JBL Xtreme 4: Review

Portable speakers fall mainly into two categories.

Either extortionately obscenely sized with speakers likely to explode your nearby windows when maxxed out, or pocket-sized to make them more appealing visually, but aurally lacking.

The JBL Xtreme 4 sits somewhere in the middle of this - a speaker that's of a reasonable size but which pumps out a decently impressive sound, it's part of the relatively familiar JBL-designed family.

Whereas the JBL Boombox 3 is one of those speakers that really does announce its presence thanks to audio and the 6kg weight, the Xtreme 4 sits more at a 2.1kg weight. So even though there is less heft, it still more than does what is needed to deliver a solid sound experience.

What's not so great about the Xtreme 4 is some of the visual design elements, which once again concentrate on the more obnoxious elements of the brand. Essentially shaped like a log, the wireless speaker has a major JBL logo on the front and exclamation marks on its speakers. Added to that, the sides have 4 gel corners which have bubbles in which on initial unboxing looked like mould that had got into it.

Given the speaker is designed to be carried around like some boombox-based handbag, it's been grafted with two handles on the top for a convenient strap to be attached. But it's a double-edged sword because visually the metal handle grips sit just about the top of the speaker and yet are not far enough off the top to be lifted with fingers if you so chose; meaning the strap is a necessity if you don't want your arms to get a 2KG workout.

These are minor niggles really - because the sound quality of what comes out of the speakers is as superlative as JBL kit can usually offer.

Connectivity for the wireless is as simple as ever - just press a button and you're away - and with a new app for the system called Auracast and an AI programme Sound Boost, the tech has been upgraded somewhat to keep up with today's music on the go.

Perhaps the weirdest application is the idea that you can - with the push of a button - add other JBL speakers to form some kind of musical version of a Human Centipede. With no other speakers to hand, this was untestable but the idea of having 4 or 5 scattered around a room at an event, all controllable from one app seems appealing. (Though given the Xtreme 4's pricepoint, one does wonder how financially feasible it would be.)

The sound quality is pretty high. Bassy when it needs to be and no distortion when the sound is cranked up as loud as it can go. Much like the Boombox 3, the speakers vibrate as the music pumps out - but the surface the kit is on doesn't shake or resonate like a mini earthquake.

Songs like Darude's Sandstorm, Dario G's Sunchyme, Journey's Don't Stop Believin', Happy Mondays' Step On and The Charlatans The Only One I Know got a testing run through the different genres - and all emerged clearly and easily from the portable speaker. Plus with a long battery life (upto 30 hours), you can easily get a week's worth of listening out of this set.

Ultimately, the JBL Xtreme 4 offers solid sound quality which is what you want out of a portable speaker. Aesthetically, it's less obnoxious than previous entrants due to size, but the JBL range hasn't really deviated on its design front, and has yet to do something radical with the look of a speaker. It offers dust and water proof abilities too, but given it's winter in New Zealand, those can't adequately be tested as nobody sane would leave tech like this outside in unpredictable weather.

Perhaps the biggest setback the Xtreme 4 has is its price. 

There are others on the market that offer cheaper experiences and kit - and certainly if you already own a JBL speaker, there's little need to buy a newer one, unless you're wedded to the range or looking for something smaller. But at nearly $500, it's a nice to have with a pricey in-point.

But it has to be said, when push comes to shove and for portability as well as the ability for it to sit squarely on a shelf or be hidden away at a party rather than dominate, the JBL Xtreme 4 does more than what it says on the box.

A JBL Xtreme 4 was provided on loan for the purposes of this review.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die: Movie Review

Cast: Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Joe Pantoliano, Jacob Scipio, Eric Dane, Ioan Grufudd
Director: Adil El Arbi, Bilall Fallah

It almost seems pointless to rail against Bad Boys: Ride or Die, the kind of formulaic action thriller that used to be all the rage in the 1990s.

But there are large swathes of this that feel like most of the joy was had by those on set, while the editing sticks to a fairly rote mix of swirling camerawork, explosions and chases.

A loose plot concerns Smith and Lawrence's cops being dragged out of retirement when corruption charges are filed against their former Captain Conrad (Pantoliano). Determined to clear him, Mike Lowrey (Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Lawrence) find themselves on a collision course with their past.

To call Bad Boys: Ride or Die the kind of crowd pleaser cinema that is doled out to the masses is to undersell some of what is within.

On the plus side, there is some solid chemistry between Lawrence and Smith, who clearly demonstrate they have been doing this for years. In parts it feels like Lawrence is really struggling with some of the dialogue and a nonsensical plot that seems to have him thinking he can't die; but in others, Smith emerges clearly with his focus on the job and a desire to score redemption in a role he's beloved for after he chose violence at the Oscars.

