Star Trek Beyond is the third film in the latest iteration of Star Trek. The first two films, Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness, were directed by J.J. Abrams, but since he’s crossed over to the Star Wars camp with Star Wars: The Force Awakens, they’ve forced him to pick a side to keep peace […]
Our Kind of Traitor is based on the novel by John le Carré, an author whose film credits include: The Constant Gardener, A Most Wanted Man and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. His espionage thrillers are thought-provoking – more realistic than James Bond and less action-intensive than Jason Bourne.
‘Tis the season to be jolly, although by the looks of things the famed Christmas party can quickly spiral out of control. Awkward next day at work.
Oliver Hermanus is the writer-director behind Shirley Adams, Skoonheid and now The Endless River. Each of his films have been set in South Africa, have resonated with him personally, been shaped independently and broach social themes that inform international audiences by means of an intense character portrait.
They achieved internet fame thanks to their short clips, and now they’ve managed a full-length feature film. It doesn’t look half bad.
Matt Damon is back, and he remains as angry and ripped as ever. Check out the trailer for the next Jason Bourne movie here.
Sink is a sleek, harrowing and powerful South African domestic drama, written and directed by Brett Michael Innes and starring Anel Alexander, Jacques Bessenger and Shoki Mokgapa. Sink, a title that works in English and Afrikaans, is a feature film debut for Innes, whose extensive history as a documentary filmmaker and photographer have given him […]
Anomalisa is a Charlie Kaufman… it’s probably time we gave him a thing. You know, “a Spike Lee Joint”. How about “a Charlie Kaufman pearl”? The screenwriter has brought us many art house pearls: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Adaptation, Being John Malkovich, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and Synedoche, New York. Every time he […]
Gods of Egypt is a fantasy adventure from the mind of Alex Proyas. The Egyptian-born director has built a cult sci-fi empire, having directed such films as: Dark City, The Crow, Knowing and I, Robot. The story follows a thief as he joins forces with a mythical god on a quest across Egypt. Unfortunately, while the […]
Hail, Caesar! is an oxymoronic post card from the Coen brothers. On the one hand, it’s a light-hearted, madcap, send-up of the Golden era Hollywood of the ’50s. Then on the other hand… or wing, it’s also a comic behind-the-curtain examination of studio politics as Capitalist America tried to subvert any hint of Communist ideology […]
There’s a new local rom com hitting the cinemas in late April, a lady torn between two very different eligible bachelors. See that trailer here.
Deadpool, “the merc with a mouth”, is a comic book character from Marvel who featured in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Ryan Reynolds has played a number of superhero characters, but seemed like the only choice for the immoral, over-the-top and juvenile, Deadpool. This is his origins film, an action adventure comedy and sci-fi thriller that could […]
South Africa is home to many prime surf spots including: Long Beach, Dungeons, Dunes, Cape St. Francis, Eland’s Bay, Jeffrey’s Bay, Nahoon Reef, Wild Coast, Muizenberg and South Africa’s surfing capital, Durban. It’s birthed a growing number of surfing movies including: Otelo Burning, Blue Crush 2, The Perfect Wave, Ocean Driven and now Die Pro.
Dark Places is a movie with a personal slant for lead actress, Charlize Theron, who witnessed her mother kill her father in self-defense after he arrived home drunk in 1991. Gillian Flynn’s novel has been adapted to film by Gilles Paquet-Brenner, after David Fincher did the same for Gone Girl. Instead of a married couple, […]
Hitman: Agent 47 is a video game adaptation from up-and-coming director, Aleksander Bach. While explosive and visually stimulating, this action thriller starts with great promise and then becomes increasingly dull as we try to connect with stilted performances and insubstantial characters.
