Holy Days

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Holy Days!

Original image located here. Accessed 21st August 2026

Kiera insisted that we watch this. And the funny thing I would've never have heard of it otherwise. 
So this is a New Zealand co-production which has to have the most unusual elevator pitch behind it: a trio of nuns go on a road trip with a little boy across both islands of New Zealand. 

So yeah, its pretty obvious that the humour will rely on that of 'nuns interacting with the real world'. But what truly makes it work is the three leads - Judy Davis, Miriam Margolyes and Jacki Weaver - who are clearly having the time of their lives in these roles. There's witty dialogue, great jokes and some truly stunning imagery of New Zealand. 
Indeed, a fun movie. 

The Beekeeper

 And this week's Friday night movie has been... The Beekeeper!

Original image located here. Accessed 29th May 2026

Some of my workmates suggested I should watch this. So here we go. 

So what we have here is a burly action hero taking action against some computer nerds that are out to scam the livelihood out of some unsuspecting saps. Certainly it makes for an experience that many can relate to - especially considering that the perpetuators of such schemes get away with a lot and the victims are left with next to nothing- except a desire of justice that will never be realised. 
Indeed, I can imagine the elevator pitch for this: 'Jason Statham punches out Mark Zuckerberg'

Jokes aside, this was a solid action flick with some great actions scenes and some delicious catharsis of seeing some internet scam artists getting their come-uppance. 

Oh a sequel is being made? Well I'm for it. 

The Wild Robot

    And this week's Friday night movie has been... The Wild Robot!

Original image located here. Accessed 24th April 2026

I was burned by Kung Fu Panda 4. Can I trust DreamWorks again?

Apparently so.

It can't be denied that DreamWorks has proven itself to be a major rival to the Disney monolith. But personally I always felt that the identity that DreamWorks forged for itself was one that was defiantly anti-Disney. And it's an approach that proved successful (Shrek anyone?).
That being said, you wouldn't think that that DreamWorks would try and tackle something both sincere and heartfelt. 

But that's exactly what's happened here: Get past the jokes and anti-establishment ethos in the first portion, and you'll find something of wonder. It's not just the stunning visuals, the creativity on display and the imagination peppered throughout. Oh no, there are some substantial musings on parenthood, the notion of abandoning primal instincts for civilisation, and, particularly in my eyes, the implication of an autistic person coming in and ultimately uniting a disparate community. 

Personally? DreamWorks have produced some stellar works and this stands proudly among them. 

One Battle After Another

And this week's Friday night movie has been... One Battle After Another!

Original image located here. Accessed 17th April 2026

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 98 (2025) 

It's the latest addition to the line of Academy Awards for Best Picture so how does this one stack up against it's brethren? 

In recent years I have heard some movies made before 1990s being reassessed through having some dated portions & mindsets and subsequently being explained away as being 'products of their time'. This in turn makes me wonder if a similar fate awaits the movies being made in the past decade. I say this as this movie is very much a product of this current time with it's themes: people rising up in violent protest, old white dudes being villainised, people of colour taking aggressive stances and ordinary folk being pushed around by military forces.

But that's only in the first portion of the movie. Because partway through the movie it changes gears and the rest of the runtime is dedicated into being an abduction thriller. And that's where One Battle After Another really shines, being tense and exciting. 
So would that make the first portion something of a Trojan horse? Perhaps but I am impressed that the Academy had the balls to give this the top award. I suppose that is an indication of where the Academy may be heading with the voting process: Changing the rules, challenging formula and adapting to fit the times. And if that means seeing a whole lot of unconventional Best Picture winners then hey, I'm all for it.

The Rise of the Red Hot Chili Peppers: Our Brother Hillel

And this week's Friday night movie has been... The Rise of the Red Hot Chili Peppers: Our Brother Hillel!

Original image located here. Accessed 10th April 2026

This documentary has been doing the rounds lately so I grew curious. Not much is said about the early days of the Red Hot Chili Peppers (ie. pre-Under the Bridge/Blood Sugar Sex Magic) so perhaps this will fill a void....

So what this is a biography on both the Red Hot Chili Peppers and their original guitarist Hillel Slovak. In regards to the latter, a lot is revealed about him: His early life, his childhood bonding with Anthony Kiedis and Flea, his passion for art, his mastery of the guitar and, his influence on the Chili Peppers themselves. Both Kiedis and Flea contribute their own recollections as well as former band mates and friends. And AI is used to replicate Slovak's voice to read his diary entries, thereby giving Slovak a say in the narrative. 

