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Time Magazine
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Magazine
Breaking Down the Twists and Reveals in the Ending of Netflix's 'Untamed'
Warning: This post contains spoilers for Untamed. The temptation is strong to classify Untamed, the new series from screenwriter Mark L. Smith and his daughter Elle Smith, as Netflix's answer to Paramount's Yellowstone. In fact, it's not wrong to at least assume as much; when one studio makes a cool $2 billion from their neo-Western surprise smash, a non-zero number of competing studios will inevitably scramble to fund their own. But if Untamed is a product of the ongoing content arms race between cable networks and streaming services, it is nonetheless a better genetic match to Top of the Lake, Jane Campion's 2013 New Zealand mystery drama, whose skeletal structure reads like the unintended template for television's modern crop of regional detective dramas. Untamed, like Yellowstone, concerns itself with one of America's best ideas: its national parks. But it's also a trim limited series rooted in the stuff of parenthood, like Top of the Lake—the sins of the father (and the mother, for good measure), self-doubt, overwhelming powerlessness, and lots of grief. No conflict is had between the old ways and the new, so to speak, not even in context with white settlers' theft of Indigenous land. Instead, the show excavates the souls of its co-leads, Kyle Turner (Eric Bana), an Investigative Services Branch (ISB) agent for the National Park Service in Yosemite; and Naya Vasque (Lily Santiago), an L.A. transplant and NPS newbie, assigned to assist Turner in following the threads of a potential murder case in the park. What they unravel from that skein cuts not only to their cores as parents, but the story's supporting characters' cores, too, from Paul Souter (Sam Neill), Turner's friend, mentor, father figure, and boss as Yosemite's chief ranger, to Jill (Rosemary DeWitt), Turner's ex-wife, who can't resist the gravitational pull of his PTSD. She has her own emotional and moral baggage, too, some that's conventional, and some that's harder to spot, like sunlight glinting off a hunting rifle's scope. Jill takes the hit… Likewise, the reveal of one Sean Sanderson's fate lands one episode too late in Untamed to make an impression on the narrative; it's a missed opportunity by the Smiths to lend Jill necessary character depth. Sanderson (Mark Rankin in a walk-on role) went missing in Yosemite about five years ago in the show's timeline, but his name is brought up frequently in its present. His family is filing a wrongful death suit against the park, and their lawyer, Esther Avalos (Nicola Correia-Damude), visits Turner and Jill alike, sniffing around for information about his disappearance. DeWitt is one of our most casually gifted actors, in that whatever role she plays in whichever medium she chooses, she constitutionally reads as at-ease in her characters; they're lived-in and breathe life through the screen. Jill is no exception. But the guarantee of a good DeWitt performance can't offset Jill's meager profile on the page. She is, like Turner, figuratively haunted by the death of their young son, Caleb (Ezra Wilson), revealed in the series opener, 'A Celestial Event,' to have tragically died prior to Untamed's events–about five years, in fact. Turner is literally haunted, per his recurring conversations with Caleb; it isn't made explicit whether he's an apparition or just a hallucination, but there is nonetheless a ghostly quality to their dialogue together. In keeping with popular male balms for spiritual suffering, Turner turns to alcohol and functions as a mollusk, socially and professionally; his stoicism is an act, one his peers pick up on, and which some openly deride. 'Christ, here comes Gary Cooper,' grouses Milch (William Smillie) when Turner strides on horseback into the scene of the crime that spurs Untamed's A-plot: the murder of Lucy Cook (Ezra Franky), met in 'A Celestial Event' when she leaps off of El Capitan and into the ropes of two climbers ascending the granite monolith—a plunge she doesn't survive. The no-nonsense lawman routine is tired, within the text as well as without—if Milch and the rest of the park staff are done with Turner's schtick, then maybe television writ large should be, too—but at least it's normal. Jill, by contrast, responds to Caleb's death another way altogether. It turns out that Sanderson—he of the missing persons case—is Caleb's killer, whose crime was caught after the fact on motion cameras set up by Shane Maguire (Wilson Bethel), Yosemite's Wildlife Management Officer and staff reprobate. Shane intended those cameras to document animal migration patterns; instead, they reflect Milch's words to Vasquez in the second episode, 'Jane Doe,' that when people trek into the wild, they assume no