Latest news with #MaXXXine
The Star
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
'The Bondsman' review: The Apocalypse is better with Bacon
Everything is better with (Kevin) Bacon, from arty-cheesy slashers like MaXXXine to Marvel holiday specials and now... even the Apocalypse. In The Bondsman, a new brisk and brutal action-horror series created by shorts/commercials director Grainger David, the "Six Degrees of..." man plays reprehensible bail bondsman Hub Halloran. He is such a "selfish @$$h**e", as one character observes late in the season, that we meet him in the first episode just as he is about to get his throat sliced open from ear to ear. We won't have to settle for a Bacon substitute for the next 7.9 episodes, though – faster than you can say R.I.P.D., Hub is brought back from the dead by no less than (a thus-far-unseen) Lucifer. Why? Well, because demons have recently started escaping from aitch-ee-double-hockeysticks and Hub's skills as a skip-tracer are needed to send them back (in fact, Hub himself was sent "downstairs" briefly after being murdered). 'You are done! No more diving board. Where you going, pal? Sorry ... I just can't resist quoting Die Hard.' Sounds simple, but Hub's baggage complicates things. He can't get over ex-wife Maryanne (Jennifer Nettles, of the country & western duo Sugarland and recently seen in The Exorcist: Believer), who is being wooed by "reformed" criminal Lucky Callahan (Damon Herriman, Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood's Charles Manson), who in turn (not exactly a spoiler) is the one behind his murder. Plus, there's the big question of why Hub was damned to begin with, something his mother and "business partner" Kitty (Beth Grant, Pushing Daisies, Donnie Darko) wants to know but claims she doesn't. Each episode of The Bondsman clocks in at just about a half-hour, making this a breeze to binge. There is a rough "demon of the week" structure, with an underlying pattern to the escapes. These escapees are tough customers, but conveniently dispatched by a means usually reserved for a different breed of screen monster. So between jobs, we get Hub trying to win Maryanne and their son Cade (Maxwell Jenkins, Lost In Space) back, Lucky trying to finish him off, Kitty bending the law to help her son, and Midge baking pastries. Wait, who? That would be Midge Kusatsu (Jolene Purdy, neighbour Beverly from WandaVision and another Donnie Darko alumnus), a home baker turned recruiter for supernatural bounty hunters like Hub. She also gets her little heart-tugging back story, featuring the seemingly ubiquitous Jay Ali (Daredevil S3, NCIS: Hawaii, Magnum P.I., Carnival Row, among many others) in an off-the-wall departure from his usual roles. They forgot to tell Maryanne that no one is ever safe on Apocalypse Idol. The Bondsman works because of the terrific dynamic among all its major characters. Bacon gives us a winningly complex lead who consistently fails because of his conviction that he is trying to do the right thing (even when blind drunk and homicidal). It's an interesting counterpoint with his rival/nemesis Lucky, who shares that same drive, although the character grates on the nerves after a while. Grant is the show's emotional anchor, as a mother willing to go to great lengths to protect her son; though from a moral standpoint, there's a point where her love doesn't extend. The thread running through most character arcs and situations in the show is that the road to THAT place is paved with good intentions, though there is little time for preachiness. This shortness of time (half-hour episodes, remember?) is most sorely felt when it comes to the show's assortment of demons, which end up as mostly underdeveloped ciphers. Sure, the season's Big Bad is a pretty big deal, but before you can say "primordial she-demon", it's cliffhanger time – and one heck of a note on which to end a season. Dang it, Hub, you'd better come back, and not just from the dead. The realm of incomplete TV shows is a nasty kind of damnation for faithful viewers. All eight episodes of The Bondsman Season One are available to stream on Prime Video.
