Wildwood

This is a version of a review airing on ABC Victoria's Statewide Mornings program on October 29, 2026.

(M) ★★★★

Director: Travis Knight

Cast: (voices of) Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Jacob Tremblay, Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Awkwafina, Amandla Stenberg, Tom Waits, Charlie Day, Arthur Knight, Angela Bassett, Richard E. Grant, Jake Johnson, Maya Erskine, Tantoo Cardinal.

"Did you say more feathers?"

You'd have to be crazy (and patient) to make a stop-motion film, let alone one as epic as this. The time and dedication required is nothing short of incredible. It takes a special breed of human to work on a movie like this. Fortunately, Laika are those people, and they make incredible stop-motion movies.

Making one in this day and age is a wonderful act of defiance - one that deserves a standing ovation. People claim to be artists because they can type a prompt into a soulless, art-stealing AI program. Spare me. Wildwood is art. It is art in every sense of the word. Typing a prompt into AI and calling yourself an artist is akin to punching in a selection on a jukebox and calling yourself a musician.

That is not to say Wildwood is perfect. Wildwood is a slightly bloated fantasy epic that wanders off into the forest a couple of times but it always gets back on the right track when it needs to, making for a thoughtful and heartfelt story of loss and finding your place in the world.

It's the story of Prue, a young girl who must rescue her brother Mac after he is stolen by a murder of crows and whisked away to the Impassible Wilderness. Along with a nerdy neighbourhood kid named Curtis, Prue must journey into the woods, where she stumbles on a whole new world in the midst of a civil war.

My first and biggest gripe with this film is a single song selection. During Wildwood's earliest and most important moment - when Mac is stolen by the crows - there is some banal rock song that plays, turning what should be one of the movie's earliest key emotional moments into a rollicking almost-joyous chase. In the trailer, I had chills watching glimpses of this scene. In the final movie, I was taken out of the moment and annoyed. This is one of those decisions that you wonder how it survived the long  and arduous production period.

Leaving that gripe aside, Wildwood is an incredible film. The level of artistry and attention to detail is remarkable. A surprisingly brutal climactic battle is the most astounding piece of stop-motion I've ever seen, but the whole film is kinda like that. You forget you're watching stop-motion and sink into the story, and then every so often you recognise the supreme level of artistry involved in a single moment.

The story is great and epic but far from flawless, which may be a fault of Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis' book. A diversion into a building run by a bureaucracy feels totally unnecessary, to the point where we forget that it existed until some of the characters from there return for the post-script. Removing this sub-plot could have streamlined things, and kept the focus on the good-vs-evil machinations and Prue's plight - the two things that make the movie so rivetting. 

It's worth noting the M rating on this one. I would have happily taken my 10-year-old to this one, but more sensitive kids will have a tough time with it. Wildwood opens with a suicide and concludes with a brutal battle that's surprisingly bloodthirsty for a family film. In the '80s, this would've got a PG, right alongside those other great all-ages outings Gremlins and Indiana Jones & The Temple Of Doom. In this day and age, it's a well warranted M.

Laika makes incredible films and this is their most ambitious to date. And while effort alone doesn't warrant accolades, Wildwood deserves all of them. A marvellous story, with great characters in an epic landscape, Wildwood is up there with Kubo & The Two Strings and Coraline for Laika's best films.

Gremlins 2 is better than Gremlins

Gremlins (1984)

(PG) ★★★

Director: Joe Dante.

Cast: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, Polly Holliday, Frances Lee McCain, Judge Reinhold, Dick Miller, Glynn Turman, Keye Luke, Corey Feldman, Edward Andrews.

"And now... Tubular Bells."

The 1980s were a wild and scary place for an easily frightened movie-loving kid. Torment and terror lay around every corner. 

Horses died in swamps, overcome by sadness. That lovely guy who invented The Muppets made a puppet film that was pure nightmare fuel. A Wizard of Oz sequel turned out to be horrifying because heads could be removed and if you touched the sand you died. Even the ending of the greatest adventure of all time had faces melting. 