one's around to watch them, 'so they do whatever bad sh-t pops in their head.' Shane brings this information to Turner and Jill, and offers them revenge in the form of taking out Sanderson. Turner refuses; but Jill accepts. We spend most of the show assuming Turner's change in temperament, following Caleb's death, is the catalyst for his and Jill's divorce. It's a welcome change to the formula that Jill's decision to engage Shane's services is in fact what broke their marriage. If only the Smiths worked that twist into Untamed before the finale. Dropping that grenade on the audience with so little time left to feel the impact does Jill little justice, but DeWitt does, in fairness, invest great pathos in her. As much as it comes as a shock that someone so mild-mannered would turn that dark, the matter-of-factness in DeWitt's delivery reads as confrontational: given the opportunity, would you, fellow parents, make the same choice as her? …but Souter takes a fall There is, of course, another twist to accompany Jill's disclosure to her second husband, Scott (Josh Randall), as we are still awaiting resolution in the matter of Lucy Cook's death. After Turner cleverly unlocks Lucy's iPhone by applying formaldehyde to her corpse's cheeks to dupe its facial recognition biometrics, he discovers that Lucy's heretofore anonymous lover, Terces—'secret' spelled backwards—is actually Shane, and based on videos showcasing him abusing her, not to mention his pro-murder worldview, he looks like the culprit responsible for her ultimate plunge off of El Capitan. But looks are deceiving. Sure, they're not deceiving enough that we feel any kind of pity for Shane when Vasquez gets the drop on him and guns him down, saving Turner's life; unsurprisingly, Turner figures out Shane's involvement in a drug trafficking scheme in Yosemite, moving product in and out of the park through bygone mining tunnels; Shane takes the discovery badly, and nearly kills Turner in a drawn-out hunt over hill and dale. But if Shane is a monster who is guilty in the matter of how Lucy lived, as both her abusive partner and a participant in the drug ring, he is nonetheless innocent in the matter of her death. The real guilty party here is Paul Souter, who also happens to be her biological father, a truth only he and Lucy are privy to. In an abstract perspective, this makes thematic sense. Untamed is about parenthood on a molecular level: the lengths we'll go to protect our children, and the depths we plumb if we're so unfortunate as to mourn them. Vasquez' character arc involves Michael (JD Pardo), her ex-partner on the force and in life, and their son, Gael (Omi Fitzpatrick-Gonzales), whom she took with her to Yosemite for his safety; in flashbacks, we see Lucy with her mother, Maggie (Sarah Dawn Pledge), in happier times, learning about her Miwok ancestry; Paul looks after his granddaughter, Sadie (Julianna Alarcon), while his other, acknowledged daughter, who isn't seen in the show, struggles with personal demons of her own. None of this makes the screenwriting decision to put the burden of Lucy's death on Paul any more welcome or tasteful, though. It's another knife in Turner's back when he's just gotten off of bedrest, post-recovery after his grueling fight with Shane; when he connects a few stray dots that lead him to Nevada, where he meets Faith Gibbs (Hilary Jardine), whose parents fostered a slew of kids, including Lucy. Faith recalls Lucy talking about how her father, a policeman, would come for her one day, and arrest the Gibbs, who severely mistreated their various wards. The gears in Turner's head grind along as she dredges up this memory, and he confronts Paul first thing upon returning to Yosemite. All Paul can do is argue that he only meant the best by whisking her away to the Gibbses, far from her violent stepfather. It's a weak case for the character to make, given the abuse the Gibbses subjected Lucy to, and that when she comes back to the park as an adult to extort Paul, he reacts by accidentally chasing her to her death off of El Capitan–a revelation that feels quite like letting all the air out of a balloon. …and Turner moves on. Consequently, that makes a weaker conclusion for the narrative, one the series can only wrap up by having Paul use his pistol on himself and take a tumble into rushing river waters. Worse, that unceremonious and unearned end robs oxygen from Turner's own catharsis, a black flag at Untamed's last lap. Turner is the lead. His growth as a human being is what we're here for. Paul's increasingly bad decisions throw up a smoke screen around that growth, minutes before the story closes the arc of Turner's self-destructive bereavement. The pivot to Paul's complicity is especially frustrating given the wonderful foundation for Turner's ultimate closure laid out by his friend, former colleague, and Miwok community leader, Jay (Raoul Max Trujillo), in a monologue in the fifth episode, 'Terces,' about the connection he feels to his forebears through his connection to Yosemite's land. 