Pull out your loose change stash and check under the couch, because one of Paddington's favourite haunts is serving up an impressive end-of-week deal. Every Friday, Kettle and Tin is slinging dumplings for $1 a piece. Head on in from 3pm and bring your appetite — and all the gold coins you can find. Choose between pork and chive or vegetarian, which both come pan-fried. There is one catch — punters must purchase a full-priced drink to access the $1 dumpling extravaganza. No bookings are required, so just mosey on in before 9pm — but you might want to reserve a table online anyway in case they're all snatched up when your dumpling craving hits. Image: Kettle and Tin.
UPDATE, February 1, 2021: Beauty and the Beast is available to stream via Disney+, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. It's a tale as old as time, or so the song tells us. But just what is that ageless story at the heart of Beauty and the Beast? Opposites attracting, sure, but a fair maiden warming to an arrogant prince who's been cursed with a monstrous appearance isn't really an everyday experience. On the other hand, with gender equality still an ongoing problem in our society, a narrative about a young woman being undermined by an egocentric male, belittled for her intelligence, and robbed of her agency by an imposing force all very much fits the bill. While breathing new life into Disney's popular animated effort is the movie's main aim — just as they've done with Alice in Wonderland, Maleficent, Cinderella and The Jungle Book — the Mouse House hasn't missed the opportunity to bolster this live-action offering in certain distinctive ways. You don't cast Emma Watson as Belle without ensuring that the titular beauty isn't just kind but determined, confident, courageous and willing to fight for her place in the world. In fact, with the film also boasting Disney's first interracial kiss and first exclusively gay moment, the studio is clearly trying to bring the narrative in line with the times. The plot is much the same as it was in 1991, or the mid-18th century for that matter. The prince (Dan Stevens) is transformed due to his uncaring behaviour, with love the key to breaking the spell. Meanwhile, a young girl named Belle yearns for life beyond her quiet village, where she is frowned upon for her studious ways and persistently wooed/harassed by vain town hunk Gaston (Luke Evans). Beauty meets beast when she goes looking for her missing inventor father (Kevin Kline), who has been imprisoned in the man-turned-creature's enchanted castle. With singing household objects such as Lumière the candlestick (Ewan McGregor), Cogsworth the clock (Ian McKellen), Mrs Potts the teapot (Emma Thompson) and Plumette the feather duster (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) all on hand to dispense advice, what follows is a tale about longing and romance, as well as a spirited fable that champions a woman's right to choose her own destiny. The film's modern attitude feels especially refreshing, without ever seeming too on the nose. This is a production that's eager to weave its progressive positions into the fabric of the narrative rather than shout its from the castle turrets. Director Bill Condon (Mr Holmes) takes a classical approach to the movie's look and feel. Lavishly staged, costumed and choreographed, stepping into the world of Beauty and the Beast is like stepping into a storybook. All of the old tunes hit the spot (McGregor and company crooning 'Be Our Guest' is a highlight), although a couple of new inclusions prove little more than melodic padding. As for the cast, the expectedly impassioned Watson, suitably brooding Stevens and gloriously pompous Evans all help make this timeless tale seem equally nostalgic and new.
This year's Vivid Sydney theme 'Naturally' has been totally embraced by Barangaroo House — as it transforms into the House of Naturalia from Friday, May 26 to Saturday, June 17. Each part of the building is embracing sustainability through its specially curated selection of cocktails, dishes and light installations. At Rekodo Restaurant and Vinyl Bar, visitors can tuck into a unique Vivid Sydney food menu that champions local ingredients and zero-waste practices. And every Thursday night, diners will be served a side of A-grade beats with Frank Booker, DJ Jnett and Queen Bee DJs taking over the decks. Head up to the Smoke Rooftop Bar to sip on custom cocktails made from the kitchen's trimmings and off-cuts. It takes zero-waste to a whole new, delicious level — especially as you'll enjoy these ever-changing creations while looking out over the Barangaroo light shows. The House of Naturalia makes for an excellent refuel pit-stop when tackling the Vivid Sydney Light Walk. The illuminated trail will take you through the natural surrounds of Barangaroo Reserve, along the picturesque Wulugul Walk and into the nature-filled foodie paradise that is House of Naturalia. For more info on House of Naturalia and to book a table at any of the venues, head to the Barangaroo House website.
In 1999–2001 TV series Spaced, one of Nick Frost's first-ever roles — also, before Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World's End, his initial screen collaboration with Simon Pegg (Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning) and Edgar Wright (Last Night in Soho) — he played a character who was obsessed with weapons and the military. A quarter of a century later, he's portraying someone that's training dragon fighters and forging armaments as a blacksmith. "I'm just trying to see now if there's a connection between Mike and Gobber," Frost jokes with Concrete Playground. "I mean, I think Mike would be a great Gobber. Maybe Berk is actually where Mike ended up. Maybe there was some awful apocalypse in Spaced that we never saw and he eventually became Gobber." If you'd like to embrace that theory about one of Spaced's key figures, you can. You heard it from Frost, after all. Regardless, the English talent is now one of the stars of How to Train Your Dragon in its latest iteration as a live-action film. British author Cressida Cowell started the all-ages-friendly Viking tale on the page in 2003, sparking a book saga that's spanned 12 novels. In 2010, filmmakers Chris Sanders (The Wild Robot) and Dean DeBlois (the OG Lilo & Stitch) brought her tales to cinemas in animation. The latter also wrote and directed 2014's How to Train Your Dragon 2 and 2019's How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, and now does the same on the newest big-screen visit to Berk. How to Train Your Dragon fans know the story, then, but they haven't seen it unfurled with actors literally stepping into the shoes of its isle setting's inhabitants. Before Mason Thames (Monster Summer) returns to the world of The Black Phone in that horror hit's sequel later in 2025, he's Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, the reluctant fledgling dragon fighter who befriends one of the most-feared types of the winged creatures — not that you'd know it from Toothless' appearance and demeanour — and champions living in harmony with rather than waging war against them. Gerard Butler (Den of Thieves: Pantera) voiced Hiccup's chieftain father Stoick the Vast in the animated movies, and now reprises the part in How to Train Your Dragon's present leap. As first given voice by Craig Ferguson (The Hustler) in the previous pictures, Frost's Gobber is Stoick's friend and Hiccup's mentor, plus a source of support for a young man who is struggling with living up to his dad's expectations. The dragons themselves still required visual effects to animate into existence, with life-sized puppets used during shooting for the actors to work against. Everywhere that it can, however, How to Train Your Dragon circa 2025 is immersed in a tangible Viking-inspired realm. For Frost, as Gobber is charged with imparting dragon-battling skills not just to Hiccup but to other young warriors — the determined Astrid (Nico Parker, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy), plus a group of Berk's fellow next generation spanning Snotlout (Gabriel Howell, Nightsleeper), Fishlegs (Julian Dennison, Y2K), and twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut (Mickey 17's Bronwyn James and The Acolyte's Harry Trevaldwyn) — that meant ample days in the film's training-arena set. This part also saw him continue to build upon father figure-type roles that've been joining his resume of late. "It's because I'm getting old," he jests. A jovial "get stuffed!" is Frost's first comment when the passage of time since Spaced and Shaun of the Dead comes up. He's spent that quarter-century-plus since the former kicked off and more than 20 years since the later arrived cementing himself as a beloved actor with a diverse resume. On his filmography, The Boat That Rocked sits side by side with US-set alien comedy Paul — which Frost and Pegg wrote — and also with Attack the Block, voice work alongside Pegg again on The Adventures of Tintin, two Snow White and the Huntsman films, leading rom-com Cuban Fury, TV's Mr Sloane, wrestling flick Fighting with My Family, the Pegg co-starring Truth Seekers and loaning his tones to Skeleton Crew's SM 33. There's more, of course, such as Ice Age, The Boxtrolls and Trollhunters; 2024 horror efforts Krazy House, Get Away and Black Cab; and, in his latest significant news, playing Hagrid in the upcoming HBO Harry Potter series. Frost is responsible for decades of folks asking if their friends want a beer in quite the colourful way, repeating perhaps his best-known Shaun of the Dead line. With that film's Peter Serafinowicz (Wolf King) by his side as How to Train Your Dragon's Spitelout, he's currently in completely different terrain. What appealed to Frost about joining the franchise, and also juggling the family-friendly and definitely not child-appropriate sides of his resume, was equally a topic of conversation in our chat — alongside a range of other subjects, such as adding his own stamp on Gobber, his personal connection to using humour as a shield, that massive training arena, the importance of DeBlois returning as director and Frost never wanting to be an actor. On Taking on the Role of How to Train Your Dragon's Dragon-Fighter Trainer "First of all, it's a massive film. It's part of a really well-loved — I hate the phrase 'franchise', but that's what it is. And apart from maybe Snow White and the Huntsman and stuff like that, I hadn't really done anything perhaps this massive before. And I think being a filmmaker and a writer and an actor, it's like 'let's do this, let's try this — this is different, let's have a go'. I think part of me was aware that obviously Craig Ferguson was Gobber in the past. And people love what Craig did. And I was aware that I didn't want to ruin what he did — I was aware that there was a responsibility on me to make Gobber what people felt watching Craig's Gobber. And I think having a conversation with Dean before I got the job, he was like 'what do you want to do?' — I think once you realise that you have a certain amount of creative freedom, that's really attractive, I think, for me. And to collaborate, that's always a joy. And to know that you have a voice on set and you can say 'hey, is this all right? Can we try this?' or 'do you think this is funny', it's always a lovely compliment to be allowed to do that." On Bringing a New Guise to a Part That's Already Well-Established in the Animated Films "Honestly, I didn't, after the initial few days of getting the job and speaking to Dean, I just left it at the door and then came in completely without that. I didn't want to feel like that was on me for the whole thing, and that I couldn't try anything new or be different because it wasn't what had gone before. I just wanted to try and, as I say, respect what that was, but then let's move on and try to give a different kind of Gobber for a new generation of audiences — but also, I guess, leaving something of what Craig did so people who love the animated ones will enjoy it, too. I think, personally, if I'm going into this with the expectations of what people will think, I think you'd probably just be crushed. You just have to unburden yourself from all of that and just do what you think is right, do what Dean wants, and be respectful of that process and the process of the other actors in the film with you." On What Interests Frost About the Variety of Projects Across His Career, Including Both Family-Friendly Fare and Horror Films Aplenty of Late "I just don't see them as any different, really. It's still all work. I think I'm probably very lucky and grateful that I haven't been pigeonholed in 'oh, well he just does that'. I think that is possible and that does happen. And I'm very pleased that the people who cast things like Harry Potter and this don't think 'oh god, he was cutting someone's head off in a film that he wrote like two years ago. Is that going to be a problem?'. I love the fact that I can do both. I can get away with it all." On Portraying Someone Who Uses Humour as a Shield to Deal with an Uncertain World "I think that's me. That was me for a long time. I think where Gobber and I differ, he just uses it — I think if you live in a society like Berk and where the Vikings are from, I think probably the sense of humour is very dark, because essentially you could be taken and killed in at any moment, day or night. So I think using comedy and laughter as a shield is par for that kind of society. I think where it becomes not so useful is when you hide behind it and not work out what's behind that." [caption id="attachment_1009286" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tyler Curtis/ABImages[/caption] On Stepping Into Paternal-Type and Mentorship-Style Roles "I just think I'm a dad, I've got three children, so I just get it more. I guess when before I had children and if you're going to be a kind of father figure, you're just — as a lot of actors do — you're just imagining what it would be like. And you're drawing on your own father or your grandfather or stepfather. But once you have your own, I think as I act, I always try to get better. Every job I do, every role I play, I just want to be better and better and better. And I think an actor's ageing gives you that opportunity. Every time you do something else, you're slightly older. You've seen a tiny bit more. And what I think, what I'd say about this film, is I know people are saying potentially 'oh, he's quite paternal' — but I actually think Gobber's more maternal in this film. I think he's stepped in to be Hiccup's mum." On the Impact That Immersive Sets Have, Especially How to Train Your Dragon's Training Arena "That was the first thing we shot, and it was really nerve-wracking, because it's massive. It's honestly the size of a small soccer stadium. And there are 200 crew, and there are 500 extras and they're all dressed as dragons. And they all know you, they're looking at you, and you have to give them a little wave. And it's frightening. I think what 25 years in this has given me is you have to shrug that off, and it just becomes about my relationship with the camera and Dean and whoever I'm acting with, and Bill Pope [Unfrosted] the DoP. 'What can I give to you? How can I help you? Should we have a run through our lines?' And I think what helps is making something that massive that small, it helps me cope with it more emotionally, more effectively — because if I were to look around and think 'all these fucking people', it becomes unmanageable emotionally for me." On How Dean DeBlois Continuing as How to Train Your Dragon's Director From the Animated Films Assisted the Cast "Dean, he absolutely loves it. He loves How to Train Your Dragon. He loves Hiccup. He loves Stoick and Gobber and the gang. And he's just passionate about it, and I find being around someone who's so passionate about something, it's really attractive. It makes me love it, too. And I wanted Dean to like me. I wanted him to like Gobber. And I wanted him to, when you're working with someone like Dean, when he just comes up behind you and gives you a little pat, it's like 'oh dad, dad likes it', you know — 'he loves it'. It's nice to be around that kind of passion. It's conducive. It makes me want to be around it, too." On Frost's Journey Over the 25 Years Since Spaced and Two Decades Since Shaun of the Dead "It's not lost on me. It's amazing. I never wanted to be an actor. I never wanted to act. I never knew what I wanted to do. Even, I was like 30 when we did Shaun of the Dead, and that was the first film I ever did. So I just — and this is going to sound like, I don't want to say actor-y bullshit, but I'm just terribly grateful, I'm amazed, and I just love it. I'm so lucky that I found something that I — there's not one day I've ever been on a set in 25 years where I haven't loved it in some way, shape or form. And to get a chance to do that, and then to start getting bigger and bigger things, it feels like a dream to me, really. Like when I got How to Train Your Dragon and you realise the kind of people who have to say 'yes' before you get the role — that was terribly flattering for me that someone, somewhere, had to say 'yeah, he's the guy. We'll have him'. It's not lost on me how lucky I am every single day. I'm sitting here, someone brings me a coffee‚ it's like 'this is amazing'. It's amazing to me. And I love it. I love making films." How to Train Your Dragon opened in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, June 12, 2025.
Beca (Anna Kendrick) is a girl with headphones moulded to her head. On arriving at college she finds herself an outsider, not quite right for any particular clique. But, somehow, she gets pulled into one she would never in a million years have picked herself; an a capella singing group of mean girls, sweet girls and weird girls with nothing in common but how great they sound when they sing together. Once champions that thrived on pop songs and their oil painting perfect good looks, The Barden Belles are taken out of their comfort zone of traditional arrangements and harmonies by Beca, and introduced to a world of mash-ups that’ll see them fight to climb back up the a cappella ladder of popularity and success. The Barden Belles could either become the next big thing, or worse than the dregs at the bottom of the pile. Only time will tell. Pitch Perfect also stars rising Australian talent, Rebel Wilson and should be a great flick to bop your head to.
Dance music hits. An orchestra. Combine the two and Ministry of Sound Classical is one end result. For a few years now, this event has been giving Australia what no one probably knew they wanted when Ministry of Sound first started as a London club night back in 1991: tunes that usually fill dance floors performed by classical musicians. If you're a fan of making shapes and you're fond of getting nostalgic, then Ministry of Sound keeps indulging — sometimes by throwing huge 90s and 00s parties that nod back to raves three decades back and club nights at the turn of the century, and sometimes via this orchestral tour that gives bangers from the past 30 years a new live spin. In Australia, the latter is returning before 2025 is out, seeing out spring in Brisbane and Melbourne, then welcoming summer in Sydney and Perth. This year's run kicks off at Victoria Park in the Sunshine State capital on Saturday, November 1, with Sneaky Sound System headlining. Conducted by Vanessa Perica and with DJ Groove Terminator on backing duties, the Ministry of Sound Orchestra takes pride of place, of course. Then, Cassius is heading Down Under from France to front the fun on Saturday, November 29 at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne — as well as on Saturday, December 6 at The Entertainment Quarter in Sydney, plus on Friday, December 12 at Kings Park & Botanic Garden in Perth. Other than the orchestra, the lineup varies per city, spanning both international and Australian names. Judge Jules is on the bill in Melbourne and Sydney, for instance, while Tall Paul is also joining in in Sydney — and so is A.Skillz, who has a date with Perth as well. Dirty South is another talent with a date with Brisbane. John Course, Kid Kenobi, Mell Hall and Minx are on the roster, too, plus local names at each of Ministry of Sound Classical's 2025 stops. As for vocalists, expect Reigan, Karina Chavez, Rudy, Lady Lyric and Luke Antony. Ministry of Sound Classical is calling 2025's run a summer dance music festival — even if half of its dates are the month prior — which means that a curated food and bar lineup is also on offer. Sydney will score three stages, while Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth will also feature a silent disco. As for the soundtrack, the event surveys tunes that've packed dance floors over Ministry of Sound's existence — so you just might hear classical renditions of Basement Jaxx, Darude, Röyksopp, Robin, Underworld, Moby, Fisher and more played by its orchestra. Ministry of Sound Classical 2025 Dates Saturday, November 1 — Victoria Park, Brisbane Saturday, November 29 — Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne Saturday, December 6 — The Entertainment Quarter, Sydney Friday, December 12 — Kings Park & Botanic Garden, Perth Ministry of Sound Classical 2025 Lineup (varies per city) Cassius Judge Jules Sneaky Sound System Tall Paul A.Skillz Dirty South John Course Kid Kenobi Mell Hall Minx 2025's Ministry of Sound Classical tour will pop up across Australia in November and December. For further details and tickets — with presales from Tuesday, June 17 at 12pm AEST, then general sales from Wednesday, June 18 at the same time — head to the tour website. Images: Ruby Boland, Ashlea Caygill and Jack Dullard.
We can't think of a much better way to alleviate all that hectic airport stress than some pre-flight puppy cuddles and wet-nosed kisses. Thankfully, Sydney Airport has a new team of four-legged employees that is very happy to help on all counts. In an Aussie first, American Airlines and Assistance Dogs Australia (ADA) have teamed up to launch a new program called emBark at Sydney International Airport, in an effort to make the whole travelling caper much more bearable. Two mornings each week, a group of ADA-trained floofers will be stationed near American Airlines' check-in desks, to help anyone, young or old, that needs a calming cuddle before tackling all that airport hustle and bustle. As well as proving excellent company and very effective stress relief, the dogs will also help to raise awareness about ADA's work and the huge difference these animals can make. As American's Managing Director – Asia Pacific Russ Fortson explained, "The atmosphere at check-in is noticeably lighter and more relaxed. If these inspiring dogs can accomplish this during short interactions with our customers, imagine the positive impact they can have on the daily lives of the people who need them." At present, emBark pups are stationed at Sydney International Airport's American Airline check-in desks between 7-9am, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Images: Christine Bernasconi Photography
After playing more than his fair share of stoners, Seth Rogen co-writes and lends his voice to a film that was probably thought up in a pot-toking, munchies-craving state. What if our food was sentient, aware of everything around it, and had feelings, thoughts, hopes and dreams? What if each edible item interacted with others, and their exchanges mimicked humanity's issues with sex, religion, race and class? That's the world Sausage Party brings to the cinema, from its opening sing-a-long to its climatic display of a very different kind of food porn. As far as Rogen and co-writers Evan Goldberg, Kyle Hunter and Ariel Shaffir are concerned, talking grocery products just want to get laid. Otherwise, they're generally happy conforming to cultural stereotypes and being kept in their place via a placating ideology. Turns out food isn't so different from the people who eat it. In case it's not clear, this film is for adults only, with directors Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan — best known for helming Madagascar 3 and episodes of Thomas & Friends, respectively — operating in much ruder, cruder territory than they're used to. A sausage by the name of Frank (Rogen) serves as the film's protagonist, whose primary goal in life is to consummate his relationship with his hot dog bun girlfriend Brenda (Kristen Wiig). As the Fourth of July approaches, they're both eager to leave the Shopwell's store they call home and move into the utopia of The Great Beyond. But things change after a jar of Honey Mustard (Danny McBride) returns from the supposed paradise outside, screaming that everything they thought they knew is a lie. Working his way around a shop also inhabited by a Jewish bagel (Edward Norton), an Arabic flatbread (David Krumholtz), an affectionate taco (Salma Hayek) and more, Frank sets out to discover the truth — all while an obnoxious, juiced-up douche (Nick Kroll) stalks the aisles. In waxing philosophical about the nature of belief systems, Sausage Party's premise proves surprisingly smart and thoughtful, with its characters forced to face the fact that their ultimate fate involves being eaten by the humans they consider gods. Unfortunately, the anti-Pixar flick also feels decidedly over-stuffed, bogged down by everything from endless food puns and hit-and-miss gags propped up by Scorsese-level swearing, to an over-reliance on bodily functions, drug use and pop-culture references to generate a laugh. Thankfully, a stacked cast of Rogen's male regulars, including Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Paul Rudd and James Franco, helps keep Sausage Party bouncing merrily along. Everyone's clearly having fun spouting their inappropriate dialogue, even if their glee isn't always contagious. In that way, the film quickly becomes the movie equivalent of a tripped-out dinner party, one that boasts plenty of quality ingredients, but can't quite deliver a satisfying meal.
