Jimmy McGovern’s latest project, Time , is a confronting prison drama that was captivating from beginning to end. The three-part series mirrors the gripping and controversial storytelling of McGovern’s previous works, Cracker (1993-1996) and Broken (2017 ) , in a mixture of a perfectly suspenseful script and a talented cast. The mini-series follows the life of Mark Cobden, an introverted teacher who is sentenced to prison and forced to acclimatise to the harsh system. He form

Eiichiro Hasumi’s Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness is a missed opportunity. While it masterfully delivered the thrills expected of the franchise, it rushed through what might have been an exciting ongoing plot and failed to capture the personality and dynamics of well-established characters. Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness is the latest addition to the Resident Evil franchise, seeing the return of beloved characters Leon S Kennedy and Claire Redfield. The animated mini-ser

*This review contains spoilers for numerous Marvel films* After a two-year absence from cinemas, Marvel has finally returned to the big screen with Black Widow . Directed by Cate Shortland, Black Widow is the 24th film in Marvel’s ever-expanding cinematic universe (the MCU) and set directly after the events of Captain America: Civil War (2016). Assassin-turned-spy and hero Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), is on the run and must confront her traumatic

Genevieve Nardella writes that Ryan Murphy's Halston cuts a fine figure, despite its patchy relationship with history.

It is impossible not to compare Lin-Manuel Miranda’s most recent film to his hit show Hamilton . While In the Heights showcases the best of Miranda’s humour and musical talent, for a 2 1/2 hours long, it was hard not to wonder, how many more musical numbers will I have to sit through? In the Heights is a film adaptation of the Broadway musical by the same name, which Miranda also had a hand in creating. It follows Usnavi de la Vega (Anthony Ramos), a bodega owner in the ti

Just a few months shy of Monsters Inc’s 20th anniversary, Pixar has dived back into the city of Monstropolis to bring audiences a television sequel to the hit 2001 film. The new series, Monsters at Work , picks up after the original film, as lovable and quirky protagonists Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) and James P “Sulley” Sullivan (John Goodman) tackle their new roles running Monsters Incorporated. After discovering children’s laughter is a better power source than childre

Melbourne’s once vibrant creative and event industries could be going backwards without government support, experts say. Victorian College of the Arts lecturer and art curator Sophia Cai said risk-averse event organisers, entertainers and others were producing less experimental and untested work for financial reasons. “I worry about our more established institutions reverting back to more conservative aesthetics because the industry is at such a critical juncture,” she said.

Byron Bay-based festival Splendour XR will ditch mosh-pits for lounge rooms with a completely online festival on July 24 and 25. With major headline acts including The Killers , Khalid , CHVRCHES , Tash Sultana and Vance Joy , the festival will run for two days and, for the first time, will be an all-ages event. Festival-goers can create a digital persona to roam the virtual grounds of the iconic Byron Bay setting, with multiple camera angles to choose from. Organisers have

A Boroondara council program aimed at promoting community growth in the wake of Covid-19, entitled Bare to Beautiful, will see empty storefronts covered with large botanical decals. The decals, designed by local artists, will recreate flowers unique to the region to provide a homegrown touch that creates a consistent botanical theme across various shopfronts in the district. The program launched last week as part of the council’s efforts to revitalise local shopping strips an

Why is reading so hard, and why have I only made it through half a book in two years? These are the questions I ask myself at least once or twice a month. As an avid reader throughout my childhood, I was convinced reading would always be a passion … but now, as a 20-year-old university student, that passion has faded away. I took to the internet to ask, “does anyone still read?” and found a 2017 Macquarie University study that showed just 65.5 per cent of Australians read a

Good characters make for great family viewing, and Sony Pictures Animation’s new film for Netflix, The Mitchells vs. the Machines , delivers. Produced by Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, the same duo who directed 2009’s Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs , it’s hard not to draw comparisons between the two family films. These projects don’t seem too similar at first, aside from the production company, composer (Mark Mothersbaugh) and contributions of Miller and Lord. However,

For a film set solely in one location with a talented cast and exciting writer/director at the helm, Stowaway should’ve been a gripping survival tale. Instead it’s a decent Friday night flick not likely to be remembered. Director Joe Penna hit the ground running with his thrilling and nuanced feature debut Arctic in 2018 and has followed it up with yet another survival thriller, this time set in space. The film is well directed and performed, with production and sound desi