It’s only in this landscape that a movie like Gremlins could have been made. Part cornball cartoon, part check-under-the-bed horror, it tried to walk a line that only truly existed in the '80s - the hitherto unexplored zone between kids entertainment and bed-wetting terror. In fact, Gremlins and Indiana Jones & The Temple Of Doom led censors to rewrite the ratings system in the US, because the line those two films walked wandered straight into places too dark for most kids. After all, nothing says "kids movie" quite like stuffing a living creature in a blender or a microwave, or ripping out the still-beating heart of a terrified man.

Joe Dante, a director renowned for mixing "the 1950s-style B movie genre with 1960s radicalism and cartoon comedy" (according to Wikipedia), attempted to blend his trademark cartoon comedy stylings with some genuine scares in Gremlins. The opening of the film is bizarrely wacky, as one by one we're introduced to a number of characters who are part of an OTT comedy from the '60s or '70s. Hoyt Axton is a goofy inventor, Judge Reinhold is a deputy bank manager/chad, Polly Holliday is a wannabe-dog killing grinch landlord, and Dick Miller is a tractor-driving xenophobe. Each is perfectly in sync with the oddball tone of the weird jokes that sorta-kinda land in the opening half hour.

But then the tone changes. In the middle of this is the cute Mogwai named Gizmo and its ominous instructions, and the 1984 teen-ish power couple of Zach Galligan (Billy) and Phoebe Cates (Kate), who are playing it very straight (as is the indomitable Frances Lee McCain as Billy's mom). They are starring in an entirely different movie - a scary movie where they are oblivious to the goofiness around them. Their movie occupies the bulk of the film but it's jarring to see them interact with the other actors who have seemingly wandered in from a comedy shooting on the same lot (which just so happens to be the town square lot where Back To The Future was filmed).

It's this blend of styles that was the selling point of Gremlins in 1984 and its biggest downfall rewatching it 42 years later. The funny-but-scary mix never quite works outside of the Gremlins themselves, who, being chaos incarnate, can get away with doing outlandishly oddball things in the middle of their killing sprees. But even then, they are pushing it. Yes, it's funny to watch them take over a bar and play cards and swing on the ceiling fans and get drunk, but we still need to be terrified of these reptilian Lokis.  

The fact we are still scared of them is largely down to the character design, the incredible puppetwork, and the insanity they bring to Kingston Falls. We can tolerate their cartoonish natures (though the scene where they cut loose in a bar, funny as it is, really does push it), but the film stumbles between its two tones. 

When it works, it's great, but the first half an hour is clunky, Axton's narration is utterly redundant, a subplot about the aforementioned grinch landlord goes absolutely nowhere, and the film frequently tries to blend cartoonish sound effects with its scariest moments. Ultimately the scares are too scary and the laughs are too goofy for it to meet in the middle.

The film's unevenness extends to its moral. Dick Miller's character, who doesn't trust foreigners or foreign products is ultimately proven right in a way - the cause of the problems comes from a Chinatown shop dealing in artifacts from the Orient. It's a xenophobic vindication for the town racist. But the mystical Chinese shopkeeper swoops in at the end to reclaim the Mogwai and tell the stupid Americans they're too ignorant and destructive to have something so cool. So turns it out everyone hates people from other countries, I guess. And everyone's right - the foreign monster causes the problem, but only because the dumb Americans can't follow the rules.

Gremlins is a flawed classic. It's goofiness aside, it's got some good scares, the Gremlins themselves are incredibly disconcerting villains, and the finale, as zany as it is, is a thrilling climax. Its technical achievements are also out of this world. The robotics and pupperty is next level, and the final moments of a melting Stripe are truly remarkable.

But probably its biggest success is its high concept. Even if you haven't seen Gremlins, you know at least two of the key three rules (don't get 'em wet, don't feed 'em after midnight) and you know what happens if you break those two key rules - little monsters happen. It's a brilliant plot, and one that succeeds and thrives for 75 per cent of the film.

---------------------------------------------------

Gremlins 2: The New Batch

(PG) ★★★★

Director: Joe Dante.

Cast: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, John Glover, Robert Prosky, Robert Picardo, Christopher Lee, Haviland Morris, Dick Miller.

"And I said, 'Joe, honey, I don't wanna be in your stinking sequel'."

All the things that are wrong with the first Gremlins film are right with the second one. And I realise how controversial it is to state such a thing.