Before Parasite and after Parasite: for audiences, for the film world in general and for composer Jung Jae-il, that then-and-now split applies. Bong Joon-ho's 2019 movie earned immensely deserved devotion and collected almost every accolade that it could — including the Palme d'Or at Cannes, the Sydney Film Prize, a Golden Globe, two BAFTAs, a Screen Actors Guild Award, an Asian Pacific Screen Award, five Grand Bell Awards and, making history, four Oscars — as it wowed everyone, viewers and awards voters alike, with its class-clash black comedy/thriller tale. It wasn't Jung's first collaboration with the Memories of Murder, The Host and Snowpiercer director or his last; however, it was an unsurprisingly pivotal, influential and impactful experience. "First of all, I just fell in love with film music," Jung tells Concrete Playground. "Because I'd been composing for so many genres, like dance, pop, all genres, for decades, but I'd never thought I would be a professional film composer," he continues. Prior to Parasite, Jung had other film scores to his name, including for the Bong co-written and produced Haemoo (also known as Sea Fog) and the Bong-directed Okja, but lending his musical talents to the Kim family's efforts to infiltrate the Park household "was very challenging and exciting," he notes. "And making music for the film, it just made me go deep inside of me. Trying to translate the director's vision and the edit, the cuts, I have to understand what the cut needs in a musical way." "I felt like I have to be a translator‚ to translate the director's vision to musical language. And it was very exciting — sometimes very despairing — but [I thought] 'oh, this could be my turning point'," Jung furthers. "And as a pop musician, pop composer, pop music is very short. Sometimes it's even two minutes. And I had a really hard time to make that short music, because I like to make drama in music — but to make drama, it's too short," he says. "So all of this is very inspiring. I can give my mind more to film music. I just love that." Jung's music career dates back to being a teenager. For the big screen, he's now also the composer behind Bong's Mickey 17, Hirokazu Kore-eda's Broker — the acclaimed Japanese filmmaker and Shoplifters Palme d'Or-winner's first South Korean feature — and 2025 Sundance-premiering American dramedy Twinless. On the small screen, one of the biggest streaming sensations of the 2020s wouldn't have proven the same without his integral contribution, with scoring Squid Game also on Jung's resume. [caption id="attachment_1009331" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Squid Game S3. No Ju-han/Netflix © 2025[/caption] Thanks to that fight-to-the-death hit Netflix dystopian thriller dropping its second season at the end of 2024, then its third and final run in mid-2025, and also due to Mickey 17 reaching cinemas and Twinless doing the film festival rounds as well, the past year has been particularly huge for Jung. Now comes a trip to Australia for something that's rarely occurred before: Parasite in Concert. At the Melbourne International Film Festival — where Twinless is also playing — the composer is both performing and conducting Parasite's score live, aided by Orchestra Victoria, across two shows on one day. "It's very special for any composer, because it's a live-to-picture show. Just performing scores live is very common, but with the screen from top to the bottom it's so very rare. It is quite challenging as well — but for me, it's a lifetime experience as well," Jung advises. The complexity springs "because I should play exactly with the screen. So we have a very complicated playing system, the metronome and clicks, and all that. That is very challenging." [caption id="attachment_1016407" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix[/caption] What goes into preparing for Parasite in Concert for Jung? "It's very simple to play just by myself, but I have to collaborate with the orchestra, so I should prepare the score and parts, and talk with the maestro or the musical director," he explains. "And I'm going to move to Melbourne just before, three days or two days before the show, and rehearse with them for about a whole day. So I should prepare the two-hour score in a day. That's very challenging for me, but very exciting as well." Attendees will witness the results on Saturday, August 23, 2025 at Melbourne's Hamer Hall, in what's set to be one of the highlights of MIFF's 73rd edition — and a stunning way to help close out the festival's Thursday, August 7–Saturday, August 24 in-person stint for the year (its online program also runs from Friday, August 15–Sunday, August 31). Jung is also set to speak about his career on the same morning in an hour-long in-conversation session. In the lead up to his trip Down Under, we chatted with him about his composing journey so far, too, as well as working with Bong Joon-ho multiple times, finding inspiration, his path to Squid Game, his first response to the show's premise and more. On Jung's Journey as a Composer Leading Up to Parasite "When I was a teenager, I worked as a session musician — guitar and piano. And for many composers and many singers. And one day, this one composer called Won Il— he is a very famous composer, especially in traditional and film composing in Korea — suggested me to arrange some parts of a score, and that was the very first start for me. And then as a main composer, I worked for a film called Marine Boy. That was my first film. Nobody knows the film in Korea, but it was a little bit not a good experience for me — too many works and too little income. So I thought 'I cannot be a film composer right now'. So I just forgot about that. And after that, Baram just came to me to work with them, and they required me to make music with only traditional Korean instruments. That was very challenging and very interesting, so that's why I said 'okay' for them. And with that film, it was very interesting, but not helpful for my life — not helpful for my financial situation. So I just forgot that. And after that came the film Sea Fog, which is the film where the executive producer was Bong Joon-ho. And with the film, 'oh, this is film scoring. Oh, this is quite exciting.' And I love the orchestra — and I could use the orchestra a lot. So that was a very satisfying project. Sea Fog, nobody knows as well, but I just started to see the precious thing in film scoring. And with Okja, Parasite, I just definitely fell in love with film scoring." On Jung's Creative Partnership with Bong Joon-ho Across Okja, Parasite and Mickey 17 "As I said before, I'm just a translator. I don't want to express my own individual musical taste or musical hope like that. I'm concentrating on what this director is thinking and what this cut is saying to me. That's why Mr Bong Joon-ho likes me, because I'm just concentrating on his vision only. But that's the basic attitude for me to work with other directors as well." On the Bong Joon-ho's Meticulousness and Precision — Including Only Shooting the Exact Shots He Needs, and How That Type of Approach Carries Over to Movie Scores "To be honest, that is very common in Korean film. Everybody does that. But Bong Joon-ho really explains precisely what he's thinking. So, I don't say that much. He just tells me what he's been thinking and how this cut is completed — I think that's it. And when you get the final locked version of cut, after that I have to take care of everything regarding music. But when he doesn't like my first version of music, he tells me what he doesn't like, what he likes, very precisely — sometimes in a very imaginative way, sometimes in a very practical way. That's why Mr Bong Joon-ho is different among other directors." On Finding Inspiration for a Score From Beyond a Director's Instructions "For Parasite, Bong Joon-ho just told me that he'd been listening to baroque music, baroque-era music, a lot while he was writing the script. But as a self-taught composer, I didn't know much about baroque music. So I had to research Vivaldi, Bach every day. Sometimes I played Bach's 'Goldberg Variations' every morning. So I practiced and I exercised to get the baroque elements into my body, into my heart. That's one way to find the inspiration." On Getting Into the Right Mindset for Parasite "As a film composer, the first opening theme is very important. Even though it's not a main theme, the opening theme is very important for a composer because it's the first step. And with that first step, the path is going through — and in the script of Parasite, the first phrase was 'very hopeful music with despair'. I didn't know what to do, so I tried several versions of opening them." On How Genre Impacts the Way That Jung Tackles a Film Score "Basically I love drama, because I love to use the orchestra or piano, rather than computer music or band music. So I prefer drama rather than sci-fi or a thriller. For Mickey 17, it's a sci-fi, but it's a film about love at the same time — love and hope and peace. So I could use piano and orchestra in a very traditional way, because even if it's sci-fi, I could make the score in a very traditional way — and I am very happy with that." On Working with Hirokazu Kore-eda on Broker "I just watched this film Nobody Knows in 2004. I was really shocked, and I just fell in love with this film. And I've been tracking all of his masterpieces for decades. And finally, I heard the news that he is going to make a film with Korean staff and Korean actors. So I just wrote a letter to him with my previous works: 'I would love to work with you in Korea'. That's how I worked with him. That was the first time I approached a director before he approached me." On How Parasite's Success Helped Jung's Career, Including Putting Him on the Path to Squid Game "It was unbelievable recognition for me. I'm just a person who works backstage, behind the curtain. I had many opportunities, many chances. And because of Parasite, I just met director Hwang Dong-hyuk of Squid Game. And Squid Game is an unbelievable success. It's a phenomenon. I got proposals from many American directors for many scripts — and even I released my own solo album with Decca Records in London, which I'd never thought about before. But for me, my life is not that changed, because I'm just working alone in my own studio. But the obvious thing is now I don't have to prove myself to other people. That's quite comfortable for me — I only need to concentrate on how to make good music. That's the most-important part, most-important change for me. And I just fell in love with series or film music — to translate the vision into musical language. That's very powerful work and very useful work at the same time, because film is not going to fade away — music is film's best friend. So they're the most-exciting changes for me." On Jung's First Response to Squid Game's Premise "It was so brutal and cruel, so I just thought 'I could do this' and 'this is very quite exciting'. And I was a fan of Mr Hwang Dong-hyuk because of his previous work called The Fortress. I've watched that film about 10–20 times. So I had very deep faith in him. So even though the script was very brutal, full of blood, I could read the humanity. The very deep studying of humanity — I could read that in the script, even in the tragedy and violence. [caption id="attachment_977953" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Squid Game S2. No Ju-han/Netflix © 2024[/caption] So 'yeah, why not?'. Because he was my hero, one of my heroes — and 'yeah, I would love to do this'. But for me, it was very challenging as well because it was a series — my first time on a series — because I was very used to two-hour films. But this is nine-hour films. So 'oh, I could do that?'. That was very challenging for me." [caption id="attachment_840359" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Squid Game S1[/caption] On the Influences for Squid Game's Score "Every time that I make a new score, I search for a unique way. Unique is better than common things. That's how I'm thinking. So I just found these musical instruments which are very familiar for Korean children in elementary school — they learn that instruments like recorder, castanets, tambourine, melodeon, that kind of thing. And 'oh, that that could be very interesting'. [caption id="attachment_1007294" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Squid Game S3. No Ju-han/Netflix © 2025[/caption] And children are not good at performing, so they make disharmonies and no rhythms, then that makes some kind of scary sounds as well. So 'let's start with these elements'. That was my first way to approach Squid Game. And I composed some cues that felt a little bit like Hollywood-style music, but Mr Hwang Dong-hyuk really hated that Hollywood-style approach. So I just thought 'alright, I could just remove this Hollywood-style, I'm going to stick to very unique and powerful, sometimes-traditional style'. That's how it started from the first part." On Evolving the Music for Squid Game Across Three Seasons "I think I just concentrated on how to make this scene powerful. I could revise or rearrange and repeat the main theme — the successful themes — time to time, but I decided to make original ones a little bit more. So one is very different from two. Two is very different from one. And three is very different from two. But for season three, I repeated this one theme called 'I Remember My Name', which is first used in season one and it represents the farewell in death. That is the most-repeated theme of Squid Game — and other than that, all are original." Parasite Live in Concert takes place on Saturday, August 23, 2025 at Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne, 100 St Kilda Road, Southbank — head to the venue website for tickets and further information. The 2025 Melbourne International Film Festival runs from Thursday, August 7–Sunday, August 24 at a variety of venues around Melbourne; from Friday, August 15–Sunday, August 17 and Friday, August 22–Sunday, August 24 in regional Victoria; and online nationwide from Friday, August 15–Sunday, August 31. For further details, visit the MIFF website.
In literally huge news for keen hikers, a spectacular new walking trail has been unveiled on the NSW North Coast. The Gidjuum Gulganyi Walk weaves a spectacular 42-kilometre path through the ancient Gondwanan rainforest and volcanic landscapes of the Tweed Byron Hinterland, and it's ready to be explored right now. Located on Widjabul Wia-bal and Minjungbal Country, part of the Bundjalung Nation, the walk connects Mount Jerusalem National Park and Nightcap National Park via the Whian Whian State Conservation Area, and is the latest addition to NSW's growing collection of Great Walks. 'Gidjuum Gulganyi' translates to 'old people's track', a name chosen by the land's Traditional Owners to honour the cultural significance of this route, which follows paths walked by their ancestors for thousands of years. [caption id="attachment_999895" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Scrub Tree Walking Track, R Brand[/caption] The four-day, three-night walk offers hikers a chance to explore plunging waterfalls and towering trees, as well as take in sweeping views of the Tweed caldera mountains. Across the three different parks the walking trail traverses, walkers will also be able to encounter the region's incredible biodiversity, including rare and unique species of flora, as well as creation sites, ceremonial areas, traditional pathways and campgrounds that are connected through the Dreaming. The walk ends at the dramatic Minyon Falls, a 100-metre-tall cascade formed by the ancient Tweed Volcano. The trail also boasts three newly built campgrounds, each fitted out with 11 elevated sleeping platforms — you can BYO gear and book a camping package, or opt for a guided experience that delves deeper into the region's flora, fauna and rich Indigenous heritage. There's also a shuttle service available for transfers from nearby towns and airports. [caption id="attachment_999892" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Peates Mountain Track, R Brand[/caption] Not quite ready for the full 42 kilometres? No problem. You can tackle one of the many shorter side trails and sections, with options for a range of fitness levels. The Gidjuum Gulganyi Walk — delivered by NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) — is part of the $7.34 million Tweed Byron Hinterland Trails Project, which aims to showcase the ancient landscape of and encourage more nature-based tourism to the region. It's the sixth NSW Great Walk to open in the past two years, and a worthy new addition to the list. [caption id="attachment_999897" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yelgun Kyoomgun campground, D Parsons[/caption] [caption id="attachment_999896" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Unicorn Falls Walking Track, R Brand[/caption] [caption id="attachment_999893" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Scrub Creek Walking Track, D Parsons[/caption] [caption id="attachment_999891" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Minyon Falls, D Parsons[/caption] For more information or to book, head to the NPWS website. Top image: D Parsons.
It has been a busy two years for Timothée Chalamet, aka the internet's current boyfriend. Not too long ago, he was best known for a bit part in Interstellar, and now he's one of cinema's biggest talents. Chalamet swooned over first love in the gorgeous Call Me By Your Name, and was nominated for an Oscar for his impeccable performance. He played one of the titular character's first loves in Lady Bird, a film that nabbed Oscar nominations for almost everyone else involved. In his latest movie, Beautiful Boy, he's grappling with addiction — and he'll likely receive plenty of awards love again. This true life drama stands out from Chalamet's recent hits, however, and not in a positive way. His work is exceptional once more, inhabiting rather than performing his troubled character, but the film doesn't do its star justice. Or, to be more accurate, it doesn't do its stars justice. Beautiful Boy is a father-and-son drama as much as it is a deep dive into the trauma wrought by drugs, with Steve Carell as journalist David Sheff and Chalamet as his bright, thoughtful, college-bound son Nic. David can only watch on as Nic escalates from casual marijuana use to an insatiable crystal meth habit, and the respective tolls of bearing witness to, and spiralling through, the depths of addiction are written across Carell and Chalamet's faces. Each actor plays their character like a man possessed, one by trying to understand what drove his boy down this path, the other by an urge that he can't and won't stop indulging. Or perhaps it's that they both seem like they're haunted — by dreams, wants, needs and choices, and by a life that's not what either originally planned. Based on separate memoirs by the actual David and Nic, Beautiful Boy's details are familiar. Viewers first meet David when he's asking an expert exactly what all of these illicit substances are doing to Nic, before the movie jumps back to show the progression to that point and beyond. The Sheff household is happy, with David remarried to painter Karen (Maura Tierney), and Nic getting along with both his stepmother and much-younger half-siblings. But then, suddenly nothing is happy. All that's changed is Nic, and his newfound penchant for getting high rather than burying his head in a book. Soon he's withdrawn and sullen, out late and disappearing for periods of time, and hiding his soulful gaze further and further behind his dark, wavy locks. Every moment that Chalamet and Carell are on screen, either individually or together, it's easy to believe the Sheffs' plight. Beautiful Boy can't answer why Nic dissolves into his addiction, other than the fact he enjoys taking drugs. It can't explain why this thoroughly middle-class family is put through such an ordeal, other than the fact that the unexpected happens. With images that feel both dreamy and gritty simultaneously, what it can do instead is depict the torturous aftermath. The results are authentic and heartfelt, thanks to the film's basis in reality, its brilliant leads, and the stellar support offered by Tierney and Amy Ryan (as David's first wife and Nic's mother). And yet, while the actors make the most intimate, internalised and difficult of emotions ring true, conveying the pain and suffering that clearly changed the Sheffs' lives, the movie itself couldn't be more heavy-handed. Even if it actually happened, having one character read "I just love drugs" in another's diary, or words to that effect, isn't the most subtle of moves. The same applies to Beautiful Boy's use of Nirvana, Neil Young, John Lennon and more on its soundtrack — songs which may stem from the Sheff's real-life music choices, yet are always deployed to obvious effect. While nuance wasn't in director Felix Van Groeningen's wheelhouse when he helmed the heartstring-tugging Broken Circle Breakdown in 2012, he's made a much less effective melodrama this time around. Beautiful Boy is still a moving, affecting picture — with its two main stars putting in some of their best work, how could it not be? — but it never trusts that viewers will respond accordingly. Chalamet and Carell show the audience what the Sheffs went through, however the film itself doesn't just want to tell their story. Rather, it wants to scream it, and to push every sentimental, blunt and cliched button. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaOhgZez1Nk
Clocking in at two hours and 40 minutes, Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood isn't a short movie. Like the bulk of the acclaimed writer/director's films, however, it's one that viewers would be be happy to spend even longer with. Since the hit flick premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last year, Tarantino has even talked about returning to its world, revealing that he has written the scripts for five episodes of the Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio)-starring fictional TV western Bounty Law — and that he plans to make and direct them all. It might take some time for that to come to fruition, though, so a new, free documentary that peeks behind the scenes of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood will just have to do in the meantime. Called Once Upon a Time in Hollywood — A Love Letter to Making Movies, the half-hour doco lives up to its title. Not only does it step through the making of Tarantino's feature, but it explores how the filmmaker's obsessive love of cinema informed everything about the movie. QT's fondness for the medium he works in isn't new news. Neither is his tendency to fill his films with references to his inspiration, or his dedicated attention to detail. But if you want to hear more about how that all plays out on this specific 19169-set flick — a movie that's, among other things, a love letter to Hollywood's heyday just as it was fading — then here's your chance. Currently available to watch on Youtube, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood — A Love Letter to Making Movies features plenty of the movie's heavy-hitters, so expect to-camera chats from Tarantino — obviously — as well as DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Kurt Russell, Timothy Olyphant and the late Luke Perry. With the film industry's annual awards season currently in full swing, and with Once Upon a Time in Hollywood not only vying for ten Oscars, but hotly tipped to nab the coveted Best Picture prize —if Parasite or 1917 doesn't beat it, that is — the documentary's release is obviously extremely well-timed. Check out Once Upon a Time in Hollywood — A Love Letter to Making Movies below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AxkaueDxYM Top image: © 2018 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Every July, celebrating all things French is always on the agenda, all thanks to Bastille Day. Here's one particularly tasty way to do just that: free croissants. Throughout the entire month, every day from Monday–Saturday each week, King Street Bakery is handing out 100 free buttery, flaky, oh-so-delicious pastries. In total, it'll give away 2500 plain croissants across the whole of July. The two caveats: to get your hands around (and tastebuds enjoying) a croissant without paying a cent, you will need to buy a barista-made beverage. You'll also need to get in early each day, because it's a first in, first served kind of deal. There's also only one free croissant available per person per day — and if you're wondering why there's none at all on Sundays, that's because King Street Bakery isn't open then. Still, we know exactly the two words you're looking for: très bon. While you're making the trip to Bowen Hills, if you feel like tucking into the rest of the bakery's wares — such as its viennoiseries, its range of tarts (both sweet and savoury), and its Parisian-style breakfast and lunch range — that's understandable. That part won't be free, though.
For cinephiles who like their movies dark, twisted, offbeat and out there, Monster Fest has been a beloved name on Australia's festival circuit for more than a decade. The event started back in 2011 as a Melbourne-only showcase of weird and wild cinema, and has expanded to hit up Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, too — because everyone deserves a strange and surreal (and sometimes chilling and horror-fuelled) night or several at the pictures. In 2022, Monster Fest is back for another whirl, although you're forgiven if that idea sounds familiar: earlier in the year, it hosted weekender mini fests to sate movie buffs' appetites. Now, it's time for the full festival experience, which unfurls over 11 days in Melbourne and four days at its other stops, all highlighting the latest and greatest in genre filmmaking. If it's a horror, sci-fi or thriller movie and it's destined for a cult following, you'll likely see it here first. When it gets things started at Carlton's Cinema Nova from Thursday, November 24–Sunday, December 4, Monster Fest 2022 will kick off with the Yuletide terrors of Christmas Bloody Christmas, which features a robotic Santa malfunctioning, then going on a murderous rampage. 'Tis the season and all that. In fact, the film will launch the fest countrywide, including when it runs at Event Cinemas George Street in Sydney, Event Cinemas Myer Centre in Brisbane, Event Cinemas Marion in Adelaide and Event Cinemas Innaloo in Perth between Thursday, December 8–Sunday, December 11. From there, other standouts include Stephen Dorff- and Emile Hirsch-starring The Price We Pay, which begins with two criminals on the run and gets deadlier from there; The Offering, about a family battling an ancient demon; and Swissploitation flick Mad Heidi, which has its namesake fight fascist rule in a grindhouse frenzy. Or, there's On the Edge, the latest from American Mary filmmakers Jen and Sylvia Soska; Subject, the sophomore release by Australian Watch the Sunset filmmaker Tristan Barr; and Ribspreader, another Aussie effort, this time about getting rid of smoking — and smokers. Closing night features Kids vs Aliens, a coming-of-age sci-fi/horror effort that sees a house party gatecrashed by visitors from another galaxy as directed by Hobo with a Shotgun's Jason Eisener. Elsewhere on the lineup, even though the idea of people fighting to survive their way through a building isn't new by any means — see: High-Rise, Dredd and The Raid, for starters — French film Lockdown Tower is giving it another go. Different cities have different exclusives, too, with more movies on the bill in Melbourne given the longer season. A must-see for everyone, however, is the special presentation of Friday the 13th Part III to celebrate its 40th anniversary, as screening in 3D and 4K. A word of warning: if you like your movies happy and chirpy, this clearly isn't your kind of festival. For everyone else, settle in. MONSTER FEST 2022: Thursday, November 24–Sunday, December 4 — Cinema Nova, Melbourne Thursday, December 8–Sunday, December 11 — Event Cinemas George Street, Sydney Thursday, December 8–Sunday, December 11 — Event Cinemas Myer Centre, Brisbane Thursday, December 8–Sunday, December 11 — Event Cinemas Marion, Adelaide Thursday, December 8–Sunday, December 11 — Event Cinemas Innaloo, Perth Monster Fest runs across late November and early December around Australia. Head to the festival's website for further details. Top image: Photo courtesy of Shudder and RLJE Films.
Fans of the ocean's finest will soon have a new waterside Brisbane spot to head to, with the restaurateur behind Opa Bar + Mezze, Massimo Restaurant, Yamas Greek + Drink and George's Paragon announcing plans to open a seafood venue at Portside Wharf. At Fosh, staring at the river while tucking into fish, lobster, mud crabs and oysters will be on the menu, with the restaurant due to open in March 2023. Fosh hails from Michael Tassis, who was also behind Eagle Street's Fatcow Steak & Lobster and Rico Bar + Dining — both of which are moving to different sites now that the CBD precinct has closed to make way for a hefty makeover. Amid those relocations, Tassis' new 700-square-metre joint will settle into Portside as it too is undergoing a revamp, although Fosh will open in Hamilton before the larger renovations are set to be complete next December. Diners can clearly expect seafood aplenty, including a focus on sustainable, high-quality catches that are served to guests within 24 hours of being caught. Given Fosh's size, it'll also have space for a "casual yet upmarket fish and chip offering, ideal for families and friends looking for a relaxed, tasty and fresh meal to go," explains Tassis. Whether you're eating in or dropping by to grab some takeaways, you'll notice the luxe yet naturalistic and relaxed decor, which'll be inspired by The Hamptons. As part of a $3-million fitout, Fosh will boast both indoor and outdoor dining areas, too — with boosting the latter year-round one of the big aims of Portside's facelift. "The fitout will include a glamorous island bar, fireplace and generously sized indoor area suitable for entertaining large groups, which will flow effortlessly to the outside alfresco area, where guests can enjoy a meal and uninterrupted views of the river," says Tassis. "We hope this exceptional dining experience will spark — or reignite — people's love for the cuisine, and I can't think of a better location to do so than directly by the water." Launching a dedicated seafood restaurant at Portside, and one run by Tassis, seems like an obvious step for a number of reasons. The location screams for it, and Tassis' father George founded George's Paragon Seafood Restaurant in Sanctuary Cove more than three decades ago. "It's very much in my roots," Tassis notes. Find Fosh at Portside Wharf, 39 Hercules Street, Hamilton, from March 2023 — we'll update you with an exact opening date when one is announced.
Netflix's hefty stable of original programming spans every genre imaginable, from nostalgic sci-fi thrillers such as Stranger Things and smart existential comedies like Russian Doll to crime procedurals such as Mindhunter and period dramas like The Crown. But as fans of Making a Murderer, Tiger King and Unbelievable all know, the streaming platform has also been leaning rather heavily upon true tales in recent years — both via docuseries and dramatised versions. Add Unorthodox to the latter pile, with the new four-part miniseries based on Deborah Feldman's best-selling 2012 autobiography Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots. As the book's title makes plain, the memoir and the TV adaptation each explore her decision to leave her ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Williamsburg, New York, flee her arranged marriage and everyone she's ever known, and escape to Berlin to start a brand new life. Names and details have been changed, as tends to be the case with dramas based on real-life stories; however Unorthodox still follows the same overall path. In a tense but instantly commanding opening to the show's first episode, 19-year-old Esther 'Esty' Shapiro (Shira Haas) slips out of the apartment she shares with her husband Yanky (Amit Rahav), picks up a passport from her piano teacher and nervously heads to the airport. Once she arrives in Berlin, she's just as anxious and uncertain — whether she's thinking about contacting her estranged mother (Alex Reid), who lives in the German capital; trying to work out where she'll sleep, given that she knows no one and brought nothing with her; or befriending a group of music students, cherishing making new connections and hoping she can join them at city's conservatory. Netflix's first original series primarily in Yiddish, Unorthodox then jumps between multiple narrative strands — chronicling Esty's sudden awakening into a secular existence far removed from her previous life; charting Yanky's desperate efforts to track her down under orders of their rabbi, with his cousin Moische (Jeff Wilbusch) on hand to help; and flashing back to Esty's childhood, her time with her beloved grandmother (Dina Doron), the lead up to her marriage and the wedding itself. Directed by German actress-turned-filmmaker Maria Schrader (Deutschland 83 and Deutschland 86), the end result proves a unique and intriguing coming-of-age tale, a thoughtful thriller, and an eye-opening but always careful and respectful look at a culture that's rarely depicted on-screen in such depth. Israeli actress Haas (The Zookeeper's Wife, Foxtrot, Mary Magdalene) turns in a nuanced, weighty and gripping performance as Esty, too — which is absolutely pivotal in making Unorthodox so compelling to watch. And, for viewers stuck at home and eager for a window into the wider world, the series makes great use of its Berlin setting — viewing the busy city with the same wide-eyed wonder as its protagonist. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zVhRId0BTw Unorthodox is currently streaming on Netflix. Images: Anika Molnar/Netflix.
