Latest news with #toxic masculinity
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The Surfer to Night Always Comes: the seven best films to watch on TV this week
Lorcan Finnegan's sunburnt psychological thriller is an electrifying throwback to Australian cinema's new wave of the 70s and its studies in toxic masculinity. Nicolas Cage is almost too perfectly cast as 'the Surfer', a father hoping to introduce his teenage son to his childhood seaside home and ride some waves. However, a gang of larrikins led by Julian McMahon's smug Scally deem Luna Bay a locals-only venue – and will do anything to stop his attempts to surf there. This brightly lit but darkly menacing film grows increasingly hallucinatory and nightmarish as the Surfer is stripped of his money, phone, food, car, even his board. And Cage on the edge is, as always, a magnetic watch. Friday 22 August, 7.25am, 12.35pm, 8pm, Sky Cinema Premiere Musician/author Willy Vlautin's modern noir novel is brought to the screen in gritty style by two alumni of The Crown – director Benjamin Caron and lead Vanessa Kirby – though the subject matter couldn't be more different. Set over a taut 24 hours, it follows Kirby's Lynette as she races around the city to find the $25,000 needed to buy her home before she, her brother and feckless mother are evicted. A drip-feed of revelations about her traumatic past life accompany the desperate quest, with Kirby superb as a woman torn between what she wants and what she needs. Out now, Netflix The great British partnership of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger was nearing its end in 1957 when they produced this fact-based second world war drama. It isn't up there with their many classics (Powell himself was particularly scathing about it) but there's a surprising jollity to its story of a mission to kidnap a German general (Marius Goring) in 1944 Crete and spirit him off the island. Dirk Bogarde is the nonchalant leader of the operation, Maj 'Paddy' Leigh Fermor, while the local resistance are a fun-loving bunch despite the occupation. Saturday 16 August, 3pm, U&Yesterday In a Casablanca far from the tourist traps, petty criminal Hassan (Abdellatif Masstouri) and his as-yet untainted son Isaam (Ayoub Elaid) are hired by Hassan's boss to abduct a man. Unfortunately, the victim suffocates in their van, so they set off across the city in an error-strewn attempt to dispose of the body before daylight. Kamal Lazraq's neorealist Cannes winner offers a raw but sometimes comic closeup on the underbelly of Moroccan society, while the shifts in the father-son relationship give the film dramatic heft, despite the leads being 16 August, 10.30pm, BBC Four Sign up to What's On Get the best TV reviews, news and features in your inbox every Monday after newsletter promotion As a tribute to the late Michael Madsen, you could do worse than Quentin Tarantino's 1992 debut. He certainly steals the film as Mr Blonde, with his dance/torture routine to the strains of Stuck in the Middle With You. But there's a lot more to recommend it, from the smart if expletive-filled dialogue to the rug-pulling flashback plot structure, as a gang of robbers – including Harvey Keitel and Tim Roth – assemble after a botched diamond heist to work out who is the mole in their midst. Monday 18 August, 11.35pm, ITV4 'There is no sex in Georgian dance!' The strictures of tradition – choreographically and sexually – come down heavily on Merab (an affecting Levan Gelbakhiani), a student dancer at the Georgian National Ensemble, where a 'masculine' performance style is the rule. His attraction to new boy/rival Irakli (Bachi Valishvili), which may be mutual, further complicates his feelings about his art and life. Levan Akin's 2019 film – do check out his more recent trans drama Crossing – is a tender, troubling coming-of-age tale set in a world where difference is only tolerated at the margins of society. Tuesday 19 August, 1.50am, Channel 4 This early Brian De Palma effort from 1970 shows the New York-based director playing around with some of his influences (Godard, Hitchcock) in a lively if slightly scattergun satire. Robert De Niro – himself not fully formed as an actor – plays a voyeuristic film-maker trying to make a movie by spying on his neighbours in the apartment block opposite. This devolves into a bizarre mock documentary about a radical theatre group staging an experience called Be Black Baby, which features paint and an education in racial 19 August, 3.10am, Talking Pictures TV
Khaleej Times
6 days ago
- General
- Khaleej Times
Gen-Z: Navigating the death and rebirth of chivalry
