Favorite films

Recent activity

• 

• 

  ★★★★

• 

  ★★★½

• 

  ★★★★

Pinned reviews

• 

  The Boys 1998

  ★★★★ Watched by aidan mcshane 27 Jun 2021

  the boys is a truly necessary addition to the australian narrative, both for those within and for onlookers from outside. it is regrettably ever-pertinent in the current australian context, where misogyny, toxic masculinity and the glorification of the masculine role is still rife and corrosive. its message still rings true, and it is disappointing how the movie is so little-known, especially to generations who weren’t yet alive at its release. the fact that i solely watched this based upon my…

• 

  High and Low 1963

  ★★★★★ Rewatched by aidan mcshane 12 Aug 2020

  This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

  i was scared a second viewing of high and low would take it down a notch, but it was even better this time around.
  everything about it is amazing, it is everything kurosawa in its perfect form, at least in my view. 

  firstly, the story is so cool! the broad narrative is so uniquely structured, its pacing and progression is so unusual and unpredictable, but brilliant as a result. despite the two halves differing so greatly, with their own exclusive…

Recent reviews

• 

  After Love 2020

  ★★★★ Watched by aidan mcshane 13 Jun 2022

  a deeply moving exploration of grief through the british realist lens.
  i was drawn to this solely by scanlen’s surprise bafta nomination this year, and she does not disappoint. traversing the truly devastating and confusing terrain of grief, she aptly feeds the emotional core of her performance, which i found really forced my empathy for her. she shows great nuance, and communicates much through an often stoic front. and the way she works in tandem with the other two supports…

• 

  Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore 2022

  ★★★ Watched by aidan mcshane 12 Apr 2022

  This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

  i enjoyed my time with it, but god i am underwhelmed. it is a better screenplay for sure, but in the context of its universe and the prior films, it doesn’t cut the mustard. 

  potter fans have spent four years trying to unravel some semblance of sense from the destruction left by the predecessor, only to have none of the questions answered - so credence is aberforth’s son but why? why did the baby swap matter? (i dare say it…

Popular reviews

• 

  The Midnight Sky 2020

  ★½ Watched by aidan mcshane 19 Dec 2020

  this takes the cake of the worst movie i have seen of the year (and i’ve seen artemis fowl). it is such a god-awful screenplay in all aspects - dialogue, pacing, characters and its communication of its themes and message. clooney clumsily hops between three tedious narrative threads that barely tie together, climaxing in a rubbish third act that attempts to justify the 90 minute bore that preceded it. the pacing is really off-kilter, the main two story arcs comprise…

• 

  A White, White Day 2019

  ★★★★ Watched by aidan mcshane 11 Oct 2020

  a white white day is a fascinating study of grief and masculinity, set in a remote region of iceland where an unspoken conflict between tangible harshness and stark beauty mirrors the turmoil of the narrative. the great emptiness in space and whiteness that surrounds the protagonist, ingimundur, ironically seems to suffocate him as he grapples with loss when compounded with a suspected betrayal by his late wife. the style of the film is contemplative and restrained, but also suitably conveys…