If you have been looking for a way to escape the world of mere mortals, then this is the event for you. The Wizarding Academy Express, a magical train journey, is steaming into Melbourne. On Saturday, November 2 and Sunday, November 3, the Express will be departing Docklands' Southern Cross Station throughout both days (from Platform 9 3/4, we hope). Professors from the 'Saremcroft Wizarding Academy' will be sourcing local witches and wizards for their next intake. Your lessons begin as the train departs the platform — you'll need to brush up on your spell casting and potion making. The train ride is an interactive theatre experience, suitable for all ages. Your carriage is your 'house', where you'll find your House Captain and Professor. Robes and wands are, of course, recommended. The whole experience has the air of a certain fictional wizarding universe, but, it has been noted, is not affiliated to or endorsed by Warner Bros in any way. The whole thing goes for 60–90 minutes, including all magical activities and even non-alcoholic potions. Unfortunately, all tickets have now sold out, but we'll let you know if any more journeys are added. Updated: September 24, 2019.
As a kid, your idea of the perfect getaway probably would have included only a few simple things, like proximity to the closest milk bar and easy access to the nearest beach or lake. But as you've matured, so have your tastes and expectations. Now you want only the best, don't you? Luckily, Australia has no shortage of lavish retreats to discover in every corner of the country. From safari-style glamping along Western Australia's vibrant Ningaloo Reef to a rugged private island off the Tasmanian coast, there are ways you can seriously treat yourself — and see some of Australia's most stunning scenes at the same time. With that in mind, we've hunted down seven luxury locations that will have you refreshed and rejuvenated. Everyone deserves a little five-star escape every now and then. [caption id="attachment_720489" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Western Australia[/caption] SAL SALIS NINGALOO REEF SAFARI CAMP, WA Hidden between sand dunes in the Cape Range National Park, Sal Salis is a beachside eco safari camp like no other. The 15 luxury wilderness tents take glamping to a whole new level, with breezy openair bathrooms, handmade timber beds and absolutely unbeatable views of the Indian Ocean, which is conveniently located only a few steps away from your sleeping quarters. There are outdoor activities aplenty, though swimming with whale sharks, manta rays and dolphins would certainly be at the top of our list. The main lodge also offers the perfect place to unwind with fantastic regional wines, WA seafood, and a rustic wooden outdoor deck that offers the ultimate vantage point to see the Milky Way in all its glory. Ningaloo Reef is one of our top places to visit in Australia in 2023, and Sal Salis would have to be the greatest place to stay in the region. THE CAPE AT WATEGOS, BYRON BAY If you're after a laidback luxury stay with uninterrupted sea views, then these Byron Bay lodges should more than do the trick. The Cape at Wategos sits above the area's much-loved Wategos Beach (backed by a national park) and is super close to a bunch of great restaurants and bars. It has the ideal blend of feeling totally remote but still close to Byron Bay's fun stuff. Choose from one of the two-bedroom suites — each with massive private decks overlooking the beach — or go for the large Residence that sleeps up to six guests. Expect stark white interiors, Hampton-style furnishings, spacious kitchens and living areas, an infinity swimming pool and comfy king-sized beds. Either spend all your days up at the lodges or take a short walk down for afternoons of swimming and surfing with mates. LONGITUDE 131, YULARA, NT No matter where you're standing, the mammoth form of Uluru is always an incredible sight to behold. But some vantage points are better than others — and if we had to pick, we'd say Longitude 131 has the best. Luxury tents (if you can even call them that) sprawl across the red desert in the shadow of the ancient Kata Tjuṯa. Every one comes with indulgent elements like floor-to-ceiling windows, a soft daybed, a rain shower and a coffee machine — not to mention the free-standing tub in the sprawling Dune Pavilion that we would definitely try to take home with us if it was remotely possible. The best part? There are no televisions and no radios, so you'll be in complete quiet and solitude. It is clear to see why it's one of the best glamping spots in all of Australia. [caption id="attachment_557208" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Elise Hassey[/caption] SATELLITE ISLAND, TASMANIA If you've ever read Journey to the End of the Earth and thought 'that sounds like fun' then you're going to love Satellite Island. Lined with rugged cliffs that dip into clear blue waters and teeming with native wildlife, the 34-hectare landmass is located along the southeastern coast of Tasmania in the D'Entrecasteaux Channel and is only accessible by private boat. Whether you're catching your own fish off of the island's single jetty, foraging for ingredients in the veggie patch or learning how to shuck your own oysters, you'll probably try to set up a makeshift cabin so you never have to leave this tranquil paradise. PS EMMYLOU, MURRAY RIVER According to the PS Emmylou team, this is the world's only accommodated woodfire paddle steamer. You'll slowly float along the Murray River in this newly kitted-out boat, stopping off at small towns and natural sites to do some light exploring. Grab one of the eight luxe cabins, dine on the back of the boat (with food and drinks included in the ticket price) and take part in a series of tours around the Murray River region. This will include leisurely hikes, winery tours and special dinners on the banks of the river. But the best thing to do is simply grab a seat on your balcony — if you get the luxury suite — and spend the day reading and drinking in the sunshine. It has to be the best way to see this marvellous part of Australia. JACKALOPE, MORNINGTON PENINSULA, VICTORIA Situated in the heart of the Mornington Peninsula wine region, Jackalope Hotel has raised the bar for luxury retreats in the area. The first thing that greets you on arrival is a grandiose seven-metre-tall sculpture of a jackalope — the mythical horned rabbit after which the surrealist hotel is named — and things only get more extravagant from there. From the 30-metre-long infinity pool with lush vineyard views to the hotel's extensive art collection, opulent spa and two top-quality restaurants, you won't have to leave the grounds if you don't want to. [caption id="attachment_720481" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Peter Aitchison and Baille Lodge via Destination NSW[/caption] CAPELLA LODGE, LORD HOWE ISLAND Operating for over a decade now, Capella Lodge is one of Australia's most well-known hotels — and, thanks to a cheeky $4 million makeover a few years ago, it's also one of the country's most lavish. Visitors are treated to inspiring views of the island's twin peaks, Mount Gower and Mount Lidgbird, as well as the world's southernmost coral reef in the Pacific Ocean. The beach is only a stone's throw away when you feel like a swim, though the plunge pool is just as refreshing. Plus, you can do this epic hike and then head straight to the spa for a hot stone massage that'll have you feeling stress-free for weeks. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips in destinations all over the world. Top image: Longitude 131.
A top-notch cocktail is something worth savouring. It's worth searching for, too — and what a delicious quest that is. Rather than add every bar ever to your must-visit list, however, plenty of competitions, lists and rankings exist to help you find the best of the best, so that you can spend more time sipping ace drinks. One such contest: the Patrón Perfectionists Australian Cocktail Competition, which then ties into a global tournament. Its focus: getting standout bartenders shaking up and mixing tequila, and using far more than just lemon and salt. The 2022 Aussie event has just been held, with a new best local bartender crowned, as announced at a ceremony on Wednesday, November 9. Tequila lovers of Australia, you'll want to make a date with Melbourne's Pearl Diver Cocktails & Oysters, because the glam bar's Alex Boon just took out the Patrón Perfectionists Australian Cocktail Competition title. To win, Boon had to mix up two cocktails: one that blends Patrón Silver tequila with something representing local culture, using ingredients from a prescribed list, and another speciality drink that featured one Australian ingredient. For the first beverage, Boon's Frankie was inspired by Uncle Toby's oats — yes, you'll never think about the breakfast staple the same way again — while his second, the 60 Hands Highball, used mango in three different ways. Ten Australian bartenders competed for the title, hailing from an impressive list of bars from around the country, including Kayla Reid from fellow Melbourne spot Nick & Nora's; Haadee Bahar of Mimi's & Will's and Storm Evans of Cantina OK! in Sydney; and Andie Bulley of Savile Row, Bec Bayley of Before + After and Martin McConnell of Frog's Hollow Saloon, all in Brisbane. Chris Tilley of Neon Palms and Volare Bar represented Perth, Talis Heggart of Shotgun Willie's and Memphis Slim's House of Blues did the same for Adelaide, and Etien Celzner of Rude Boy flew the flag for Hobart. Boon next vies for international glory, mixing up his best against bartenders from another 18 countries, in March 2023 at Hacienda Patrón in Jalisco, Mexico. If he emerges victorious on the global stage, he'll give Australia two winners in a row, after Cantina OK!'s Harrison Kenney took out the worldwide title last year. For full details on the Patrón Perfectionists Cocktail Competition, head to the event's website.
If you're heading to the South Island of New Zealand for a vacay, people are going to have some questions for you. "Was it gorgeous?" Duh. "Was it cold?" Only a little. "Do you now have a whole album of photos of you standing in front of crystal lakes, rugged mountain ranges and glorious plains that you'll cherish until the end of time?". Well, obviously. They'll also expect you to have visited vineyards and know your way around a bottle of wine. So you can study up, we've collated a list of the absolute best wineries on the South Island. Hit them up if you want to learn a thing to two about your pinots and rieslings. TERRACE EDGE WINERIES, WAIPARA Once you touch down in Christchurch, there are a few great reasons to head north first. Mostly wine. Head up the scenic coast and only an hour out of Christchurch you'll find Waipara, which is home to many iconic wineries. We recommend Terrace Edge. They won Vineyard of the Year at the NZ Organic Wine Awards 2018, so you can go ahead and raise your expectations sky high. Head to the tasting rooms and try some of their famous pinot noir and riesling. Hot tip: make sure you phone ahead so they know you're coming. They're a small, family-owned and -run establishment and can give you tiptop service and tasting notes if you only give them some notice. Near the tasting room, their picnic tables overlook the lush vineyards and, with the mountain backdrop, are the perfect place to enjoy a glass or two. While you're there, grab a bottle of their olive oil; they make it from olives grown on the site. FRAMINGHAM WINES, RENWICK While you're in the north, set your sights on Renwick, a little town east of Blenheim in the Marlborough region of the island. Here you'll find Framingham, a winery that does away with snootiness and replaces it with live music and good times. You won't find any winery cliches here — except for the views, of course. Plan ahead so you can enjoy the spectacular panoramas before dusk (they are particularly glorious in autumn when the first snows start to dust the distant mountains) and grab a glass while watching a local band. They have some of the oldest riesling vines in Marlborough so we definitely recommend tasting what they produce, as well as the Sauvignon Blanc. The other interesting thing about Framingham is they are accredited as environmentally sustainable and practice organic estate viticulture, which is the future of winemaking. Snaps for Framingham. SAINT CLAIR FAMILY ESTATE, BLENHEIM While you're in the region, you'd be a fool to miss Saint Clair Family Estate, one of the north's best wineries. This winery is a little more what you're used to — a classic set-up with stunning views, a tasting parlour, grounds aplenty and a menu that will make your mouth water. Their staff will talk you through their best drops. We recommend trying a sauvignon blanc, pinot gris or chardonnay as, in a line-up of many (and we mean many) award-winning wines, these varieties boast the most awards. If you're peckish, grab a table among the vines and order one of the local plates. Options include fresh produce from the sea, land or from their winery gardens. From land to plate, right before your eyes — what could be better? RIPPON VINEYARD, WANAKA Once you've made your way back down south, Rippon Vineyard is only a short drive west of Lake Wanaka (another must-do on your NZ itinerary) and boasts spectacular views of the lake and surrounding mountains. The grounds are steep and, in spring and summer, blooming with glorious wildflowers. You can partake of generous tastings in the parlour or enjoy a glass on the lawn overlooking the grapevines and catch a glimpse of Ruby Island in the middle of the lake. Rippon doesn't charge a tasting fee, but they do take donations for a Habitat Restoration programme so if you have a taste, give generously. If you're a larger group (seven or more), you can book in a private tasting with a knowledgeable host to educate you on half a dozen wines. And if you get a moment, take a looky-loo around the building itself. It's a gorgeous old space with high ceilings and abundant fireplaces. CHARD FARM, OTAGO While you're in Otago, head south from Wanaka to Chard Farm, just east of Queenstown. The drive along Lake Dunstan is pretty special, and you'll be rewarded with one of the most rustic wineries you ever did see. Chard Farm is nestled at the base of a gentle mountain and alongside the deep trench of Kawarau River. In winter it's covered in snow, but the rest of the year, the blocky, peach buildings are surrounded by wildflowers and shockingly lush vineyards. It's run by a sweet family and their cellar door is open seven days a week. We recommend the pinot noir (their speciality), but the riesling and pinot gris are also great. If you're a larger party, six or more, be sure to call ahead so they can accommodate you. Otherwise, just turn up and enjoy a quality drop while overlooking the pretty countryside. Start planning your trip to New Zealand's south with our guide to the South Island journeys to take here.
So you've decided to visit Tokyo, good for you. Here at Concrete Playground, we're firm believers that it's one of the best cities in the world for travel — even with little ones in tow. It is easily accessible with numerous flights available from Australia and a digestible drop of many things Japan has to offer. So, we reckon it should be on every Aussie traveller's bucket list. If you're planning your family's first visit to this sprawling metropolitan kingdom, then there are a few important things you should know. We've teamed up with Apartment Hotel MIMARU to tell you. Book Easy and Family-Friendly Accommodation Obviously, accommodation is one of the most important elements of any holiday, and that decision can be tricky when you've got kids to cater for, too. The important elements to consider are numerous and can make or break the family spirit. The last thing you want is an unhappy group and an unsatisfying stay. That's where Apartment Hotel MIMARU enters the picture, focusing on comfort and convenience for travellers big and small. Every apartment hotel is spacious (40 square metres or more) and stocked with kitchens, cooking utensils and small appliances. With 28 locations spread across Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, and 15 in Tokyo alone you have your pick of the perfect spots. Shinjuku West sets you up in a busy commercial district with plenty of stores and sights nearby; Asakusa Station is a central base for a range of luxurious experiences in one of Tokyo's most scenic and historical districts; the quiet Hatchobori puts you close to speciality shops and hidden culinary gems; all a stone's throw from one of the city's largest transport hubs. No matter the location, MIMARU Hotels all include spacious and well-equipped rooms, themed or traditional, catered for by staff who are fluent in English to help you get the most out of your Tokyo trip. [caption id="attachment_947223" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Davlens Photography via iStock[/caption] Organise Tokyo Tourist Essentials Tokyo is a big city. The population density is over 6,000 people per square kilometre, so it's easy to get overwhelmed. Thankfully, we have tips to help you make sense of this sprawling urban kingdom. Japan Travel by Navitime is a fantastic online resource, both a website and app with itineraries, area guides and an in-built trip planner that incorporates the buzzing Tokyo public transport network. There's also the government-operated Safety Tips app, a resource for tourists that covers transport, medical aid, communication help and resources to use in case of natural disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis. Something you might be unsure about is clothes to pack. Tokyo has a reputation for fashion and colour, but we'd recommend you keep a practical mindset and pack for the weather. Summer humidity can be oppressive, and the winter chill cuts through you. Additionally, be prepared for cultural customs. Research the customs surrounding any specific activities you have planned to be certain. All that said, don't be afraid to pack something extravagant if you're planning on visiting pop-culture hotspots like Harajuku and Akihabara. Finally, any Japan trip should involve organising transport cards. How else are you supposed to enjoy the world-class public transport and the famous Shinkansen? Like the transport cards of home, Japan offers Welcome Suica cards for purchase at Haneda airport, which will cover the cost of train travel within Tokyo. [caption id="attachment_947222" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Font84 via iStock[/caption] Stock up on Some Local Snacks As any parent knows, kids need a decent snack supply for nutrition, peace of mind, and, in some cases, added entertainment value. We have some suggestions for you. If you're near Asakusa, make a beeline for Marugoto Nippon Shopping Centre. Here, you'll find four glorious stories of shops that sell almost everything from all across the 47 prefectures of Japan. Marugoto Nippon translates to "the whole of Japan". Otherwise, Tokyo is blessed with more convenience stores than you can shake a hungry toddler at, with chains like 7-Eleven, Family Mart, and Lawson spread all over the city, each with its own range of snacks. At 7-Eleven, you can find sugar butter sand trees (white chocolate sandwiches in cereal cookies), macadamia cookies and bite-sized chocolate cakes. Family Mart offers treats like cheese taras (a stick of cheese covered in dried fish paste), cheesecake pudding and salty daifuku (savoury balls of bean mochi). Meanwhile, in Lawson, you can find premium roll cakes (doughy whipped cream tarts), calamari fries and matcha and brown sugar donuts. Hot tip: every MIMARU hotel has at least one of these stores nearby. [caption id="attachment_947224" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Junjie Xia via iStock[/caption] Plan a Visit to Attractions That All Ages Can Enjoy Now that the essentials are sorted, it's time actually to plan out the itinerary. We'd be here for 1000 pages if we were to describe everything on offer in terms of activities in Tokyo, even just for the whole family, so we've narrowed it down to three recommendations to get you started. For history lovers (and if you're planning a visit in the autumn), there's an annual festival that dates back centuries, the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Reitaisai Festival. It's a mouthful, we know, but the TL;DR is a three-day festival that takes place in Kamakura from September 14–16 and is centred around a competition of horseback archery — a complicated military skill turned equestrian sport. There's the archery itself, plus traditional tea ceremonies, dance performances and parades. A less time-sensitive option is Hitachi Seaside Park, a sprawling outdoor park on the coast of the Ibaraki Prefecture northeast of Tokyo. There are tens of thousands of flowers that shift colour every season, making for a beautiful and relaxing walk or bike ride through the park. You can also visit a range of outdoor game areas and an amusement park with a panoramic ferris wheel. Finally, there's a more dynamic explosion of colour alongside music and festivities at the Asakusa Samba Carnival. Typically, it takes place in late August or early September, very close to Asakusa station, with floats, musicians and dancers in extravagant costumes taking over the streets from 1pm until almost 6pm. With a history of giant balloons and robots in attendance, you never really know what you might see. You have everything you need to start planning the rest of your Tokyo adventure. Head to the MIMARU Hotels website to make a booking.
As if Aesop didn't already lure us in with their disarmingly aromatic street samples, they've gone and fitted out their newest store with rich, glorious cedarwood. Teaming up with Japanese design and architecture firm Torafu Architects, Melbourne skincare and all-the-nice-things brand Aesop has unveiled the interiors for their latest chapter in Osaka. Snuggled in the Grand Front Osaka Mall, the seven square metre space is a delightfully minimal celebration of cedarwood, with shelves, islands and counters all super sleek blocks of once-baked pillars. Pairing down their interior design to match the stripped back branding of the products, Aesop worked closely with Torafu to be the prettiest kids on the block. "We wanted to create a natural feeling against the cold glass and stone materials decking the promenade. Looking for local materials, we found the once-baked Japanese cedar wood pillars," said Wei Ting of Torafu Architects. "When we presented the material choices to Aesop, they suggested using the pink colour for the walls. "While the rough veneer of the Japanese cedar creates a contrast with the homogenising effect of its surroundings, the top surface of the squared logs of varying length are punctuated by aptly placed sinks, thereby bringing about a soothing sense of rhythm to the store." Gotta love an aptly placed sink. Started in Melbourne in 1987 and seeing its first in-store customers in 2004 at a former underground carpark ramp space in St Kilda, Aesop are slowly infiltrating the world skincare market one unique store at a time, from Berlin to London's Covent Garden, the Hamptons to Shibuya, Tokyo. The makers of mindblowing moisturiser opened a rustic, oak and copper-clad store in Hong in February 2014, covered the roof of their December 2013 Chelsea, NYC store with one thousand different covers of literary journal The Paris Review and just months earlier used fruit picking ladders to quaintify their Marylebone, London store. Not to mention the myriad of pop-ups they've cranked out over the years, Aesop has realised over 25 instalments worldwide now. Founder Dennis Paphitis told Dezeen he was "horrified of the thought of a soulless chain," and aimed to invest time and significant funds toward unique design for each store. "There's a direct correlation between interesting, captivating store spaces and customer traffic within a store," he said. "I’ve always imagined what we do as the equivalent of a weighty, gold charm bracelet on the tanned wrist of a glamorous, well-read European woman who has travelled and collected interesting experiences. I felt and still do that it should be possible to grow in a lateral way without prostituting the essence of what the company is about." Now for some solid design porn. Here's Aesop's new cedarwood-clad, super sleek Osaka joint: Via Dezeen. Images by Takumi Ota.
Watching a Sir David Attenborough documentary means being left with two strong feelings: wanting to see the world exactly the way that the iconic broadcaster does, and wishing to always hear his narration as you walk across the planet. Consider the BBC Earth Experience the closest thing to making both happen. It takes footage from Attenborough's Seven Worlds, One Planet series, turns it into a 360-degree walk-through audiovisual event, and has the natural historian and living treasure echo while you wander. The BBC Earth Experience debuted in London in March 2023, which is excellent news if a UK holiday has been on your agenda. Here's a better development: this spring, it's heading Down Under. Melbourne will become only the second city in the world to host this spectacular sight, kicking off on Friday, October 27 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre in what'll be an Australian-exclusive season. The experience uses cutting-edge digital-projection technology to surround attendees in visuals from the earth's seven continents, with everything from fireflies in North America to cassowary fathers and their chicks in Australia on display. In London, the attraction sprawls across more than 1600 square metres, featuring spaces dedicated to the planet seen at microscopic scale, via drone footage and on the ocean floor, too, as part of a self-guided tour that also heroes starfish, elephant seals, snub-nosed monkeys, hamsters and more. If you've already watched Seven Worlds, One Planet, you won't just be greeted by material you've already seen, but larger. The scale of the event's imagery is hefty — epic, even — but BBC Earth Experience also includes extended scenes from the show, plus bespoke narration by Attenborough. The mission is truly to make the audience feel like they've stepped right into the footage, all thanks to multi-angle screens. And, it's designed to cater to existing Seven Worlds, One Planet fans and newcomers alike. [caption id="attachment_916095" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alex Board, BBC Natural History Unit.[/caption] In Melbourne, offering up an educational experience for young patrons is also a big aim. There'll be a classroom space onsite, plus resources curated for teachers. Given how long that Attenborough has been making nature documentaries, including with the BBC Studios Natural History Unit, here's hoping that more of his work gets this kind of experience-focused treatment. Bringing Prehistoric Planet and its sequel series to life? Add that to the wish list. "Melbourne is the only city in Australia that will host the incredible BBC Earth Experience, which will attract thousands of visitors to enjoy everything on offer in our city while supporting jobs across the tourism and events sector," said Victorian Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos, announcing the event's stint Down Under. "This collaboration with Visit Victoria, BBC Studios and Moon Eye Productions will deliver a spectacular and educational experience unlike any other," added Live Nation Australia Vice President of Touring Luke Hede. "Sir David Attenborough is a global treasure, and the BBC Earth Experience marries his message about the challenges nature faces in today's world alongside the world's most incredible footage. Victorians and visitors to the state are in for a real treat." The BBC Earth Experience will open in Australia at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Wharf, Melbourne on Friday, October 27, 2023 — head to the event website for further details and tickets. BBC Earth Experience images: Philip Volkers / BBC.