Impunity (Freedom from Punishment) is a South African outlaw romance thriller based on a story by Trish Malone and adapted to film by director Jyoti Mistry. We trace the exploits of a love-struck, ultra-violent, on-the-run couple, who are connected to the murder of a politician’s daughter, as Impunity tries to get by on titillation and experimental style.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is now a Guy Ritchie film adaptation of the cult TV series of the same name, which ran from 1964 to 1968. Ian Fleming contributed to the show’s concept by suggesting a TV-friendly version of James Bond, which became Napoleon Solo. While Solo was intended to be the main focus, Illya Kuryakin’s […]
Thina Sobabili translated as The Two of Us is a brave, gut-wrenching and realistic drama about the exploits of a brother and sister in the Alexandra township of Johannesburg, South Africa. We’re introduced to Thulani and his sister Zanele, who become the focus of this shoestring budget production, which was self-funded and shot in the space of a […]
Mad Max: Fury Road is a piston-pumping action extravaganza from George Miller, who has reinvigorated the Mad Max franchise. To find some humourous context, the director’s previous films include Babe: Pig in the City, Happy Feet and Happy Feet Two. Mad Max: Fury Road is the antithesis… burning with rage and fuming with eye-popping visuals […]
“You are your own worst enemy.” While we sometimes hurt ourselves or behave unlike ourselves, it’s quite a feat for anyone to believe it was our “evil twin”. Greek mythology suggests we were all originally created with four arms, four legs and a head with two faces. Fearing our power, Zeus separated the beings to […]
Ballade vir ‘n Enkeling is an Afrikaans mystery drama based on the ’80s television series of the same name. After acclaimed author, Jacques Rynhard, goes missing, an aspiring journalist attempts to find out what became of him. As our intrepid journalist sets out on a mission to get dirt on the talented man, she uncovers […]
Fast and Furious is a film series that seems to be improving with time. You wouldn’t imagine a franchise about sexy women, fast cars and machismo would last seven outings, but Fast and Furious has aged well and keeps reinventing itself! This time, it’s personal… as Deckard Shaw seeks revenge against Dominic Toretto and his […]
Danny Collins stars Al Pacino in the titular role as an aging rock star, who decides to change his life when he discovers a 40-year old letter written to him by John Lennon. The film is written and directed by Dan Fogelman, best known as the screenwriter behind Last Vegas, The Guilt Trip and Crazy, […]
Ever since Seven Pounds, it feels as though Will Smith has lost his mojo. Once known for his natural charisma and happy-go-lucky attitude, it’s now difficult to see that x-factor and twinkle in his eye. Perhaps being contrasted with Tom Cruise changed his game plan as the exuberant Oscar-nominated actor found himself in what seems like […]
Gone are the days when a horror movie was some poorly put together shots of a giant beast attacking a city. Enter ‘It Follows’, a movie that is sure to get inside your head.
Louis Zamperini’s story was bound to become a movie. The Olympian, war veteran and survivor’s tale of resilience and triumph of the human spirit is astounding. From his early years of fighting off bullies, training for the Olympics, war-time heroics, deep sea survival and prisoner-of-war camp degradation… we’re cast into an epic and powerful true […]
Exodus: Gods and Kings is a new action adventure drama from Ridley Scott based on the book of Exodus and retold from the perspective of a sibling rivalry. Instead of casting Russell Crowe for the third time, after Robin Hood and his former glory, Gladiator, Scott has enticed Christian Bale to play his hero, Moses.
Peter Jackson has unleashed The Hobbit Trilogy in a similar fashion to George Lucas’s quest to make the first three Star Wars films. Unfortunately, they too don’t live up to the former glory of the original trilogy. While many were quite skeptical about Jackson splitting the adaptation into not two, but three chapters… for the most part, he’s managed […]
The Drop is a slow-boiling, character driven Brooklyn crime drama based on Dennis Lehane’s short story, Animal Rescue,about a Brooklyn bartender, who finds himself entwined in an investigation after a robbery gone awry. It’s quite surprising that this is Lehane’s first feature film screenplay when you consider his novels: Mystic River, Shutter Island and Gone Baby Gone have all been adapted into […]
Christopher Nolan has become one of the few living directors, who could claim to be a household name. When he releases a film, it’s not just another movie… it’s a cinematic event.