'When it's my time to die, I will die here,' Jay says. 'But if I chose to die somewhere else, I would still have my ancestors with me, because the spirits in this valley are within each one of us.' Turner tearfully echoes the sentiment in 'All Trails Lead Here,' during a final farewell with Caleb's visage. 'No matter where I am, or where I go, you'll always be with me,' Turner chokes. When the credits roll, he's on his way out of Yosemite, the site of his anguish, for good, newly at peace and secure with the memories he has of his beloved son. Untamed incidentally reminds viewers just how vast our country is, at a moment when the world feels smaller than ever–an illusion we perform on ourselves with slavish devotion to our personal devices and social media. Paul's confession and suicide therefore strikes a sour chord on the series' driving motif. Emphasizing the bonds we hold with our loved ones, whether they're with us or not, makes a more fitting ending, for Jill, for Vasquez, and especially for Turner.
Buzz Feed
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
10 TV Shows With Powerful Female Leads That Are The Perfect Pick-Me-Up After A Bad Day
Some days just suck—and that's when you need a show that makes you feel seen and heard. Here's a list of TV series with badass female leads, that are the perfect pick-me-up and a good break from the usual stuff we're tired of watching! Survival of the Thickest Survival of the Thickest is the epitome of feel-good! The story revolves around Mavis Beaumont, a stylist living in NYC who decides to rebuild her life after her breakup. This show has everything you need to feel better about life—unapologetic representation, charm, a storyline around career and friendship and everything in between. It's self-love in a neat box. Top of the Lake Top of the Lake is a gripping mystery drama that follows Detective Robin Griffin as she investigates the disappearance of a pregnant 12-year-old girl in a small town in New Zealand. It is dark, emotionally intense, and cerebral, led, of course, by a complex female character. Grace and Frankie Speaking of the perfect pick-me-up, Grace and Frankie has to be one of the best feel-good shows out there! It's a comedy-drama revolving around two older women, Grace and Frankie—nemeses since day one—who are forced to be in close proximity for a lot longer than anticipated after their husbands come out and leave them for each other. It's a series full of chaos, friendship, laughs, and starting over. Orphan Black Orphan Black is a sci-fi thriller led by a powerhouse performance from Tatiana Maslany. The story revolves around Sarah Manning, who witnesses an incident involving a woman who looks exactly like her, which leads her to discover that she is one of many genetically identical clones. Pitch Pitch is a sports drama that follows Ginny Baker, the first woman to play Major League Baseball, as she battles sexism, media scrutiny, and self-doubt while trying to prove she belongs on the field. Better Things Better Things is a comedy-drama that follows Sam Fox, a single mom, as she juggles raising three daughters and caring for her eccentric mother, all while handling her job as an actor. It is a funny and honest take on parenting and womanhood, which makes for the perfect pick-me-up. Wentworth If you're a fan of Orange is the New Black, this is going to be your next favorite. Wentworth follows Bea Smith, found guilty of attempting to kill her husband, as she navigates a women's correctional facility, which is rife with power struggles and the drive to survive. With its gripping plot twists and fierce female characters, this one will make you want to keep pressing play. Marcella Marcella is a dark crime thriller about a former detective who is pulled back into investigating a string of brutal murders while battling her own mental health struggles. If you like gripping storylines and a psychological deep-dive into the lead's mental health, this one's for you. Insecure Insecure follows Issa Dee as she navigates love, friendship, and career struggles in modern-day Los Angeles, with a relatable awkwardness that makes for a great watch. It's a coming-of-age story that will definitely make your not-so-good day better. Extraordinary Attorney Woo Extraordinary Attorney Woo follows Woo Young‑woo, a brilliant rookie lawyer on the autism spectrum, as she tackles unique legal cases with creativity and empathy while breaking down social barriers at her prestigious Seoul firm. It's got representation, softness, and resilience—what else do you need to lift your spirits? These are some of the many amazing shows with fierce female leads that make for a wonderful watch. Have any more such shows in your list? Tell us in the comments!