While this documentary works as a vital document of the afore-mentioned early days of the Chili Peppers, it's ultimate goal is to paint a portrait of Hillel Slovak: showing everyone who he was as a person. And it's this that the documentary succeeds with flying colours.
It is striking to see Kiedis and Flea speak openly about their former bandmate - particularly with the latter breaking down. Clearly the loss of their bandmate is still being felt decades later and they are still keen on making sure Slovak isn't forgotten. There certainly is some guilt expressed over how Slovak's ultimate fate and both maintain that the Chili Peppers wouldn't turned out the way they did without his involvement. 
Also of note is John Frusciante, Hillel's successor, providing his own words of admiration for Slovak. 

Like any good documentary it's a compelling mixture of triumph and tragedy. And it does the job of filling in a vital, and indeed overlooked, spot in the Chili Peppers' history.
It's very human and very honest.

Suzume

 And this week's Friday night movie has been... Suzume!

Original image located here. Accessed 27th February 2026

I've never been a fan of anime director Makoto Shinkai. Honestly I find a lot of his stuff hit or miss with some good ideas let down by laborious execution. Matter aren't helped with a lot of people venerating this guy for reasons I find baffling. And yet, I did enjoy Your Name so maybe he finally got his act together?

There's one scene from Suzume that stands out for me: It involves a car journey that features music I could recognise from other anime - namely, Kiki's Delivery Service and His & Her Circumstances. At first I was chuffed to hear something familiar but then I realised: If this anime is reminding me of other anime then something has gone seriously wrong. 

Okay seriously, there are some good ideas at work here, some extraordinary visuals and I acknowledge Shinkai as someone with a vision. But at the same time, this is a chase movie and it's pace is relentless. It can be exhausting to keep up and it makes some of the slower moments stand out less as a breather and more as aimless. Also standing out is the weirder stuff that seems to exist solely for the sake of it.

So yeah, a decent movie some admirable elements but somehow it left me cold

Rosaline

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Rosaline!

Original image located here. Accessed 13th February 2026

This movie came to my attention through a high concept: A re-telling of Romeo and Juliet through an unseen character - a love interest of Romeo that is immediately disregarded once Juliet enters the picture. Sounds like a challenge to me....

So this is pretty much Romeo and Juliet thrust into the lens of deconstruction and post-modernism (the kind of lens that served Shrek so well). It come across like a fanfiction someone wrote to try and force modern logic and perceptions into a centuries-old text.
And yet, I had so much fun with this movie. There were some great jokes, the cast seem to be having the time of their lives and there are certainly nods to Shakespeare that one such nerd, like myself, could pick up on. The description in the above paragraph may sound like a disaster but somehow it works.

Great stuff

Rental Family

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Rental Family!

Original image located here. Accessed 9th January 2026

Well, Kiera wanted to see this so, as always, she dragged me along.

So what we have here is the story of an American actor who has been stuck in Japan for seven years. He manages to find work by being part of a rental service where he provides friendship to paying customers (and I have been reassured that this type of thing does indeed exist in Japan).
Of course this description doesn't really do any justice to the film itself: While this is an effective showcase for the Japanese cast and locales, the real meat here is seeing this movie as a meditation of needing connection, how it is found and what one will do to get it. And to that end, this movie is quite the touching one and a delight to see. 

Given that Brendan Fraser is credited as Executive Producer this is clearly something that he genuinely believed in and wanted to see through. Good for him but I have to wonder if this is a bid for the Best Picture Oscar....

Elio

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Elio!

Original image located here. Accessed 2nd January 2026

Happy new year! Here's to the next twelve months of watching movies - and what better way to begin than with a movie that was tossed out into the world with little to no faith in it.

Once upon a time, there was a little boy who had a keen interest in space exploration. He devoured every book he had on the subject and was very excited when the Voyager 2 probe reached Neptune. He was very keen on UFOs and dreamed of making contact with aliens. And despite his imagination, he was neurodivergent (although he didn't know it at the time) and he had trouble fitting in.

I think this movie was custom made for me. 