It's still not perfect but The New Batch nails its tone right from the start. Yes, it's bonkers, but it's consistently bonkers, and Galligan and Cates fit in so much better. The scares are more kiddy friendly but also fit in with the comedy better. And the laughs are far funnier this time around. Right from the get-go, Gremlins 2 is aiming to be an oddball B movie, and it is.

And yes, we can do without the fourth wall-breaking scene that literally derails the film. It might've worked in the cinema, in the moment, but it was hokey then and it's hokey now. Some of the other meta-jokes fall flat, such as Leonard Maltin reviewing the first film. And you could rightly argue it's nowhere near as scary as the original.

But Gremlins 2 has so much going for it. It leans into its B movie ideas far more, complete with Christopher Lee as a mad scientist, its pop culture references are en pointe, and it has something bigger and better to say than the first film - that corporate American greed and inane tech-reliance will be our undoing. And here we are. 

One of the key sorta-villains is a parody of Donald Trump who proves to be an idiotic buffoon, completely disconnected from reality. John Glover makes the character Daniel Clamp way more sympathetic, but the idea cuts through.

In general, it's a send-up of sequels, of disposable pop culture, and of America in general. The majority of the plot takes place in one "smart" building that proves to be incredibly dumb - it's a nightmare to get into, inside is a nightmare, and then fixing any problems within it are nigh-on impossible. That's America.  

Yes, Gremlins 2 is only good because of the hard work of the original. The high concept of the first film sets up so much of the second, allowing it to work as well as it does. Some of the best jokes are actually riffing on the silliness of the first film, and poking fun at that. Does Joe Dante have contempt for the original, or is he just seeing an opportunity for laughs? Who knows, but for mine, it works. Plus the bulk of the effects are incredible, and once again build on the remarkable puppetry and robotics of the original.

But for evenness of tone, for better laughs, and for deeper themes, Gremlins 2: The New Batch is a better film than the original. Whereas Gremlins is a mismatched horror-comedy, Gremlins 2 is a wild, full tilt B movie. Your nostalgia will say otherwise, but in the harsh light of 40-ish years hindsight, the sequel is indeed the better film.

Digger

This is a version of a review airing on ABC Victoria's Statewide Mornings program on October 15, 2026.

(MA15+) ★★★★

Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu.

Cast: Tom Cruise, Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jesse Plemons, Robert John Burke, Sophie Wilde.

"Now, in most of my movies, I'd be either hanging off the side of or flying this here plane."

I can appreciate why people hate this movie. It seems like an utterly reasonable response. I wasn't sure if I liked it for the majority of its run time. 

It wasn't until a moment three-quarters of the way through Digger where a character basically explains what's going on that I decided I loved it. This scene still won't change a lot of people's minds - after all, if you have to have a scene that explains the movie for you, then maybe it's not a great movie. And maybe having a scene that also gives you an out for everything that's just happened isn't ideal either.

But for me, that scene just made everything click into place. It made all the odd choices in the preceding 1h40m of proceedings wonderful choices. I immediately wanted to rewatch the whole thing through this new lens. The niggling concerns and disconcerting elements were washed away. Clarity was reached.

 

What exactly that moment was, I cannot say. It's a spoiler of the highest magnitude, and is completely absent from the trailers. When we get the first hint of it, about 15 minutes in, it's a giant WTF moment that might have you throwing your popcorn at the screen. But it's worth it. You'll just have to trust me on that.

Digger is the tale of Digger Rockwell, an oil tycoon whose drilling in Greenland triggers a massive environmental disaster - a massive iceberg, heading for northern Europe that will bring tsunamis and untold destruction with it, killing tens of thousands of people.

Digger and the US government are left in a sticky situation - what, if anything, should they do about it?

 

On the surface, Digger feels like a misjudged unsubtle satire in the vein of Dr Strangelove. Instead, shorn of its genius conceit, it's an over-acted farce, with everything dialled up to 11 and continually interrupted by some weird, pointless diversions.

Then everything swims into focus. The lightbulb goes on. The door is opened. Everything makes sense. And even better than that, the film's central conceit illuminates so many more themes and shows off so much more depth to the story and its ramifications. Digger's flaws become strengths, and its morality play about climate change becomes something incredibly potent.