Scoop
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
A Bold, Modern Twist On Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
Press Release – The Court Theatre Prepare for a wild ride with Shakespeare's riotous rom-com, where laughter and bewilderment go hand in hand The Court Theatre – Stewart Family Theatre | 9 August – 6 September Shakespeare's Twelfth Night arrives at The Court Theatre next month with all the mistaken identities, romantic entanglements, and sharp wit audiences love—brought to life with modern dress, contemporary style, and a spirit of playful mischief. Performed in full Shakespearean text, Twelfth Night is a vibrant rom-com packed with humour, heart, and timeless insights into human nature. The production combines a fast-paced script, an ensemble of dynamic performers, and original music composed by cast member Hester Ullyart, who plays Feste. Directed by The Court Theatre's artistic director Alison Walls, this production is set in a world pulsing with colour, music, and movement—a feast for the senses brought to life by a knockout cast of Aotearoa's finest. 'This is a rom com!' says Dr Walls. 'It remains fresh and pacey. The text offers great freedom in its staging. Illyria can be anywhere that allows you to explore a different version of yourself. Twelfth Night is funny and ridiculous with some real psychological truths at its core.' Audiences will meet twins Viola and Sebastian, shipwrecked and separated, as they navigate a world of disguise, love triangles, and comic chaos. Stranded on the coast of Illyria, the clever and resourceful Viola, separated from her twin brother Sebastian, disguises herself as a man and enters the service of Duke Orsino. As she navigates her new life, she becomes entangled in a whirlwind love triangle where identity, passion, and gender blur and collide. Bursting with vitality and romance, Twelfth Night introduces one of Shakespeare's most captivating heroines, who matches wits with an array of memorable characters, from the lovesick Olivia to the puritanical Malvolio. This play is a rich tapestry of comic courtship, mistaken identities, and fluid romance. With its ingenious central plot involving twins of different genders, and its delightfully funny side plots, Twelfth Night serves up a feast of laughter, poignant moments of grief, and the joy of unexpected revelations. Multiple award-winning actor Victoria Abbott keeps us guessing Viola. After a shipwreck leaves her believing her twin brother has drowned, Viola disguises herself as the young man Cesario—setting the stage for a whirlwind of romantic mix-ups and comic confusion. A creative chameleon herself, Victoria is a writer, performer, director, and clown from Ōtautahi now based in Sydney. She comes fresh from the Australian premiere of Pride and Prejudice, with credits including Top of the Lake, Power Rangers, and Educators, alongside stage work with Pop-Up Globe, Red Leap Theatre, and Auckland Theatre Company. Viola's long-lost twin, Sebastian, is played by Nic Kyle, returning to The Court Theatre with a dazzling international resume. With 18 years of professional work across New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Germany, and the UK, his credits span Savage (The Arts Theatre, West End), Spamalot, and Closer to Heaven in London, to local favourites like Cabaret, RENT, The Music Man, and Kinky Boots. Nic was nominated for Best Actor by Broadway World UK and named 2023 Variety Artists Club Top Male Artist. As the elegant and grieving Countess Olivia, Emma Katene (Ngāti Kahungunu) returns to The Court Theatre following standout roles in The Girl on the Train and Fun Home. Olivia has sworn off love—until she meets Cesario, unaware 'he' is actually Viola in disguise. Playing the lovesick Duke Orsino is James Kupa (Ngāti Kahungunu), a Court Theatre favourite (Murder on the Orient Express, The End of the Golden Weather), with television credits including The Brokenwood Mysteries, Dark City: The Cleaner, and Nothing Trivial. A stellar cast includes: Dan Bain (End of Summer Time, Director) as the raucous Sir Toby Belch Kathleen Burns (End of the Golden Weather) as the mischievous maid Maria Jonathon Hendry (Pike River, Lord of the Rings) as the pompous but pitiable Malvolio Hester Ullyart (A Streetcar Named Desire) as the witty fool Feste and original music composition. Cameron Clayton (Strictly Ballroom, The Musical) as Antonio and the Captain William Burns (SpongeBob SquarePants, Stage Manager) as Andrew Aguecheek and Valentine This Twelfth Night explores gender, identity, and love through a modern lens, balancing laugh-out-loud comedy with aching tenderness and unexpected revelations.