My exasperation at how many men my age still mistreat women has reached boiling point. I date, and I'm having a good, safe and wholesome time doing it, but I still see how most men are incapable of accomplishing the bare minimum. A common refrain by women is that 'the bar is super low'; women are more educated, forward-thinking, open-minded and empathetic than men, and the gap is widening again, and men still move through romance and intimate connections with women in life and the workplace like entitled bags of [expletive]. What I see is a lot of men who want to have their cake and eat it too. They want some perfectly feminine woman with all the trappings of a conservative 'traditional' relationship, with the man in charge, but they also want their girlfriends and wives to be smart, professionally ambitious and willing to split the bill while doing all the housework. In Dubai, these differences are less obvious; most people are not here permanently, and with so many expats, if they are, they are likely to find those relationships they want in their home country or within that community in the UAE. But across the country and around the world, the evidence about men, women and relationships show men are still failing to catch up, from the basics like empathy and housework to being an ally and protector of women whether romantically involved or not. In short, the basics of feminism; most men of Gen-Z and younger falsely believe that gender equality came and went, and now men are on the chopping block. This couldn't be farther from the truth, considering who makes the decisions for institutions like governments, banks and media companies, but men still want both. I know for a fact that most men don't think about the patriarchy the same way I do, and I accept that. A man with no job, no education, no kindness, and no ability to clean up after himself will probably feel much better about his poor prospects if he has a woman he can come home to and mistreat. Someone who is doing the cooking and cleaning for him, because at the very least he isn't at the bottom of the pyramid. It's been the same story for thousands of years; those with power turning those without against each other so they don't look up at the source of their material woes. Within our current context, it is the failure of both individual men and the vehicle of manhood as a whole to address and metabolise the importance of gender equality. People can make excuses about culture or religion, loneliness epidemics, or point to the myriad failings of capitalism, but people are still being raped, forced into child marriages, or pushed into having children they cannot care for and don't want forced upon them by a global society that remains broadly patriarchal and paternalistic. I bring all this up again because dating is, to be frank, a hellscape for women and a walk in the park for genuinely good men. You can cry 'gold digger' and 'men's rights' until the cows come home, but as a man I'm not risking my life opening an app or walking down the street in shorts above my knee. There's respectability and modesty to think about in a country like the UAE and even a place like Dubai within it, but truly, who is at fault if a woman gets attacked by a man? Perhaps all men should be locked up since they can't control their urges.
SBS Australia
03-08-2025
- Entertainment
- SBS Australia
'Men deserve to be more than providers': Who is guiding men through modern manhood?
More than 50 years ago, the women's liberation movement reshaped society's expectations of womanhood. As commentary around 'toxic masculinity' persists today, Insight asks if men need to be liberated from traditional masculinity. Watch episode Male Liberation at 8.30pm on SBS or on SBS On Demand . Geoff Devereaux, who works in the domestic violence space , says when he's asked groups of men what it is to be a good dad, "provider" is often the first — and last — word on the list. "Oftentimes, that's where that list tends to stop," Geoff told Insight. Geoff helps his seven-year-old stepson with his homework. He cares for his infant son and takes turns doing the bedtime routine with his wife, who works night shifts. But he feels that society often does not allow men to be nurturers. "Men deserve to be more than providers. We deserve … the opportunity to be more than that," he said. "[It's] also about us working on ourselves, to have healthier connections with our families." Geoff said his father was a healthy male role model to him growing up. Despite that, societal messaging around what a man 'should' be, still shapes his behaviour. "Whenever I'm feeling insecure … I'll bring up the fact that I train in Krav Maga — as a way of proving that I'm masculine, by training in self-defence," he said. "Subconsciously, I've linked masculinity to violence." 'The world didn't come crashing and burning' Like Geoff, Harry Garside took up a contact sport to 'better' align with traditional representations of masculinity. "What do you see on movies? You see men fight. They save the world; they do these wild things," Harry said. "I think being so soft and not like my brothers — not fearless … I initially started boxing to be more like them ... I felt quite insecure, and I didn't really know it." The youngest of three boys, Harry was nine when he took up boxing. Harry Garside after a boxing match in 2015. Source: Supplied The Olympic bronze medallist, 28, says that the sport has since given him the confidence to explore himself in his adult life — including a period of dressing in more traditionally feminine clothes. He also credits a youth program he participated in as a teen, and its nail painting activity, for shifting his mindset. "It was quite a unique experience, because I think I was a boy who was just like: 'What am I painting my nails for? This is bullshit'." "But then I think we realised, when we did that, was the world didn't change ... The world didn't come crashing and burning. We didn't change as people." A lack of male role models? Content creator Richard Jackson doesn't think that strong societal expectations about what men 'should' be is a bad thing. He believes there is too much "contradictory