New Indian Express
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Yong-chin Breslin brings Hollywood makeup magic to Hyderabad
There was a quiet buzz of anticipation in the air as students gathered at Aliya Baig Academy of Makeup (ABAM) in Banjara Hills for a masterclass like no other. After all, it's not every day that you get to watch a renowned Hollywood SFX, cinema, and prosthetics makeup artist at work — especially someone like Yong-chin Breslin, who has been appointed as the senior faculty member in Special Effects (SFX), Cinema, and Prosthetics Makeup at ABAM. The celebrity makeup artist speaks to CE about the experience, her inspiration, and more. Flying down to Hyderabad for the first time, Yong-chin brought her world-class expertise, her easygoing charm, and a treasure trove of knowledge straight from the sets of international films. 'It was a really exciting opportunity to come to Hyderabad — I'd never been to India before. I knew Aliya Baig, and my good friend James Mac Inerney had done this course too, so I was really excited for the three-day masterclass. It's quite a rare opportunity to have the creative freedom to create the makeup you want and inspire others, so it was truly a great experience,' she shared, her eyes lighting up. Inside the studio, she got to work, turning a fresh-faced young model into a frail 80-year-old woman by using the intricate magic of prosthetics. Over the course of two to three hours, every wrinkle, every droop of the skin was meticulously sculpted. The transformation was nothing short of spellbinding — a true testament to the art of makeup and how makeup and prosthetics can make you feel like you are in the middle of an amazing film shoot. When asked about her inspiration for the look, Yong-chin explained, 'This makeup is a step away from my norm — it's inspired by the horror trilogy X, Pearl, and MaXXXine , where Mia Goth transforms into an old, scary woman. The look reflects a character who's aged badly and horrifies others, playing on people's insecurities about ageing and forcing them to confront it. So yes, this is my take on that.' Of course, creating such complex prosthetic illusions isn't without its hurdles. Timing, she admits, is the biggest challenge. 'Timing is always a challenge with prosthetic makeup — it's like solving a jigsaw puzzle with different materials and pieces. Things can go wrong, but knowing how to fix and tweak them comes with confidence and experience,' she noted with a knowing smile. Despite her packed schedule, Yong-chin was eager to explore Hyderabad beyond the studio walls. 'I haven't seen anything yet besides the studio. I can't wait to explore everything,' she said, laughing. For someone whose professional kit must be packed with a dizzying array of tools, Yong-chin's personal essentials are refreshingly simple. 'Eyeliner, a contour stick, and lip balm. Can't have crusty lips!' she quipped, her sense of humour as sharp as her artistry. When asked which celebrity she'd love to work on, her answer came without hesitation: 'Lady Gaga. I think she is bold and fearless, and working on a project with her would be something completely new.' Her brief thoughts on India's makeup industry left a lasting impression. 'It's heavy, yes,' she mused, referencing the grand, opulent style typically associated with Indian bridal makeup. 'People showed me images from Indian movies I hadn't seen before. I love how it's bold, over the top, and truly extravagant,' Yong-chin said. Although she has no plans to dive into the Indian industry right now, her admiration for its artistry was genuine. RAPID FIRE: 1. First makeup product you ever bought. Lipstick. 2. Favorite SFX material to work with. Pros-Aide. 3. One makeup trend you wish that made a comeback. 90s contour. 4. Your go-to snack during long shoots. Crisps. 5. Most challenging character you've transformed. The one at the masterclass! 6. Favorite city for inspiration. London. 7. Most memorable moment on Glow Up (a reality competition). My first week challenge and the first look I created was my favourite on the show — I absolutely loved it and it received a really great response. 8. Describe your style in one word. Over the top.