Scoop
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
A Bold, Modern Twist On Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
Prepare for a wild ride with Shakespeare's riotous rom-com, where laughter and bewilderment go hand in hand The Court Theatre – Stewart Family Theatre | 9 August - 6 September Shakespeare's Twelfth Night arrives at The Court Theatre next month with all the mistaken identities, romantic entanglements, and sharp wit audiences love—brought to life with modern dress, contemporary style, and a spirit of playful mischief. Performed in full Shakespearean text, Twelfth Night is a vibrant rom-com packed with humour, heart, and timeless insights into human nature. The production combines a fast-paced script, an ensemble of dynamic performers, and original music composed by cast member Hester Ullyart, who plays Feste. Directed by The Court Theatre's artistic director Alison Walls, this production is set in a world pulsing with colour, music, and movement—a feast for the senses brought to life by a knockout cast of Aotearoa's finest. 'This is a rom com!' says Dr Walls. 'It remains fresh and pacey. The text offers great freedom in its staging. Illyria can be anywhere that allows you to explore a different version of yourself. Twelfth Night is funny and ridiculous with some real psychological truths at its core.' Audiences will meet twins Viola and Sebastian, shipwrecked and separated, as they navigate a world of disguise, love triangles, and comic chaos. Stranded on the coast of Illyria, the clever and resourceful Viola, separated from her twin brother Sebastian, disguises herself as a man and enters the service of Duke Orsino. As she navigates her new life, she becomes entangled in a whirlwind love triangle where identity, passion, and gender blur and collide. Bursting with vitality and romance, Twelfth Night introduces one of Shakespeare's most captivating heroines, who matches wits with an array of memorable characters, from the lovesick Olivia to the puritanical Malvolio. This play is a rich tapestry of comic courtship, mistaken identities, and fluid romance. With its ingenious central plot involving twins of different genders, and its delightfully funny side plots, Twelfth Night serves up a feast of laughter, poignant moments of grief, and the joy of unexpected revelations. Multiple award-winning actor Victoria Abbott keeps us guessing Viola. After a shipwreck leaves her believing her twin brother has drowned, Viola disguises herself as the young man Cesario—setting the stage for a whirlwind of romantic mix-ups and comic confusion. A creative chameleon herself, Victoria is a writer, performer, director, and clown from Ōtautahi now based in Sydney. She comes fresh from the Australian premiere of Pride and Prejudice, with credits including Top of the Lake, Power Rangers, and Educators, alongside stage work with Pop-Up Globe, Red Leap Theatre, and Auckland Theatre Company. Viola's long-lost twin, Sebastian, is played by Nic Kyle, returning to The Court Theatre with a dazzling international resume. With 18 years of professional work across New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Germany, and the UK, his credits span Savage (The Arts Theatre, West End), Spamalot, and Closer to Heaven in London, to local favourites like Cabaret, RENT, The Music Man, and Kinky Boots. Nic was nominated for Best Actor by Broadway World UK and named 2023 Variety Artists Club Top Male Artist. As the elegant and grieving Countess Olivia, Emma Katene (Ngāti Kahungunu) returns to The