Since 2017, watching The Handmaid's Tale has meant wishing for one thing: the end of Gilead, the totalitarian, male-dominated society that rules the show's dystopian version of the United States. (No, not the masterplanned Sydney community of the same name.) In the award-winning series adapted from Margaret Atwood's book, that outcome is finally coming in a way — with American streaming platform Hulu announcing that the hit show will finish up when its sixth season airs. That said, it's highly likely that The Handmaid's Tale won't truly wrap up with the destruction of Gilead, because Hulu also has revealed that The Testaments in the works. It too is based on an Atwood novel — on her sequel to The Handmaid's Tale, which hit shelves in 2019 — which means that her fictional nightmarish realm isn't going far. The news that The Handmaid's Tale will end after season six comes ahead of the show's fifth season, which starts airing from Thursday, September 15 — so fans still have two more batches of episodes to soak up, sweat and stress through, and enjoy. "It has been a true honour to tell the story of Margaret Atwood's groundbreaking novel and chillingly relevant world, and we are thrilled to bring viewers a sixth and final season of The Handmaid's Tale," said creator, showrunner and executive producer Bruce Miller in a statement announcing the news. "We are grateful to Hulu and MGM for allowing us to tell this story, which unfortunately has remained as relevant as ever throughout its run, and are in awe of our incredible fans for their unwavering support, and without whom we never would have gotten to this point," Miller continued. If this all sounds a bit familiar, that's because The Handmaid's Tale isn't new to plotting out its future a couple of seasons in advance. Back in 2020, it was renewed for this fifth season before the fourth even dropped, too. Miller will also work on The Testaments, which doesn't yet have a release date — and neither does The Handmaid's Tale season six. If you haven't read the book, The Testaments is set 15 years after the events of its predecessor, and also includes familiar characters. How that'll play into the end of The Handmaid's Tale on-screen obviously hasn't been revealed. For now, blessed be your streaming queue with The Handmaid's Tale season five, which promises one helluva reckoning. Of course, things are never well here — but now June (Elisabeth Moss, Shining Girls) faces the fallout from her actions in the show's last go-around, and Serena's (Yvonne Strahovski, Stateless) in-mourning getup speaks volumes. In the show's recent trailers, June doesn't just navigate more than a few consequences. Still fighting Gilead from afar, with Luke (O-T Fagbenle, Black Widow) and Moira (Samira Wiley, Breaking News in Yuba County), she admits how much she enjoyed her most recent choices. As for Serena, she's in profile-raising mode in Toronto, as Gilead's influence creeps into Canada — and Commander Lawrence (Bradley Whitford, Tick, Tick... Boom!) and Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd, Rebecca) are endeavouring to reform Gilead. Also returning among the cast in season five: Max Minghella (Spiral: From the Book of Saw), Madeline Brewer (Hustlers), Amanda Brugel (Snowpiercer) and Sam Jaeger (The Eyes of Tammy Faye). Check out the trailer for The Handmaid's Tale season five below: The fifth season of The Handmaid's Tale will hit start airing in Australia and New Zealand from Thursday, September 15 — on SBS TV, and to stream via SBS On Demand and Neon, with new episodes arriving weekly. Season six doesn't yet have a release date and neither does The Testaments, but we'll update you when they do. Images: Sophie Giraud/Hulu.
From the family who once owned West End’s beloved Trang, comes Mrs Luu’s. Open only a month Mrs Luu’s is fast becoming a Milton institution with a line of customers flowing out of its French doors most weekday lunchtimes. (Tip: to avoid lines go before 12pm or after 1pm) Mrs Luu’s sits between a dance studio, and a Crossfit gym, fittingly the food will be easy on that summer belly. Frequented by the dress shirts, and high heels of Milton’s many office buildings this is authentic Vietnamese food is presented in a way that perfectly fits the working day. Mrs Luu’s bright pink sign, matches both the smiles on the faces of the staff, and the satisfied grins of the suits on the deck. Gratefully, Mrs Luu’s menu has been simplified for the Aussie lingo. No more staring blankly at a list of 60 dishes that you have no idea how to pronounce. Take a bite out of your Banh Mi, a French baguette filled with Vietnamese salad, Mrs Luu’s homemade pate and mayo, and your choice of filling (I opted for the sweet glazed chicken fillet). The crazy combination of flavors will get those tastebuds excited in a way that Subway never has. The best $7 I’ve spent in a long time. Other options are Goi Con ($6) spring rolls for the health and taste conscious, the Bun ($10.50) which funnily is enough is a vermicelli salad, the Com ($10.50) with pickled veggies, rice, your choice of marinated meat and Mrs Luu’s special Nuoc Nam dressing. Mr Luu is a very lucky man.
Earlier this year, Mondrian Hotels launched its debut Australian stay just steps from the iconic Burleigh Heads beachfront. And like its other design-first accommodation, spanning glam locations from Los Angeles to Cannes to Seoul, the Aussie foray brought wall-to-wall luxury brimming with natural light, million-dollar views and a calming neutral colour palette. Now Modrian has opened reservations for its two highly anticipated Beach Houses. Following a similar rhythm to the hotel towers, this addition offers something of a residential experience (if you could imagine being so lucky), just with the service and amenities of a world-class hotel. Guided by acclaimed Los Angeles–based designers, Studio Carter, guests can expect privacy, luxury and bespoke hospitality. Across two- and three-bedroom stays, you can live out the beachfront lifestyle of your dreams. Accessed through private entrances, both through the hotel lobby or off the esplanade, these homes away from home come complete with magnesium plunge pools, terraces primed for entertaining, convenient laundry facilities and seamless indoor-outdoor living spaces that invite the Gold Coast warmth. Meanwhile, a full-sized kitchen enhances the long-stay appeal while bringing another level of residential comfort. The smaller details are just as impressive. Think sandy-toned interiors that reflect the laidback essence of the hotel and relaxed textural finishes inspired by coastal life. In fact, those seeking the most opulent stay can combine both residences into a five-bedroom retreat, perfect for big family vacations or celebrations with all your pals. Of course, a five-star stay like this also comes with plenty of guest perks. That includes expedited in-suite check-in, a curated gourmet welcome basket and a personal host and contact throughout your stay. Plus, you'll relish a daily à la carte breakfast at LiTO, the in-house Italian restaurant, and make the most of personalised experiences, from private chefs cooking up a feast to spa and beauty appointments, VIP restaurant and bar reservations, shopping services and more. Naturally, you're also welcome to enjoy the rest of the hotel's amenities. Step into Haven, serving elevated coastal cuisine, or slide into the Ciel Spa for holistic remedies and a high-performance gym. When it's time to explore beyond the hotel, the stunning stretch of Burleigh Heads is directly across from your accom, while the suburb's easy-breezy restaurants, bars and shops are just a few steps away. Mondrian Gold Coast's Beach Houses are now open for bookings at 3 First Ave, Burleigh Heads. Visit the website for more information. Images: Justin Nicholas.
There's no shortage of markets happening around Brisbane — pick a day, pick a spot, and you'll likely find a bunch of stalls selling a range of wares. One thing that you won't usually come across, however, is a market dedicated to authentic Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts, crafts and experiences, which is what the two-day-only Meeanjin Markets is offering. It's Brissie's first-ever all-Indigenous market, held as part of The Festival, it's aiming to become a regular event like Sydney's Blak Markets. Here's hoping that becomes a reality — and the best way to show your support is to head along on April 6 and 7. Taking place at Reddacliff Place, the markets will highlight the work of local Queensland creators, while also celebrating the sights, sounds, creativity and flavours of the Australian bush. Drop by from 10am to 9pm on Friday and 10am to 5pm on Saturday. Image: Blak Markets.
Since 2021, Brisbanites have known that the Queensland capital will host the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Where exactly around the city? How will the lead-up to the sporting event impact residents? What will Brisbane gain afterwards? That's all remained an ongoing debate. First, the Gabba was being completely demolished and rebuilt, for instance. Then it wasn't. A temporary stadium at the RNA Showgrounds was suggested as a plan for the AFL and cricket if the Gabba was torn down. Then it wasn't needed. Adding a brand-new permanent stadium to Victoria Park at Herston was floated, then rejected, too, before upgrading Suncorp Stadium and the Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre was confirmed as the way forward in 2024. A year after the decision to use QSAC, following a change of government in the Sunshine State over that time, the situation has evolved again. Premier David Crisafulli has announced the new 2032 Delivery Plan, following a 100-day review of the proposed setup to stage the Olympics and Paralympics in Brisbane. The outcome: saying hello to a stadium at Victoria Park again, bidding farewell to Roma Street's proposed live arena and also getting ready to for eventual goodbyes to Woolloongabba's Brisbane Cricket Ground. [caption id="attachment_818960" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Victoria Park[/caption] Set to be carried out by the Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority, the new $7.1-billion venue capital works program will see Victoria Park score that new stadium, despite community concerns about losing inner-city green space. What this means for the long-held plans to transform the patch of Herston into a 64-hectare parkland with a tree house lookout, water play gully, high-ropes course, mountain bike track, reinstated water holes and wetlands, and more is yet to be revealed. The new stadium will seat 63,000 people, and will become the future home of the Brisbane Lions, Brisbane Heat and Queensland Bulls, alongside being able to host major concerts. [caption id="attachment_904761" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brisbane City Council via Flickr[/caption] Also part of the 2032 Delivery Plan is a new National Aquatic Centre at what's now the Centenary Pool in Spring Hill, with capacity for 25,000 spectators during the games and 8000 afterwards. Nearby, the RNA Showgrounds will get an upgraded arena that can welcome in 20,000 patrons, as well as hosting the athlete village for 15,000 competitors — and the latter will become permanent housing following the games. Still in Brisbane, the Queensland Tennis Centre will be upgraded as well, gaining a new permanent 3000-spectator show court, plus 12 new match courts — and the Chandler Sporting Precinct will become a site dedicated to para-sports. Elsewhere around the state, the Premier also advised that the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast will host athlete villages, Toowoomba Showgrounds will become an Equestrian Centre of Excellence, and Rockhampton's Fitzroy River will be the location for rowing and canoe events. Parklands and beaches around Queensland will become live sites and temporary venues, too, adding to the games' footprint. [caption id="attachment_929048" align="alignnone" width="1920"] JRA_WestyQld2 via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] With the National Aquatic Centre, the future of Brisbane Arena — a new live music venue at Roma Street Parklands that was set to host a drop-in pool for the Olympics — has changed. Clearly swimming there is no longer needed. In the press conference announcing the new way forward for the games, the Premier revealed that Brisbane Arena isn't an aspect of the 2032 Delivery Plan, but the government will instead work with the private sector to make the venue a reality in Woolloongabba, opposite where the Gabba currently sits. The Gabba will also still get torn down, albeit not for the Olympics. So, expect the River City to start looking a whole lot different, not just at the central Olympics precinct across Spring Hill, Bowen Hills and Victoria Park, but beyond. The plans also span transport network improvements, as will be greatly needed, including new rail lines and stations, new bus corridors, faster rail between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, and M1 upgrades. [caption id="attachment_782238" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Gabba, Your Next Kid via Wikipedia Commons[/caption] For more information about the plans for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, head to the Queensland Government website. Top image:.
For the past two years, heading off on holiday has been a matter of 'if' rather than 'where'. If and when border restrictions and lockdowns have allowed it, we've all been travelling to wherever we've been allowed, whenever we've been allowed — across Australia and, when the trans-Tasman bubble was open, to New Zealand as well. With Sydney and Melbourne now free of their stay-at-home stints, Queensland and Tasmania announcing their domestic border reopening plans, and the Australian Government allowing vaccinated Aussies to leave the country purely for a getaway from Monday, November 1, simply heading to whichever few spots will have you will soon be a thing of the past. You'll have options, in other words. And, ahead of all of those border changes, Virgin has just dropped a sale that's serving up a heap of cheap domestic and international flights. Called 'Yay for Holidays', this sale has 1.7-million discounted fares up for grabs — but you'll need to get in quick. They went on sale today, Monday, October 25; however, they're only available until midnight AEST on Monday, November 1 or sold out, whichever comes first. All one-way fares, the discounted economy flights cover 28 different destinations, starting at $49. Some of the domestic specials on offer include Sydney to Byron Bay for $55, Sydney to the Sunshine Coast for $75, Melbourne to Launceston from $59, Melbourne to the Gold Coast from $89, Brisbane to Hamilton Island from $85, Brisbane to Cairns from $89, Adelaide to Melbourne from $79 and Perth to the Gold Coast from $259 (and vice versa in all cases, naturally). Internationally, options span routes to Fiji, Bali and New Zealand. So, you can head from Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane to Nadi for $229–239, to Bali from all three cities for $279 and to Queenstown from the trio from $287–302. If you're wondering when you can travel — depending on border restrictions, of course — you can book flights for trips between November 2, 2021–June 23, 2022. Only some fares cover seat selection and checked baggage, however, with the airline announcing back in August that it is now splitting its economy flights into three types. Economy Lite doesn't include checking any baggage or picking your seat, but Economy Choice does — and Economy Flex gives you extra flexibility (hence the name) if you have to change your plans later. As we are still in the middle of a pandemic, flying is little different to normal. Virgin has introduced a range of safety measures, including hand sanitisation stations, contactless check-in and face masks provided to all passengers. Wearing masks on flights also became mandatory in Australia in January. Virgin's 'Yay for Holidays' sale runs from today, Monday, October 25–Monday, November 1 — or until sold out. Find out more about current Australian border restrictions via the Australian Government's Health Direct website and its Smart Traveller website.
There's no doubt we're a bunch of fierce lovers of the whole fabulous RuPaul's Drag Race franchise — you only need to look at the success of Drag Race Down Under to know just how much. Well, Drag Race fans across Australia and Aotearoa, we've got great news: your 2023 plans just got better — and brighter, bolder and sassier, too. Several of the biggest names from past US seasons are heading for our shores for a new, aptly named Legends tour in May 2023. Icons Trinity The Tuck (Drag Race season 9, All Stars season 4 and All Stars season 7), Monét X Change (Drag Race season 10, All Stars season 4 and All Stars season 7) and double winner Jinkx Monsoon (Drag Race season 5 and All Stars season 7) will be travelling across Australia and New Zealand in May 2023, treating fans to their one-hour show filled with all the dazzling high jinks and cabaret campery we've come to know and love through our screens. Across nine Australasian cities, the trio will be performing a mammoth 11 shows — including a one-hour performance during the opening night of Sydney's Drag Expo. They'll also have their own expo booths so fans can get autographs, photos and merchandise. The Legends tour kicks off in New Zealand with an all-ages show at Christchurch's Isaac Theatre Royal on May 3, before the queens make their way up to Auckland and Wellington for a couple of R18 performances. They'll then head across the ditch to Hobart for an all-ages show on May 9, before delighting fans with shows in Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide. Lucky Sydneysiders get several opportunities to see the queens — including an hour's R18 performance at the Drag Expo opening concert, before two all-ages shows that weekend. Finally, they'll finish things off with an R18 show in Perth before making their way home. If you're a true fan you'll probably want to save your pennies and fork out for one of the extremely limited VIP ticks — these include an extended meet and greet with Trinity, Monét, and Jinkx, and a personal photo moment. Start planning those photo 'fits now. It's a huge tour but if the hunger fans down under have for the show is anything to go by, we'd recommend getting in early for tickets — they're on sale now at itdevents.com. The full Legends 2023 schedule: Wednesday, May 3, 2023: Isaac Theatre Royal, Christchurch, NZ All ages, seated Friday, May 5, 2023: Studio, Auckland, NZ Restricted 18+, standing Saturday, May 6, 2023: The Hunger Lounge, Wellington, NZ Restricted 18+, standing Tuesday, May 9, 2023: Odeon Theatre, Hobart, TAS All ages, seated Friday, May 12, 2023: Plenary 2 (MCEC), Melbourne, VIC All ages, seated Saturday, May 13, 2023: The Princess Theatre, Brisbane, QLD All ages, seated/standing Wednesday, May 17, 2023: The Great hall, Adelaide, SA All ages, seated/standing Friday, May 19, 2023: Drag Expo opening concert at Home The Venue, Sydney, NSW Restricted 18, standing Saturday, May 20, and Sunday, May 21 2023: Drag Expo, Sydney All Ages Tuesday, May 23, 2023: The Rechabite, Perth Restricted 18+, standing The Legends tour starring Trinity The Tuck, Monét X Change and Jinkx Monsoon will be touring Australia and New Zealand in May 2023. Tickets are on sale now.
The latest venture from the folks behind West End's Morning After, Yolk is bringing a heap of tasty dishes to the other side of the river. Expect a menu that plays with the egg theme — and chicken, naturally — plus plenty of coffee, too. The cafe only has six egg-based items on its all-day menu, and you can count on them to deliver the good every day of the week. Coffee is by Five Senses and there's a small section of juices on the menu, too.
Whether you use them for cleansing, decompressing or just some well-earned R 'n' R, spas have been a ubiquitous part of the tourism industry since the Ancient Greeks and Romans set them up all over Europe. Yet that hour of spa-induced tranquility you spent on your last weekend away often represents millions of dollars of investment and some seriously big returns, with hotels and getaway locations increasingly competing to come up with the most extravagant and unique means of relaxation. By combining experimental remedies such as red wine baths, snake massages and bird poo facials with some seriously beautiful locations and a whole lot of steaming hot water, these ten unusual spas promise tourists some bizarre and truly once-in-a-lifetime relaxation experiences. Floating Garden Spa, Amsterdam Resembling something between the Garden of Eden and an LSD fantasy, Amsterdam's Floating Garden Spa is an entire island created for the very purpose of tourist requiescence. Designed by Dutch architects Studio Noach and Anne Holtrop, the island's lush greenery is covered with healing baths, saunas, and various treatment rooms and populated by ecosystems of birds and butterflies. The island is not only a relaxation paradise but a truly remarkable architectural feat, constructed from recycled polystyrene that allows the island to float and continually regulate its own temperature. Healing Salt Caves, Chicago Chicago's Healing Salt Caves are just about the closest you can get to experiencing what it would be like to wander into an underwater palace. These shimmering pink caves attempt to imitate the healing effects of the Black Sea, with salt from the iodine rich Chicago area artificially crystallised to produce an authentic ocean microclimate. Ada Barak's Carnivorous Plant Farm & Spa, Israel Not for the squeamish nor the weak of heart, Israel's most famous spa uses perhaps the most unorthodox of relaxation techniques: snake massages. While it may sound like something out of an Indiana Jones film, the spa's founder, Ada Barak, swears by her collection of non-venomous king snakes, claiming they relieve stress and muscle-tension. If this isn't enough, the spa is also home to an exotic range of carnivorous plants that munch on everything from small mammals to schnitzels, providing a suitably freaky backdrop for the massages, which include up to six snakes slithering on your face and back at any one time. Shizuka Day Spa, New York If snakes aren't your cup of tea, perhaps New York's famous Shikuza Day Spa will sound more appealing. Their specialty: facials made from nightingale excrement. The treatment has been employed for hundreds of years by Japanese Geisha girls, who would use the enzymes in the pungent face mask to cleanse their skin. Shizuka has now perfected the recipe, sanitising the droppings with UV rays and condensing it into a fine powder and costing their many celebrity clients upwards of $180 for a single session. Hakone Kowakien Yunessun, Japan Hakone Kowakien Yunessun costs its many clientele a small fortune to bathe in everything from green-tea, sake, coffee and, most popularly, Beaujolais Nouveau red wine. Since the Japanese resort opened in 2005 it has become a bit of a local phenomenon with the red wine allegedly having a rejuvenating effect on the body and mind. Geometric Mountain Wellness Center, Switzerland Buried within the Swiss Alps this striking structure combines first-class spa treatment with the tranquility of the mountain setting to provide clients with an escapist fantasy. The remarkable design, modeled by architect Mario Botta on the shapes of trees and vegetables, uses enormous glass windows to light the four floors of the Wellness Center and unite its clientele with the serenity of the surrounding village and the epic mountain landscape. Underwater Tropical Spa, The Maldives Located in the soothing and sensual context of a room entirely submerged by water, the Underwater Spa at Huvafen Fushi in the Maldives is a massage experience like no other. This luxurious spa features the rhythmic melody of the ocean gently caressing the windows of the underwater spa room, tropical aquatic life swimming only inches away from you and soft cushions and fabrics resembling the marine life surrounding the room. If this massage and spa doesn't revitalize the soul, we don't know what would. The Blue Lagoon, Iceland There's a reason the Blue Lagoon in Iceland was voted the 'best medial spa' worldwide by Conde Nast Traveller and has been awarded the Blue Flag environmental recognition five years in a row. This natural wonder holds a massive 6 million litres of geothermal seawater, which originates from depths of 2,000m below the Earth's surface, where the temperatures are 240°C and the pressure is 36 times greater than it is on the Earth's surface. The resulting 37-39°C water, which is high in silica and salinity and contains no common bacteria, is renowned for it magnificent natural rejuvenating and healing powers found only at the Blue Lagoon. Geomagnetic Vortex Desert Spa, Mojave Desert A fusion of the awesome power of the Mojave Desert's geomagnetic vortex with the architectural perfection of this UFO-like dome, the 'Integratron' transforms sound into an incredible spiritual and physical healing tool. The 60-minute sonic healing session held inside this acoustically perfect, resonant high-energy dome is described as 'kindergarten naptime for grown-ups in a sound sphere'. Throughout the sound bath, quartz crystal singing bowls are played out to induce heightened awareness and intense rejuvenation and introspection. The Hershey's Chocolate Spa, Pennsylvania Rejuvenate your mind, body and spirit with chocolate at the Hotel Hershey in Pennsylvania. We don't simply mean by eating it though - we mean taking a bath or rubbing your face in it. Hershey's method of spa and massage treatment may be somewhat peculiar, yet it is a delightfully decadent way to pamper yourself and try something new in the process. With options ranging from the Chocolate Bean Polish, to the Fondue wrap, the Whipped Cocoa Bath or the Cocoa Facial Experience, there's sure to be a charming chocolate experience to suit everybody's taste.
Crack open a bottle of wine, get comfy and prepare for a twisty binge — and to wrap up a series that's always loved vino, chaos, murder cover-ups, unpacking grief and finding solace in complicated friendships. For the third and last time, Dead to Me is heading to Netflix, with the Christina Applegate (Bad Moms 2), Linda Cardellini (Hawkeye) and James Marsden (Sonic the Hedgehog 2)-starring hit ending with this upcoming season. Since 2019, the show has contemplated farewells — starting with a just-widowed woman trying to cope with losing her husband in a hit-and-run incident. Taking a few cues from 2018 film A Simple Favour, the mourning-fuelled dark comedy has weaved its way through plenty of mess and mayhem from there, including via the unlikely camaraderie at its centre; however, the fact that everything comes to a conclusion sooner or later has always hung over the show. When it returns for season three on Thursday, November 17, that notion will remain given that this is Dead to Me's big goodbye. Back in 2020, after the second season aired, it was revealed that the show would finish after a third and final run. So, get ready for your last swim through its murders, mysteries and cover-ups. The premise, if you missed Dead to Me when it premiered three years back: two women meet, become friends despite seemingly having very little in common, and help each other with their daily existence. But they find themselves immersed in more than a little murky business, and with more than a few connections they didn't both realise. Applegate plays Jen Harding, whose husband has just died, while Cardellini's Judy Hale is the positive-thinking free spirit that breezes into her life. They initially cross paths at a grief counselling session, sparking a definite odd-couple situation — which has evolved to feature secrets, lies, complications and cliffhangers galore across the show's two seasons thus far. Season two ended with a big car crash, in fact, which sets the scene for an eventful third go-around. In both the newly dropped full trailer for season three, the cops and the feds are circling, corpses are causing trouble and the show's two protagonists even come up with outlaw names: Bitch Cassidy and Judy Five Fingers. Created by 2 Broke Girls writer Liz Feldman, Dead to Me marked Applegate's first lead TV role since 2011-12 sitcom Up All Night when it debuted. For Cardellini, it saw a return to Netflix after starring on the streaming platform's drama Bloodline — and she also featured in A Simple Favour, too. Check out the full trailer for Dead to Me's third season below: Dead to Me's third season will hit Netflix on Thursday, November 17. Images: Saeed Adyani / Netflix.