But too much of Bad Boys: Ride or Die feels perfunctory, too familiar and scared to take risks. 

Aside from one POV action sequence, the cliched dialogue taps into every crime-buddy trope ever unleashed and becomes a giant game of action movie bingo. Michael Bay gamely steps up for a cameo, but even he's smart enough to keep moving.

With more serviceable than memorable fare, and a bloated 2 hour run time, Bad Boys: Ride or Die is the kind of film you wish would do something to shake up its formula. As it is, it's intolerable to anyone with brain cells, and even with Smith's performance aside, utterly unmemorable when the lights have gone up.

Astro Bot: Hands on Review

There's a market for a damn good family-led platform game.

The artform's been largely ignored across AAA titles for a fair while, with hardcore gamers and more story-led releases coming to the fore.

For every Elden Tree currently, there's a Dave the Diver - but for those looking for spiritual cousins to the likes of Ape Escape, Crash Bandicoot or Sonic, there's been less fare recently. (Or certainly, it feels that way.)

Step forward Astro Bot.

A G-rated family friendly game which is due to blast off in September, Astro Bot is the sequel to Astro's Playroom, the Team Asobi title which came pre-installed on the PS5 when it first released.

This upcoming title pulls together the very best of platform games and offers a family-led title that will thrill as well as challenge.

With a simple story that is, at its heart, a collecting game (Astro's mothership has been wrecked, bots have been scattered around the galaxies), Astro Bot will take in 50 planets and some 80 levels according to the PR from the recent demo.

Making strong use of the haptics and deeply mining PlayStation's history as it approaches 30 years, Astro Bot's full length outing offers plenty of skill level challenges as varying degrees of difficulty are deployed.

The demo offered up five worlds, which ranged from extremely easy to mind-numbingly hard platforming destined to see people passing around a controller to others nearby. 

While a lack of local co-op play is a bit of a disappointment, this is purely a one player game that expands on the basics and brilliance of Astro's Playroom, with a game  that will challenge both seasoned and novice-level players.

From flying on a Dualsense controller that buzzes in your hands to feeling and hearing the cracking of ice through the controller's sound system, this is a game that's embraced both the haptics and the possibilities of what can be done. 

Sure, you can argue that it has built on what was on offer in Astro's Playroom when it comes to sound and vision, but with such solid basics, it feels like a natural progression rather than a shoe-horned approach.

But the expanded game is not beyond adding in new tricks to make occasionally short levels more enjoyable and replayable

From the ability to inflate via the controller's triggers to a dog who sits on your back and can send you zooming through solid but breakable walls, the game is about making it fun to muck about in the environments while collecting the AWOL bots. There is also a magnet to help suck up metal during a construction-themed level, hidden levels within the levels that contain bots - there's no lack of gimmicks for this game.

While these add-ons are great fun, what's not fully clear is whether the game will see you transfer them from level to level, or from planet to planet. From the demo, it was a case of them being locked into one level and no further - but whether that changes remains to be seen.

A boss-level fight saw Astro being guided as he took on an octopus, similar to a big boss from Astro's Playroom, with the L2 and R2 triggers being transformed into both suction cups and catapults as well as boxing gloves to pummel the slimy creature into submission. Quick-fire use of L2 and R2 here made it seem like Astro was in a boxing ring, dishing out worlds of pain to a contender as he slapped the octopus into oblivion.

Some levels, like the boss fights, limit the number of lives you have -a  sign that the difficulty levels can spike, and it's not all just jaunting around having fun.

(As a side note, it's worth mentioning this is a family game that doesn't go for "kills" - slapping enemies about and dispatching them is more about ACME levels of cartoonery than anything too serious.)

What is clear about Astro Bot is just how tactile the game is, how easy it is to experience things like running through grass, skating on glass-thin ice or swimming thanks to the DualSense Controller and its haptics.

It's easy to see why Astro Bot will capture a family audience. While it's a disappointment that it is one player only and you can't co-op locally (the idea for parent-child interplay is too delightful to resist), the option to simply hand on the controller to a sofa-bound kid or friend is too tempting to resist.

Complete with PlayStation-themed Bots to collect, there's a feeling of nostalgia throughout Astro Bot. It collects together the ethos of a Mario Bros game and the ideas of an Ape Escape - but while parts of it appear to look back to the past, thanks to Team Asobi, Astro Bot's future is clear - it will be a family-themed smash hit, too cute to ignore and too damn playable to put down.

Astro Bot releases exclusively on the PlayStation 5 on September 6.

A Quiet Place: Day One: Review

Cast: Lupita Nyong'o, Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff, Djimon Hounsou
Director: Michael Sarnoski

The latest chapter in the A Quiet Place franchise goes back to the very beginning, moments of which were hinted at during flashbacks in 2020's A Quiet Place Part II.