See - Sada Elbalad
19-03-2025
- Entertainment
- See - Sada Elbalad
Phoebe Dynevor to Star Alongside Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Movie "Pendulum"
Yara Sameh Phoebe Dynevor is set to star opposite Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the horror feature 'Pendulum,' written and directed by 'Black Swan' scribe Mark Heyman. The pic will be produced by Darren Aronofsky ('Black Swan,' 'The Whale') for Protozoa, Jacob Jaffke ('MaXXXine,' 'Dream Scenario') for Motel Mojave and Dave Caplan ('Longlegs') for C2, who will also fully finance. The movie will start principal photography in this month in New Mexico. Black Bear is repping international rights on the pic. UTA Independent Film Group, CAA Media Finance, and WME Independent hold domestic rights. Described as a 'terrifying new genre film,' "Pendulum" follows young couple Patrick (Gordon-Levitt) and Abigail (Dynevor) on a journey to a new-age retreat in New Mexico, drawn by the possibility of healing after a traumatic event. Patrick is willing to do anything to help his wife, but becomes distrustful of the retreat's enigmatic leader even as Abigail falls under her spell. As paranoia builds, the couple must determine if the group's unconventional spiritual practices offer genuine healing – or mask a terrifying truth that threatens to consume them both. Best known for her star-making role in "Bridgerton" and acclaimed role in "Fair Play", Dynevor has a busy year ahead of her that includes the thriller "Beneath the Storm", set to bow later in 2025. She most recently wrapped production on A24's dark comedy "Famous" in which she stars opposite Zac Efron. Dynevor also recently signed on to star opposite Jake Gyllenhaal in M. Night Shyamalan's next movie. read more New Tourism Route To Launch in Old Cairo Ahmed El Sakka-Led Play 'Sayidati Al Jamila' to Be Staged in KSA on Dec. 6 Mandy Moore Joins Season 2 of "Dr. Death" Anthology Series Don't Miss These Movies at 44th Cairo Int'l Film Festival Today Amr Diab to Headline KSA's MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2022 Festival Arts & Culture Mai Omar Stuns in Latest Instagram Photos Arts & Culture "The Flash" to End with Season 9 Arts & Culture Ministry of Culture Organizes four day Children's Film Festival Arts & Culture Canadian PM wishes Muslims Eid-al-Adha News Egypt confirms denial of airspace access to US B-52 bombers News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia News Australia Fines Telegram $600,000 Over Terrorism, Child Abuse Content Lifestyle Pistachio and Raspberry Cheesecake Domes Recipe Videos & Features Bouchra Dahlab Crowned Miss Arab World 2025 .. Reem Ganzoury Wins Miss Arab Africa Title (VIDEO) News Ireland Replaces Former Israeli Embassy with Palestinian Museum News Israeli PM Diagnosed with Stage 3 Prostate Cancer Lifestyle Maguy Farah Reveals 2025 Expectations for Pisces News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Arts & Culture New Archaeological Discovery from 26th Dynasty Uncovered in Karnak Temple
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Substance, Furiosa and new White Lotus: what's new to streaming in Australia in February
TV, US, 2025 – out 20 February The first TV series starring the great Robert De Niro is set after a huge cyber-attack, during which thousands of people are killed and a message is sent to every phone in the US that reads: 'THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN.' Sure, that'd be pretty freaky, but old mate Bob – perhaps referring to Donald Trump, who he is no fan of – put things in context when he told Netflix: 'Right now, our actual world is scarier.' Even so, let's hope the series is an explode-a-palooza of jiggery-pokery and political intrigue. De Niro plays George Mullen, a former US president who comes out of retirement to lead the 'Zero Day Commision' tasked with finding the culprits behind the attack. TV, Australia, 2025 – out 6 February The story of disgraced wellness influencer Belle Gibson gets dramatic TV treatment in this six-part narrative series set during the early days of Instagram. The show purports to explore, among other things, 'the age of innocence on social media' – a time in which there were 'very few checks and balances in place'. Not like nowadays, when everything published on social media is 100% verified, totally true and companies such as Meta are investing, er, more and more resources into factchecking … right?! Apple Cider Vinegar was created by Australian writer Samantha Strauss and stars Kaitlyn Dever as Gibson, who claimed she cured herself of several cancers by adopting a healthy lifestyle. Honourable mentions: Shrek 1 and 2 (film, 1 February), MaXXXine (film, 2 February), Cobra Kai: Season 6: Part 3 (TV, 13 February), Gladiator (film, 16 February), The Theory of Everything (film, 16 February), Grease (19 February), Running Point (TV, 27 February). Film, France/US/UK, 2024 – out 15 February French film-maker Coralie Fargeat's sensationally disgusting body horror movie, which features an amazing performance from Demi Moore, seems to have been crafted with the following logic: to be heard during these noisy times you need to be loud. So, there's nothing remotely subtle about the Jekyll and Mr Hyde-esque story of Moore's Elisabeth