The man knows how to rock a hat: Timothy Olyphant (Full Circle), that is. He knows how to play a determined lawman with a piercing stare and an unassailable sense of honour, too, and television has been all the better for it for nearing two decades. Pop culture's revival culture has benefited as well — first with HBO's 2004–06 western masterpiece Deadwood returning as 2019's Deadwood: The Movie, and now with 2010–15's US Marshal drama Justified making a comeback as miniseries Justified: City Primeval. Olyphant was perfect in both the first time around, and proves the same the second. Indeed, Deadwood: The Movie's only problem was that it was just a made-for-TV film, not a another season; Justified: City Primeval's sole issue is that it spans only eight episodes, and that a next date with the Stetson-wearing Raylan Givens hasn't yet been locked in Streaming Down Under via Disney+, this continuation of Justified's initial six seasons arrives eight years after the show ended for viewers, but also finds Raylan with a 15-year-old daughter. It's with Willa (Vivian Olyphant, Timothy Olyphant's real-life offspring) that he's hitting the road when a couple of criminals reroute their plans. Now based in Miami, Florida rather than Justified's Harlan, Kentucky, Raylan is meant to be taking Willa to camp, only to be forced to detour to Detroit, Michigan to testify. It isn't a brief stop, after the Deputy US Marshal makes the wrong impression on Judge Alvin Guy (Keith David, Nope), then is personally requested to investigate an assassination attempt against the same jurist — teaming up with local detectives who are adamant about Detroit's particular ways, including Maureen Downey (Marin Ireland, The Boogeyman), Norbert Beryl (Norbert Leo Butz, The Girl From Plainville) and Wendell Robinson (Victor Williams, The Righteous Gemstones). You can take Raylan out of rural America and into the Motor City, as Justified: City Primeval does, but even with silver hair atop his calm glare he's still Raylan. So, he'll always stride around like a lone gunslinger who has seen it all, will confront anything, and is perennially valiant and resolute — and silently exasperated about humanity's worst impulses, too — as Justified: City Primeval welcomes. New location, passing years, the responsibilities of fatherhood, more and more lowlife crooks: they haven't changed this character, and audiences wouldn't have wanted that to happen. One of Justified: City Primeval's chief joys is how comfortably that Raylan, and Olyphant playing him, steps straight back onto the screen like the figure, thespian and franchise never left. In Detroit, the Deputy US Marshal meets his latest lawbreaking adversary in Clement Mansell (Boyd Holbrook, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny), aka the Oklahoma Wildman, whose love of singing The White Stripes and Beach Boys songs is only matched by his penchant for wreaking illicit havoc. Mansell is ruthless, including in committing murder, and also enlisting reluctant past acquaintance Marcus "Sweety" Sweeton (Vondie Curtis-Hall, Blue Bayou) — a musician who almost made it onto George Clinton's 'Atomic Dog' and now owns a dive bar — in his violent rampages. He's equally calculating in using his girlfriend Sandy Stanton (Adelaide Clemens, Under the Banner of Heaven) to conjure up a shakedown scam with ties to the Albanian mob, all while promising her that they'll get a big payday and get away. Even his attorney Carolyn Wilder (Aunjanue Ellis, an Oscar-nominee for King Richard), who has seen more than her fair share of dirtbags because that's the gig, knows that he's a sociopath. Seasoned Justified viewers will spy Justified: City Primeval's overarching narrative path going in. As long as they've seen a crime drama before, newcomers will as well. Raylan has a villain to take down in a deeply corrupt world — but, taking over from the OG series' creator Graham Yost (Silo, and an executive producer here), fellow Justified veterans Dave Andron (Snowfall) and Michael Dinner (Electric Dreams) can't be accused of connecting easy dots or making obvious choices. Both before and now, Justified has always been as much about painting rich portraits of its characters, good and bad, as it has been about its righteous-versus-evil face-offs. So, Justified: City Primeval delivers ample intriguing new additions, most of which pair up with Raylan so winningly that they could earn their own spinoffs. A series about Raylan and Willa, her teen rebelliousness bouncing off his perpetually wearied mood? The younger Olyphant makes a memorable impression, and adds seeing more of that dynamic to the wishlist. An odd-couple cop setup with Raylan and Robinson? That'd also work. Raylan's pursuit of the unhinged Mansell, and the latter's eagerness to keep it going, give Justified: City Primeval a compelling duel — and plenty of mirroring; they both drip charm, are whip-smart and canny, just on opposite sides of the law-and-order divide — but Raylan and Wilder are the show's meatiest duo. Sharing a sense of exhaustion, the Marshal and the lawyer each understand what it's like to ride through a murky and compromised world, endeavour to try to find a way to cope, and have to live with the costs. (That Ellis is as phenomenal as the older Olyphant assists.) 2023 marks 30 years since Raylan first appeared in print, in the pages of iconic crime writer Elmore Leonard's 1993 novel Pronto. While he returned in 1995 sequel Riding the Rap, it was 2001 short story Fire in the Hole that inspired Justified. Once the show became a hit, Leonard wrote 2012's Raylan, in what'd become his last published tome before his death in 2013. To revisit the character with Justified: City Primeval, however, Andron and Dinner dive into the author's back catalogue elsewhere, adapting and reworking 1980's City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit. The text's full title virtually screams for Raylan. On the screen, he slides in so seamlessly that it feels like he's always been in this tale. That's a testament to a series that doesn't just know its protagonist, but the work of the man who created him. Raylan might be Leonard's best character, but his bibliography is a wealth of riches — complete with Out of Sight, which became Steven Soderbergh's sparkling crime caper and shares a connection to Justified: City Primeval; and Rum Punch, which Quentin Tarantino turned into the sublime Jackie Brown. Justified: City Primeval excels at bringing Raylan Givens back to the screen, and Timothy Olyphant in the part. It's fantastic as a Leonard adaptation. And, although visually filled with thematically appropriate shadows, it's as shiny as Raylan's badge as a revival. The widespread trend keeps embracing beloved programs from years gone by, but the difference between the very best — see: Twin Peaks, aka the most stunning example there is and likely ever will be, and also Deadwood: The Movie, Veronica Mars, and the recent Party Down and Futurama — and the rest is considerable. Justified was a superb modern western from the get-go. Now Justified: City Primeval is a first-rate city-set neo-western that knows how to feature its familiar ingredients expertly, evolve them, and use them to comment on what changes and doesn't about humanity. Check out the trailer for Justified: City Primeval below: Justified: City Primeval streams via Disney+. Images: FX.
A young woman sheltered in the most literal sense there is, living her entire life in Vault 33, one of the subterranean facilities where humanity endeavours to start anew. A TV and movie star famed for his roles in westerns, then entertaining kids at birthday parties, then still alive but irradiated 219 years after the nuclear destruction of Los Angeles. An aspiring soldier who has never known anything but a devastated world, clinging to hopes of progression through the military. All three walk into the wasteland in Fallout, the long-awaited live-action adaptation of the gaming series that first arrived in 1997, as hits streaming queues on Thursday, April 11 Down Under. All three cross paths in an attempt to do all that anyone can in a post-apocalyptic hellscape: survive. So goes Prime Video's leap into a world that's had millions mashing buttons through not only the OG game, but also three released sequels — a fourth is on the way — plus seven spinoffs. Even with Westworld' Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy as executive producers, working with Geneva Robertson-Dworet (Captain Marvel) and Graham Wagner (The Office, Silicon Valley) as showrunners and the series' creators, giving Fallout the live-action treatment is a massive and ambitious task. But where 2023 had The Last of Us, 2024 now has this; both are big-name dystopian titles that earned legions of devotees through gaming, and both are excellent in gripping and immersive fashion (and while building worlds meticulously) at making the big-budget, high-profile, star-led move to television. Fallout's vision of one of the bleakest potential futures splits its focus between Lucy MacLean (Ella Purnell, Yellowjackets), who has no concept of how humanity can exist on the surface when the show kicks off; Cooper Howard aka bounty hunter The Ghoul (Walton Goggins, I'm a Virgo), the screen gunslinger who saw the bombs fall and now wields weapons IRL; and Maximus (Aaron Moten, Emancipation), a trainee for the Brotherhood of Steel, which is committed to restoring order by throwing around its might (and using robotic armour). The show's lead casting is gleaming, to the point that imagining anyone but this trio of actors as Lucy, Howard-slash-The Ghoul and Maximus is impossible. Where else has Walton's resume, with its jumps between law-and-order efforts, westerns traditional and neo, and comedy — see: The Shield, Justified, Sons of Anarchy, The Hateful Eight, Vice Principals and The Righteous Gemstones, as a mere few examples — been leading than here? (And, next, also season three of The White Lotus.) Fallout's core threesome make each other's acquaintance — some with relief, some begrudgingly — but each character has their own agenda. Lucy, the dutiful daughter of Vault 33's Overseer Hank (Kyle MacLachlan, Lucky Hank), is on a mission to restore the status quo to the only home that she's ever known. When she finds herself chasing the same object as The Ghoul and Maximus, she begins to learn the vast array of differences between being sealed off and weathering the aftermath above, though. The Ghoul's portion of the tale hops between now and then, examining the man that Howard was and who he's since become, the latter through sheer necessity. For Maximus, overcoming trauma and carving out a way forward is also his narrative. "The wasteland's got its own golden rule: thou shalt get sidetracked by bullshit every time," offers The Ghoul. Among those setbacks lurks a pervasive kill-or-be-killed mindset among everyone who hasn't enjoyed an underground existence wearing blue jumpsuits, frolicking in inside fields surrounded by projections of the sky and sun, and deeming marriage and procreation as the most important function there is in response to nuclear holocaust. Throw in decaying mutated people, who'll rot further into zombie territory without the right medicine staving off the effects of residing in a former blast zone, plus every manifestation of human behaviour as its worst as well. And that's before a giant radioactive salamander with a taste for flesh gets munching, adding another layer of monsters to the end of the world. Fallout's production team haven't skimped on vivid detail, bringing the series' scenario to life with lived-in production design that makes its bunkers and barren terrain alike look as if viewers could walk right into them. Nolan, crafting an alternative-history sequel to his brother Christopher Nolan's Oscar-winning Oppenheimer in a way, helped guide a similar visual experience with Westworld alongside his partner Joy. The four-season show also reached TV as an adaptation (in that case, of the 1973 film of the same name that was written and directed by Jurassic Park author Michael Crichton). Also for Prime Video — but sadly renewed for a second season, then cancelled during the 2023 Hollywood strikes — The Peripheral, based on sci-fi author William Gibson's novel, achieved the same enthralling feat. The Ghoul's basic principle for persisting — as uttered in retort to the biblical golden rule about treating others as you'd like to be treated — also describes much of Fallout's narrative journey. Lucy, The Ghoul and Maximus' goals are clear; the route there, however, is anything but. Beneath the orange haze, the series brings in a stacked supporting cast spanning Moises Arias (Samaritan), Sarita Choudhury (And Just Like That...), Michael Emerson (Evil), Dale Dickey (Lawman: Bass Reeves) and Matt Berry (What We Do in the Shadows), too, each adding to the 23rd century's reality. Some of their characters grasp to what they can. Some give striving for a different future their all. Some are robots. Some — from a roster of talent that also spans Leslie Uggams (Extrapolations), Frances Turner (The Boys), Dave Register (Heightened), Zach Cherry (Severance) and Johnny Pemberton (Weird: The Al Yankovic Story), plus Rodrigo Luzzi (Dead Ringers), Annabel O'Hagan (Dear Edward) and Xelia Mendes-Jones (The Wheel of Time) — try to get to the bottom of secrets, mysteries and why this life is the way it is. Fallout revels in exploring amid the ruins, and also in the vaults, which were conceived in the before times by a company called Vault-Tec. The ripples created by protecting the rich in corporate-made compounds but leaving everyone else to a dusty desert melee is one of the show's trains of thought. Pondering the choices that we're all faced with in such circumstances, the type of person that you truly want to be chief among them, is another. There's gleeful gore and a comedic tone as well, with the soundtrack's mix of 50s-era tunes with a tense score by Ramin Djawadi (3 Body Problem) capturing the vibe perfectly. A thumbs up is a loaded gesture in Fallout — but the series itself earns one. Check out the trailer for Fallout below: Fallout streams via Prime Video from Thursday, April 11, 2024. Read our interview with Walton Goggins, Ella Purnell and Aaron Moten. Images: courtesy of Prime Video.
December is here, and we're sure the sound of jingling bells is well and truly lodged in your head — but if your TV isn't screening an endless festive movie marathon, is it really Christmas? This portion of year isn't just the prime period for gift-giving, lots of eating, and spending quality time with your nearest and dearest, but also for watching and rewatching all those flicks that make you feel merry. Or, if you're hardly the jolly type, to get a dose of Christmas with some offbeat, action-packed and/or darkly comic picks. Just what makes a Christmas film has been hotly debated. Some folks, like Last Christmas director Paul Feig, rightly believe that Die Hard counts. Others stick firmly to movies that weave in the season in a more overt way. Whichever category you fall into, and however you feel about the season, we have a list of suggestions for your Yuletide viewing pleasure. Pour yourself some eggnog, get cosy on your couch and start streaming. Home Alone (and Its Sequels) In 2021, a brand new Home Alone movie arrived to demand your attention. Yes, the 90s classic was remade — by Disney+, and with Jojo Rabbit's Archie Yates, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's Ellie Kemper and Deadpool & Wolverine's Rob Delaney among the cast. Nostalgia might draw you to it, but the Mouse House's streaming platform is already serving up classic Home Alone delights, with the 1990 original, 1992's Home Alone 2: Lost In New York and 1997's Home Alone 3 all available (and also 2002's Home Alone 4, if you're a completist). Naturally, the original is the one that calls everyone's names whenever they're feeling festive. It was the highest-grossing live-action comedy at the US box office for more than two decades for a very good reason. Watch as Macaulay Culkin (Entergalactic) puts in a star-making performance, Joe Pesci (Bupkis) and Daniel Stern (For All Mankind) play bumbling burglars, and plenty of inventive booby traps get in the way. Home Alone, Home Alone 2: Lost In New York, Home Alone 3, Home Alone 4 and Home Sweet Home Alone stream via Disney+. Happiest Season Forget Twilight. Yes, it's the film franchise that Kristen Stewart (Love Lies Bleeding) is best known for, but her resume spans much further than sparkly vampires. And, courtesy of Happiest Season, it includes a festive rom-com that gives its well-worn genre a much-needed queer focus. Stewart plays Abby, the girlfriend of Harper (Mackenzie Davis, Speak No Evil). The former usually hates Christmas, but she's willing to give the usual trimmings a go for the latter. Alas, it turns out that Harper hasn't come out to her family, which cause more a few complications over the holidays. From the get-go, it's easy to see where the film is headed, but Happiest Season willingly sticks to a formula in order to update it. And, it's likely this LGBTQIA+-friendly dose of merriment wouldn't have found the right mix of festive familiarity and emotional substance with other leads. Happiest Season streams via Binge. Read our full review. The Nightmare Before Christmas More than a quarter-century ago, filmmakers Tim Burton (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice) and Henry Selick (Wendell & Wild) served up one of the most-enchanting holiday films to hit the big screen — and one that doubles as both Halloween and Christmas viewing. It's Burton's name that everyone remembers; however, a pre-Coraline Selick is actually in the director's chair on The Nightmare Before Christmas, which charms with both its offbeat story and its gorgeous stop-motion animation. Burton came up with the narrative though, because Jack Skellington only could've originated from the Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands filmmaker's brain. Imaginative, original and engaging (even as it nods to Dr Seuss a few times), it still remains a festive treat for all ages. The Nightmare Before Christmas streams via Disney+. The Holdovers Melancholy, cantankerousness, angst, hurt and snow all blanket Barton Academy in Alexander Payne's (Nebraska) The Holdovers. It's Christmas 1970 in New England in this thoughtful story that's given room to breathe and build, but festive cheer is in short supply among the students and staff that give the movie its moniker. Soon, there's just three folks left behind: Angus Tully (debutant Dominic Sessa), whose mother wants more time alone with his new stepdad; curmudgeonly professor Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti, Billions), who's being punished for failing the son of a wealthy donor, but would be hanging around campus anyway; and grieving cook Mary Lamb (Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Only Murders in the Building, and an Oscar-winner for her work here), who is weathering her first Christmas after losing her son — a Barton alum — in the Vietnam War. The Holdovers streams via Netflix and Binge. Read our full review. Last Christmas Some Christmas movies — many festive movies, let's be honest — get the usual carols stuck in your head. Fancy a little George Michael whirling around your brain instead? That's what's on offer with Last Christmas, for obvious reasons. Just read the title and you'll already be humming the appropriate tune. This recent festive rom-com is both extremely likeable and very predictable. In other words, it's perfectly suitable feel-good Christmas in July viewing. The cast, which includes Emilia Clarke (Secret Invasion), Henry Golding (The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare) and Emma Thompson (Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical) are all an absolute delight, Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, A Simple Favour) directs with a light touch, and the George Michael hits just keep coming. Last Christmas streams via Netflix, Stan, Prime Video and Paramount+. Read our full review, and our interview with Paul Feig. It's a Wonderful Life It's been 78 years since Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life first warmed hearts, and started to become a festive tradition. The ultimate 'what if?' tale, the five-time Oscar nominee is also a shining example of a movie that didn't do well at the box office originally but has more than made up for it since. Featuring a pitch-perfect performance from the great James Stewart as the downtrodden George Bailey, the film's charms are many. It's sweet, optimistic but still willing to look at grim realities. That's what happens when Bailey has bleak thoughts one Christmas Eve, and contemplates ending it all, before a guardian angel shows him what life would've been like in his home town of Bedford Falls without him. It's a Wonderful Life streams via Stan. Eyes Wide Shut It isn't by accident that Eyes Wide Shut, Stanley Kubrick's last complete film and one of the masterful director's absolute best, takes place during the holidays. The late, great filmmaker plunges into a fraying marriage at a time of year that's either blissful or fraught in relationships, or seesaws between the two, with then real-life couple Nicole Kidman (The Perfect Couple) and Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One) as his leads. And, in the process, he has plenty to say about the institutions, traditions and expectations that society tells us will bring contentment — the wealth and romantic ideals that fall into the same categories, too — and the gaping chasm between those glossy notions and reality. When it hit cinemas, Eyes Wide Shut was marketed as an erotic thriller — 'twas the 90s — but despite the sex, masquerades and relationship games, that's only one layer of the feature. Following Bill (Cruise) and Alice (Kidman) Hartford as they navigate the festive period, complete with indulgent parties and strung-up lights aplenty, this probing film has zero cheer for Christmas' shiny facade, or the annual promise that forced jolliness will make anyone's lives better. Eyes Wide Shut streams via iTunes. How to Make Gravy Normally when it comes to watching Christmas movies, you can pick whichever day in December takes your fancy and press play. But How to Make Gravy is best watched on December 21, because that's the date that's been known as Gravy Day since 1996 thanks to Paul Kelly's classic tune 'How to Make Gravy'. Yes, this is a movie adaptation of the song, with musician Meg Washington and writer/director Nick Waterman behind it. And yes, it spins a story around the many characters that Kelly names in his track. The Royal Hotel co-stars Daniel Henshall (RFDS) and Hugo Weaving (Slow Horses) feature as Joe and Noel. The first hails from the tune — he's the prisoner who writes to his brother Dan (Brenton Thwaites, Titans) to kick things off — while Noel, a new addition to the tale, is a veteran inmate that he crosses paths with inside. With a cast that also spans Kate Mulvany (The Clearing), Damon Herriman (Better Man), Kieran Darcy-Smith (Mr Inbetween) and Kym Gyngell (The Artful Dodger), plus Titane's Agathe Rousselle in her first English-language film, How to Make Gravy charts the events that lead to Joe being away from his family come festive season, how they're coping without him and the underlying factors that he needs to face to spend next Christmas at home. How to Make Gravy streams via Binge. Read our interview with Daniel Henshall and Hugo Weaving. The Muppet Christmas Carol It's time to play the music, light the lights and see Charles Dickens' classic play out in felt — and with Michael Caine (The Great Escaper) as Ebenezer Scrooge. Any Muppets movie is ace seasonal viewing because they're all so warmhearted, but The Muppet Christmas Carol was obviously made for the merriest time of year. The movie follows Dickens's tale, with the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge given a change of perspective by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Yet to Come. Here, however, Jim Henson's beloved creations join in, with Kermit the Frog playing clerk Bob Cratchit, Miss Piggy as Emily Cratchit, Gonzo narrating the story as Dickens (with help from Rizzo the Rat), Fozzie Bear as Fozziwig and Robin the Frog as Tiny Tim. Other Muppets show up, because of course they do. The Muppet Christmas Carol streams via Disney+. Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale Calling all festive horror fans — and fans of deadpan comedy. You'll get a bit of both with Finnish thriller Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale, because sometimes, that's just what the season needs. Taking inspiration from the Joulupukki, a pagan and folkloric figure that's helped shape Santa Claus-centric stories, this creative film starts as all sinister tales do: with the unearthing of something eerie and perhaps best left forgotten. Here, after a British research team disturbs an ancient burial mound, the local reindeer become the first casualties. Twisted and off-kilter, eager to play with mythology and unafraid of gruesome imagery, this is the kind of Christmas flick that doesn't come around very often — all from Jalmari Helander, the filmmaker behind 2023's underseen Sisu. Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale streams via iTunes and Prime Video. Tangerine Before writer/director Sean Baker gave the world 2024 Palme d'Or-winner Anora, plus The Florida Project and Red Rocket before that — each among the best movies of their year — he spent Christmas Eve with two transgender sex workers as one learns that her boyfriend and pimp has been unfaithful. Sin-Dee Rella (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) is fresh from a 28-day stint in jail when she teams up with her best pal Alexandra (Mya Taylor, High Tide) to chase down her other half Chester (James Ransone, The Black Phone). While getting revenge on cheating spouses isn't a new topic on film, Tangerine is its own raw and delightful effort. Baker also shot the Los Angeles-set feature solely on iPhones, which proves quite the technical feat, and doesn't stop it from being visually inventive again and again. Tangerine streams via iTunes. Christmess "Happy holidays" might be two of the most-used words each and every December, but this time of year isn't jolly for everyone. With the gripping and affecting Christmess, writer/director Heath Davis (Broke, Book Week and Locusts) stares clear-eyed at the haunting regrets, aching loneliness and complicated family dynamics that are part of the festive season for many — and has his characters chat about the best Christmas movies, too. Fresh-out-of-rehab actor Chris Flint (Steve Le Marquand, The Twelve) is at this Australian dramedy's centre, as he tries to get his life back on track — a job playing a shopping-centre Santa included — while living in a halfway house with his sponsor Nick (Darren Gilshenan, Colin From Accounts) and fellow recovering alcoholic Joy (musician Hannah Joy). Christmess streams via Binge. Nutcrackers After a few years spent making horror movies — and building upon genre classics at that, thanks to Halloween, Halloween Kills, Halloween Ends and The Exorcist: Believer — filmmaker David Gordon Green has swapped scares for heartwarming seasonal hijinks. Consider that one of his latest feature's big returns. Opening the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival before making its way to streaming, Nutcrackers also gets Ben Stiller back in front of the camera (although he can be forgiven for his time behind the scenes given that he's been busy directing Severance). Long-term Stiller fans should spot echoes of Reality Bites, which he helmed as well as co-starred in, in his Nutcrackers character Mike Maxwell. Looking the corporate part and devoted to his job, he's not fond of the idea of shaking up his routine — or jeopardising his career advancement prospects. Then tragedy strikes, leaving him to find new guardians for his four rambunctious nephews who definitely don't want to go into foster care, and also have a creative take on classic ballet The Nutcracker that they're eager to stage. Nutcrackers streams via Disney+. White Reindeer If your attitude towards Christmas is 'bah humbug' or something similarly grinchy, then White Reindeer might just be the festive film for you. It starts with the festive season approaching, and with real estate agent Suzanne Barrington (Anna Margaret Hollyman, Sister Aimee) happy with her weatherman husband Jeff (Nathan Williams, Younger) — and super excited about the most wonderful time of the year. Then, tragedy strikes, and Zach Clark's (The Becomers) black comedy leans firmly into its genre. Tackling dark subjects, as well as the fact that Christmas isn't all presents, big hugs and glittering lights for everyone, this is a very funny, savvy and astute movie. It's also purposefully awkward, and remains a great example of low-budget indie filmmaking no matter the time of year. White Reindeer streams via YouTube Movies. Carol Carol falls into the category of films that, purely because they're set at the right time of year, automatically qualify as Christmas movies (see also: a few other flicks on this list). If that's the excuse you need to revisit Todd Haynes' (May December) aching romantic drama, then that's completely fine. Any excuse will do, really. The more eyeballs soaking in this sumptuous tale of forbidden love either for the first time or the hundredth, the better. Starring Rooney Mara (Women Talking) as a shopgirl who falls for Cate Blanchett's (Disclaimer) titular character, and based on Patricia Highsmith's novel The Price of Salt, the 50s-set drama fills the screen with emotion as the two women confront their feelings. Haynes' resume isn't short on highlights (Velvet Goldmine and Far From Heaven, for example), but might be his crowning achievement. Carol streams via ABC iView. Read our full review. Batman Returns Why so seasonal? No, the Joker doesn't say that in Batman Returns. In fact, that villain isn't even the Dark Knight's nemesis in this 1992 film. The sentiment still fits, though. Given the amount of times that Batman has graced cinemas, one of those movies was always going to be appropriate Christmas viewing — and Tim Burton's (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice) second stint unpacking Bruce Wayne's alter ego, plus Michael Keaton's (also Beetlejuice Beetlejuice) second round of playing the titular character, is 100-percent that movie. Christmas provides the backdrop for Oswald Cobblepot (Danny DeVito, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) and Selina Kyle's (Michelle Pfeiffer, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania) antics — aka The Penguin and Catwoman — in this sequel to 1989's Batman, and lights up Gotham City as its namesake endeavours to save the day. Again, there's never any shortage of Dark Knight flicks to choose from, including two more follow-ups in the 80s and 90s franchise, Christopher Nolan's trilogy, Ben Affleck in the cape and cowl and 2022's Robert Pattinson-starring The Batman, but 'tis the season for this one. Batman Returns streams via Binge. Elf Will Ferrell (The Boys) plays an elf. It sounds like the idea for a Saturday Night Live sketch, really. To the joy of Christmas-themed film fans everywhere, that's not the case with Elf — and even though it was written with Jim Carrey (Sonic the Hedgehog 3) in mind, and even though he went seasonal again with Spirited in 2022, this festive comedy ranks alongside Anchorman as one of the movies that Ferrell will always be remembered for. He's both amusing and endearing as Buddy, a human raised by Santa's elves who only realises that he's not like everyone else he knows when he grows up. It's a basic fish-out-of-water setup, but showered with humour, heart and festive goodwill. Also, long before he directed Iron Man, The Jungle Book and the photorealistic version of The Lion King, this is what actor-turned-filmmaker Jon Favreau served up. Elf streams via Binge and Stan. Gremlins Fun fact for Breaking Bad fans: Jonathan Banks, aka Mike Ehrmantraut, plays a deputy in Gremlins. He's not the star of the show, though, and nor are any of the movie's humans. No, that honour goes to its furry creatures that definitely shouldn't be exposed to water or sunlight, or fed after midnight. That's the warning that Randall Peltzer (Hoyt Axton, King Cobra) receives when he buys an unusual gift for his teenage son Billy (Zach Galligan, Midnight Peepshow) from a Chinatown store and, as Joe Dante's (Nightmare Cinema) upbeat, anarchic comedy demonstrates, it's advice that should be heeded. Another trusty tidbit that's worth remembering: no matter how old you are, watching Gremlins will make you want a mogwai for yourself. Gremlins streams via Binge. Black Christmas A fun, feisty remake with a female perspective and a refreshing sense of sisterhood, Black Christmas is a college-set slasher flick for the #MeToo era. The latter gets thrown around a helluva lot, but with this updated version of a 1974 cult movie, writer/director Sophia Takal (Always Shine) firmly leans into the term. Indeed, Black Christmas circa 2019 lives and breathes its #MeToo mindset, particularly in its story and characters. In this Imogen Poots (Outer Range)-led, Cary Elwes (Knuckles)-costarring effort, a masked predator stalks women as the festive season swings into gear, specifically targeting sorority sisters at a stately university. There's a mounting body count, but these gals aren't merely a parade of powerless, disposable victims. Black Christmas streams via Netflix. Read our full review. Die Hard Yippee ki-yay, fans of both action and seasonal hijinks (and of Bruce Willis crawling around in vents trying to fight off terrorists, too). It's time to follow in the footsteps of Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Jake Peralta and love Die Hard unconditionally, because — by virtue of being set on Christmas Eve — this is a Christmas-appropriate film. The story, if you somehow don't know it, involves NYPD cop John McClane (Willis, Assassin), a Los Angeles building attacked by the nefarious Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman, Eye in the Sky) and plenty of explosive antics. We know, we know, Rickman also features in that other, more overtly festive-themed favourite, aka Love Actually, but there's nothing quite like a couple of hours spent at Nakatomi Plaza. Die Hard streams via Disney+. In Bruges Before The Banshees of Inisherin, filmmaker Martin McDonagh teamed up with actors Colin Farrell (The Penguin) and Brendan Gleeson (Joker: Folie à Deux) on another darkly comic gem. In Bruges is writer/director McDonagh's first feature, in fact, and what a stunning debut it is, diving into hitmen chaos in Belgium over the Christmas period. McDonagh's whip-smart script only mentions the time of year a few times, but its titular setting is lit up for the occasion. Farrell's Ray is hardly thrilled, though; "For two weeks? In fucking Bruges? In a room like this? With you? No way," is his response to being holed up and hiding out with his mentor Ken (Gleeson) at the behest of their handler Harry (Ralph Fiennes, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar). Blackly comedic amusement springs from their predicament, and so does mayhem, melancholy and even hope. In Bruges streams via Netflix and Stan. That Christmas Richard Curtis is getting festive again. The screenwriter behind Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill and the first two Bridget Jones movies — and a big driver of Hugh Grant's (Heretic) early career, clearly — will forever be associated with the jolliest part of the calendar thanks to Love Actually. Now he's added That Christmas to his resume, and a clip of his past end-of-year flick that everyone knows and has thoughts about even features in this animated all-ages-friendly affair. That Christmas springs from the page, from Curtis' books That Christmas, The Empty Stocking and Snow Day with illustrator Rebecca Cobb. On-screen, he's intertwined those tales, with Simon Hunter (A Tale Dark & Grimm) directing, Peter Souter (Married Single Other) co-scripting, and the film's account of home-alone kids both lonely and mischievous featuring voicework by Bill Nighy (The Wild Robot), Brian Cox (The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim) and more. That Christmas streams via Netflix. Bad Santa The sequel didn't stuff anyone's stocking full of laughs, sadly, but the original Bad Santa is a masterclass in seasonal misanthropy and utterly inappropriate humour. Now two decades since Billy Bob Thornton (Landman) first popped on the red suit to play the world's most begrudging Father Christmas — actually a professional thief that uses his gig as a department-store Santa as a cover to case the place — he's still one of the most memorable festive figures there is. Everything that can go wrong does for Thornton's character Willie, and every boundary that director Terry Zwigoff (Art School Confidential) and writers Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (Jungle Cruise) can test gets pushed as well. Grinches, this comedy understands your Yuletide disdain and milks it — and finds hilarious uses for a sack full of the festive film genre's cliches, child sidekicks and all. Bad Santa streams via Prime Video. Scrooged Every Christmas, real or otherwise could use a dose of Bill Murray (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire) — even when he's hardly brimming with festive cheer. So, back in 1988, Scrooged delivered just that in a modern retelling of A Christmas Carol. Murray plays arrogant, selfish TV executive Frank Cross. He doesn't share the same name as Charles Dickens' famous grouch, but he's just as lacking in feel-good spirit. Everyone knows how the broad story goes, with ghosts of Christmas past, present and future popping up to teach this cynical crank the error of his ways. When Murray is involved, though — and when he's also leading a sing-along — even what seems like the umpteenth adaptation of a well-known story doesn't feel routine. Scrooged streams via Binge. Carry-On What if Die Hard met TV series Hijack, but starring Taron Egerton (Tetris) and Jason Bateman (Air), and with Non-Stop director Jaume Collet-Serra on helming duties? That's Carry-On, 2024's addition to the festive thriller subgenre. Egerton plays a Los Angeles TSA officer with a newly pregnant girlfriend (Sofia Carson, Purple Hearts) and therefore fresh motivation to ask his boss (Dean Norris, Law & Order: Organised Crime) for a promotion, who's given a chance to show he's worthy of climbing the airport's corporate ladder on Christmas Eve. Baggage scanning duties await, then, as a test — but a trial of a different kind swiftly arrives. Via a voice speaking to him through an earpiece, Carry-On's protagonist is soon being told to let a particular piece of luggage through or face deadly consequences. Bateman is a treat playing firmly against type, in what proves a well-cast picture all round. And while it's easy to see where the story is going, the writing remains smart and the setpieces are lively. Carry-On streams via Netflix.
Helping kick off 2019's host-free Emmy awards, Bryan Cranston might've uttered the most obvious line of the night: "television has never been this damn good". You'd expect an event dedicated to celebrating and rewarding the year's best TV shows to make that claim, of course — that's really the whole message behind the glittering annual gala. Still, it doesn't render the Breaking Bad star's statement any less accurate. This year's newly minted crop of Emmy winners definitely make that point, and what a crop they are. Sure, the ceremony itself always serves up plenty of its own highlights — Phoebe Waller-Bridge's complete and utter shock at winning not once, not twice, but three times; Jharrel Jerome's earnest excitement at winning over his big-name fellow nominees; and Michelle Williams' impassioned and inspiring speech about women being respected in their profession, for example — but it's their TV programs that we'll all be talking about for years to come. Indeed, from hitman comedies, to multiple depictions of historical tragedies, to everyone's favourite dragon-filled epic fantasy series, this year's winners are reason enough to spend a week or several on your couch. Or, to be more realistic, to add all of the below shows to your various streaming queues and eventually work your way through them. (We haven't told you to watch 2019 Drama Series recipient Game of Thrones, though, because we're sure you've already done that.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX2ViKQFL_k FLEABAG What it's about: When Fleabag's eponymous London resident turns to the camera, talks about her messy life and just generally looks exasperated, she's one of the most relatable characters ever committed to the screen. Unhappy, uncertain and surrounded by chaos in all of her relationships — romantic, platonic and with her family members — she's the complicated, charismatic protagonist for today's frenzied times. Not only creating and writing the series based on her one-woman Edinburgh Festival show, but starring as Fleabag as well, Phoebe Waller-Bridge is simply revelatory. And while the British comedy only spans two six-episode seasons, it packs more into its short run than most shows manage with twice, thrice or even ten times as many instalments. Won: Comedy Series, Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), Writing for a Comedy Series (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), Directing for a Comedy Series (Harry Bradbeer). Where to watch it: Amazon Prime. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9APLXM9Ei8 CHERNOBYL What it's about: Venturing back 33 years to the worst nuclear disaster the world has ever seen, Chernobyl is a horror story of the most gripping and galvanising kind. The central explosion, caused when the titular power plant's reactor became unstable, is terrifying. The fallout — both in terms of radioactive debris falling from the sky, and the intangible ramifications — is just as fear-inducing. What truly cuts to the bone in this exceptional miniseries, however, is the bureaucratic arrogance and wilful ignorance that follows. There's nothing more chilling than seeing people hold others' lives in their hands and choose to do absolutely nothing. To convey that message, the five-part series also benefits from superb writing, direction and performances, including from Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård and Emily Watson. Won: Limited Series; Directing for a Limited Series, Movie or a Dramatic Special (Johan Renck); Writing for a Limited Series, Movie or a Dramatic Special (Craig Mazin). Where to watch it: Foxtel Now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3F9n_smGWY WHEN THEY SEE US What it's about: Another huge true tale. Another huge cast, including Emmy-winner Jharrel Jerome, Michael K. Williams, Joshua Jackson, Blair Underwood, Vera Farmiga and John Leguizamo. Another powerful mini-series. When They See Us steps through the story of Central Park Five — a case that's endlessly infuriating and shocking. In April 1989, Trisha Meili was raped while jogging, while eight other people were attacked across New York. In the aftermath, five African American and Hispanic American teenagers were prosecuted, convicted and jailed, only for their charges to be vacated when the real culprit confessed more than a decade later. From Selma to 13th, director Ava DuVernay has become one of the most crucial voices in interrogating America's oppressive and unjust past, and this stellar drama proves a worthy addition to her resume. Won: Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie (Jharrel Jerome). Where to watch it: Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ir1_hjemxNA BARRY What it's about: Airing its second season this year — and thankfully already renewed for a third — Barry boasts one of the best comedy premises on television. An ex-soldier and sharpshooter still haunted by his overseas military experience, Bill Hader's titular character has been putting his skills to use as a hitman since he returned from active duty. It's a natural fit, but then he heads to Los Angeles and discovers acting. Watching Barry try to leave his death-dealing past behind, and watching the chaos that springs for both his new thespian pals (including Henry Winkler) and his old gangster contacts (such as scene-stealer Anthony Carrigan) continually makes for both hilarious and dramatic viewing. Won: Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (Bill Hader). Where to watch it: Foxtel Now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVTZhOLpXjI KILLING EVE What it's about: At the Golden Globes back in January, Sandra Oh picked up a shiny prize for British spy thriller Killing Eve. At the Emmys, it was her co-lead Jodie Comer's turn to nab a gong. One plays an MI5 investigator charged with tracking down a psychopathic killer, while the other portrays the seductive assassin that she's chasing — and where their interactions go from there is best discovered by watching. Twisty, innovative and unafraid to do what it damn well likes with a well-worn genre, the highly acclaimed adaptation of Luke Jennings' Codename Villanelle novellas is also the second of this year's winning shows to bear Phoebe Waller-Bridge's fingerprints (she's an executive producer, and wrote four of the first season's episodes). Won: Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Jodie Comer). Where to watch it: Stan (season one) and ABC iView (season two). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_5fqDZCjQo THE ACT What it's about: Perhaps you've heard about Dee Dee Blanchard and her daughter Gypsy Rose. Perhaps you even read Buzzfeed's piece about them, 'Dee Dee Wanted Her Daughter To Be Sick, Gypsy Wanted Her Mom To Be Murdered'. You'd remember if you have — while true-crime tales are far from uncommon at the moment, especially on-screen, this one definitely stands out. Drawing upon on the aforementioned article for its first season, The Act steps into a story of abuse, death and Munchausen syndrome by proxy that really has to be seen to be believed. Patricia Arquette picked up an Emmy for playing the abusive Dee Dee; however, she's in exceptional company, with the series also starring Joey King, AnnaSophia Robb, Chloë Sevigny and Calum Worthy. Won: Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie (Patricia Arquette). Where to watch it: Google Play. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hAXVqrljbs OZARK What it's about: Just a couple of months ago, when the final batch of episodes from Arrested Development's fifth season dropped, no one really cared. That might sound harsh; however, it's a case of sad but true. Don't worry — star Jason Bateman certainly has enough to keep him busy elsewhere. Since 2017, he's been leading, executive producing and sometimes even directing Netflix crime drama Ozark. In fact, he just won an Emmy for the latter. Following a financial advisor who moves his family from Chicago to a quiet Missouri town after a money-laundering scheme goes wrong, this is one of Netflix's quiet achievers. That it also features the always-exceptional Laura Linney, as well as this year's Supporting Actress in a Drama Series winner Julia Garner, also helps. Won: Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Julia Garner), Directing for a Drama Series (Jason Bateman). Where to watch it: Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXd_1FXw6TI POSE What it's about: New York's drag ballroom scene comes to the small screen in Pose, and the result is one of the liveliest shows on television. As energetic and inclusive as you'd expect given its setting, it's the latest series created by Nip/Tuck, Glee and American Horror Story's Ryan Murphy — although it clearly owes its biggest debt to seminal 1990 documentary Paris Is Burning. Story-wise, Pose follows a motley crew of queer and nonconforming African American and Latin American characters as they they vogue, dance and pose their way through performances, with each competitor vying for glory for their house. After diving into the community during the 80s in its debut run, the show's second season jumped forward to the 90s. No matter what decade he's in, as the resident emcee, Tony winner and now Emmy recipient Billy Porter continually steals the show. Won: Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Billy Porter). Where to watch it: Foxtel Now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9TKHvvaMfE SUCCESSION What it's about: Meet the Roy family. Patriarch Logan (Brian Cox) started a media and entertainment conglomerate, turned it into a huge success and now wields considerable wealth and power; however, his health is failing. Because this is a family business, his children Siobhan (Aussie actor Sarah Snook), Roman (Kieran Culkin), Kendall (Jeremy Strong) and Connor (Alan Ruck) are all waiting in the wings — although Logan still needs to work out who'll do what when he's no longer working. If this sounds more than a little like the real-life Murdochs, well, you won't be the first to make that connection. Satirical as well as dramatic (and a compelling example of both genres, too), it's the latest series from Peep Show, The Thick of It and Black Mirror writer Jesse Armstrong. Won: Writing for a Drama Series (Jesse Armstrong). Where to watch it: Foxtel Now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_w3UNHPIXQ FOSSE/VERDON What it's about: It might be based on the biography Fosse by Sam Wasson, but this eight-part series focuses on two pivotal real-life figures, as the show's different moniker makes plain. It's impossible to explore the career of director and choreographer Bob Fosse without telling the tale of actor and dancer Gwen Verdon, after all, with their lives linked both professionally and personally. The ups, the downs, the enormous commitment to their work, and the huge productions such as Cabaret, Chicago and All That Jazz — they all form part of Fosse/Verdon. So do exceptional performances by Sam Rockwell as Fosse and Michelle Williams as Verdon, as well as Once Upon a Time in Hollywood standout Margaret Qualley as another dancer pivotal to their stories. Won: Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie (Michelle Williams). Where to watch it: Foxtel Now.
It was true when Seinfeld made a series about a real-life standup comedian playing a fictionalised version of himself one of the world's biggest sitcoms in the 90s. It remained accurate when Larry David started riffing on his own existence in Curb Your Enthusiasm, which will end in 2024 after 12 seasons over a quarter-century — and also when Pete Davidson leapt from making his life movie fodder in The King of Staten Island to turning it into TV in Bupkis. Donald Glover wasn't directly referencing his own career in Atlanta, and neither The Other Two nor Girls5eva bring exact replicas of real-life figures to the screen, but the same idea pumps through them as well: fame or proximity to it doesn't stop anyone from grappling with life's frustrating minutiae. Add The Vince Staples Show to the list, too, with the five-part Netflix limited series arriving on Thursday, February 15 and featuring its namesake as a take on himself. Whether or not you know who he is is part of the show's joke. On- and off- screen, he's a rapper and actor. Staples' very real single 'Norf Norf' gets quoted to him in the TV comedy. The fact that he's been in Abbott Elementary is referenced in the debut episode. But just attempting to have an ordinary day doing everyday things in an average way — driving home, heading to the bank, attending a family reunion, visiting an amusement park and returning to his old school — is as impossible for him as it is for us all. Sometimes, Staples' celebrity complicates matters in The Vince Staples Show. It also never helps. Usually, he's stuck navigating Murphy's law, so asking for a loan ends up with him caught up in a robbery, while endeavouring to source something decent to eat at a theme park takes him on an absurdist odyssey that winks at David Lynch and the Coen brothers. Having an entertainment career doesn't stop him from being confused for someone else by the police (Killing It's Scott MacArthur, You People's Bryan Greenberg and The Menu's Arturo Castro) — the same cops who ask for free tickets to his shows while they're locking him up — or ensure that cashiers treat him politely. If it assists with anything, it's with giving Staples a deadpan acceptance that anything and everything might come his way. Twice asked if something interesting happened during his day by his girlfriend Deja (Andrea Ellsworth, Truth Be Told), his reply is "not really", even though viewers have just witnessed the exact opposite in both instances. Detailing his real resume isn't the series' style, but the IRL Staples has one. Hailing from Long Beach, California, where The Vince Staples Show is also set — well, in a dreamlike version of it — his association with hip hop collective Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All helped bring him to attention. (Frank Ocean, Tyler, the Creator and Earl Sweatshirt have also been members.) 'Big Fish' and 'Magic' are among his singles. He's enjoyed support slots on Childish Gambino's This Is America tour, several times for Tyler, the Creator and even for Flume in Australia in 2016. Dope and the 2023 White Men Can't Jump remake are on Staples' filmography, plus Insecure and voicing Lazor Wulf's eponymous animated wolf on the small screen. Knowing this isn't crucial to watching The Vince Staples Show, however. That said, it does demonstrate how keenly he's tearing down the idea that pop-culture success means a life of ease in this sharp satire. Each of the series' quintet of instalments largely takes place in one setting. Each shares a naming convention: 'Pink House', 'Black Business', 'Brown Family', 'Red Door' and 'White Boy'. And, each charts events that both are and aren't the norm, all while questioning what's really ordinary anyway. As every episode gets pondering, it does so in layers, skewing surreal but also dissecting race and class in the process (Atlanta comes to mind frequently). In the opening chapter, where Staples spends a night in jail after being arrested on an outstanding warrant, the rapper-with-a-criminal-record stereotype is unpacked and mass incarceration becoming its own industry is called out, for instance. Also, a cellmate keeps singing, hoping to score a collaboration. Someone in a neighbouring cell threatens violence against Staples on sight. Then, when he's given something to eat, his sandwich comes with a draw-two Uno card inside. There's no weak episodes in The Vince Staples Show's five-part run (and no weak performances, either). In the second chapter, which nods to 1995 film Dead Presidents, holding up a bank has rarely been this bizarre. Staples is only onsite to get funding for his dream of starting a healthy cereal brand, which the manager scoffs at. Then, it turns out that one of the robbers (Myles Bullock, Black Mafia Family) is a childhood pal. When the series sends Vince, Deja and his mother Anita (Vanessa Bell Calloway, This Is Us) to a family barbecue next, mac 'n' cheese proves a source of pride and the reason to hold a grudge. Hell hath no fury like someone instructed to bring a prize dish, only to discover that a cousin (Staci Lynn Fletcher, The Neighbourhood) got there first. Staples also navigates his relatives' reactions to his success — wanting to be involved, but thinking that his celebrity represents more than it does. As Staples and Deja take her younger brother and his friends to a beach-themed attraction, the artificiality of all amusement parks and the concept of packaged happiness is thrust into view. Announcements over the loudspeaker are particularly biting, and falling afoul of the costumed mascots sparks repercussions. In the final episode, the show's protagonist is asked back to his childhood school to chat to the students. The kids don't care but a classmate (Patrick Walker, Lessons in Chemistry) he knew back in the day does. Cue a showdown with nods to Quentin Tarantino — both Kill Bill and Pulp Fiction — alongside Barry, another Californian-set comedy that's as perceptive as it is hilarious, as well as exceptionally well-shot. Staples writes, stars and executive produces The Vince Staples Show, with help: Ian Edelman (How to Make It in America) and Maurice Williams (Entergalactic) co-created it with him, while Kenya Barris (Black-ish) also executive produces. As the series gets gleefully but pointedly offbeat — proving uncanny while making more than a few statements — he also leaves viewers wanting more. Its five episodes are so easy to binge in one sitting (and timed accordingly, with each chapter between 19–26 minutes in length) that initially pressing play means settling in for the full experience. Anything interesting happen? Yes, immensely, unpredictably, hilariously and brilliantly. Check out the trailer for The Vince Staples Show below: The Vince Staples Show streams via Netflix from Thursday, February 15, 2024.