Court Theatre following standout roles in The Girl on the Train and Fun Home. Olivia has sworn off love—until she meets Cesario, unaware "he" is actually Viola in disguise. Playing the lovesick Duke Orsino is James Kupa (Ngāti Kahungunu), a Court Theatre favourite (Murder on the Orient Express, The End of the Golden Weather), with television credits including The Brokenwood Mysteries, Dark City: The Cleaner, and Nothing Trivial. A stellar cast includes: Dan Bain (End of Summer Time, Director) as the raucous Sir Toby Belch Kathleen Burns (End of the Golden Weather) as the mischievous maid Maria Jonathon Hendry (Pike River, Lord of the Rings) as the pompous but pitiable Malvolio Hester Ullyart (A Streetcar Named Desire) as the witty fool Feste and original music composition. Cameron Clayton (Strictly Ballroom, The Musical) as Antonio and the Captain William Burns (SpongeBob SquarePants, Stage Manager) as Andrew Aguecheek and Valentine This Twelfth Night explores gender, identity, and love through a modern lens, balancing laugh-out-loud comedy with aching tenderness and unexpected revelations.
Sydney Morning Herald
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘We're roadkill': How this Kiwi actor turned middle-age rage into her best work yet
Robyn Malcolm is a hoot. The Kiwi actor is leaning on one arm, recounting her recent evening at the BAFTAs in London, where her critically acclaimed series After the Party had been nominated for Best International Series. 'Honestly, they go on and on and on and on,' she says. 'Of course, our award was right at the end. By the time it got to the end, I was like, 'I hope we don't win', because my feet are so sore in these massive shoes I bought, and I was desperate to go to the loo. And I thought if we did win, I'd either fall down the stairs because my feet were numb or I'd piss myself on the stage. So when it went to Shogun, I was like, 'Oh, thank god for that.'' Surely it was a bit glamorous? 'Oh, it's a nightmare!' she says. 'There's the going to the ball aspect of it, which is fun … but then you stand in the heat and there's all this jostling and pushing and photographs and chaos, and it was really hot. And then you get inside and you sit and watch these damn awards for 3½ hours. And honestly, it's not entertainment.' Malcolm, who turned 60 in March, is in Glasgow, where it's early evening, but the temperature is a balmy 25 degrees. 'All the Glaswegians are, like, freaking out that they're so unprepared for it,' she says, laughing, over Zoom. She is exactly as I had hoped – funny and forthright, stripped of any artifice – and instantly familiar. She's been on New Zealand and Australian screens for years, starring in everything from the big stuff (Jane Campion's TV series Top of the Lake) to the cult local stuff (Outrageous Fortune) and the delightfully funny stuff (Upper Middle Bogan). It was on Top of the Lake where she met her partner Peter Mullan, the Scottish actor who specialises in being both terrifying and charming on screen, who pops in mid-chat, so Robyn can pop out to farewell his grandson. 'He's just a really f--k-off actor,' says Malcolm. 'He's an enormously fun actor to work with. I've worked with actors before who are arseholes, and people make excuses for that because they're playing a dark character. And I'm like, 'I know a fellow who's played some of the meanest motherf---ers on the planet, and he'll get the third AD [assistant director] a cup of tea because he's such a sweetheart.'' Loading She has been in the UK for the last three months or so, after being summoned by an agent when After the Party aired last year. 'They just said, 'Could you not talk to any other agents, and can you come with me?' – which was great.' The series, which was co-created by Malcolm and screenwriter Dianne Taylor, was about a high school teacher (Malcolm) who accuses her ex-husband, Phil (played by Mullan) of sexually abusing a drunk friend of their teenage daughter. Malcolm was hailed for giving the best performance of her career and five-star reviews followed. 'I feel like I'm at the beginning of something, not the end of it,' says Malcolm. 