeveloped side characters and a fuzziness on some details, what plays out is a giant swing of a movie that largely lands most of its hits with veritable aplomb.
The usually twitchy Stewart brings her nervous energy to Lou, who's caught between desperation at her domestic situation and a powderkeg of a relationship. Equally, The Mandalorian's O'Brien is eminently watchable as the on-edge Jackie, whose obsession and self-control issues could signal the end of everything.
Harris adds a suitably sleazy edge as the crime-lord father who's in more than he admits, dragging in an aesthetic of 80s-style rogues who are bad but are more an outlier presence than a narrative driver.
Ultimately Love Lies Bleeding is a perfectly impressive film that may not quite hit all of its lofty ambitions, but it certainly evokes the era and style of film it's trying to relive - and thanks to two impressive lead performances, it's a perfectly watchable movie that meshes genres with ease.
Cast: Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken, Stellan Skarsgaard, Austin Butler, Josh Brolin
Director: Denis Villeneuve
The second part of director Denis Villeneuve's space opera take on Dune is an endurance in more ways than one.
But a visually stupendous one, make no mistake about that.
Continuing the adventures of Paul Atreides (Chalamet) as he joins the growing resistance fight on Arrakis with the Fremen tribe who are fighting back against the House of Harkonnen, Dune Part Two is more about spectacle than narrative.
Character beats and nuanced storytelling are dropped in favour of visuals and world-building, showing Villeneuve is moving more towards silent film than anything heavy with dialogue or deep emotional resonance.
Perhaps for the world of Dune that is no bad thing at all, but for those less ensconced in Frank Herbert's mind-bending book, Dune Part Two is nothing short of an at times tedious FX-fest filled with largely faceless characters or one note antagonists.
Rid of anything like a recap, the second film begins with the aftermath of a genocide and continues a very slow and inexorably languid pace toward no real kind of resolution; it is the very definition of a second set-up movie, coming on the back of a very successful first film that introduced strands before ending on no sign of conclusion. While that's no bad thing for those engaged in this world, it does mean the experience of the second film teeters dangerously close to frustration for casual audiences.
Yet there are some vicarious pleasures to be had by those just after spectacle. Villeneuve's penchant for visual mastery is well showcased here, with scenes of gravity-defying soldiers, stark monochromatic Gladiator-like conflicts and the all around fetishisation of stark imagery contributing to make Dune: Part Two a visual spectacle the likes of which are seldom seen - or indulged - on the big screen. A slippery snake-like Ferguson and a playfully comedic Bardem make for great bedfellows in their respective story arcs, with Ferguson's ascension into religious fervour delivering plenty of Oedipal undertones for future installments.
But there are equally frustrations within too - Dave Bautista's character, once integral to initial proceedings, is now reduced to a simply growling man unhappy at his lot; Zendaya's Chani character, almost pivotal in parts, is reduced to glowering in the back half of the film, her petulance and anger etched painfully across her face - and even Chalamet's Messianic yet somehow flat Paul Atreides appears to massively volte face in a rushed denouement to the 166 minute movie.
There's nothing new here said about religion, prophesies or false prophets; nothing new about colonisation and oppression or radicalisation - it's all well etched out in front of viewers, but reduced to complement a series of bursts of action and bombastic Hans Zimmer score.
Visually, Dune Part Two is an ocean of imagery, welcoming for audiences to drink in; but narratively, it is as dry and arid as the sand-dune laden wastelands of Arrakis.
Whether that's enough for a third part to be commissioned isn't in doubt - and while the smorgasbord of FX, battles and bombast will likely pull in great audience numbers, unless the scope is widened for more emotional heft, the Dune franchise is in real danger of becoming an epic visual feast but an ongoing cinematic slog.
Cast: Dakota Fanning, Georgina Campbell, Olwen Fouéré, Oliver Finnegan Director: Ishana Night Shyamalan
Mixing Irish folklore with mystery and horror proves to be a relatively fertile start for M. Night Shyamalan's daughter, who directs this adaptation of A M Shine's 2022 novel.
Fanning stars as Mina, a distant and disinterested woman who's asked to ferry a bird across Ireland for a client, but whose car abruptly stops in woods she heads through. Unable to make the car restart, Mina's forced to traipse through the woods and takes shelter inside a giant building called the Coop.