Across the first few months of 2025, HBO is bringing back both The White Lotus and The Last of Us — and if you feel like you've been waiting a while for the two hit shows to return, then you mustn't be a Euphoria fan. 2022 closed with the second season of the US network's vacation anthology. 2023 began with the debut run of its game-to-TV smash. It was before all of that, at the start of 2022, that Euphoria last dropped new episodes, though — and its third season isn't expected to arrive until 2026. Here's the good Euphoria news, however: HBO has finally started production on season three of the award-winning favourite. And, while there's still a wait to see how it pans out, a first-look image of Zendaya in the new season has also arrived to give viewers a sneak peek. View this post on Instagram A post shared by euphoria (@euphoria) The show's cast haven't been sitting around doing nothing for the past three years. Zendaya, Jacob Elordi, Sydney Sweeney, Hunter Schafer, Colman Domingo and company have been busy — and our screens have been full of movies and TV shows to prove it. Challengers, Dune: Part Two, Saltburn, Priscilla, Reality, Anyone But You, Madame Web, Immaculate, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, Cuckoo, Kinds of Kindness, The Color Purple. Drive-Away Dolls, The Madness: they're just some of the projects that've featured Euphoria stars since 2022, and the list goes on. Elordi has been back in Australia making miniseries The Narrow Road to the Deep North, which hits streaming in April — and will also be seen as Frankenstein's monster for Guillermo del Toro (Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio) before 2025 is out. Domingo was nominated for an Oscar for Rustin, then scored another nomination for Sing Sing. Storm Reid won an Emmy for The Last of Us. Maude Apatow has been doing voice work on Pantheon, Alexa Demie popped up in Fantasmas, Dominic Fike was in Earth Mama — and played Laneway 2024. Season three of Euphoria has experienced delays for a heap of reasons. Back in 2024, it was reported that scripts were still being worked on, but shooting had been pushed back. "HBO and Sam Levinson remain committed to making an exceptional third season. In the interim, we are allowing our in-demand cast to pursue other opportunities," a HBO spokesperson told Deadline and Variety in a statement at the time. Apparently the idea of doing a movie instead of a new season was floated, but obviously isn't the plan that's moving ahead. Given the passage of time — come 2026, it will have been four years since season two — there'll be a time jump within the narrative in season three and the show's main characters will no longer be in high school, Zendaya has mentioned in interviews. There's obviously no trailer for Euphoria season three yet, but you can watch HBO's 2024–25 roundup trailer below: Euphoria season three doesn't have an exact release date yet, but is expected to arrive in 2026 — we'll update you when further details are announced. Images:HBO.
You know the house: soothing earthy tones, white walls, timber furniture and a cooling breeze floating through linen curtains. You've imagined getting your home to look and feel like that every day, and at Blake & Taylor, you can make it happen. The design services and homewares at Blake & Taylor are all about finding that moment of lightness you feel when a room brings you peace and joy. The Blake and Taylor aesthetic draws on vintage colour palettes and patterns, with an element of aspirational country elegance. Think, blue and white china prints, retro wallpaper designs and pastel tones. Blake & Taylor offers full interior design consultations, as well as individual pieces of upholstery, lampshades, soft furnishings, ceramics, rugs and even clothing. If you feel like getting your hands dirty, pick up some of its signature chalk furniture paint and transform a tired piece of furniture into something that feels brand new. It also has classes in cushion making, millinery and watercolours that are ideal for making the perfect art piece to complete your newly designed interior. Whether you're ready to get seriously domestic or you're just on the hunt for those final touches that elevate your place from a house to a home, Blake & Taylor can help colour your life and your home with even more beauty.
In Stay of the Week, we explore some of the world's best and most unique accommodations — giving you a little inspiration for your next trip. In this instalment, we take you to Jackalope Hotel at the Mornington Peninsula. We've partnered with this boutique hotel to create a wine-filled weekend getaway that can only be found on Concrete Playground Trips. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL? Inside and out, this is one sexy hotel. The sleek interiors were dreamt up by Carr — one of Australia's top architecture and design firms — and are complemented by specially commissioned artworks. The entire building is also designed to take advantage of the stunning views across the surrounding vineyard, whether it's from the rooms, restaurant or 30-metre infinity pool. THE ROOMS Each of the 45 rooms comes with floor-to-celling windows and private terraces overlooking the estate while the suites (saucily referred to as "lairs") are even more luxe — think fully-functioning fireplaces, loft ceilings and even greater views. A dangerously attractive Bond villain would be right at home. Design wise, the rooms are understated with simple black and white finishes (mostly black), filled with custom-built furniture from Melbourne designer and manufacturer Zuster as well as lavish bathroom features including rain showers and jet-black bathtubs. FOOD AND DRINK When staying at Jackalope Hotel, you should dine at its opulent on site restaurant, Doot Doot Doot. Head chef Guy Stanaway runs the kitchen, serving up a regularly changing degustation menu that celebrates farm-to-table dining, injecting refined playfulness into each dish (and is an extremely reasonable $140 per person). You can also head over to Flaggerdoot, the hotel's cocktail lounge, that feels more like a gallery space than bar. It is housed in Edwardian homestead McCormick House (which dates back to 1876) but has been filled with an eclectic collection of art pieces. The faceless busts, geometric light installations and mirrored surfaces make the space a feast for the eyes. THE LOCAL AREA Set between Red Hill and Balnarring at the Mornington Peninsula, Jackalope is in the perfect position for exploring the famous region. There are over 50 cellar doors and restaurants scattered across the surrounding hills, as well as a stunning collection of beaches, golf courses and hiking trails — there's no doubt a long weekend spent here will be a memorable one. THE EXTRAS Extras abound at Jackalope. First off, there is the obligatory spa. Head here for massages, facials and scrubs or purchase the Jackalope x Alba package to get special access to the new Alba thermal spa oasis. They also run yoga classes, organise day trips around the area and take guests on guided tours of the vineyard. It truly is an incredible stay in every conceivable way, and that's why we've teamed up with the boutique hotel to create a one-of-a-kind long weekend package that includes a two-night stay, a wine tasting experience at its own cellar door, daily breakfasts at Doot Doot Doot and a whole host of extra bits. This is perfect for those wanting to relax in style, filling their days with sensational food and wine. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips in destinations all over the world.
UPDATE, December 16, 2022: Top Gun: Maverick will be available to stream via Paramount+ from Thursday, December 22. As dripping with jingoism, machismo, militarism and sweat as cinema gets — and there really was oh-so-much sweat — 1986's Top Gun was a dream of a recruitment ad. The US Navy's aviation program couldn't have whipped up a stronger enlistment campaign in its wildest fantasies. Even if it had, getting Hollywood's gloss, a star who'd still be box-office catnip four decades later and Kenny Loggins' second-best movie tune (slipping in behind Footloose, of course) probably would've felt like a one-in-a-billion longshot. But all of the above, plus a lurid sheen and homoerotic gaze, didn't make Top Gun a good film. Loggins' 'Danger Zone' remains an earworm of a delight, but the feature it's synonymous with took a highway to the cheesy, cringey, puffed up, perpetually moist and aggressively toxic zone. The one exception: whenever Tony Scott's camera was focused on all that flying, rather than a smirking, reckless and arrogant Tom Cruise as a portrait of 80s bluster and vanity. Gliding into cinemas 36 years after its predecessor, Top Gun: Maverick is still at its best when its jets are soaring. The initial flick had the perfect song to describe exactly what these phenomenally well-executed and -choreographed action scenes feel like to view; yes, they'll take your breath away. Peppered throughout the movie, actually shot in real US Navy aircraft without a trace of digital effects, and as tense and spectacular as filmmaking can be in the feature's climactic sequences, they truly do make it seem as if you're watchin' in slow motion. Thankfully, this time that adrenaline kick is accompanied by a smarter and far more self-aware film, as directed by TRON: Legacy and Oblivion's Joseph Kosinski. Top Gun in the 80s was exactly what Top Gun in the 80s was always going to be — but Top Gun in the 2020s doesn't dare believe that nothing has changed, that Cruise's still-smug Maverick can't evolve, and that the world the movie releases into hasn't either. Early in the film — after Harold Faltermeyer's famous Top Gun anthem plays, text on-screen explains what the titular elite pilot training program is all about, a montage of fighter planes kicks in and then 'Danger Zone' sets an upbeat tone; that is, after the flick begins exactly as the first did — Captain Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell (Cruise, Mission: Impossible — Fallout) is given a dressing-down. Still as rebellious as his call sign makes plain, he's just wantonly disobeyed orders, flown a ridiculously expensive hypersonic test plane when he's not supposed to and caused quite the fallout. "The future is coming and you're not in it," he's told, and Top Gun: Maverick doesn't shy away from that notion. As its opening moments show, along with a touch too many other nostalgia-steeped touches elsewhere this sequel hasn't wholly flown on from the past; however, it actively reckons with it as well. Still hardly the navy's favourite despite his swagger, megawatt smile, gleaming aviators and unfailing self-confidence — well, really despite his need for speed and exceptional dogfighting skills in the air — Maverick is given one last assignment. His destination: Fightertown USA, the California-based Top Gun program he strutted his way through all those years ago. There's an enemy nation with a secret weapons base that needs destroying, and his talents are crucial. But, to his dismay, Maverick is only asked to teach. Given a squad lorded over by the brash Hangman (Glen Powell, Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood), and also including Coyote (Greg Tarzan Davis, Grey's Anatomy), Payback (Jay Ellis, Insecure), Fanboy (Danny Ramirez, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), Phoenix (Monica Barbaro, Stumptown), Bob (Lewis Pullman, Outer Range) and the frosty Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw (Miles Teller, The Offer), he's tasked with training them to fly like he does, navigate a Star Wars-style impossible path that zips speedily at perilously low altitudes and, ideally, still survive the supremely dangerous mission. Yes, Bradley Bradshaw is a real name this franchise has given one of its characters. And, he's the son of Goose (Anthony Edwards, Inventing Anna), Maverick's beloved wingman in the original movie, whose death he hasn't come to terms with. Also, stressing that chip-off-the-ol'-block link via Hawaiian shirts, a moustache and a barroom 'Great Balls of Fire' singalong is among Top Gun: Maverick's clumsiest and most needlessly wistful moves — second only to its shirtless team-building beach football scene. Luckily, it's easy to excuse some such blatant nods backwards when interrogating why Maverick is like he is, what cost that's extracted from him and those in his orbit, and how he might climb beyond it is one of the film's main concerns. Plus, one of the feature's other blasts from the past, Maverick's reunion with his ex-adversary Iceman (Val Kilmer, The Snowman), couldn't be more movingly handled. Again, recognising that Maverick's heyday, and everything it instilled in him, has long been and gone proves as crucial in this sequel as those sensationally balletic jets swooping and spiralling above. Cruise's heyday as a mega movie superstar isn't yet behind him, though, and Top Gun: Maverick is also better for knowing that his hyper-committed showmanship is now rare. So, Kosinkski leans heavily on the Tom Cruise of it all — aka the spectacle that's a given when he's in action mode — while unpacking the Maverick of it all. That's how the film zooms deeper than the initial flick, especially into its protagonist, with screenwriters Ehren Kruger (Dumbo), Eric Warren Singer (American Hustle) and Christopher McQuarrie (the last two and upcoming two Mission: Impossible movies) imparting a convincing sense of human drama. Top Gun: Maverick still sports patriotism and militarism so thick it'd show up on radar. It's still sweaty, albeit not as much as the Fast and Furious franchise these days. And it still has a thin but charismatic romance, this time with Jennifer Connelly (who gets a winning music moment if you know what she was starring in back in 1986). And yet, it also faces the fact that flag-waving patriotism and testosterone-fuelled bravado are relics. Even better: while Top Gun: Maverick's exploration of loyalty, duty, camaraderie, bromance and facing your mistakes to be a better person comes second to its stunning aerial scenes, none of those themes completely fade from mind when the movie hits the sky. They're meant to up the stakes, and genuinely do. Indeed, Gun: Maverick's underlying emotions feel as authentic as the astonishing visuals that repeatedly defy gravity. With the latter, it comes as no surprise that Kosinkski's TRON: Legacy cinematographer Claudio Miranda does the honours, again delivering an astounding sight. Similarly, that such edge-of-your-seat sequences are stitched together by McQuarrie's Mission: Impossible editor Eddie Hamilton won't raise an eyebrow. Action cinema rarely gets more thrilling than this — and an action movie that's this visibly wondrous and entertaining, knows it's walking in familiar footsteps but puts in a bold effort to make this return trip mean something is electrifying and, yes, breathtaking.
Not all that long ago, the idea of getting cosy on your couch, clicking a few buttons, and having thousands of films and television shows at your fingertips seemed like something out of science fiction. Now, it's just an ordinary night — whether you're virtually gathering the gang to text along, cuddling up to your significant other or shutting the world out for some much needed me-time. Of course, given the wealth of options to choose from, there's nothing ordinary about making a date with your chosen streaming platform. The question isn't "should I watch something?" — it's "what on earth should I choose?". Hundreds of titles are added to Australia's online viewing services each and every month, all vying for a spot on your must-see list. And, so you don't spend 45 minutes scrolling and then being too tired to actually commit to anything, we're here to help. We've spent plenty of couch time watching our way through this month's latest batch — and, from the latest and greatest through to old and recent favourites, here are our picks for your streaming queue in February. BRAND NEW STUFF YOU CAN WATCH IN FULL NOW THE CONSULTANT If there's a question that no employee wants to hear from the person setting company agendas, pulling strings and signing paycheques, it's "what do we do?". In The Consultant, the small screen's latest moody and mysterious workplace nightmare — which adapts horror author Bentley Little's 2016 novel of the same name, but plays like Severance filtered through Servant — Regus Patoff (Christoph Waltz, Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio) asks a variation of it early. "What do we make?" he queries at CompWare after he arrives amid grim circumstances. The mobile gaming outfit came to fame under wunderkind Sang (TV first-timer Brian Yoon), so much so that school groups tour the firm's office. Then, during the visit that opens this eight-part, excellently cast and supremely easy-to-binge thriller, a kid shoots and kills the company's founder. That doesn't stop Regus from showing up afterwards clutching a signed contract from Sang and spouting a mandate to do whatever it takes to maximise his legacy. Regus is as stern yet eccentric as Waltz has become known for — a suit- and tie-wearing kindred spirit to Inglourious Basterds' Hans Landa, plus Spectre and No Time to Die's Ernst Stavro Blofield. He first darkens CompWare's door in the thick of night, when only ambitious assistant Elaine Hayman (Brittany O'Grady, The White Lotus) and stoner coder Craig Horne (Nat Wolff, Joe vs Carole) are onsite, and he won't take no for an answer. There's no consultant job for him to have, Elaine tells him. There's no business to whip into shape, she stresses. By the next morning, he's corralling employees for an all-hands meeting and telling remote workers they'll be fired if they don't show up in-person within an hour, even if he proudly doesn't know what CompWare does — or care. From there, The Consultant gets creator Tony Basgallop, who is also behind Servant, doing what he loves: kicking off with a blow-in, unsettling a group already coping with tragedy and reordering their status quo with severe methods. Both of his current shows lace the chaos that follows with nods towards the supernatural, too, and both ask what bargains we're willing to make to live the lives we're striving for. The Consultant streams via Prime Video. Read our full review. CUNK ON EARTH If you've ever watched a David Attenborough documentary about the planet and wished it was sillier and stupider, to the point of being entertainingly ridiculous and ridiculously entertaining alike, then Netflix comes bearing wonderful news. Actually, the BBC got there first, airing history-of-the-world mockumentary Cunk on Earth back in September 2022. Glorious things come to waiting viewers Down Under now, however — and this gleefully, delightfully absurd take on human civilisation from its earliest days till now, spanning cave paintings, Roman empires, Star Wars' empire, 1989 Belgian techno anthem 'Pump Up the Jam' and more, is one of the best shows to hit Australia and New Zealand in 2023 so far. This series is a comedy masterclass, in fact, featuring everything from a Black Mirror-leaning skit about Beethoven resurrected inside a smart speaker to a recreation of a Dark Ages fray purely through sound also thrown in. It's flat-out masterful, too, and tremendously funny. This sometimes Technotronic-soundtracked five-part show's beat? Surveying how humanity came to its present state, stretching back through species' origins and evolution, and pondering everything from whether the Egyptian pyramids were built from the top down to the Cold War bringing about the "Soviet onion". The audience's guide across this condensed and comic history is the tweed-wearing Philomena Cunk, who has the steady voice of seasoned doco presenter down pat, plus the solemn gaze, but is firmly a fictional — and satirical — character. Comedian Diane Morgan first started playing the misinformed interviewer in 2013, in Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe, with Black Mirror creator Brooker behind Cunk on Earth as well. Over the past decade, Cunk has also brought her odd questions to 2016's one-off Cunk on Shakespeare and Cunk on Christmas, and 2018's also five-instalment Cunk on Britain. After you're done with the character's latest spin, you'll want to devour the rest ASAP. Cunk on Earth streams via Netflix. Read our full review. EMILY THE CRIMINAL Enterprising, astute, intelligent and accepting zero garbage from anyone: these are traits that Aubrey Plaza can convey in her sleep. But she definitely isn't slumbering in Emily the Criminal, which sees her turn in a performance as weighty and layered as her deservedly Golden Globe-nominated portrayal in the second season of The White Lotus — something that she's been doing since her Parks and Recreation days anyway. Indeed, there's more than a touch of April Ludgate-Dwyer's resourcefulness to this crime-thriller's eponymous figure. Los Angeles resident Emily Benetto isn't sporting much apathy, however; she can't afford to. With $70,000 in student loans to her name for a college art degree she isn't using working as a food delivery driver, and a felony conviction that's getting in the way of securing any gig she's better qualified for for, Jersey girl Emily breaks bad to make bank when she's given a tip about a credit card fraud ring run by Youcef (Theo Rossi, Sons of Anarchy). Her simple task: purchasing everything from electronics to cars with the stolen numbers. Writer/director John Patton Ford makes his feature debut with this lean, sharp, keenly observed and tightly paced film, which works swimmingly and grippingly as a heist thriller with plenty to say about the state of America today — particularly about a society that saddles folks starting their working lives with enormous debts, turning careers in the arts into the domain of the wealthy, and makes even the slightest wrongdoing a life sentence. Emily the Criminal is angry about that state of affairs, and that ire colours every frame. But it's as a character study that this impressive film soars highest, stepping through the struggles, troubles and desperate moves of a woman trapped not by her choices but her lack of options, all while seeing her better-off classmates breeze through life. As she usually is, Plaza is mesmerising, and adds another complicated movie role to a resume that also boasts the phenomenal Ingrid Goes West and Black Bear as well. Emily the Criminal streams via Binge and Netflix. PAMELA, A LOVE STORY If you weren't aware of Pamela Anderson's recent Broadway stint, bringing the razzle dazzle to a new production of Chicago in 2022, Ryan White (Good Night Oppy)-directed documentary Pamela, A Love Story will still feature surprises. Otherwise, from Playboy to Playbill — including Baywatch, sex tapes and multiple marriages in-between — the actor's story is well-known around the globe. Much of it played out in the tabloids, especially when she married Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee in a white bikini after four days together. She also graced what can easily stake a claim as the internet's first viral video, after intimate footage of Anderson and Lee was stolen, then sold. And that very experience was dramatised in 2022 limited series Pam & Tommy, including the misogynistic way she was treated compared to her spouse, how her rights to her image and privacy were considered trashed due to her nude modelling days, and the unsurprising fallout within her relationship. No matter how familiar the details are, Pamela, A Love Story does something that little else on-screen has, however: it lets Anderson tell her story herself. Much of the doco focuses on the Barb Wire and Scary Movie 3 star in her childhood home in Ladysmith on Canada's Vancouver Island, watching old videos, reading past diaries and chatting through the contents. She's recorded and written about everything in her life. Sitting in front of the camera without a trace of makeup, with her sons Brandon and Dylan sometimes talking with her, she gives her account of how she's been treated during the highs and lows of her career. The film coincides with a memoir, Love, Pamela, so this is a tale that Anderson is currently on the page and in streaming queues — but it's still a powerful portrait of a woman made famous for her appearance, turned into a sex symbol to the point that male interviewers in the 90s could barely talk about anything else, then cruelly judged and discarded. She's frank and sincere, as is the movie amid its treasure trove of archival footage. Pamela, A Love Story streams via Netflix. SHARPER Sharper didn't start its life on the page, with director Benjamin Caron (Andor) instead working with Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka's (both Superstore alumni) script; however, it spins the type of tale that'd flow easily in chapters. The slick-looking and smartly cast psychological thriller adopts that kind of structure anyway, unfurling its story in five parts — each named for a character. To begin with, the kindly, soft-spoken Tom (Justice Smith, Jurassic World Dominion) meets the well-read Sandra (Briana Middleton, The Tender Bar) at the used bookstore he owns. He asks her out, she declines, then returns to take up his offer. Then, before his section of the flick is out, he's been swindled out of $350,000. To help fill in the gaps, Sharper jumps into Sandra's backstory, which involves con artist Max (Sebastian Stan, Fresh). His history comes next, and so on. Socialite Madeline (Julianne Moore, Dear Evan Hansen), paramour to billionaire Richard Hobbes (John Lithgow, The Old Man), also pops up, also scoring her own dedicated segment. The connections between characters, and the deceptions many are spinning as well — most on purpose, some on themselves without realising it — are obviously best discovered while watching this twisty Manhattan-set movie. Sharper achieves its number-one task, however, and one that's essential for any film that's actively playing up its mysteries: keeping viewers wanting to puzzle through its glossily shot pieces. It helps that eating the rich is firmly on the menu, biting in as heartily to the well-to-do and entitled as The White Lotus and Succession have earned such acclaim doing. Also crucial: the top-notch roster of on-screen talent, especially whenever Stan, Moore or both feature. He's a picture of smooth-talking charm, but sly, sneaky and making everyone in his orbit succumb against their better judgement, while she's exceptional, as always, as a woman doing whatever she must — and selling whatever she needs to — to keep moving forward. Sharper streams via Apple TV+. BAD BEHAVIOUR When high school is hellish on television, sometimes that happens literally; Buffy the Vampire Slayer's teens did their studies above a hellmouth and Stranger Things' crew is constantly trying to avoid the Upside Down. In Bad Behaviour, hell is the girls of Silver Creek, the wilderness campus of an exclusive all-female boarding school where young women decamp to spend a year learning resilience away from the wider (and supposedly wilder) world. It's where Joanna Mackenzie (Jana McKinnon, We Children From Bahnhof Zoo) attended on a scholarship, sharing a cabin with Alice Kang (Yerin Ha, Sissy) before they cross paths again ten years later — Jo striving to become a writer, but paying the bills in hospitality; Alice a musical prodigy-turned-global classical star. While Jo doesn't have fond memories of her year away, she's shocked at Alice's frosty reception. Indeed, she'd always thought that the domineering Portia (Markella Kavenagh, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power) was the bully of their dormitory, making her own experience a nightmare. But this blast from the past gets Jo rethinking her own behaviour. Adapted from Rebecca Starford's book of the same name by Pip Karmel (Total Control) and Magda Wozniak (Neighbours), with Corrie Chen (New Gold Mountain) directing, Bad Behaviour is spot-on about the Mean Girls-meets-The Lord of the Flies realm it navigates. Starford's tome is a memoir, after all. For anyone who has ever been or known a teenage girl — so, everyone — this four-part series feels deeply lived-in, even if you've never attended a private school, let alone such an education institution's remote campus. With McKinnon, Ha and Kavenagh all delivering potent performances, and the latter making a memorable antagonist, the mood is equal parts tense and reflective. As Bad Behaviour flits between Jo's time at Silver Creek, including the thrall that Portia held over her, and her adult awakening to who she really was while she was there, it's unafraid to face stark truths about our teenage demons as well. Bad Behaviour streams via Stan. SOMEBODY I USED TO KNOW Gotye and Kimbra's similarly titled Hottest 100-winner doesn't get a play in Somebody I Used to Know. Instead, the Alison Brie (Happiest Season)-starring and co-written rom-com gets its lead making up her own lyrics to Third Eye Blind's 90s hit 'Semi-Charmed Life'. She plays Ally, a documentarian who has been chasing her dream by making and hosting reality TV — a cooking competition with a Survivor twist called Dessert Island — and gets singing at the wedding weekend of her ex Sean (Jay Ellis, Top Gun: Maverick). Her career is the whole reason that he's now marrying the younger Cassidy (Kiersey Clemons, Antebellum), after she traded their home town of Leavenworth, Washington, and his dream of a quiet life for Hollywood. But an impromptu trip back after Dessert Island is cancelled leads to an unexpected run-in, a promise to Sean's mother (Olga Merediz, In the Heights) that she'll be the nuptials' videographer, and old feelings resurfacing. When Ally takes to the stage, she's