Those words also bring out the absolute best in his actors, and the screenplay for Wild Horse Nine gives John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell, and Steve Buscemi ample fuel for greatness. The ability to create characters that skirt the fine line between being bigger than life and being totally believable is one of McDonagh strongest traits.

Set in the seventies, Malkovich and Rockwell both give career-defining performances as two world-weary CIA operatives who take a break from fieldwork and visit Easter Island. This is not a vacation, and the reason for the visit is disclosed slowly. The horrors of their wet work are discussed so matter-of-factly, it’s easy to see them as people and not the monsters they actually are.

The film’s anti-American Imperialism stance underlines every word with a strong sense of menace. It also demonstrates the misguided sense of self-righteousness that was US foreign policy in the seventies. A policy that still exists today to the planet’s detriment. This is filmmaking at its finest; it might not be a work for everybody but those that it connects with will be rewarded with vast riches.
Rob Hudson
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Into this maelstrom of conflicting worldviews and anxiety comes the film Klara and the Sun. With the intention of presenting a different view and kinder outlook on the future, humanist writer/director Taika Waititi (Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Jojo Rabbit & Thor: Ragnarok) delivers a work of vivid contrasts. It is based on the novel of the same name by the writer Kazuo Ishiguro,

It’s all set in a dystopian future where parents genetically modify their children and then homeschool them, which forces said adults to purchase robots for companionship. One such robot is Klara, played with consummate skill by Jenna Ortega, who is utterly charming in the role. She is paired up with Josie (Mia Tharia), a young woman deathly ill from the effects of the procedure they call “lifted”.

This examination of a future where humans and machines live a life of comfortable coexistence feels fresh and optimistic. However unique the film feels, it’s firmly positioned between several signposts of influence, the chief of which are the look and feel of a Tim Burton film and the futurist musings of computer scientist, author and techno-optimist Ray Kurzweil. It’s an appealing addition to Waititi’s ever-growing catalogue of work.
Rob Hudson
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Jesse Eisenberg turned down the offer to reprise his role as Mark Zuckerberg and is replaced this time by Jeremy Strong. He continues with his usual intense method approach, and this time it suits the material well. Taking an actor easy to dislike to play a person even more disagreeable works in the film’s favour. The two leads, Mikey Madison (Anora) as the real-life whistleblower Frances Haugen and Jeremy Allen White (The Bear) as the Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz, share real on screen chemistry.

Their relationship is fraught with tension and is pleasingly absent of the usual sentimentality that removes the viewer from the real. Madison gets the nuances just right, and if any of you know any super intelligent people, she nails their palpable sense of isolation. It’s also to Sorkin’s writing credit that he steers far clear of having the couple become romantically entwined. The rest of the cast is strong, and Betty Gilpin is outstanding as Kris, one of the Journal’s bureau chiefs.

The film plays out as a horror show with the leader of one of the most powerful companies in the world showing an almost complete lack of empathy and detachment from the norms of humanity. Zuckerberg’s profit-at-all-costs stance is profoundly illustrated by his reaction to the horrors of the invasion of the American Capitol on January 6, 2021. This is smart filmmaking that requires you to pay attention and, through that effort, develop a healthy sense of real outrage.
Rob Hudson
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Just as her career is taking off, a life-altering event forces her to reckon with her belief in the judicial system that was once the core of her identity.

Starring Cynthia Erivo, Daniel Ings, Toheeb Jimoh and Noma Dumezweni, Prima Facie will be released in Aussie cinemas January 14 2027!
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Based on the bestselling novel from Nobel Prize-winner Kazuo Ishiguro and written and directed by Academy-Award® winner Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit), Klara and the Sun introduces audiences to Klara (Jenna Ortega), an Artificial Friend who wants nothing more than to find the perfect home.

When Klara meets Josie (Mia Tharia), each immediately senses a kindred spirit in the other. Josie has a fraught relationship with her mother (Amy Adams)and they’ve suffered great loss, but Klara’s innocent wonder and unwavering loyalty begin to heal the family and bring light to Josie’s complicated world.

Starring Jenna Ortega, Amy Adams, Mia Tharia, Aran Murphy with Steve Buscemi and Natasha Lyonne, Klara and the Sun will be released October 22
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Competition will be drawn October 8 2026 – winners will be notified by mail.

Pitt plays James Belmont, a grizzled military veteran with as many mental scars as those that cover his body. His only companion is Odin, a German Shepherd who is himself a retired military combat dog. He too wears the scars of war with titanium teeth and a prosthetic leg. Odin also suffers from PTSD and has nightmares. Their bond is an unbreakable one forged in battle.

The story begins with Belmont and Odin flying a small aircraft to an incredibly beautiful and isolated river in the wilderness of Alaska. A small respite of their solitude is provided by the appearance of a mountain man character played by J. K. Simmons. His presence has an undertone of danger. When a storm rolls in, Belmont and Odin fly out. During this flight, Belmont suffers a heart attack and the plane crashes, thus beginning the survivalist journey back to civilisation.

The threats to life and limb during this journey are absolutely relentless and rivet your attention. Even though the task seems superhuman, things are kept in the realm of human ability. You grow to absolutely admire the bond between human and canine and the love and care that they feel for each other. You become incredibly invested in their outcome, and at the film’s end it takes you some time to return to normal. This is filmmaking at its most compelling.
Rob Hudson
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A companion piece to the hit film The Social Network, Sorkin’s original screenplay is based on the events that gave rise to the Wall Street Journal’s shocking exposé The Facebook Files.

The film is inspired by the true story of how Frances Haugen (Madison), a young Facebook engineer, enlists the help of Jeff Horwitz (White), a Wall Street Journal reporter, to go on a dangerous journey that ends up blowing the whistle on the social network’s most guarded secrets.

Starring Mikey Madison, Jeremy Allen White, WunmiMosaku, Betty Gilpin, Billy Magnussen with Bill Burr and Jeremy Strong, The Social Reckoning will be released in Aussie cinemas October 8!
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More than five years in the making, this fascinating film, the first of a two-part epic, looks at the life of one of France’s most famed figures of the 20th century. France collapses and signs the Armistice.

In the midst of the chaos, one man, Charles de Gaulle, refuses to give up. Taking the ultimate gamble he flees to London and seeks to convince the world that the battle for France is neither over or lost. What follows next is a triumphant story of faith, audacity and an unshakeable quest for freedom.

Antonin Baudry has crafted a powerful and dramatic view of a man at the very centre of a turning point in history, on his path to becoming a 20th century leader and cultural icon.
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Miriam Margolyes, Judy Davis and Jacki Weaver lead the heartfelt new comedy Holy Days, a joyful and uplifting story about an unexpected adventure.

Set in 1970s New Zealand, the film follows a grieving young boy and three eccentric nuns who embark on a chaotic road trip to save their beloved convent before it’s too late. Filled with warmth, humour and plenty of heart, Holy Days is a moving celebration of community, resilience and hope.
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Starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, Esmé Creed-Miles, Caitríona Balfe, Frank Dillane with George MacKay and Fiona Shaw, Sense and Sensibility will be released in Aussie cinemas October 15!
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