Inside are three other occupants, and among their number a de facto leader who explains the rules to Mina - chiefly that the Watchers come nightly and she must not disobey their rules...
The promise of The Watchers is there from the beginning.
A murky mix of mystery and a chilling atmosphere combine to make The Watchers an intriguing parable that hints at a subtext rather than ever really dropping enough hints to allow others to connect the dots.
From interesting framing techniques to minor cinematic flourishes such as anyone around Mina being clearly out of focus early on, Shyamalan proves to have a handle on what her career could be - even if she is disappointingly paddling in the same pool as her father.
But an over-reliance on Fouéré's character, the de facto leader, spouting repeated amounts of exposition rob the film of some of its more obtuse elements and subsequently lead the movie more into the basic tropes of horror rather than am ambiguity which would have served proceedings greatly.
Fanning is perfectly fine as the grief-stricken Mina, who has shut down for years; her indifference shaped by trauma and sharpened by a desire to escape (probably from herself as well). But there's not quite the challenge needed to propel her into the stratosphere here - more a scripted desire to see her pulled back from leading the film.
Ultimately a sedentary pace means much of The Watchers forces you to over-examine some of the contrivances rather than being swept up in what's on screen - it's not a fatal flaw, but when the final raft of exposition flies heavily through the screen and the mystery is wrapped up, it feels like it struggles under its own weight.
The first part of the season finale of Ncuti Gatwa's first full season as the Doctor puts the focus squarely on both Ruby Sunday and the woman who's constantly been seen through the series in various guises.
There's very much a feeling of set up in the first part of this, as the Doctor arrives at UNIT determined to find out who the woman is that he has been seeing in all of his adventures - and to also try to discover the parentage of Ruby Sunday.
Reuniting with Rose and also Mel Bush, the Doctor soon finds out the woman he is looking for is about to launch a brand new technology free to the world - in all its consequence.
Doctor Who: The Legend of Ruby Sunday is a typical Russell T Davies season-ender = a build up of elements that seem disparate and a chance to potentially pay off some of the narrative threads from throughout the season.
But by digging deep into Doctor Who lore and picking up the breadcrumbs that have been sown through the season, Doctor Who: The Legend of Ruby Sunday pays off a lot of elements but also bizarrely, manages to feel more about the experience than the resolution.
An invocation of one of the greatest Doctor Who enemies (and his honeyed evil tones) proves to be thrilling, even if the action sweeps up any real plot beats and character moments. It feels a little rushed to get to the reveal, but as everything stacks up, it really does offer some menace - and recalls in more ways than one The Impossible Planet and The Satan Pit.
There's no denying Davies would be thrilling himself writing this, and in large swathes, the audience is swept along. Certainly the last 10 minutes offers proof that the menace is real and the atmosphere of the episode really does kick in.
Gatwa and Gibson are good enough in the episode, but in truth, they're lost a little as everything unfolds around them. Hopefully the finale will offer them more as they take on The One Who Waits. because under examination, some of the threads don't quite yet pull together to offer neat resolutions but that's hopefully what a second part will do. For now though, Doctor Who: The Legend of Ruby Sunday offers a great start to a season-ender.
Cast: Amy Poehler, Maya Hawke, Phyllis Smith, Tony Hale, Lewis Black, Ayo Edebiri Director: Kelsey Mann
Inside Out 2's central message will be no surprise to anyone.
Chiefly that you need a whole range of emotions to be who you are and function on a daily basis - it's not rocket science at all.
And yet, the execution of this animated sequel to Pixar's phenomenally successful 2015 outing proves to be sweetly surprising and innately funny as it churns its story out.
Riley is now 13 and despite Joy's best attempts to keep her on an even keel, puberty is just around the corner, spinning Riley's world - and subsequently Joy and her emotional friends - into utter chaos.
As Riley hits those difficult years, she finds herself experiencing a whole new range of emotions - chiefly among those Anxiety, whose arrival causes internal upheaval for Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust.
With a few throwaway laugh-out-loud lines, some smart gags and basically an updating of the Inside Out journey from 2015, Inside Out 2 manages to be both a clever exploration of the internal turmoil of teenagers and the insecurities of life in general.