messaging" surrounding the topic. "The blueprint ... used to be the clear 'provider-protector'. A strong, stoic [man]," Richard told Insight. "Whereas nowadays, there are lots of parts of society that are saying that's to be dispensed with — or it's not useful anymore." Richard believes young men want more role models. Source: Supplied Richard, whose parents' divorce impacted how he views masculinity, largely credits social media as his education for understanding what being a good man means. The 31-year-old cites Canadian author Jordan Peterson and British American influencer Andrew Tate as key people who taught him about manhood. "I think for a lot of young lads, they look for role models. And they find their way in the digital sphere and see what resonates," Richard said. "... I think there's a big yearning in the space for clear direction." Some criticise Jordan Peterson for his right-wing views on political correctness, gender identity and climate change. Tate is set to stand trial over multiple charges including rape and human trafficking in June 2026 in the UK; he denies all allegations made against him. 'A request for men to change their behaviour' Macquarie University historian Leigh Boucher says despite some people describing provider or protector roles as "traditionally masculine", societal ideals of masculinity are still always changing. "Over time, in every period, someone is always saying: 'Remember when we used to know how to be men?'" Boucher told Insight. "So, the idea of 'tradition' is actually an idea that we often use to make a statement about what we want." Leigh says that being queer has helped him understand what it means to be a man. Source: Supplied Boucher feels part of the discussion happening today around masculinity stems from social changes in the late 1960s and early 1970s. "If we understand the women's liberation movement … as a kind of mass movement to transform the lives of women … we might say that was also a request for men to change their behaviour." The academic acknowledges that for good reason, the conversation was more about women and that request of men didn't really become part of the mainstream cultural political conversation at the time. Boucher believes it took time for society to "register that if we're going to take the project of gender equality seriously, it means men might need to do some thinking, talking, working, considering, and some changing". Australian men are less likely than Australian women to seek professional help for their mental health. Only 12.9 per cent of men — compared to 21.6 per cent of women — accessed mental health services between 2020 and 2022, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Boucher feels that becoming comfortable with vulnerability and tenderness is key to exploring the full range of masculinity. This is something he believes his queerness helped him with. "If you grow up as a young man experiencing desire for other men, it makes you ask questions. 'Oh shit, what's this masculinity shit?'" "That's actually opened up worlds and ways of thinking to me that I'm incredibly grateful for." By comparison, Leigh feels that heterosexual men police their behaviour — particularly around physical contact and affection. "Being queer means that there's many more spaces where you get to be tender and it's not a risk," he said. Living authentically as men As a naturally affectionate man, Geoff says he knows the judgement Boucher spoke to of being openly tender in public. He recalled a parent-teacher evening where his stepson came up and "put his arms around my neck and kissed me on the cheek before he went and played". "I distinctly remember the really clear look of disapproval from another one of the fathers that was there," he said. The experience hasn't changed Geoff's behaviour. He says his home is a place where "'I love you's and hugs and cuddles are given freely". Geoff with his son and stepson. Source: Supplied Similarly, for Harry, his hope is for everyone to live as authentically as they can. "Young people — before they enter school — are so pure and just organic and authentic," he said. "And then eventually the world starts shaping them ... We're told consistently and constantly ... how to live and act." The Olympic boxer sees merit in qualities traditionally associated with masculinity, like strength and pride, but he encourages people to explore other parts of themselves. Harry feels that he is very different to the 16-year-old "ratbag" version of himself. Source: Supplied When asked about what masculinity means to him as a 28-year-old, Harry said that his beliefs change all the time. "I think being a man is, is in motion ... I think being a man is nice when it's of service to others, which is something that I definitely haven't fully transitioned to still," he said. "If we can turn the mirror on what we're doing for other people or are we looking after ourselves so we can be a better human for [others], then I think the world is always a better place — regardless of if you're a man or a woman." For counselling, advice and support for men who have anger, relationship or parenting issues, call the Men's Referral Service on 1300 766 491. For crisis and mental health support, contact Lifeline (13 11 14), SANE Australia (1800 187 263) or 13Yarn (139 276), a 24/7 Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islanders crisis support line.