It's far from perfect, don't get me wrong. Not all of the flaws miraculously disappear. The character of Digger is widely uneven (which may also be part of the point), it's too long, and some issues are handwaved by the big twist at the three-quarter mark. But enough of it works to make this revelatory.

And then there's Tom Cruise. Love him or hate him, this is a bold choice of film for him. But full credit to him - he delivers a performance that calls its shot then proceeds to hit it out of the park. He packs on the prosthetics, leans into the weirdness, and eats the scenery, just like everyone else in this film. Digger is an unhinged caricature in a world full of demented caricatures, but it makes sense. It's a magnetic, engrossing performance, even when you're in the middle of hating the film. 

Goodman is similary insane as crazed US president, while Ahmed is perfect as a scientist who brings some much-needed sanity and incredulity to the story.

Digger is essentially a bold climate change satire - bolder than I can truly explain here without spoiling. It's wild over-acting, insane characters, and faux-retro create something fantastically ugly. This level of ambition should be commended.

But if you don't like it, I totally understand.

Heart Of The Beast

This is a version of a review airing on ABC Victoria's Statewide Mornings program on October 1, 2026.

(M) ★★★

Director: David Ayer.

Cast: Brad Pitt, JK Simmons, Anna Lambe.

"You got you're own driver? And a masseuse?"

In years to come, if people remember this film at all, they'll remember it as the Brad Pitt Dog Movie. This is largely because the real title of the film isn't great.  

But will they remember the film at all? Heart Of The Beast (to give it its actual title) is a decent movie without being exceptional. It's a survival adventure, but little more, and its obstacle/action sequences are great, but the whole thing never leaves you with a wow factor. Rather, it leaves you with the feeling you know exactly where this is going, partly because the movie opens with a scene from the end of the film, which is infuriating and pointless. 

Pitt stars as James, a retired Green Beret, who goes on a camping trip in the Alaskan wilderness with his also-retired combat dog Odin. When things turn bad, man and dog must work together to overcome incredible odds to make it back to civilisation.

Aside from some flashbacks and an early encounter between Pitt's James and Simmons' grizzled gold miner Watkins, the majority of the film is Pitt and dog trekking through the wilderness, hitting one life-threatening obstacle after another. It's intense, edge-of-your-seat stuff, and done well. The stunts are excellent, the CG tasteful, and the sense of danger and tension is excellent.

Pitt is also excellent, utterly believable as a soldier/survivalist. With just a dog (who admittedly is pretty good) to bounce off, Pitt shows he still has the magnetism to carry a film.

Heart Of The Beast is a decent film but never anything more. An end text suggests the film is an ode to combat dogs, which is nice, but it's part of the film's attempts to push aggressively at your emotional buttons. Throw in an at-times OTT soundtrack (and a horrendous end credits cover of Stand By Me), and you can't help but feel manipulated, as opposed to just feeling the feelings. The ending is bold but still felt pushy, not emotional. Usually I'm the first person to cry at a movie. Maybe I'm not enough of a dog person, but Heart Of The Beast felt like it was trying too hard to make me cry. But maybe that's just me - there were certainly other people in tears at the screening I attended.

I may be completely wrong about this (and I often am about these things), but this strikes me as the kind of film I will have completely forgotten about in five years time. It's solid, and does a decent job at what it sets out to do, but I can't shake the feeling that it wanted more from me as a viewer and I didn't feel the film earned it.

The DCEU - From Best To Worst

Artwork by The Imaginative Hobbyist

Now that the DCEU is dead, we can properly appreciate what an abject failure it was, from start to finish.

It's incredible that it took four films for them to make a good movie. It's bizarre that two films have basically the same title. It's ridiculous that there's an entire film that was pretty much completed yet never released (RIP Batgirl). It's insane how many DCEU films were in various stages of production (Wikipedia lists 39 projects). It's patently dumb that Warner Bros released a non-DCEU Batman film and two Joker films at the same time it was trying to build a unified cinematic universe (although two-thirds of those non-DCEU films are outstanding).

 

The whole pursuit was an unfocused, unmitigated disaster. DC tried to copy Marvel's homework but changed it so much they threw out all the right answers. Of the 15 films (16 if you count the Snyder Cut), only six or maybe seven made their money back, and that might be a generous interpretation. And critically speaking, only eight films were rated "fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes, and one of those is the Snyder Cut.