Sparkle, once a huge Hollywood star but now the host of a morning aerobics program. She enlists the services of a mysterious company that sells its own version of the foundation of youth: a serum that, once injected, creates a second, 'perfect' version of herself, i.e. young and hot. The catch: she only gets to spend one week at a time in her new body (played by Margaret Qualley). When Sparkle breaks the rules, bad things happen, then very bad things happen, then very very very bad things happen, culminating in a Grand Guignol spectacle that has to be seen to be believed. Consider yourself warned. Film, US, 1959 – out 25 February Ordinarily, discussing a 50s Hollywood film about men who hide from gangsters by dressing up as women might trigger alarm bells. But Billy Wilder's sparklingly progressive classic is no ordinary movie. It's like a great cocktail crossed with a magical elixir, certain to lift your spirits. Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon play a pair of musicians who witness a murder then don dresses and apply some lippy. When Marilyn Monroe arrives, she lifts the film into another stratosphere, playing Sugar Kane, the vocalist and ukulele player of an all-female band. It ends with the great final line: 'Nobody's perfect!' TV, Australia, 2025 – out 13 February This new Australian drama – created, written and directed by Nicholas Verso – does a good job of evoking the turbulence of adolescence and issues faced by the LGBTQ+ community. It's set in a coastal town in Western Australia and focuses on three gay teenagers: Charlie (Joseph Zada), Zeke (Aydan Calafiore) and Hammer (Kade Hammersmith). The story swings into gear when the rebellious Charlie hooks up with a married man, whose wife busts them, leading to him being outed and a blizzard of social media posts. I've watched the first couple of episodes and I'm in two minds so far: the drama has a compelling rawness but some of the performances are patchy and the story didn't really engage me. Also, opening with boilerplate voiceover articulating a character's motivations and desires makes me feel like a sommelier who has just quaffed vinegar. TV, US, 2025 – out 20 February Solving crimes in Nowheresville, USA is a family business in this daffy, low-key comedy series starring Leighton Meester and Luke Cook as detective siblings who work for their police chief father (Clancy Brown). The show is based in a small American town but was actually shot in Queensland. The first couple of episodes (all I've seen so far) went down easily, although I wouldn't write home about it. The setup director is Trent O'Donnell, a comedy veteran whose work includes Colin from Accounts, No Activity and Review With Myles Barlow. Honourable mentions: Kid Snow (film, 1 February), 21 Jump Street (film, 1 February), 22 Jump Street (film, 1 February), Despicable Me 1-3 (film, 1 February), Willy's Wonderland (film, 6 February), Talk to Me (film, 7 February), Robocop 1-3 (film, 8 February), Moonstruck (film, 9 February), Lord of the Flies (film, 11 February), Invisible Boys (TV, 13 February), The Pianist (film, 14 February), Aliens 1-4 (film, 16 February), Alien: Covenant (film, 16 February), Prometheus (film, 16 February), Fargo season 5 (TV, 21 February), Four Weddings and a Funeral (film, 22 February). TV, Australia, 2025 – out 2 February This 80s Australian period drama established a satisfyingly moreish format in its first two seasons, using historical events as dramatic scaffolding for a story centered around two fictional media personalities: Anna Torv's Helen Norville and Sam Reid's Dale Jennings. The third (and last) season, for me, dipped a little, losing some spark and lustre. Sometimes, it felt quite on the nose – but there's still more than enough to satisfy fans. Honourable mentions: Love Me season 2 (TV, 2 February), Mozart: Rise of a Genius (TV, 3 February), Under the Vines season 3 (TV, 28 February). Film, France, 1960 – out 1 February No film genres or movements are as cool as the French New Wave, which irrevocably changed cinema. Rules flew out the window, jump cuts became all the rage, boldness swallowed subtlety. Jean-Luc Godard's erratic classic is one of its pioneering productions: a brilliantly bouncy and jazzy crime film that follows a young-on-the lam criminal (Jean-Paul Belmondo) as he hangs out with his American girlfriend (Jean Seberg). The doomed lovers storyline isn't much, but the film's execution is fantastically invigorating. Godard creates the energy of a cork that's just popped. Film, France/Spain, 1977 – out 1 February The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie is probably the best known film from the great Luis Buñuel, and perhaps his magnum opus. But That Obscure Object of Desire is also vintage Buñuel. In many respects, it's quite 'normal' compared with other titles in his oeuvre, but there are still some big quirks. Particularly that its lead female character is played by two different actors, for no discernible reason. They switch roles throughout the film, sometimes during the same scene. She is the flamenco dancer Conchita (Carole Bouquet and Ángela Molina), who is pursued and obsessed over by a rich middle-aged Frenchman (Fernando Rey). Film, Australia, 2023 – out 1 February Noora