It's fair to say it doesn't hit the emotional heights of the first, but in among the caper elements, there's a large degree of sentimentality that hits targets here, rather than overwhelming proceedings. And it's also fair to say that of the original emotions, most - except Joy - are largely confined to the sidelines in favour of Maya Hawke's newcomer Anxiety.
But Pixar knows how to keep the magic going.
With bright, tight animation to hurry the script along and a universally relatable story, Inside Out 2 offers thoughtful and engaging family entertainment that may provoke a few discussions afterwards. A deeply enjoyable experience led by a shining Poehler and Hawke, this is in some ways, a do-over of their first success, but no-less a fun movie to revel in.
New Zealand films revealed for 2024 NZ International Film Festival
Whānau
Mārama New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF) has today announced the
line-up of exceptional New Zealand-made feature films, documentaries, and
shorts in the 2024 programme, showcasing the increasingly rich talent and
diverse storytelling in New Zealand filmmaking. The 2024 NZIFF opens in Te
Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington on 31 July before touring to nine other centres
across the country until 4 September.
Twelve
full-length films and 19 shorts make up the ‘Māhutonga’ strand of the programme
- a selection of stand-out New Zealand features and documentaries curated by
2024 Artistic Director Paolo Bertolin and Head of Programming Michael
McDonnell, and shorts selected by long-time co-curators Leo Koziol and Craig
Fasi, and 2024 guest selector Gerard Johnstone. The Māhutonga programme is
proudly supported by Creative New Zealand.
Bertolin says, “Aotearoa cinema has reached a defining crossroad. The twelve
features and four combined programmes of shorts in Māhutonga reflect the
diversity and wealth of subjects and styles in local storytelling. With their
films, New Zealand filmmakers provide a vibrant kaleidoscope that enables
audiences to look at the past and the present through distinctive
perspectives.
“In
this selection, our audiences will discover films that are entertaining,
thought-provoking, and deeply affecting. Most of all, they will find a space
for conversation and exchange on the beauty and complexity of life in Aotearoa.
It is our privilege to provide a platform for these inspired and inspiring
filmmakers to meet our audience in the communal experience of cinema.”
We
Were Dangerous, directed
by Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu and fresh from winning the special Jury Award for
Filmmaking in the Narrative Feature Competition at SXSW, will open the festival
in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington on 31 July, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland on 7
August, and all regions except Christchurch, because Head South,
directed by Jonathan Ogilvie and set and filmed in Christchurch, will open the
Ōtautahi Christchurch season on 15 August following sell-out screenings at
Sydney Film Festival.
The
other New Zealand-made feature films in the 2024 programme are A Mistake
(2024), directed by Christine Jeffs; Alien Weaponry: Kua Tupu Te Ara (2024),
directed by Kent Belcher; Grafted (2023), directed by Sasha
Rainbow; I Am a Dark River (2024), directed by Tessa Mitchell; Marimari
(2024), directed by Paul Wolffram; Night Piece (2023), directed
by Bridget Sutherland; Taki Rua Theatre - Breaking Barriers (2024),
directed by Whetū Fala; The Haka Party Incident (2024), directedby Katie Wolfe; and The House Within (2024),directed
by Joshua Prendeville. Never Look Away (2024), directed by Lucy
Lawless, also in the Māhutonga strand, has previously been announced.
The
New Zealand feature films sit alongside two regular short films sections in the
NZIFF – Ngā Whanaunga Māori and Pasifika Shorts, selected by long-time
co-curators Leo Koziol and Craig Fasi, and New Zealand's Best, selected this
year by guest selector Gerard Johnstone. The 2024 shorts programme also
includes Short Connections – five promising new Aotearoa shorts that deftly capture the bonds and binds between us. All
this year’s shorts are outlined below.
New Zealand film will be celebrated at a special Aotearoa Film Focus weekend,
presented by the University of Auckland Faculty of Arts, taking place from 15
to 18 August at Auckland’s ASB Waterfront Theatre. Across three days and four
nights, audiences can enjoy films, a new exhibition by the New Zealand
Cinematography Society – Still Stories, panel discussions, a workshop, a
masterclass, filmmaker Q&A events, and a gig! Exclusive to the weekend will
also be a tribute to iconoclast Garth Maxwell,
showcasing his recent MoMa purchase Naughty Little Peeptoe and the
remastered version of his early work Come with Us.