This time, shorn of any on-screen John Krasinski or Emily Blunt, the film focuses on Lupita Nyong'o's Sam, who finds herself trapped in New York City when the alien invasion begins.

The latest film is penned by Krasinski, so his fingerprints are still all over the storyline and in truth, it's infinitely better than it has any right to be. 

That's largely due to a story that feels like a Tales From The Quiet Place rather than attempting to replicate what has gone before. But it's also seemingly hampered by the fact that it begins with a character in a hospice and an inevitability over how the alien invasion goes and therefore there's a limit on how much stock you'd place on any length of survival.

Yet, surprisingly, the film is quite moving, even if parts of it feel dangerously close to overplaying some of the mystery of how it all began. Abandoning the flashback ethos of the first two, the film follows a linear narrative as it tells the story of Nyong'o's Sam and Joseph Quinn's Eric.

Throwing in a cat as Sam's support animal, the heartstrings are already to be tugged, but wisely by injecting proceedings with some tension and some overt scenes of 9/11 style stragglers and survivors in New York's dust-ridden warzone streets, the film flirts dangerously close to overegging the pudding. (Especially in one sequence which is overt in its religious iconography.)

Yet Nyong'o's dignified, empathetic and restrained turn as survivor Sam makes A Quiet Place: Day One what it is - granted, there needs to be a suspension of disbelief (cats wouldn't be quiet for that long, surely), but anchored by such a lead, the film manages to wipe away any doubt this is a lazy cash-in.

Pig director Sarnoski wisely keeps the creatures largely out of focus as threats (apart from a few scenes which teeter on the edge of B-movie creature feature and lazy jump scares) as he steers this journey of connection and redemption to its conclusion.

It may not quite reach the heights of the first film, but stripped of a need to over-explain proceedings, and thanks to committing to film some imagery of harrowing proportions, this spinoff side story manages to prove that once again, silence is golden.

May December: Blu Ray Review

Cast: Julianne Moore, Natalie Portman, Charles Melton

Director: Todd Haynes

More an intriguing portrait of what happens after the headlines go away, director Todd Haynes' May December sees Natalie Portman's wannabe actor Elizabeth Berry shadowing Julianne Moore's Gracie Atherton-Yoo.

Gracie hit the headlines when she had an affair with an adolescent schoolboy and subsequently married him - now with a film about to be made over the scandal some two decades later, uncomfortable moments are resurfaced in this genial movie that takes a little while to find its audience.

There are more meta touches in this movie which touches on the US' desire for scandal, even decades after the headlines have hit; early on Gracie is sent a box with faeces in, a shocking delivery, but given the fact it's happened for years, Moore's character is blase about it happening.

There's a precision to May December, from Haynes' fashioning of a story to a script that somehow works despite some glaring omissions (why does Grace never ask about her time in jail being chief among those) - but it derives its pleasures from the Portman-Moore pairing which centres this drama, rather than overshadowing it.

Chiefly, as Portman's character becomes closer to the subjects she is studying, one gets the feeling the lines are being blurred thanks to the script and its subtleties. Less so with the soundtrack throughout which intrudes and whose over-hyped piano moments verge on the OTT threatening to take viewers out of the moment.

It may be about the horrors beneath in life and within the mundane, but May December's chief strength lies in its vagueries - it feels incomplete in parts, and seems to be making a commentary on life in general.

It afford no easy answers as it plays out (and nor should it) but for those willing to give in to its somewhat obtuse moments, May December offers vicarious pleasures throughout.

What's on DocPlay in July

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

This July, we can be your long-lost pal: Alex Gibney’s definitive Paul Simon biography In Restless Dreams streams exclusively on DocPlay from July 4 (Aus only). As the Tour de France kicks off in Paris, binge all three episodes of the DocPlay Original series Second to None - and be inspired by feats of extraordinary sporting prowess.

For NAIDOC Week, we're proud to present two remarkable Australian documentaries about influential Aboriginal leaders: Ablaze and Mabo: Life of An Island Man.

Second to None – episode 3 |  1 July  |  Series  |  DocPlay Original

After years of riding in the shadow of men, one team of incredible athletes must band together, overcome the low, and ride the highs to claim their place at the top of the professional cycling world.

Episode 3 follows Australian Olympian and national champion Amanda ‘Spratty’ Spratt as she prepares to race the notorious Tourmalet hill stage. Screens with an exclusive Amanda Spratt Q&A video extra.

In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon (AU only)  |  4 July  |  DocPlay Exclusive

The definitive musical biography of Paul Simon – one of the greatest songwriters, and performers, in the history of rock ‘n roll. From Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney.