Niasari's feature debut was one of the best Australian films of 2023, powerfully telling the story of Zar Amir Ebrahimi's titular protagonist, who tries to flee her abusive husband (Osamah Sami), seeking refuge in a women's shelter with their six-year-old daughter (Selina Zahednia). As I wrote in my review: 'Tension is skilfully sustained throughout and the drama has a pressurising effect, the air intensifying in a long, slow rise.' Honourable mentions: South Park season 1-15 (TV, 1 February), Chaplin (film, 1 February), Belle De Jour (film, 1 February), An Angel at My Table (film, 6 February), Pose (TV, 14 February), Fame (film, 23 February), Shaft (film, 23 February), Goodfellas (film, 23 February), Argo (film, 23 February), The Jury Murder Trial (film, 26 February), Boiling Point (TV, 27 February). Film, Canada, 2025 – out 6 February The great Australian auteur, Justin Kurzel, has never made a bad film (including his much-maligned Assassin's Creed, which I will defend to the grave). His latest is a rock-solid, grittily realistic action flick adapting a nonfiction book about a white supremecist terrorist group in the 1980s, which robbed banks to fund a neo-Nazi agenda. A baggy-eyed Jude Law plays Terry Husk, the FBI agent on their trail, while Nicholas Hoult brings a disquieting ordinariness to Bob Mathews, one of the group's leaders. Visually, the colours are scaled back and the frame given a musty timeworn veneer. It's a more straight-up, less ambitious work than some of his other films, like True History of the Kelly Gang and Nitram. Film, US, 2024 – out 27 February I'm eagerly awaiting RaMell Ross's adaptation of Colson Whitehead's novel The Nickel Boys, which is set in Florida under the Jim Crow segregation laws in the 1960s. The buzz around it is great, including Oscar nominations and oodles of praise from critics, with the Guardian's Peter Bradshaw describing the film 'transcendentally moving and frightening'. I'm particularly interested in its heavy deployment of first-person perspective – an approach that fascinates me. It's one of the dominant perspectives in video games but a visual technique that never took off in cinema, although some films have dabbled— for instance, 1947's Lady in the Lake and 2015's Hardcore Henry. Honourable mentions: The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (film, 1 February), The Bourne Identity (film, 1 February), Clean Slate (TV, 6 February), Newtopia (TV, 8 February), Reacher season three (TV, 20 February). TV, US, 2025 – out 17 February Who would've thought that murder, mystery and exotic locations would make such a tantalising mix? Everybody, of course! However Mike White's anthology series The White Lotus is several stratospheres above the likes of Death in Paradise. The first season was great and the second is just as good. Not surprisingly, expectations for the third season are very high, although little is known about what it will include. We do know that it will be based in Thailand, with White promising a 'longer, busier, crazier' season. Film, Australia/US, 2024 – out 21 February Will Furiosa be the last Mad Max movie to be directed by George Miller? Hopefully not. A finished script for another excursion into the waste land exists, but Furiosa's disappointing box office takings may have put the kibosh on it. Anya Taylor-Joy plays a younger version of the eponymous badass (formerly played by Charlize Theron) in this over-the-top beast of a movie, which delivers the requisite petrol madness but doesn't match the awesome rollercoaster ride of its predecessor, Mad Max: Fury Road. Honourable mentions: The Age of Innocence (film, 1 February), MaXXXine (film, 2 February), M*A*S*H (TV, 3 February), OJ Simpson: Blood, Lies And Murder (TV, 3 February). TV, US, 2025 – out 19 February Every episode of Pixar's first TV series follows a different member of a middle school softball team gearing up for their big championship game. Reminding us that Disney is far from being at the forefront of social change and, in fact, is generally quite gutless, news broke last year that the Big Mouse decided to remove one of the show's most interesting elements: the presence of a transgender character (who has subsequently become cisgender). Time will tell how the show fares quality-wise. Pixar generally set pretty high standards. Honourable mentions: A Thousand Blows (TV, 21 February), Scamanda (TV, 26 February). Film, US, 2025 – out 14 February Anya Taylor-Joy and Miles Teller play two crack snipers, from Russia and the US, respectively, who fall in love with each other. Ordinarily, this premise might make me yawn, but there's a big twist: each is stationed on different sides of a gorge, which not even the world's most powerful leaders know about. Because, well … that'd be telling. In the words of one character: 'The gorge is the door to hell. And we're standing guard at the gate.' It's maybe a little unusual that the gates of hell are guarded by only two people, but this is not social realism. It's a big silly monster movie directed with a stony face by Scott Derrickson and working with a script by Zach Dean that feasts on fantastic elements while dropping in lines from TS Eliot. Honourable mentions: Love You to Death (TV, 5 February), Berlin ER (TV, 26 February).