Which brings me to the fact I'm not bothering to include Joss Whedon's Justice League in this list. Now the Snyder Cut is out there, there is no reason for the patently inferior Whedon Cut to exist, so let's pretend it doesn't and move on, shall we?

The DCEU is dead, long live the DCU.

1. The Suicide Squad 

It's kinda hilarious that the best film and the worst film of the DCEU are basically the same film. James Gunn's crack at the Suicide Squad concept is so much fun, it's ridiculous. Ultra-violent, ultra-funny and ultra-unhinged, it works where the first version didn't because it has stakes, it has strong characters, it has style without forgoing substance, it's hilarious, and it has a bit of complexity to it. It makes the most of its idea and has a unique feel to it - something few other films in the DCEU accomplished.

2. Wonder Woman

Read my full review here.

After three misfires, the DCEU finally produced a good film. Wonder Woman worked because its themes and characters were so beautifully delivered and intertwined. The naive Diana and the war-weary Steve looked at the insanity of WWI through fresh eyes because of each other's presence, and this helped make this story something special. Gal Gadot is truly wonderful, has real chemistry with Chris Pine, and Patty Jenkins delivered not just a great superhero movie, but a great movie. The No Man's Land sequence remains one of the best of the DCEU.

3. Blue Beetle

Family. You can't have a Fast & Furious movie without it, and it's the secret sauce to this Latino-themed adventure. Funny, heartfelt and exhilarating, Blue Beetle deserved a better fate than to be a late franchise bomb. It's got more heart and guts than just about anything in the DCEU, and it's hard to see how the new DCU could reboot this and do a better job. 

4. The Flash

A surprisingly well-plotted and fun dive into DC and its multiverses that bombed in no small part because of Ezra Miller's alleged criminal active and generally insane behaviour and also because some of its CGI looked crap. It's a shame, because separated from that, it's one of the best DCEU films, thanks in so small part to Miller's dual performances. Throw in the return of Michael Keaton's Batman, an interesting twist on the Superman story, some clever time travel shenanigans, and the best bunch of super-cameos outside Deadpool & Wolverine, and you've got an unexpected DCEU gem.

5. Shazam!

Read my full review here.

Origin tales are a dime a dozen, but none are as fun as Shazam's. Zachary Levi brings great joy to the role of a grown-ass superhero who is actually a 14-year-old kid, and the scenes where he tests his powers and uses his adult persona to buy beer are hilarious. While it descends into a typical rock-'em-sock-'em showdown against a so-so villain (played well by Mark Strong), it's sweet little foster family subplot gives the film an edge over most of the rest of the DCEU.

6. Zack Snyder's Justice League

Read a kind of belated review here.

Given time to breath and exist, Snyder's four-hour epic is actually a fine piece of superhero melodrama. Cyborg's origin story and character arc elevate the film, but everyone benefits from the expansive runtime, even Steppenwolf, who becomes infinitely more interesting. Snyder's vision is a half-hour prune away from being elite, but it manages to be a solid take on the Justice League and a surprisingly decent pay off on the unfortunately terrible films that preceded it.

7. Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn)

The most stylish of the DCEU films, this is some seriously blood-splattered popcorn. It's not quite all style, no substance (although the ending absolutely is) - most of the film succeeds when Harley Quinn  unleashes her emotional problems in wholly unhealthy ways. Margot Robbie shines, and the film juggles her various sidekicks and their back stories reasonably well. All in all, a fun mess.

8. Shazam! Fury Of The Gods

Better than many people would have you believe, Shazam 2 is packed with heart, humour and a half-decent plot about pissed-off gods trying to reclaim their powers from the brats that got said powers out of nowhere in the first film. Despite the horrible miscasting of Lucy Liu and Helen Mirren (Mirren at least gives it her all), the film gets a long way on the what-the-hell-are-we-doing charm of its heroes and the theme that makes every Fast & Furious film tick - family. The number of fun DCEU movies is quite small, but this is one of them.

9. Aquaman

Read my full review here.