Last year I pondered on what could be the least of Pixar's impressive track record and one could make the case that this could be it. Even I will admit that some of the complaints of this movie - it's looking formulaic, has less heart and more manipulation when compared to it's brethren  - may have some legitimacy behind them. 

But what does it matter? This movie spoke to me and still has the sense of child-like wonder that Pixar does so well. Indeed, one look at this, you wouldn't think that this was the result of a troubled production and a poor marketing effort. But in the end, it's the idea of finding somewhere where we all belong that brings it home. 

Truly a superb movie. 

Superman (2025)

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Superman (2025)!

Original image located here. Accessed 26th December 2025

When I was a boy I saw the original Superman movie with Christopher Reeve. I did enjoy it but in retrospect that was the starting point for super-hero movies, proving they can work and draw in the numbers with people both inside and outside of comic book fandoms. 
However in years since, Superman has become a difficult character to get right, with subsequent movies being dour affairs (Henry Cavill) or good ideas weighed down with lousy ones (Brandon Routh).
So can James Gunn, surely the patron saint of taking lesser known/tainted material and doing something grand with it?

I will say this: This movie does learn from the mistakes of it's predecessors. There is plenty of colour, it ditches the desaturation of Cavill's era and has an effective leading man in David Corenswet. But perhaps the most striking thing about this movie is that it truly understand how a Superman movie is supposed to work: Gigantic set pieces, Superman's powers being utilised in fun and inventive methods, the realisation that Superman is meant to serve as an example and some true heart. And no Jon Peters for miles. 

And with that, this blog comes to a close for the year. This year has been a journey and a half and I hope you all enjoyed going with me with every step.
And I hope to speak to you all again in the new year when there's more movies to discover...

Senior Year

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Senior Year!

Original image located here. Accessed 5th December 2025

Sometimes a film appears on your watch list and it stays there for so long that you forget why you put it there in the first place. But in this case, I think I know why: My first point of contact with this movie was seeing saw that scene where the cheerleader is thrown up but doesn't get caught and is subsequently knocked out. Nothing like some mindless violence to get one interested.

What I got however was a movie that seems to be at odds with itself: On one hand it could have gone and said something about arrested development and being a teen in an adult's body but it did not (did it see Young Adult and get cold feet?). And on the other it could have gone and said something about the current youth being disrupted out of lifelessness by an older person - and while it does do that it comes across as forced. So what does that make this movie?

Certainly there are some good jokes and Angourie Rice does an AMAZING job of channelling Rebel Wilson but the rest of the time? Just too much cringe for my liking. Damn...

Wicked: For Good

 And this week's Friday night movie has been... Wicked: For Good!

Original image located here. Accessed 28th November 2025

Well I said I will watch the follow up to the first movie so here we are. 

I have a strange relationship with the Wizard of Oz IP: Unlike a lot of other people, I never saw the 1939 movie as a kid. I did eventually see it when I was well into my adult years but for me, the Wizard of Oz that I saw when I was a kid, and the one which indeed resonated the most, was the anime series that was on TV at the time. 
Mind you, in the years since, the afore-mentioned movie has been elevated to that rare, and indeed enviable, position of an adaptation that has become the centre of that particular universe (see also: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, How to Train Your Dragon and Shrek). 

Given that this is an adaptation of a very successful musical I have to wonder: How much of the musical's success rests on the shoulders of Defying Gravity? Yes it's the best known song, yes even people who don't know Wicked are aware of it and yes it closes the first half, but given that song's renown does anyone really know what happens in the second half? More to the point, does anyone care?

And therein lies the problem: The first movie/half was enjoyable to the point that the second movie/half seems pale by comparison. Yes the visuals and art direction are pleasing, yes this movie has a lot more time to develop it's ideas when compared to the musical,  and yes the cast are giving their all but it all seems underwhelming when compared to the first half. I have been informed that it is the same case for the musical - and this adaptation DID go some way in addressing some of the weaker moments of said musical - but, as is often the case, not every adaptation can't escape the weaknesses of the source. Matters aren't helped with one getting the feeling that this movie seems so intent on taking an axe to the source material: Dorothy has a face that is hidden, and the backgrounds of her companions (Scarecrow, the Tin-Woodsman and the Cowardly Lion) seem ludicrous. 

Is that the fault of the book/musical as opposed to the movie? I will give it that but it still leaves a nasty taste in the mouth. And the same problem the musical faced still haunts the movie: Great first half, weak second half. Still they did try to overcome said problem so 'A' for effort... 

