Film Review: Lapsis Directed by Noah Hutton
Sandwiched somewhere between the best and worst of Black Mirror and the terrifyingly prophetic Idiocracy, the grim satire of Lapsis works well, elevating a low-budget premise into a performance-driven sci-fi mystery.
Film Review: A Quiet Place Part II Dir: John Krasinski
Starring: Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe, Djimon Hounsou, Scoot McNairy, John Krasinski A Quiet Place Part II is a masterpiece of cinematic dread, complementing and expanding on both the themes and narrative of the original film, while striking a near-impossible balance between fresh stories and new perspectives on the horror we already […]
Watch: 13th Floor MovieTalk: Conor & Jake Allyn of No Man’s Land
With the feature film No Man’s Land opening in cinemas on Thursday here are brothers Conor and Jake Allyn, director and actor/screenwriter of this powerful film.
Movie Review: Son of The South Directed by Barry Alexander Brown
Son of The South opens with a limp-footed, bloodied Bob Zellner (Lucas Till) dragged toward a noose while he summarises the climate of racial hatred in 1960s Alabama through an emotionless voiceover.
Movie Review: Spiral Director: Darren Lynn Bousman
Spiral brings something different to the Saw franchise than the usual death-game twist-a-roo trickery, but the resulting film is a failed copycat attempt at playing copycat itself.
Movie Review: Those Who Wish Me Dead
Those Who Wish Me Dead is three action films for the price of one, but the forest-fire ultimate survivor narrative quickly stretches the width of an ocean with the depth of a puddle.
Film Review: Nasrin Directed by Jeff Kaufman
Amnesty International hosted the New Zealand premiere of NASRIN at Sky City Theatre, a documentary that presents an intimate and moving depiction of one woman’s efforts to protect human rights and promote equality for all within Iran.
Watch: Florian Habicht Tells all About James & Isey
Kiwi filmmaker Florian Habicht’s new film, James & Isey opens in New Zealand cinemas on May 6th. Florian stopped by The 13th Floor Studio to tell us all about it.
Movie Review: Wrath of Man Directed by Guy Ritchie
Wrath of Man, the latest thriller from director Guy Ritchie, starring the never-emotive Jason Statham, delivers a delightful two solid hours of heists, retribution and a daunting body count.
Film Review: First Cow – Director: Kelly Reichardt
First Cow – America in the early nineteenth century and the Land of Opportunity seems wide open and promising for two young men who bond in a moment of danger and adversity. They strike upon an unlikely path to wealth but there is always a sense that somehow fate won’t allow it.
Film Review: Sound Of Metal Dir: Darius Marder
Starring: Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Paul Raci Nominated for 6 Academy Awards and winner of 2, Sound Of Metal’s message should resonate with anyone who spends a good portion of their free time standing in front of a PA blasting live music for hours at a time.
Film Review: The United States vs Billie Holiday Dir: Lee Daniels
The story of Billie Holiday, arguably the finest vocalist of the 20th century, is a sad story that seems to resonate even more powerfully in this age of Black Lives Matter and the recent high-profile police killings in the US. Starring Andrea Day, Trevante Rhodes, Leslie Jordan, Tyler James
Film Review: Collective – Director: Alexander Nanau
Collective is a deep dive into the Romanian hospital healthcare system by investigative journalists which leads to a heart of darkness. One of the most enthralling and unsettling documentaries I have seen in recent years. The conspiracy it exposes also shines a glimmer of light onto the wider aspect of European healthcare systems as they […]
Film Review: Cosmic Sin, Directed by Edward Drake
Cosmic Sin, somehow starring Bruce Willis and Frank Grillo, is the worst film I’ve ever reviewed, an 85-minute cure for insomnia posing as a sci-fi action film that dabbles in time dilation only in that it somehow feels like it took more than three lifetimes to watch.
Movie Review: Cousins, Directed by Ainsley Gardiner and Briar Grace Smith
Intensely sad, but sublimely beautiful, Cousins is a story of the psychological trauma to human life and community wrought by colonisation in Aotearoa.
Film Review: Boss Level, Directed by Joe Carnahan
Boss Level is a guilty delight of madness and adrenaline from director Joe Carnahan, spraying commentary and humour alongside its thousands of bullets and fountains of blood, while providing a unique and truly enjoyable twist on traditional action films.
Film Review: Supernova Dir: Harry Macqueen
Supernova is a powerful examination of human mortality from director Harry Macqueen, contrasting the long-lasting beauty of nature with the frailty of the human body and the love required to endure our acceptance of inevitability.
Film Review: Demon Slayer: Mugen Train
With its immediately captivating and brilliantly paced storyline, bolstered by established, fleshed-out characters and exceptional voice-acting, Demon Slayer: Mugen Train is an absolute dream for fans of anime and the Demon Slayer series, while remaining accessible and wildly entertaining for newcomers to the series or genre.
Film Review: Wrong Turn (2021)
Wrong Turn stars Charlotte Vega, Matthew Modine, and Bill Sage in a bloody, brutal, and primal societal slugfest, proving over its 109-minute runtime that there’s still fresh horror in a familiar, forgotten franchise.
Film Review: Penguin Bloom Dir: Glendyn Ivin
Starring Naomi Watts, Andrew Lincoln, Jacki Weaver, Rachel House Warning! This Australian film has all the trappings of a disease/movie of the week…a paralyzed mum, three young children, a benign dad and a bird. Fortunately the mum is played by Naomi Watts and that magpie can really act!