While it succeeds in making its fish-controlling hero a badass (full points to Jason Momoa), Aquaman struggles to live up to its expectations. Painted into a corner by having already introduced the character in other films yet trying to tell his origin story here without actually telling his origin story, but also struggling under the weight of its mythology and its quest to find the right tone, it's as if this CG-drenched tsunami was dead in the water before it started. Yet it does a semi-splendid job at times, almost making this the one that got away, were it not for an often turgid script, and the non-existent chemistry of Nicole Kidman and Temuera Morrison.

10. Man Of Steel

Read my full review here.

Henry Cavill was a great Superman - it's a shame he never got a great movie to go with his chiseled jaw and impressive presence. Snyder's attempt to make an oh-so-serious Kal-El film leaves the audience strangely bored, as the film gets bogged down in repetition and absurd dialogue. It has its moments and Michael Shannon's Zod is great, but it doesn't thrill like it should (or like James Gunn's 2025 Superman did). Eventually its violence and dour tone becomes overwhelming, and not even Cavill's charm can save the day.

11. Black Adam 

Better than expected, due to the fascinating ambiguity of its anti-hero, and a colourful array of side characters. But the latter are wasted and even Dwayne Johnson's star wattage can't overcome the fact this devolves into a boring punchathon where it never ever feels like Black Adam can be harmed, let alone killed. There is the kernel of a good movie in here somewhere, and that good movie would definitely have more of Pierce Brosnan's Dr Fate in it.

12. Wonder Woman 1984

Read my full review here.

Similarly to Black Adam, there is a great idea hiding in this mess of movie - what would happen if everyone in the world got what they wanted? Led by an enigmatic turn from Pedro Pascal as Maxwell Lord, Wonder Woman 1984 is so close to being a worthy follow-up except that its worldwide disaster emerges almost without explanation, its 1984 setting proves meaningless, and the return of Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) never feels right. Gal Gadot does her best, but the film even fumbles what Wonder Woman represents, reducing her to a lovelorn puppy still mourning someone who died 60 years earlier.

13. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Read my full review here.

"Wait - your Mum's name is Martha too?". Leaving aside this fumbled attempt at finding a shared humanity between its titular heroes, BvS fails spectacularly and repeatedly with its scattershot plotting, misjudged characters, and by trying to force a narrative that never sticks, all the while winking maniacally at the audience. Jesse Eisenberg's portrayal of Lex Luthor is never scary and Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman feels wedged into the film out of contractual obligation. Things spark up in the third act, but it's a gruelling trek to get there, and by then you're wondering why they bothered.

14. Aquaman & The Lost Kingdom

If the DCEU wasn't dead already by the time this limp Aquaman sequel dived into the franchise, this would've been the film that killed it. Poorly plotted and terrible to look at, you actually feel for the actors as they go through their paces trying to save this damp mess. Jason Momoa and Patrick Wilson struggle to make the film's failed humour work, while Nicole Kidman again seems to have wandered in from different movie. Only Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Randall Park acquit themselves well, and they struggle against the naff plot and dodgy dialogue. There are elements of the story that are cool, but the whole thing is a big dumb mess.

15. Suicide Squad

Read my full review here.

A chaotic mess of a shambles of a binfire of a film that takes forever to get going, then goes nowhere. The only saving graces are Robbie's Harley Quinn and a vaguely charismatic turn by Smith as Deadshot. All set-up, no plot. All style, no substance. All sizzle, no sausage. If not for Quinn, you wouldn't bother at all.

Oasis: Don't Look Back In Anger

This is a version of a review airing on ABC Victoria's Statewide Mornings program on September 17, 2026.

(MA15+) ★★★★

Director: Will Lovelace & Dylan Southern.

"What'd ya say, ya fookin' fook?"

The intro to Don't Look Back In Anger spins through the Oasis story at breakneck speed - they wrote some good songs, became the biggest band in the world, then broke up in 2009 because the Gallagher brothers were a pair of hot-headed twats. The end.

Then in 2024, it was announced that hell had indeed frozen over, pigs were flying, and the Gallaghers were getting the band back together for a 41-date world tour the following year. Cue much derision from the media about how many dates Oasis would get through before one Gallagher bottled the other and the whole thing got called off. 

But this doco, which covers the rehearsals and reunion tour, manages to (miraculously) rewrite the Oasis narrative. Despite its prickly start, this is not a fly-on-the-wall expose of everything going wrong, but rather a tale of forgiveness, redemption and two dickhead brothers maturing just enough to realise they created something that actually means something to people.