'Because I've never lacked ambition, so this has just got my pilot light going faster again, which is fantastic. Weirdly, it's sort of new-lease-of-life stuff. 'I'm more confident than I used to be. I know a lot more. I know what I don't know. I know where I need to get better. I feel like I'm in an excellent place right now for the age I am, you know. I'm not about to buy a La-Z-Boy [reclining chair] any time soon.' My mother-in-law has one of those. 'No, no, no. Although they are f---ing great chairs, I have to say.' Back to the serious stuff – Malcolm is part of a growing group of older female actors using their power on screen and refusing to be invisible. Women can now – shock! – play their age instead of being quietly shuffled out of shot, having reached their screen use-by date of 40 (or, really, a 40-year-old who can pass for 30). It's their stories that Malcolm is most interested in telling. 'One of the things that I love about women in midlife is that it's the three-act structure,' she says. 'You set everything up with the first act, and then everything has to go to shit in the second act so that third act can happen. 'And I feel a lot of us are at the end of our second act. So women of our age straddle so much stuff … we're the generation where a lot of people were divorced. Mistakes have been made, new lives are being started. Careers have been dropped. Careers have been picked up. There's been tragedy. We're in the middle of a big story and that, in itself, I find a really fascinating place to start from. In drama, she says, women's conversation often sits around romance. 'I always remember being so furious – I mean, I was never a major fan – but being so furious that Sex and the City ended with them all shacking up with blokes. I was like, 'This is not what this show was meant to be about. How dare you.' 'You don't see women living independently of the romance story, women being – I hate this word – but having an agency that is completely separate from that. Women having powerful lives in other areas. 'One of my most favourite things is the word 'crone'. The etymology of the word crone comes from either Greek or Latin, and it basically was a word that meant roadkill. So the middle-aged or older woman, the crone word essentially means that we're roadkill. I love that because it's like we've just been chucked out the window, knocked over by a car, and we're splat on the road, and who gives a f--k about us. There's something incredibly powerful in that.' Her latest role is in Netflix's Tasmanian murder mystery The Survivors, adapted from Jane Harper's bestselling 2020 novel. Malcolm plays Verity, the mother of Kieran, who has returned home 15 years after two young men were killed in an accident. The relationship between Verity and her son is strained, and it's another cracker of a performance from Malcolm, who is brittle and forthright on screen. 'To use all the cliches in the book, she's multi-layered,' says Malcolm of Verity. 'What she says she doesn't mean, and what she doesn't mean, she says. There's always something else driving her. She's bottled up so much grief and so much pain. She's blaming the wrong people. She's angry at the wrong people. She's just all over, all over the place. And I really love that.' Malcolm has been onscreen so much in Australia that we would have a fair chance of claiming her as one of our own. Loading 'I just think we should build a bridge [between Australia and New Zealand] and just be done with it,' she says, laughing. 'I don't think I would ever call myself an Australian. I've been in Aotearoa for too long. But I love Australia and I love working there. 'I love the directness of Aussies; Kiwis can be very apologetic, very self-deprecating. A friend of mine said once that to determine the difference in personality between an Australian and New Zealander, you just have to listen to the bird calls,' she says. 'So in New Zealand, in the mornings, the bird calls are sort of like [Malcolm does a lovely sweet bird call] and in the morning in Australia, it [sounds] like this mass vomit.'