Anora

   And this week's Friday night movie has been... Anora!

Original image located here. Accessed 7th November 2025

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 97 (2024) 
(clearly old habits die hard)

Funny thing: If this had never won Best Picture at the Oscars I wouldn't have given this the time of day - call it a case of it slipping under my radar. But I think I am, by now, well-versed enough in Best Picture Oscar winners to give this a look. Maybe, like numerous times before, I will be surprised?

Turns out, I was: Firstly, I will give the Academy credit as this has to be one of the times they show a spine and give the top prize to the most unconventional of candidates. I call this unconventional due to the subject matter and large amounts of swearing.
Secondly, it seems the reign of the 'small-scale-low-budget' trend of winners (that commenced with The Hurt Locker) shows no sign of stopping - Not that I'm complaining. 
Thirdly, this is both funny and sad in equal measure. In fact, I do agree with the observation that this movie owes more to the screwball films of the 1930s than would first appear. Certainly it comes with a coating of over nine decades of change but it's there. And, with said coating, fascinating to see.
Finally, Mikey Madison is indeed a force to be reckoned with.

So yeah, a well deserved winner of Best Picture on all accounts. 

Weapons

 And this week's Friday night movie has been... Weapons!

Original image located here. Accessed 10th October 2025

Well I saw Barbarian last week so I should be prepared for this, right?
It's well documented that horror movies aren't my favourite genre of movies so it should eb noted that watching this movie was something of a milestone: Its the first horror movie I saw in the cinema. As such it should come to no surprise that I prefer to watch horror movies at home - that way no one can see or hear you jump. Or shriek. Or bite down on one's fingers.

As for the movie itself, seeing Barbarian beforehand was the wise move as it gave me at least some idea of what to expect. And director Zach Creggar is pulling off the same trick: A mystery narrative where each piece of the puzzle slowly comes into place. It is indeed a compelling narrative, with some interesting twists and some unbearable tension. And all accumulating to a truly demented finale. 
It has been said that Halloween was conceived as an exercise of taking the lessons learned from Hitchcock and running with them. I wonder if the same can be said about this....

Barbarian

 And this week's Friday night movie has been... Barbarian!

Original image located here. Accessed 3rd October 2025

Yes it's that time of the year again: Time for some horror movies.
I have been hearing some good things about this movie - and it's successor Weapons. Certainly I will watch the latter but I should watch the former to grasp just what I'm getting myself into.

Before watching this movie I was told that I would need to go in blind: Knowing as little about it as possible. Turns out they weren't kidding.
Suffice to say, I will keep that approach going. But what I will say that whilst the horror genre isn't my forte this would have be the most unique horror movie I have seen.

Furthermore, that one of the cast is named Kate Nichols is something that amuses me. 

K-Pop Demon Hunters

 And this week's Friday night movie has been... K-Pop Demon Hunters!

Original image located here. Accessed 5th September 2025

Yep, it's this movie. I have a lot of things to say about it so lets resort to dot points:

• Hasn't this been a hit? It's generated a passionate fanbase, scored hits with it's soundtrack and made a lot of interest in K-pop. And all from a an idea that seems absurd on paper.
• Personally I knew what I was getting myself in for due to an interest in Asian pop (started with anime, expanded upon by Kiera). 
• Oh who am I kidding? This was a lot of fun to watch. And there is plenty to latch onto here: Creative animation, jokes coming out at a machine-gun rate, snappy songs, great action scenes and real love for K-pop itself. 
• Special mention must go to what is some razor sharp writing with it's themes and compelling characters - which I hope other writers take note of. 
• Also of note is some surprisingly poignant musings on identity and self-worth.
• I noted Netflix has a Singalong version - which suggests that there are people who CAN hit those high notes in Golden (and make the guy in A-Ha jealous) 
• I wonder if this is going to set a new benchmark for populist entertainment that will have others falling over themselves to meet? If so, I'm all for it :)
• Ultimately, this movie has more personality than ever thought possible. Remarkable. 

Soul

  And this week's Friday night movie has been... Soul!