Don't Look Back In Anger doesn't do anything extraordinary compared to other music docos, but it has great content it uses wisely, building momentum throughout to end with something kinda magical. Of course the film is a celebration of Oasis, but what it captures is a band in the process of rewriting its own history, and an adoring fanbase ecstatic to see it happen.

The performances are shot well, though Oasis were never an exhilirating live band - Liam just stands there and occasionally puts a tambourine on his head, Noel just plays his guitar. What really sells the many live bits is a) these are great songs made for arena-sized singalongs, and b) the fan responses. There are countless shots of fans weeping with joy at the experience. Outside the stadiums, fans liken the reunion to the second coming of Jesus, gather on hilltops outside the arena to listen, and repurpose Oasis songs to fit their soccer team. It's like a religion.

The community of music is a key element of Don't Look Back In Anger. But even better is the story of the Gallaghers, who never say sorry or talk out their differences. Instead they just somehow get over all the bullshit and discover a newfound respect for each other and their music. Having tens of thousands of people singing your songs back to you every night, after an absence of 15 years, is bound to do that to you, but seeing it happen is oddly heartwarming.

In between the fans and gigs, we get to hear from the Gallaghers. Liam is still a twat, Noel slightly less so, but somehow they're endearing and offer something vaguely appproximating maturity. The fact that the doco contains their first joint interview in over 15 years tells you everything you need to know.

In a somewhat contrived but utterly perfect part of the film, a priest gives a sermon to a handful of parishioners about forgiveness, redemption and respect. It's an ideal summary of the doco. 

If you can tolerate the music (and you should because Noel writes bloody great songs), then this is a must-see music documentary.

The Dog Stars

This is a version of a review airing on ABC Victoria's Statewide Mornings program on September 3, 2026.

(MA15+) ★★★

Director: Ridley Scott.

Cast: Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, Guy Pearce, Benedict Wong, Allison Janney.

Not pictured: the stars.

Ridley Scott knows a thing or two about survival - Alien and The Martian are among two of the best survive-against-all-odds movies of all time. 

But rarely has surviving the end of the world seemed so languid, bucolic and rural as it does in The Dog Stars, Scott's adaptation of the post-apocalyptic novel of the same name by Peter Heller.

There are moments of terror (including a truly creepy end to the second act), but for an end-of-days situation it's surprisingly chill. What this leaves room for are some thoughtful takes on whether kindness and goodwill can survive the apocalypse.

Aussie actor Elordi stars as Hig, a pilot/mechanic who is one of the few survivors of a killer pandemic. He lives in a self-sustaining compound in Colorado with a former soldier named Bangley (Brolin) and a dog called Jasper.

While Bangley is content to see out the post-doomsday days in their easily defendable ranch, Hig wonders if civilisation still exists, and whether it's even worth carrying on.

This post-armageddon world seems fairly pleasant and survivable. There's fishing trips with your dog, flying your plane over beautiful landscapes, hanging out with the nearby Mennonite community, and visiting your oddly untouched family home. Yes, there are marauding hordes and some truly abominable horrors out there, but in The Dog Stars they tend to feel like they've been dropped in from a different film. The horrors of survival are not the major danger - it's the yearning that'll get ya.

The film kinda ambles along until it hits its truly messed up section, which tips proceedings into horror territory briefly. These moments are the ones that are going to stick with you the longest after the credits have rolled.

That's partly because everything else is weirdly nice. In between the psychotic gangs roaming the landscape, this is a futuristic film yearning for a simpler time, in a roundabout way. It enjoys its beautiful landscapes (Italy standing in for Colorado) and wonders what it's all about. At its heart it questions whether survival is compatible with kindness. 

Elordi carries the film well, Brolin is great in slightly one-note roll of the grizzled war vet, while Pearce and Qualley add a spark to things when they turn up. 

The Dog Stars is Scott's 30th film as director. He's made some real stinkers from time to time (The Counsellor remains one of the worst films I've ever seen), but this ain't one of them. It's mid-tier Ridley - not his best work, not his worst. Just nicely in the middle. And oddly pleasant for a post-apocalyptic vision.