Bertolin says, “The aim of our Aotearoa Film Focus weekend is
to give a full spotlight on the vivid resurgence of local cinema, thanks to an
exciting new generation of filmmakers, but also through the work of more
established directors. We wish to engage audiences, especially young people,
with New Zealand cinema, creating a dialogue that goes beyond the sheer
screening of films. And we hope that this connection will last beyond the
festival, truly benefiting both filmmakers and audiences.”
NZIFF 2024 will screen at The Embassy, Roxy Cinema and Light House Cinema Cuba
in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington (31 July – 11 August), The Civic, Hollywood
Avondale and ASB Auckland Waterfront Theatre in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland (7 –
18 August), The Regent Theatre in Ōtepoti Dunedin (14 – 25 August), State
Cinemas in Whakatū Nelson (14 – 25 August), Lumière Cinemas in Ōtautahi
Christchurch (15 August – 1 September), Luxe Cinemas in Tauranga Moana (15 – 28
August), MTG Century Theatre in Ahuriri Napier (21 August – 1 September), LIDO
Cinema in Kirikiriroa Hamilton (21 August – 4 September), Len Lye Cinema in
Ngāmotu New Plymouth (21 August – 4 September), and Regent 3 in Whakaoriori Masterton (21 August – 4 September).
Tickets for Wellington will be on sale from 10am
Friday 12 July and tickets for Auckland will be on sale from 10am Friday 19
July, with tickets for all other centres going on sale in late July. Tickets
can be booked online at www.nziff.co.nz or in-person at the NZIFF Box Office on Allen Street, Wellington, and
at The Civic on Wellesley Street West, Auckland. Keen festival-goers can get
advanced booking access and discounts by purchasing multi-passes now from www.shop.nziff.co.nz.
Never
Look Away
Aotearoa
New Zealand, 2024
Director:
Lucy Lawless
New
Zealand-born CNN camerawoman Margaret Moth walks on the razor’s edge between
sanity and death. Her first assignment with CNN is to cover the riots that
followed Indira Gandhi's assassination in India. She goes on to cover conflicts
in Africa, the Middle East and the Bosnian war. In vivid, emotional detail, we
see what Moth saw and how she, in turn, changed what we, the television viewer,
saw. A rollicking ride through sex, drugs and war, Never Look Away is
war as you’ve never seen it before, from a woman’s perspective.
Presented
in association with NewstalkZB.
Grafted
Aotearoa New Zealand, 2024
Director:
Sasha Rainbow
A
shy, socially awkward young woman from China with a facial disfigurement moves
to New Zealand. Craving acceptance but facing rejection and cruelty at every
turn, she wreaks revenge on her bullies in a very unique way – using her own
scientific formula, she figures out to create masks out of human skin that
graft onto her own face. The catch? She hasn’t figured out how to make them
last longer than a few days, resulting in a gruesome murder spree. Sasha
Rainbow’s brilliant directorial debut injects new life into Aotearoa New
Zealand’s horror film canon.
I Am a Dark River
Aotearoa New Zealand, 2024
Director: Tess Mitchell
Dubbed “the kumara god” by James K. Baxter, Bob Lowry was, famously, a lot of
things. Printmaker, writer, activist, publisher, raconteur – but to Tess
Mitchell, he is the mysterious grandfather she grew up hearing so much about
but never knew. Does the dark river that ran through him also run through her?
Mitchell, herself as unconventional and creative as her grandfather, uses the medium
of performance documentary to explore this question, and in doing so reveals
the fascinating history of her family.
The House Within
Aotearoa New Zealand, 2024
Director: Joshua Prendeville
At 84, Dame Fiona Kidman has published more than 30 books of fiction, poetry,
and memoir, and received a raft of the highest accolades here and abroad. As
the New Zealand Listener put it, “in her craft and storytelling and in her
compassionate, gutsy, tough expression of female experience, she is the best we
have.” Filmmaker Joshua Prendeville’s sterling documentary holds a delicate
lens to the fascinating life and work of one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s literary
treasures.