Ablaze  |  8 July  |  NAIDOC Week

Tiriki Onus finds a 70-year-old film believed to be made by his grandfather, Aboriginal leader and filmmaker Bill Onus. Tiriki pieces together the film's origins and discovers more about Bill's fight for Aboriginal rights.

Mabo: Life of an Island Man  |  8 July  |  NAIDOC Week

Mabo - Life of an Island Man is the story of a small island and an extraordinary man, Eddie Koiki Mabo. Directed by Trevor Graham (Monsieur Mayonnaise).

Apolonia Apolonia  |  15 July  |  DocPlay Exclusive

Shot over 13 years, this striking and intimate character-driven documentary dives into the exhilarating lifestyle of a young French artist. Winner of the Special Jury Award at this year’s Antenna Film Festival, and the Best Film Prize at IDFA.

Aurora’s Sunrise  |  15 July

At only 14-years-old, Aurora lost everything during the horror of the Armenian Genocide. But with luck and extraordinary courage she escaped to New York, where her story became a media sensation. Blending vivid animation, archive, and rediscovered footage, Aurora's Sunrise brings the inspiring and forgotten story of a young woman back to life.

We Were Once Kids  |  25 July

Twenty-six years after indie cult classic Kids was released, this documentary explores the divergent paths of the original cast, delivering an unflinching look back at one of the most iconic films of the 1990s. By Australian director Eddie Martin.

You Don’t Nomi  |  25 July

A chorus of film critics and fervent devotees explore the complicated afterlife of 1995's biggest film flop, Paul Verhoeven's Showgirls.

One Life: Blu Ray Review

Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Johnny Flynn, Romola Garai, Helena Bonham-Carter
Director: James Hawes

Sometimes, conventional is no bad thing.

Certainly in the case of director James Hawes' somewhat formulaic One Life, there's no flashiness and a resolute determination to stick solely to the story in what is an involving tale of how one man made a difference to many lives during the Nazi invasion.

While many will read that and think of Oskar Schindler, One Life is actually the story of British humanitarian Nicholas Winton, played in present day by Sir Anthony Hopkins and in flashbacks by Johnny Flynn.

When Winton heads to Prague in December 1938, he's shocked to see the horror befalling those fleeing from the slowly spreading tentacles of Hitler's hate. Galvanised into action and roping his mother (Bonham-Carter) in from the UK, Winton starts to facilitate their mass exodus.

In current day Britain, the now elderly Winton struggles to adjust to late life, being urged to sort his affairs out before the birth of his grandchild. It's not the most compelling of threads for a present day setting in truth, but it allows the audience to connect with Winton thanks to Hopkins' quiet venerable performance. 

It also allows for a reconstruction of a real life TV revelation of Winton's unassuming heroics, in scenes that only the hardest of hearts will struggle to be not affected by.

More watchable given the parallels to current refugee worries across the world is the 1938 Prague timeline as the clock ticks on those stuck as war edges ever closer. While this is perhaps where the film is at its most formulaic, it's also true the tension elicited is more tangible as the trauma becomes reality.

However, there are moments when Dawes seems to shy away from the truth of what's unfolding and where the story feels sanitised or bogged down with exposition. That's not to dull its outcome, more a realisation that there's power in the story that feels like it's being dimmed by the direction.

Ultimately One Life is an incredibly worthy story, that's told in an incredibly business-like way - it's affecting, granted, and pertinent to our current times and the repetition of dictator beats, but this period tale could have soared when instead, it only just flies.

Humanity: Xbox Series X Review

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.

What's on Shudder in July

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. 

Doctor Who: Empire of Death: Review

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.

What's On Prime Video in July

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

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: WITHOUT A NET (MOVIE) 25/07/24

ONE LIFE (MOVIE) 26/07/24

THANKSGIVING (MOVIE) 31/07/24

What's on Disney+ in July

Here’s everything coming to Disney+ in July 2024.

12 July

Descendants: The Rise of Red

Disney+ Original Movie  Premiere

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

Pupstruction 6 x new episodes 24 July

Despicable Me 4: Movie Review

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.

Win a double pass to see A Quiet Place: Day One in cinemas

To celebrate the release of A Quiet Place: Day One in cinemas on June 27, thanks to Paramount Pictures New Zealand, you can see the film!

About A Quiet Place: Day One

Experience the day the world went quiet.

Starring Lupita N'yongo, Alex Woolf, Djimon Hounsou, Denis O'Hare

A Quiet Place: Day One is in cinemas June 27!

To win, Just flick an email to darrensworldofentertainment@gmail.com with SHHH!!! as the subject and you're in the draw!

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 from www.shop.nziff.co.nz

 

CANNES FILM NOTES

All We Imagine As Light

Director: Payal Kapadia - India/France/Netherlands/Luxembourg, 2024

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.