The Guardian
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The Substance, Furiosa and new White Lotus: what's new to streaming in Australia in February
TV, US, 2025 – out 20 February The first TV series starring the great Robert De Niro is set after a huge cyber-attack, during which thousands of people are killed and a message is sent to every phone in the US that reads: 'THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN.' Sure, that'd be pretty freaky, but old mate Bob – perhaps referring to Donald Trump, who he is no fan of – put things in context when he told Netflix: 'Right now, our actual world is scarier.' Even so, let's hope the series is an explode-a-palooza of jiggery-pokery and political intrigue. De Niro plays George Mullen, a former US president who comes out of retirement to lead the 'Zero Day Commision' tasked with finding the culprits behind the attack. TV, Australia, 2025 – out 6 February The story of disgraced wellness influencer Belle Gibson gets dramatic TV treatment in this six-part narrative series set during the early days of Instagram. The show purports to explore, among other things, 'the age of innocence on social media' – a time in which there were 'very few checks and balances in place'. Not like nowadays, when everything published on social media is 100% verified, totally true and companies such as Meta are investing, er, more and more resources into factchecking … right?! Apple Cider Vinegar was created by Australian writer Samantha Strauss and stars Kaitlyn Dever as Gibson, who claimed she cured herself of several cancers by adopting a healthy lifestyle. Honourable mentions: Shrek 1 and 2 (film, 1 February), MaXXXine (film, 2 February), Cobra Kai: Season 6: Part 3 (TV, 13 February), Gladiator (film, 16 February), The Theory of Everything (film, 16 February), Grease (19 February), Running Point (TV, 27 February). Film, France/US/UK, 2024 – out 15 February French film-maker Coralie Fargeat's sensationally disgusting body horror movie, which features an amazing performance from Demi Moore, seems to have been crafted with the following logic: to be heard during these noisy times you need to be loud. So, there's nothing remotely subtle about the Jekyll and Mr Hyde-esque story of Moore's Elisabeth Sparkle, once a huge Hollywood star but now the host of a morning aerobics program. She enlists the services of a mysterious company that sells its own version of the foundation of youth: a serum that, once injected, creates a second, 'perfect' version of herself, i.e. young and hot. The catch: she only gets to spend one week at a time in her new body (played by Margaret Qualley). When Sparkle breaks the rules, bad things happen, then very bad things happen, then very very very bad things happen, culminating in a Grand Guignol spectacle that has to be seen to be believed. Consider yourself warned. Film, US, 1959 – out 25 February Ordinarily, discussing a 50s Hollywood film about men who hide from gangsters by dressing up as women might trigger alarm bells. But Billy Wilder's sparklingly progressive classic is no ordinary movie. It's like a great cocktail crossed with a magical elixir, certain to lift your spirits. Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon play a pair of musicians who witness a murder then don dresses and apply some lippy. When Marilyn Monroe arrives, she lifts the film into another stratosphere, playing Sugar Kane, the vocalist and ukulele player of an all-female band. It ends with the great final line: 'Nobody's perfect!' TV, Australia, 2025 – out 13 February This new Australian drama – created, written and directed by Nicholas Verso – does a good job of evoking the turbulence of adolescence and issues faced by the LGBTQ+ community. It's set in a coastal town in Western Australia and focuses on three gay teenagers: Charlie (Joseph Zada), Zeke (Aydan Calafiore) and Hammer (Kade Hammersmith). The story swings into gear when the rebellious Charlie hooks up with a married man, whose wife busts them, leading to him being outed and a blizzard of social media posts. I've watched the first couple of episodes and I'm in two minds so far: the drama has a compelling rawness but some of the performances are patchy and the story didn't really engage me. Also, opening