Head South Aotearoa New Zealand, 2024
Director: Jonathan Ogilvie
Christchurch-born
filmmaker Jonathan Ogilvie returns home for this evocative coming-of-age story
that brilliantly captures the feeling of growing up weird in the Garden City.
It’s 1979 and teenage Angus gets his mind blown when he first listens to Public
Image Limited at the local record shop. Before long he is drawn into the
burgeoning underground post-punk music scene of the city and is forced to back
up his fabricated claims of musical ability. Starring Ed Oxenbould, Márton
Csókás and featuring Stella Bennett, aka Benee, in her acting debut, Head
South will be our opening night film for the Christchurch leg of the
Festival.
A
Mistake
Aotearoa
New Zealand, 2024
Director: Christine Jeffs
Informed
consent. Transparency. Evidence-based care. When sickness or injury strikes, we
all want to understand the what, why, and how of our maladies and their
proposed treatments. But how do physicians communicate nuance and probabilities
when patients and their loved ones crave certainty? Adapted from Carl
Shuker’s Ockham shortlisted novel of the same name, Christine Jeffs’s A
Mistake delves into the complexity of our healthcare system, through the
lens of an error – at once minor yet with far-reaching implications – in the
workday of gifted surgeon Liz Taylor (a finely-tuned performance from Elizabeth
Banks). It is difficult to remain detached when consequences become personal.
As her steely veneer crumples, we are faced with the question: where does responsibility
start and where does it end?
Taki Rua Theatre - Breaking Barriers Aotearoa New Zealand, 2024
Director: Whetū Fala
After the 1981 Springbok tour, as New Zealanders were embracing a new maturity
of valuing their own identity, a group of theatre practitioners took over a
space in downtown Wellington. They grew to understand that to truly represent
our stories, they needed to be in partnership with Māori, and the New Depot
evolved into Taki Rua Depot Theatre, now Taki Rua Productions – a kaupapa Māori
theatre company. Director Whetū Fala draws on her personal connection with Taki
Rua to both learn from and pay tribute to actors, writers, producers,
directors, staff, governors, and te reo Māori advocates who have helped shape
Taki Rua over the last 40 years.
The Haka Party Incident Aotearoa New Zealand, 2024
Director: Katie Wolfe
In 1979, a group of young Māori activists sought to stop Pākehā students at the
University of Auckland performing a parody of haka each capping week. Headlines
described it as a “gang rampage” with “students bashed”, and several activists
were convicted of crimes. But the Haka Party has not been held since. The
Haka Party Incident was rescued from historical oblivion by writer and
filmmaker Katie Wolfe – originally as a play commissioned by Auckland Theatre
Company, first staged in 2021. The film cleverly intertwines interviews from
both sides, both recent and from around the time of the incident. Wolfe’s play
toured the country last year to great acclaim.
We Were Dangerous Aotearoa New Zealand, 2024
Director: Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu
After
winning a Special Jury Prize at SXSW 2024, Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu’s electric
full-length debut launches our festival with a fiery trio of delinquent
schoolgirls railing against the system in 1950s New Zealand. After a failed
escape attempt from their strict boarding school, the girls and their cohort of
renegades are shipped off to an isolated island. Doom sets in when they catch a
glimpse of the dead-of-night discipline being performed against those who act
out. We Were Dangerous is a riotous middle finger to colonial tyranny, a
fierce feminist anthem with a wicked sense of humour, and a potent portrait of
friendship and solidarity.
MariMari
Aotearoa New Zealand, 2024
Director: Paul Wolffram
The observational lens of Kiwi documentary filmmaker Paul Wolffram takes
audiences deep into the lushly forested landscapes of Papua New Guinea to hear
harrowing first-hand accounts from survivors and perpetrators of accusations of
black magic. The beating heart of this hard-nosed investigation is Evelyn
Kunda, a human rights worker who has devoted herself entirely to rescuing and
protecting those fleeing accusations – cooking for kids living rough, opening
her home, and establishing safehouses. The natural beauty of Papua New Guinea
is gracefully shot, providing a stunning contrast to the adversity faced by
the accused, just as Evelyn’s unflagging compassion (“Marimari” in Tok Pisin)
shines brightly through difficult circumstances.
