It’s a light summer breeze of a film clearly aimed to bring joy to both parents and kids whilst still telling a compelling story, so some kind of deep underlying metaphor is unnecessary. Just go have fun watching a cartoon dog and a robot roller-skate to Earth, Wind & Fire! Your brain deserves a break.

Monkey Man tells the story of a nameless young man, referred to in the credits as “Kid” and using the self-applied alias “Bobby”, a fighter at an underground boxing ring in Yatana, as he attempts to infiltrate the ranks of the powerful upper class to enact violent revenge for the massacre of his village - a story that mirrors the Hindu epic of Hanuman, the white monkey. 

If you’re looking for something out of the ordinary to shake up your 2024 Comedy Festival experience, Sh!t-faced Shakespeare is what you’re looking for. Whether you’re a fan of the bard or not, there is a universal appeal to watching an actor attempt to improve upon a four hundred year old play with the confidence that only alcohol can provide.

If you’re into sketch comedy, very light political commentary, Chekhov’s coin, and cancelled simulated sex scenes then Pass the Parcel is the show to see.

if you’re a lover of sharply written humour, sacrificing meat to cancel out the environmental damage of procreating, and learning the truth behind how Taylor arrived in Sydney for that special then I can guarantee that Big Time is the show for you. 

The First Omen is a quiet triumph for modern horror, understanding the delicate balance between terror and beauty, and between homage and innovation.

Galluppi’s mindfulness in crafting The Last Stop in Yuma County truly shows what outstanding stories can come from taking a leap in the dark.

Behind the flashing neon lights, Mars Express’ messy and complicated core is a delight to unpack and crucially, is without the comfort of easy answers. While it’s not exactly reinventing the wheel, its entangled approach to familiar concepts positions it uniquely, and is well worth the price of admission.

Hood Witch is redolent of self-importance, so deeply invested in its own world that it barely pauses to consider the viewer’s ability not to care about its mediocre characters and plot delivery.

A patchwork quilt of genres, Alice Rohrwacher’s La Chimera is a grimy and charismatic fairytale, and Josh O’Connor is its beating heart. 

Lyd, which recently played at Melbourne's Palestinian Film Festival, is a cinematic exploration of the city formerly known as Lyd, a place with a rich and tumultuous history that has been shaped by its many inhabitants and the broader geopolitical forces at play.

While The New Empire may not be exactly treading new ground, it does succeed at something that few modern blockbusters do - being fun. GxK delivers on a monster mashup of epic proportions, with a few little surprises up its sleeve and just enough creativity to inspire hope for the franchise ahead.

Fans of bizarre, esoteric and extreme films, who live around Melbourne and Sydney can rejoice, because it's that time of year - Fantastic Film Festival Australia is back once again.

As it is, Kung Fu Panda 4 is a worthy sequel and enjoyable film, even if it doesn’t quite live up to its potential.

This is a fun movie. Longtime fans will probably love Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire the most, but at the end of the day, it won’t grab the imagination of any new audiences.

Philip Gnadt and Mickey Yamine’s 2016 film Gaza Surf Club tells the story of several Palestinians and their relationship with the sea. Each of them finds a form of liberation while surfing. We see their struggle to form a thriving surf club whilst living under Israeli occupation.

Io Capitano offers audiences an empathetic and raw portrayal of the harrowing challenges asylum seekers face, simply in order to have a better life that so many of us take for granted.

Glass subverted my expectations repeatedly through her pairing of lesbians and gym bros, the supernatural creeping into the frame, and an unexpected experimental conclusion to the movie. Love Lies Bleeding is a bloody good thriller!

Watch out Cullens, there's a new vampire family in town! Fans of Twilight (2008), Dark Shadows (2012), Submarine (2010), and Moonrise Kingdom (2012), get your fangs out and sink your teeth into this quirky vampire coming-of-age film.

Imaginary is a confounding experience, with absolutely none of the first draft wrinkles of the script ironed out.