with boilerplate voiceover articulating a character's motivations and desires makes me feel like a sommelier who has just quaffed vinegar. TV, US, 2025 – out 20 February Solving crimes in Nowheresville, USA is a family business in this daffy, low-key comedy series starring Leighton Meester and Luke Cook as detective siblings who work for their police chief father (Clancy Brown). The show is based in a small American town but was actually shot in Queensland. The first couple of episodes (all I've seen so far) went down easily, although I wouldn't write home about it. The setup director is Trent O'Donnell, a comedy veteran whose work includes Colin from Accounts, No Activity and Review With Myles Barlow. Honourable mentions: Kid Snow (film, 1 February), 21 Jump Street (film, 1 February), 22 Jump Street (film, 1 February), Despicable Me 1-3 (film, 1 February), Willy's Wonderland (film, 6 February), Talk to Me (film, 7 February), Robocop 1-3 (film, 8 February), Moonstruck (film, 9 February), Lord of the Flies (film, 11 February), Invisible Boys (TV, 13 February), The Pianist (film, 14 February), Aliens 1-4 (film, 16 February), Alien: Covenant (film, 16 February), Prometheus (film, 16 February), Fargo season 5 (TV, 21 February), Four Weddings and a Funeral (film, 22 February). TV, Australia, 2025 – out 2 February This 80s Australian period drama established a satisfyingly moreish format in its first two seasons, using historical events as dramatic scaffolding for a story centered around two fictional media personalities: Anna Torv's Helen Norville and Sam Reid's Dale Jennings. The third (and last) season, for me, dipped a little, losing some spark and lustre. Sometimes, it felt quite on the nose – but there's still more than enough to satisfy fans. Honourable mentions: Love Me season 2 (TV, 2 February), Mozart: Rise of a Genius (TV, 3 February), Under the Vines season 3 (TV, 28 February). Film, France, 1960 – out 1 February No film genres or movements are as cool as the French New Wave, which irrevocably changed cinema. Rules flew out the window, jump cuts became all the rage, boldness swallowed subtlety. Jean-Luc Godard's erratic classic is one of its pioneering productions: a brilliantly bouncy and jazzy crime film that follows a young-on-the lam criminal (Jean-Paul Belmondo) as he hangs out with his American girlfriend (Jean Seberg). The doomed lovers storyline isn't much, but the film's execution is fantastically invigorating. Godard creates the energy of a cork that's just popped. Film, France/Spain, 1977 – out 1 February The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie is probably the best known film from the great Luis Buñuel, and perhaps his magnum opus. But That Obscure Object of Desire is also vintage Buñuel. In many respects, it's quite 'normal' compared with other titles in his oeuvre, but there are still some big quirks. Particularly that its lead female character is played by two different actors, for no discernible reason. They switch roles throughout the film, sometimes during the same scene. She is the flamenco dancer Conchita (Carole Bouquet and Ángela Molina), who is pursued and obsessed over by a rich middle-aged Frenchman (Fernando Rey). Film, Australia, 2023 – out 1 February Noora Niasari's feature debut was one of the best Australian films of 2023, powerfully telling the story of Zar Amir Ebrahimi's titular protagonist, who tries to flee her abusive husband (Osamah Sami), seeking refuge in a women's shelter with their six-year-old daughter (Selina Zahednia). As I wrote in my review: 'Tension is skilfully sustained throughout and the drama has a pressurising effect, the air intensifying in a long, slow rise.' Honourable mentions: South Park season 1-15 (TV, 1 February), Chaplin (film, 1 February), Belle De Jour (film, 1 February), An Angel at My Table (film, 6 February), Pose (TV, 14 February), Fame (film, 23 February), Shaft (film, 23 February), Goodfellas (film, 23 February), Argo (film, 23 February), The Jury Murder Trial (film, 26 February), Boiling Point (TV, 27 February). Film, Canada, 2025 – out 6 February The great Australian auteur, Justin Kurzel, has never made a bad film (including his much-maligned Assassin's Creed, which I will defend to the grave). His latest