Alien Weaponry: Kua Tupu Te Ara
Aotearoa New Zealand, 2024
Director: Kent Belcher
Even
if you’re not a fan of heavy metal, you can’t help but admire Alien Weaponry –
if not for their international acclaim, then for being the first band of the
genre to sing in te reo Māori. Director Kent Belcher follows Alien Weaponry’s
rise to international acclaim, from their first performance at Smokefree
Rockquest, to European metal festivals, through to their international
headlining concerts, jam-packed with metalheads. Although Alien Weaponry’s
success is clearly huge, perhaps what is truly most impressive about them is
their commitment to keeping te ao Māori culture alive.
Night
Piece
Aotearoa
New Zealand, 2023
Director: Bridget Sutherland
Night
Piece documents the confronting career of Peter
Roche, one of Aotearoa’s most electrifying conceptual artists. From early
performances spiked with danger, pushing audience and artist to their limits,
to immense neon sculptures that would become permanent parts of Auckland's
landscape, the documentary offers intimate insight into the mind and process of
an artist who truly lived his art. Affectionately assembled with archive photos
and video stretching from the mid-1980s to Peter’s untimely death at 63 in
2020, along with insightful interviews with the artist’s critics, peers, and
friends, Night Piece is a warm tribute to the man and an accessible
overview of the art – provocative work that demands to live on.
New
Zealand’s Best Shorts 2024
The year’s
best New Zealand short films as chosen by guest selector, Gerard Johnstone.
After twice winning the 48Hours film competition, director Gerard Johnstone
used some of his prize money to create a comedy TV pilot. Although the project
went nowhere, TV3 went on to screen two seasons of his award-winning comedy The
Jaquie Brown Diaries. Johnstone made his feature-length directorial debut
in 2014 with haunted house horror-comedy Housebound and went on to
reboot the 1980s series Terry and the Gunrunners as Terry Teo in 2016.
Johnstone's second feature, killer robot horror M3gan, was released with
Blumhouse in 2022.
The New
Zealand’s Best programme in the NZIFF 2024 is:
I See You Aotearoa New Zealand, 2022
Director, Screenplay: Briar March
A young mother struggles with her toddler’s delayed development until a chance
encounter with a charismatic young man changes her mind.
First Horse
Aotearoa New Zealand, 2024
Director: Awanui Simich-Pene
In pre-colonial Aotearoa a young Māori girl witnesses the best and worst of a
rapidly changing world when she encounters a dying man and his horse.
Grateful
Grapefruit
Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023
Director, Screenplay, Producer, Editor: Sam Handley
A frustrated wife at her wits’ end finds a message in a bottle which leads her
into the mysterious world of The Hypnotist, and before long she’s on track to
put the glitter back in her grapefruit.
Rochelle
Aotearoa New Zealand, 2024
Director, Screenplay, Editor: Tom Furniss
A brazen young man takes it upon himself to send his friend’s busted up car,
Rochelle, out in style by entering it in a local demolition derby, but to get
there he needs help from an unexpected source.
Lea
Tupu’anga/Mother Tongue
Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023
Director: Vea Mafile’o
A young speech therapist who has lied about her language skills must find a new
way to communicate when she is assigned to an elderly Tongan patient with
aphasia who can no longer speak English.
Ngā Whanaunga Māori Pasifika Shorts 2024
This
collection of seven Māori and Pasifika short films has been selected by
co-curators Leo Koziol (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Rakaipaaka), Director of the
Wairoa Film Festival, and Craig Fasi (Niue), Director of Pollywood Film
Festival.
Support
these homegrown films and vote for your favourites at screenings all across the
motu.
My Brother
USA, 2023
Director, Screenplay: Misa Tupou
Health of
mind and especially body is often overlooked – Pasifika people are proud,
towers of strength, in denial of the unwilling host to illness that they are.
Change is choice – quality of life the decision.
Butterfly/Bataplai
USA, 2023
Director, Producer, Screenplay, Editor: Veialu Aila-Unsworth
Unique,
distinct, bold and proud – understanding and acknowledgement to own who you are
despite the generic prejudice you will encounter. Embrace, enhance, expose – be
Butterfly/Bataplai.
The Great
South
Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023
Director, Screenplay: Taniora Ormsby
Sometimes
life isn't as black and white as we think it is, sometimes it’s red and blue –
the hope in hopeless times is to somehow stay true.