The Guardian
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Reputation review – front and swagger in brawling portrait of British male rage
Squint and you can picture the two leads of this film playing the Gallagher brothers circa the big Oasis bust-up of 2009 – all front and swagger, eyebrows set into aggrieved furrows. Instead, in this small-time British crime drama, James Nelson-Joyce and Kyle Rowe play old mates dealing drugs in the fictional northern town where they grew up. It's a brawling tale about a man who feels trapped by toxic masculinity, though in the end the film too backs itself into a bit of a dead end of macho violence. Nelson-Joyce is Wes, who has been questioning his life and choices since his best mate Tommy (Rowe) went to prison. Wes and his girlfriend Zoe (Olivia Frances Brown) have just had a baby, and there's even talk of a job. Then Tommy is released, a repugnant bully unwilling to let Wes go. Rowe's ferocious performance feels horribly real, like an angry dysregulated little boy with a need to break anything he can't have. Tommy's rage gives the film some nauseating moments; perhaps even harder to stomach is the casual misogyny in Wes's circle. Reputation is a grim portrait of male rage, though it doesn't seem particularly interested in the reasons behind it. There is a real sense of place though, in rows of narrow terraced houses backing on to wide open expanses of countryside. And for a film put together on what looks like a minuscule budget, it gets a considerable amount done. There's a promising plotline about one of Wes and Tommy's customers, the mother of a murdered 10-year-old boy, as well as little flickers here and there of another life open to Wes. But in the end it all builds to a big grandiose violent ending, which is a bit of a shame. ● Reputation is on digital platforms from 28 July.
The Guardian
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Reputation review – front and swagger in brawling portrait of British male rage
Squint and you can picture the two leads of this film playing the Gallagher brothers circa the big Oasis bust-up of 2009 – all front and swagger, eyebrows set into aggrieved furrows. Instead, in this small-time British crime drama, James Nelson-Joyce and Kyle Rowe play old mates dealing drugs in the fictional northern town where they grew up. It's a brawling tale about a man who feels trapped by toxic masculinity, though in the end the film too backs itself into a bit of a dead end of macho violence. Nelson-Joyce is Wes, who has been questioning his life and choices since his best mate Tommy (Rowe) went to prison. Wes and his girlfriend Zoe (Olivia Frances Brown) have just had a baby, and there's even talk of a job. Then Tommy is released, a repugnant bully unwilling to let Wes go. Rowe's ferocious performance feels horribly real, like an angry dysregulated little boy with a need to break anything he can't have. Tommy's rage gives the film some nauseating moments; perhaps even harder to stomach is the casual misogyny in Wes's circle. Reputation is a grim portrait of male rage, though it doesn't seem particularly interested in the reasons behind it. There is a real sense of place though, in rows of narrow terraced houses backing on to wide open expanses of countryside. And for a film put together on what looks like a minuscule budget, it gets a considerable amount done. There's a promising plotline about one of Wes and Tommy's customers, the mother of a murdered 10-year-old boy, as well as little flickers here and there of another life open to Wes. But in the end it all builds to a big grandiose violent ending, which is a bit of a shame. ● Reputation is on digital platforms from 28 July.