is a rock-solid, grittily realistic action flick adapting a nonfiction book about a white supremecist terrorist group in the 1980s, which robbed banks to fund a neo-Nazi agenda. A baggy-eyed Jude Law plays Terry Husk, the FBI agent on their trail, while Nicholas Hoult brings a disquieting ordinariness to Bob Mathews, one of the group's leaders. Visually, the colours are scaled back and the frame given a musty timeworn veneer. It's a more straight-up, less ambitious work than some of his other films, like True History of the Kelly Gang and Nitram. Film, US, 2024 – out 27 February I'm eagerly awaiting RaMell Ross's adaptation of Colson Whitehead's novel The Nickel Boys, which is set in Florida under the Jim Crow segregation laws in the 1960s. The buzz around it is great, including Oscar nominations and oodles of praise from critics, with the Guardian's Peter Bradshaw describing the film 'transcendentally moving and frightening'. I'm particularly interested in its heavy deployment of first-person perspective – an approach that fascinates me. It's one of the dominant perspectives in video games but a visual technique that never took off in cinema, although some films have dabbled— for instance, 1947's Lady in the Lake and 2015's Hardcore Henry. Honourable mentions: The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (film, 1 February), The Bourne Identity (film, 1 February), Clean Slate (TV, 6 February), Newtopia (TV, 8 February), Reacher season three (TV, 20 February). TV, US, 2025 – out 17 February Who would've thought that murder, mystery and exotic locations would make such a tantalising mix? Everybody, of course! However Mike White's anthology series The White Lotus is several stratospheres above the likes of Death in Paradise. The first season was great and the second is just as good. Not surprisingly, expectations for the third season are very high, although little is known about what it will include. We do know that it will be based in Thailand, with White promising a 'longer, busier, crazier' season. Film, Australia/US, 2024 – out 21 February Will Furiosa be the last Mad Max movie to be directed by George Miller? Hopefully not. A finished script for another excursion into the waste land exists, but Furiosa's disappointing box office takings may have put the kibosh on it. Anya Taylor-Joy plays a younger version of the eponymous badass (formerly played by Charlize Theron) in this over-the-top beast of a movie, which delivers the requisite petrol madness but doesn't match the awesome rollercoaster ride of its predecessor, Mad Max: Fury Road. Honourable mentions: The Age of Innocence (film, 1 February), MaXXXine (film, 2 February), M*A*S*H (TV, 3 February), OJ Simpson: Blood, Lies And Murder (TV, 3 February). TV, US, 2025 – out 19 February Every episode of Pixar's first TV series follows a different member of a middle school softball team gearing up for their big championship game. Reminding us that Disney is far from being at the forefront of social change and, in fact, is generally quite gutless, news broke last year that the Big Mouse decided to remove one of the show's most interesting elements: the presence of a transgender character (who has subsequently become cisgender). Time will tell how the show fares quality-wise. Pixar generally set pretty high standards. Honourable mentions: A Thousand Blows (TV, 21 February), Scamanda (TV, 26 February). Film, US, 2025 – out 14 February Anya Taylor-Joy and Miles Teller play two crack snipers, from Russia and the US, respectively, who fall in love with each other. Ordinarily, this premise might make me yawn, but there's a big twist: each is stationed on different sides of a gorge, which not even the world's most powerful leaders know about. Because, well … that'd be telling. In the words of one character: 'The gorge is the door to hell. And we're standing guard at the gate.' It's maybe a little unusual that the gates of hell are guarded by only two people, but this is not social realism. It's a big silly monster movie directed with a stony face by Scott Derrickson and working with a script by Zach Dean that feasts on fantastic elements while dropping in lines from TS Eliot. Honourable mentions: Love You to Death (TV, 5 February), Berlin ER (TV, 26 February).