The Red
Room
Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023
Director, Screenplay: Alex Liu
Therapy in the form of fantasy located in tomorrow here for you today.
Suffering to heal via an “institution” that thrives with failure of the human
condition. Stay calm – be prepared – know your enemy.
Show Home
Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023
Director: Jane Shearer
The universe can teach if you are willing to learn. Desperation and lack of any
contingency creates delusion and false hope. Sacrifice deserves certainty –
words like hope and potential are fairytales.
Hands of
Fate Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023
Director: Sima Urale
Not just another night in the city, a tale untold revealed; perhaps
helplessness is a disguise.
Chatterbox Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023
Director: Tainui Tukiwaho
The new Aotearoa Rocky Horror we didn't know we needed explodes on screen.
Enjoy the ride, for this story will surely leave you wanting more, more, more!
Short
Connections 2024
Five new
Aotearoa shorts examine the ways we connect with each other. From strangers
uniting to stand up for what is right to fleeting moments of understanding
between loved ones, these films deftly capture the bonds - and binds - between
us.
Payback Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023
Director, Screenplay: Mia Blake
When a
welfare department’s insidious prejudice can no longer be tolerated, a group of
unlikely heroes band together against a narrow-minded case worker. Made in
collaboration with Toi Whakaari, Mia Blake cleverly reflects the state of the
nation in this punchy black comedy.
The Sea
Inside Her Aotearoa New Zealand, 2024
Director: Alyx Duncan
Award-winning
filmmaker and choreographer Alyx Duncan (The Tide Keeper NZIFF 2015)
builds on her unique movement-led films depicting an anxious grandmother
desperate to protect her grandchild from the dangers of the world. Using
performance, puppetry and visual effects, Alyx Duncan paints a fantastical
picture of fear and frustration for these fragile times.
Earthlings Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023
Director, Screenplay: Jamie Lawrence
A lonely
teenager shares a moment of intimacy with a mysterious stranger in this
surprising and sensitive film. Jamie Lawrence (Darryl Exists NZIFF 2011)
evokes a surreal world that tenderly explores identity, belonging and the
desire for connection.
Lost at Sea Aotearoa New Zealand, 2024
Director, Screenplay: Asuka Sylvie
A young
woman and her friends gather at a beach house one evening to honour the memory
of a loved one. Made in collaboration with Toi Whakaari, Asuka Sylvie (Kainga
NZIFF 2022) conjures an evocative atmosphere in this poignant and lyrical
portrait of grief.
The Lascar Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023
Director, Screenplay: Adi Parige
At the end
of the eighteenth century, hundreds of Indian sailors, known as lascars, worked
in brutal working conditions amongst European seal hunting gangs in Aotearoa.
In Adi Parige’s striking coastal epic, one such crew is shaken when a lascar is
caught trading with two Māori siblings behind the back of the gang’s tyrannical
British leader.
Notes on Garth Maxwell Shorts
Best known
for his cultish debut feature, Jack Be Nimble, as well as prolific work
in television across both sides of the Tasman, Garth Maxwell here offers a
deeply personal film, co-directed by the late Peter Wells, in Naughty Little
Peeptoe.
An ode to
friend, fashionista and foot-fetishist Doug George, Maxwell along with
collaborator Debra Daley recorded the caustic, chaotic narration from George,
retelling the story of how high heels saved his life. The featurette was
recently picked up by MoMA as part of its permanent film collection, with film
curator Ron Magliozzi dubbing it a “witty testimony to the durable, liberating
spirit of a queer perspective.”
Peeptoe
will be preceded by a screening of Maxwell’s first ever film Come With Us,
a culmination of a creative childhood friendship between Garth Maxwell and
Simon Marler, who grew up in the North Shore suburbs of Auckland, New Zealand, in
the 1960s and 70s. A reading from queer erotic fiction writer, Samuel Te Kani,
will follow.
Naughty
Little Peeptoe
Aotearoa New Zealand, 2000
Co-Directors: Garth Maxwell and Peter Wells Presented in association with Gus Fisher Gallery
Come with
Us Aotearoa New Zealand, 1981
Co-Directors: Garth Maxwell and Simon Marler