Original image located here. Accessed 29th August 2025

Like every man and his dog, I do love me some Pixar: They tell great stories, have stunning animation, have boundless imagination, and can inspire both laughter & tears in equal measure. We all know what to expect from this fiendishly talented studio and yet we don't complain. As such, they have had hit after hit.
That being said, with such a success rate, it makes the weaker films easier to forgive and forget. And that makes an interesting question: Never mind which is the greatest Pixar movie; what is the least Pixar movie?

But even if Pixar may be running on successful formula, the greatest achievement is that the formula doesn't get old. And Soul may be running on said formula but it still works.
All of the above is, of course, a long-winded way of saying that this is a Pixar movie so we can't expect the usual high standard of animation, imagination, laughter and tears. Which is what we all signed up for.
What is particularly noteworthy about Soul however is it's strength of ideas: It is indeed a bold move to bring up existential themes in a children's movie (Never-Ending Story anyone?) but they still resonate deeply as an adult: The concerns of whether you've lived a meaningful life and whether you are prepared to live. And that really speaks to someone like myself who has struggled with self-worth - and no matter how many movies I see related to this topic it still resonates.

And that epiphany scene is truly something astonishing. 

Also: Wait, Nine Inch Nails did the music to this?!

Josee, the Tiger and the Fish

  And this week's Friday night movie has been... Josee, the Tiger and the Fish!

Original image located here. Accessed 18th July 2025

Sometimes you go see a movie for the wrong reasons. And this is one of them.
Recently this movie has been generating disgust for it's plot: A guy is hired to be a carer for a woman confined to a wheelchair and they eventually both fall in love. Such disgust is based around the idea of fetishism. Or something.
Of course, such outrage could easily be written off as nonsense but it did make me aware of this movie so I decided to take a look at it for myself. 

So I watched with this with Kiera and we both enjoyed it. If anything, this is the story of two lost souls eventually finding each other. It's funny, charming and ultimately very touching. 
And whilst anime, as a genre, may be slammed for promoting unrealistic romantic expectations upon it's audience, what we have here are two people who have their own hopes and goals and how they inspire the other to pursue it. 
Throw in some great visual designs and we have a winner, 
Sometimes you go see a movie for the wrong reasons. And sometimes you can end up striking gold. 

How to Train Your Dragon (2025)

  And this week's Friday night movie has been... How to Train Your Dragon!

Original image located here. Accessed 11th July 2025

I will admit that I was something of a latecomer to the How to Train Your Dragon movies - but no matter: I still wound up adoring them. I equally enjoyed watching Race to the Edge. I even jumped  aboard the HMAS Hiccstrid. 

Of course, I had no plans to watch this - if the frosty reception of the Disney remakes is anything to go by - but Kiera had other plans and dragged me to it. Still, my cynicism remained: How can Live Action improve the animated splendour of the original?

I will say this: It's beautifully shot, the cast are all great, the designs are fantastic, the excitement is still there, there is a clear commitment being put into it and the strength of the source material still resonates. 
But there is still a slavish loyalty to the original: there is no need to make any improvements and there's nothing the animated original didn't do better. Furthermore, I think the original had more personality.

So yeah, it's a rollicking adventure movie but I still can't see what the point of it all was.
Mind you, if you told me that this was ploy to secure composer John Powell an Oscar then I'd believe you,
Can't wait for the Live Action remake of Shrek though...

Lilo and Stitch

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Lilo and Stitch (2025)!

Original image located here. Accessed 13th June 2025

I didn't plan on seeing this but Kiera dragged me to it. So here we are.
I think at this point the Disney remakes have been shaping up to be a series of disappointments. Complaints have been running rampant such as not offering anything new, lifeless in comparisons to their animated source material, blatant in it's cash-grabbing nature, and buckling to the bad-faith criticism internet nerds like to spruik. For such reasons, I have been hesitant in taking on these films.
Still, that a Lilo and Stitch remake exists is a surprise: It wasn't part of the Renaissance and it never seemed like one of the box-office successes. But I adored the original so maybe there will be something?

Well it wasn't bad. 

There are some good jokes and the heart of the original is still there but it's buried under an approach that is bigger and louder. It's the classic 'shock and awe' tactic: Give the audience a lot and within a short space of time and they wouldn't have time to look at it more closely. 
And that does leave an unpleasant aftertaste as the original wasn't a large scale narrative. It had something that worked. And that something was still present with this one (although I do feel Nani was done dirty in the end). 

Mind you, I do want to know what kind of witchcraft Tia Carrere is using to preserve her good looks.