battling with Cassidy, who fronts a punk band, and overtly trying to win Sean back. Brie and her Somebody I Used to Know co-scribe Dave Franco, also the film's director and her IRL husband — with the pair reteaming as filmmaker and star after 2020's The Rental, too — are well aware that they're toying with familiar parts. (In cinemas rather than on streaming, What's Love Got to Do with It? also follows a filmmaker shooting a loved one's wedding while grappling with work troubles and harbouring a crush). Accordingly, Brie and Franco are also highly cognisant of how the tale they're telling usually goes. This romantic comedy doesn't avoid many of its genre's tropes, lacing them throughout the script knowingly so that it can unpack and build upon them. The whole 'workaholic discovers what she really needs after a career upset' setup is a prompt, getting Brie and Franco thinking about what that really means beyond the cliched idea of getting romance to solve your problems. That said, it mightn't have worked as charmingly as it does without either Brie or Clemons. Somebody I Used to Know streams via Prime Video. GEORGE & TAMMY Stepping into a real-life Tammy's shoes is turning out well for Jessica Chastain, as two of her most recent roles have proven. In 2022, she won an Oscar and a Screen Actors Guild Award for playing televangelist Tammy Faye in The Eyes of Tammy Faye. In 2023, she has backed that up by scoring another Screen Actors Guild Award, this time for playing country icon Tammy Wynette in George & Tammy. Chastain might run out of IRL Tammys from here. If Parks and Recreation ever makes another comeback, perhaps she can add a fictional Tammy there. For now, she's made the most of Faye and Wynnette's stories — especially the latter. This time, the Scenes From a Marriage and The Good Nurse star is on the small screen, in a six-part series that focuses not only on the singer behind 'Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad', 'D.I.V.O.R.C.E.' and ;Stand By Your Man' (and, with The KLF in the 90s, 'Justified and Ancient'), but also on fellow musician George Jones (Michael Shannon, Amsterdam). Always an on-screen powerhouse himself, Shannon hasn't been notching up accolades for his work on George & Tammy, but he deserves to — and any series that pairs these two acting titans was always going to be worth watching. The ups and downs of Jones and Wynnette's intertwined lives and careers are a matter of history, but it's all brought to the screen with fierce and committed performances that cut to the heart of the two famous figures, handsome staging and lensing, impressive supporting turns by Steve Zahn (The White Lotus) and Walton Goggins (The Righteous Gemstones), and genuine appreciation for the central pair's contribution to their chosen music genre. The soundtrack takes care of itself, and easily, and Australian filmmaker John Hillcoat ensures that this biographical affair is never a by-the-numbers effort. Indeed, the series is also worth seeing as the latest work by the Ghosts… of the Civil Dead, The Proposition and The Road director alone. George & Tammy streams via Paramount+. NEW AND RETURNING SHOWS TO CHECK OUT WEEK BY WEEK PARTY DOWN Sometimes, dreams do come true. More often than not, they don't. The bulk of life is what dwells in-between, as we all cope with the inescapable truth that we won't get everything that we've ever fantasised about, and we mightn't even score more than just a few things we want. This is the space that Party Down has always made its own, asking "are we having fun yet?" about life's disappointments while focusing on Los Angeles-based hopefuls played by Adam Scott (Severance), Ken Marino (The Other Two), Ryan Hansen (A Million Little Things), Martin Starr (Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities) and more. They'd all rather be doing something other than being cater waiters at an array of California functions, and most have stars in their eyes. In the cult comedy's first two seasons back in 2009–10, the majority of its characters have their sights set on show business, slinging hors d'oeuvres while trying to make acting, screenwriting or comedy happen. Bringing most of the original gang back together — Lizzy Caplan had scheduling issues making the also-excellent Fleishman Is in Trouble, but Jane Lynch (Only Murders in the Building) and Megan Mullally (Reservation Dogs) return — Party Down keeps its shindig-by-shindig setup in its 13-years-later third season. Across its first 20 instalments as well as its new six, each episode sends the titular crew to a different soirée. This time, setting the scene for what's still one of the all-time comedy greats in its latest go-around, the opening get-together is thrown by one of their own. Kyle Bradway (Hansen) has just scored the lead part in a massive superhero franchise, and he's celebrating. Ex-actor Henry Pollard (Scott) is among the attendees, as are now-heiress Constance Carmell (Lynch) and perennial stage mum Lydia Dunfree (Mullally). Hard sci-fi obsessive Roman DeBeers (Starr) and the eager-to-please Ron Donald (Marino) are present as well, in a catering capacity. By the time episode two hits, more of the above will be donning pastel pink bow ties, the series keeps unpacking what it means to dream but never succeed, and the cast — especially Scott and the ever-committed Marino — are in their element. Party Down streams via Stan. Read our full review of season three. SERVANT When M Night Shyamalan (Knock at the Cabin) earned global attention and two Oscar nominations back in 1999 for The Sixth Sense, it was with a film about a boy who sees dead people. After ten more features that include highs (the trilogy that is Unbreakable, Split and Glass) and lows (Lady in the Water and The Happening), in 2019 he turned his attention to a TV tale of a nanny who revives a dead baby. Or did he? That's how Servant commenced its first instantly eerie, anxious and dread-filled season, a storyline it has followed in its second season in 2021, third in 2022, and now fourth and final batch of episodes currently streaming. But as with all Shyamalan works, this meticulously made series bubbles with the clear feeling that all isn't as it seems. What happens if a caregiver sweeps in exactly when needed and changes a family's life, Mary Poppins-style, but she's a teenager rather than a woman, disquieting instead of comforting, and accompanied by strange events, forceful cults and unsettlingly conspiracies rather than sweet songs, breezy winds and spoonfuls of sugar? That's Servant's basic premise. Set in Shyamalan's beloved Philadelphia, and created by Tony Basgallop (The Consultant), the puzzle-box series spends most of its time in a lavish brownstone inhabited by TV news reporter Dorothy Turner (Lauren Ambrose, The X-Files), her celebrity-chef husband Sean (Toby Kebbell, Bloodshot), their baby Jericho and 18-year-old nanny Leanne Grayson (Nell Tiger Free, Too Old to Die Young) — and where Dorothy's recovering-alcoholic brother Julian (Grint, Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities) is a frequent visitor. That's still the dynamic this season, which keeps slowly and powerfully moving towards its big farewell. Dorothy is more determined than ever to be rid of Leanne, Leanne is more sure of herself and her abilities than she's ever been — in childminding, and all the other spooky occurrences that've been haunting the family — and Sean and Julian are again caught in the middle. However Shyamalan and Basgallop wrap up this discomforting tale, and whether or not they stick the landing, Servant has gifted viewers four seasons of spectacular duelling caregivers and gripping domestic tension, and one of streaming's horror greats. Servant streams via Apple TV+. Read our full review of season four. HELLO TOMORROW! In 2022, scam culture was here to stay, as drawn-from-reality hits such as Inventing Anna and The Dropout repeatedly promised. In 2023, playing fast and loose with the truth sits at the heart of Hello Tomorrow!, too, which tells a fictional tale about the deceptions people spin to chase their dreams. The show's beaming face: travelling salesman Jack Billings (Billy Crudup, The Morning Show), the regional manager for BrightSide Lunar Residences, and a passionate pusher of timeshares on the moon. He's this intriguing dramedy's version of Don Draper, but with Mad Men's 60s surroundings swapped for The Jetsons-style robot help and hovering vehicles. There's a The Twilight Zone-meets-Leave It to Beaver feel to Hello Tomorrow!, too, as its characters seek the same thing we all do: a better life. Creators Amit Bhalla and Lucas Jansen (both Bloodline alumni), also co-writers and showrunners with You're the Worst's Stephen Falk, zoom in further, focusing on the reasons anyone holds onto to hope their lot will improve. Befitting any blend of all of the above series, the look of Hello Tomorrow! is retro-futuristic, steeped in 50s-era visions of what might come. The time and place is an alternative version of that decade, in a suburban enclave called Vistaville, where one of Jack's biggest fibs has its origins. He's summoned back with his crew of hawkers — the gambling-addicted Eddie (Hank Azaria, The Simpsons), promotion-coveting Herb (Dewshane Williams, In the Dark) and resident righthand-woman Shirley (Haneefah Wood, Truth Be Told) — by his mother Barbara (Jacki Weaver, Penguin Bloom) after his wife Marie (Annie McNamara, Severance) is injured by a self-driving delivery van. His son Joey (Nicholas Podany, Archive 81) is struggling to cope, a task made all the more difficult by Jack's absence from his family's lives for decades. He's skilled at sharing stories about his domestic bliss on the moon to customers, but being a happy head of a lunar household is merely one of his go-to falsehoods. Hello Tomorrow! streams via Apple TV+. Read our full review. A RECENT CLASSIC MOVIE YOU NEED TO CATCH UP WITH TONI ERDMANN Standing in a bar, being interrupted by a stranger, making awkward small talk: we've all been there. Hearing from your parents more frequently than you have time for, despite your best intentions: many of us have experienced that as well. In Toni Erdmann, both scenarios combine in the way that many people might have nightmares about. What if the person accosting you while you try to enjoy a drink turns out to be your dad, just sporting a bad wig, false teeth and calling himself Toni Erdmann? At its simplest, that's the idea behind German writer/director Maren Ade's phenomenal comedy. Here, Ines (Sandra Hüller, I'm Your Man), a German consultant living in Bucharest, is irritated when her practical joke-loving, divorced and lonely father Winfried (Peter Simonischek, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore) arrives for an unexpected visit. But that soon gives way to unbridled horror when his alter ego Toni starts following her around. Once is odd, twice is annoying, and three times... well, that's something else. Then again, one of the basic elements of life is repetition, which Toni Erdmann demonstrates disarmingly well across its 162 minutes. First, you'll cringe. Then you'll laugh. Before long, you may find yourself crying. Those are the stages that audiences cycle through while watching Ade's film, and it's no accident. The mastery evident in ensuring that every detail of the movie imitates life can't be underestimated. The naturalistic camerawork and astute commentary on the importance of humour is not unlike Toni's ridiculous headpiece: it's just what's visible on the surface. Though its first half might make you yearn for a bit less time in the titular character's awkward company, that's by design; in contrast, the second half will make you hope that the movie doesn't end, all while marvelling not only at Ade's astute direction, but at Hüller and Simonischek's pitch-perfect performances. Toni Erdmann streams via SBS On Demand. Read our full review. Need a few more streaming recommendations? Check out our picks from January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December 2022, and January 2023. You can also check out our list of standout must-stream 2022 shows as well — and our best 15 new shows of last year, top 15 returning shows over the same period, 15 shows you might've missed and best 15 straight-to-streaming movies of 2022.
When the 2020 Emmy Awards handed out its gongs, a big upset hit the Lead Actress in a Drama category. Zendaya got the nod, and became its youngest-ever winner in the process. Of course, anyone who has watched Euphoria wasn't shocked at all. Playing Rue Bennett, a high schooler who has long tried to self-medicate her way out of her struggles, she's fantastic. She's also a major reason that the show's eight-episode first season quickly proved such a hit — and that the series will not only return for a second season, but is also dropping two specials in the interim. A sex-, drug-, lust- and love-fuelled teen drama mightn't sound like HBO's usual wheelhouse; however, fans of the US network already know one key truth: that it rarely puts a foot wrong. Not only is Euphoria vivid, energetic and dazzling to look at, but it's unflinchingly honest, raw and authentic as it follows Rue and her friends as they navigate their turbulence of being teenagers.
UPDATE, January 12, 2022: Eternals is available to stream via Disney+, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. It's the only Marvel movie by an Oscar-winning director. Focusing on a superhero squad isn't new, even if everyone here is a Marvel Cinematic Universe newcomer, but it's the lone instalment in the franchise that's about a team led by women of colour. It's home to the MCU's only caped crusader who is deaf, and its first openly gay superhero — and it doesn't just mention his sexuality, but also shows his relationship. It happens to be the first Marvel flick with a sex scene, too. Eternals is also the only film in the hefty saga with a title describing how long the series will probably continue. And, it's the sole MCU entry that features two ex-Game of Thrones stars — Kit Harington and Richard Madden, two of the show's Winterfell-dwelling brothers — and tasks them both with loving a woman called Sersi. (The name isn't spelled the same way, but it'll still recalls Westeros.) When you're 26 movies into a franchise, as the MCU now is, each new film is a case of spotting differences. All the above traits aid Eternals in standing out, especially the empathetic, naturalistic touch that Chloé Zhao brings to her first blockbuster (and first film since Nomadland and its historic Academy Award wins). There's a sense of beauty and weight rippling through almost every frame, as well as an appreciation for life's struggles. Its namesakes are immortal aliens sent to earth 7000 years ago to battle intergalactic beasts, and yet Eternals shows more affinity for everyday folks who don't don spandex or have superpowers than any Marvel flick yet. It's also largely gorgeous, due to its use of location shoots rather than constantly stacking CGI on CGI. But everything that sets the film apart from the rest of Marvel's saga remains perched atop a familiar formula. Perhaps that's fitting; thematically, Eternals spends much of its lengthy 157 minutes contemplating set roles and expectations, and whether anyone can ever truly break free of either. Spying an overt statement in these parallels — between the movie's general adherence to the MCU template and the ideas bubbling within it — might be a little generous, though. Of late, Marvel likes giving its new instalments their own packaging, while keeping many of the same gears whirring inside. That's part of the comic book company-turned-filmmaking behemoth's current pattern, in fact. Still, even after Thor: Ragnarok, Black Panther and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Eternals finds its own niche. It both intrigues and entertains, and it's ambitious — and it's often more than the sum of all those MCU firsts and onlys it's claimed. As a necessary slab of opening on-screen text explains, Eternals' sprawling central group were dispatched by a Celestial — a space god, really — called Arishem. With the monstrous Deviants, another animalistic alien race, wreaking havoc across the planet, the Eternals were tasked with fighting the good fight. That was their sole mission; they were forbidden to interfere otherwise, which is why they were absent whenever the world was threatened in the last 25 movies. But now, in the present day, a new Deviant attacks Sersi (Gemma Chan, Raya and the Last Dragon), her human boyfriend Dane Whitman (Harington) and fellow Eternal Sprite (Lia McHugh, The Lodge) in London. That gets the gang back together swiftly, unsurprisingly. In a script by Zhao with Patrick Burleigh (Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway) and feature first-timers Ryan and Kaz Firpo, each Eternal gets more than a few moments to shine — and more than a few defining traits. But Sersi, her love of humanity and her ability to change inanimate materials attracts most of the focus. She's soon grappling with the squad's purpose, after reuniting with the flying, laser-eyed Ikaris (Madden) to reteam their pals. That includes the maternal Ajak (Salma Hayek, The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard), wisecracking Bollywood star Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani, The Lovebirds), the super-strong Gilgamesh (Don Lee, Ashfall), warrior Thena (Angelia Jolie, Those Who Wish Me Dead), the super-speedy Makkari (Lauren Ridloff, Sound of Metal), tech wiz Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry, Godzilla vs Kong) and the mind-manipulating Druig (Barry Keoghan, The Green Knight). If these character names sound familiar, that's because Eternals plays with the past as it broadens the MCU's on-screen history. This is franchise's ultimate origin story, even with the lack of recognisable Marvel figures. And, toying with myths and legends told for millennia, it sports a firmly classic air. Those picturesque visuals that Zhao and cinematographer Ben Davis (a Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Doctor Strange and Captain Marvel veteran) splash across the screen help immensely. Absent the usual plasticky gloss that's now as standard as jokey banter in Marvel fare — and dialling down the latter as well — Eternals anchors its looming end-of-the-world setup with sunset-lit landscapes that feel more grounded than everything that's come before. Zhao has named fellow filmmaker Terrence Malick (A Hidden Life, Song to Song, The Tree of Life) as one of her influences before, and even in this $200-million flick, it shows. That said, plenty of words that can be used to describe Eternals cut two ways. It's still a movie about ageless cosmic beings-turned-superheroes with heightened abilities, so its naturalism and grounding only go so far. The film's huge budget still spans the usual special effects and reliance upon pixels, too, and that can be as visually dull as ever when it takes over. But when it's a philosophically minded picture about tussling with responsibility and insignificance on an existential scale (and, notably, not just about having powers while trying to be a normal person, a Marvel go-to), Eternals is earthy and resonant. Being exceptionally cast assists as well, as it did in fellow recent Marvel movies Black Widow and Shang-Chi. When Eternals highlights Chan's sincerity, Hayek's calm command, Keoghan's moody vulnerability, Lee's hulking sensitivity, and Henry's passion and resilience — and lets Nanjiani mix swagger and care, and Jolie play fierce but fraying — it's equally graceful and compelling. Top image: Sophie Mutevelian ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.
One of Australia's foremost auteurs. One of the country's best actors. The outback noir genre. The stunning Aussie landscape. The nation's traumatic history of racial inequality. The remnants of the colonial past that still echo today. Break Limbo down to those basic components and, on paper, it might seem as if Ivan Sen is in limbo himself. The filmmaker has been here before with Mystery Road and then Goldstone. In fact, with those two movies about Indigenous detective Jay Swan (Aaron Pedersen, Jack Irish), he started Australia's best film and TV franchise, which has gone on to spawn three ABC series after its two big-screen outings so far. Whatever writer, director, co-producer, cinematographer, editor and composer Sen keeps adding to his resume — including detouring into sci-fi with 2022's Loveland — he'll always be the reason that Mystery Road and its followups exist. With Limbo, he isn't repeating himself. Rather, he's a filmmaker haunted by the nation's reality and driven to keep exploring it. Enter this black-and-white Coober Pedy-shot tale about another police officer riding into a small Aussie town to look into a case that few people have been all that fussed about until now because the victim isn't white. Enter a purposeful examination of the way that the trauma a country has spent two centuries perpetuating and overlooking can only linger. Enter one of the most powerful movies of Sen's career, and a spectacular collaboration with another acclaimed Aussie: Simon Baker. It mightn't seem like a stretch to see Baker play someone affiliated with law and order. He isn't in American TV procedurals The Guardian and The Mentalist anymore, though. Since back in his E Street days, he's frequently forged on-screen ties with the thin blue line — and in recent Australian film High Ground as well. But Baker continues to grow and astound as an actor. In Limbo, he's an astonishingly guarded yet vulnerable presence as heroin-addicted detective Travis Hurley, who is on a cold-case mission while traversing his own purgatory. His task: investigating the 20-year-old disappearance of Indigenous girl Charlotte Hayes, which garners an unsurprisingly wary response from her brother Charlie (Rob Collins, The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson) and sister Emma (Natasha Wanganeen, The Survival of Kindness). Sen and Baker first met in 2004 back, far earlier in their careers. The former had a project that didn't eventuate, but now they've finally made a collaboration happen. "You know, you don't count your eggs until they're hatched when it comes to actors," Sen tells Concrete Playground about wanting to get Baker onboard for Limbo. "But he responded very quickly and very strongly, and so then the whole script just changed, and focused on our interactions and our conversations — which usually happens with with my work. Once the actor comes on, we start. Okay, let's find the real story here and pursue that." Baker was similarly enthused. "I like Ivan Sen's films. I really like his films. He's a good filmmaker. He's got a clear vision and he knows how to get that onto the screen," he advises in the same discussion. "And he's very singleminded and he does a lot of the stuff [behind the lens]. So, from a filmmaking standpoint alone, I wanted to go through that experience." Screening in Australian cinemas since May 18, the end result is already one of the standout Aussie movies of 2023. Back in February, Limbo premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival, contending for the Golden Bear — and, with fellow homegrown title The Survival of Kindness, broke a 17-year drought for Australian films in the prestigious official competition. This is clearly more than just a new Mystery Road, as Sen and Baker expanded upon in their chat with Concrete Playground. We talked to the pair about the enduring appeal of outback noir and law enforcement stories, the feature's real-life ties, shooting amid Coober Pedy's underground dugouts, and whether there's a future for both Jay Swan and Travis Hurley — including together. ON THE CONTINUING FASCINATION WITH OUTBACK NOIR AND LAW ENFORCEMENT Ivan: "I guess it's a combination of constantly having the justice system within our faces, within our family and within our communities. The justice system is always there. And it's always been like that — and things haven't been getting better either over the last few years. In combination with that, I've always had an attraction to police work. I'm a fan of all those 24–48-hours shows, American police documentaries and even COPS, believe it or not — you know, the Fox COPS. Because they show reality. They're a chance to see. The cops are always cleaning up society's 'garbage' and that 'garbage' has always involved my family — and it's something that's always been of interest to me." Simon: The truth is that's just sort of what unfolded for me. For a large part of my career early on, I was a young parent and I came from a pretty blue-collar existence, so I always saw my role as less as an artist and more as someone that had to provide for a family. So I focused more on that, and it happened to come about through television [on shows like The Guardian and The Mentalist]. Which, in American television, there was a period of time there where there was nothing on American television that wasn't a procedural crime show. If it wasn't a procedural crime show, you were in in scrubs reciting medical jargon, which I was always going to be shit at — too many syllables." ON THE IMPORTANCE OF LIMBO'S STORY Ivan: "Like everything, everything just comes from the power of place. Coober Pedy has been within my sights for many years, specifically the underground living culture of the place, which I don't think has been really explored very much in narrative before. So I was keen to make a story that involved the underground and aboveground elements of this incredible landscape. I just went out there and the story just came to me, really. It's a manifestation of a lot of the crimes that have affected Indigenous families and the lacklustre response from authorities. While I was out there writing the film there, I found out there was actually a very similar thing that happened in Coober Pedy with a young girl there — very very similar. But if you start digging below the surface, there's not many country towns in Australia that don't have some kind of case like this at some point." ON THE PROCESS OF MAKING AN IVAN SEN-DIRECTED AUSSIE CRIME-THRILLER Simon: "When we first met, we were both pretty young and pretty green in our careers. It was nice to come back together now that we both had a bit of mileage under our belts. And we both kind of — well, certainly I can speak for myself, I know who I am a lot more these days than I probably did back then. It was good. We played around with the script. The story pretty much stayed the same, but there was a bit of stuff here and there that we played around with, and dug in a bit deeper with — and that was a very easy and fluid experience working that way. It was a lean and very focused production. We didn't shoot over a great period of time, and it was really efficient. I like that experience. I like the feeling of serving — like you're making something. You're not standing still for too long that you kind of get bored with the process; you're in among it and you're making something. I think that, coupled with the story — I thought the way into the story was really interesting. It's about so much and at the same time it's really efficient in the way it is about so much. I had a great time. It's weird because I never thought I was not going to have a great time. There's a lot of times when you when you sign onto a movie or you get involved in a movie and you sometimes you go 'oh shit, what have I got myself into here?'. And I never felt that ever. When making a film goes well from the script onwards, it gets better and better, and more focused. But to do that you've really got to know what the movie is about properly. And often what the movie is about can be derailed because people get attracted to shiny things — and, next thing it can become this indulgent exploration. You've got a crew there, and 'maybe we'll shoot this?', and it might have nothing to do with actually what the movie is about. Then you end up with a bunch of spare parts that people try to put back together as a movie. But Ivan, from the very first script, it's about about refining and improving on that. And I feel like that's the way — that's a great way to make a film. So you're never really losing what that the genesis is, it's only getting stronger and stronger. And then you know that, as an actor, what you're putting into it, what you're doing, is contributing in a very positive way." ON COOBER PEDY'S INFLUENCE OVER THE STORY Ivan: "For a story that's about people that are damaged and kind of stuck in their ruts, stuck within their environments, Coober Pedy lends itself to this idea of a limbo — living in a memory or living in a place where you can't move forward or backwards or up or down. And the landscape of Coober Pedy is so desolate that it just allows you to focus, and especially with the black and white, it really lets you focus on the characters and this predicament that they're all faced with of not moving forward or moving back. Coober Pedy has this whole underground living culture that I find fascinating, and I also felt appropriate for the state of mind of all these characters who were stuck in these positions where where they couldn't move forward or backwards — and also, to a point that they were not aware that they were within this position as well. There's just something about that underground aspect there which also does connect with the religious connotation of limbo and what that is within the Bible of of being not in hell and not in heaven — halfway in-between waiting for your time, waiting for a decision to be made about your fate. I felt that was really appropriate as well." ON HOW LIMBO'S HEROIN-ADDICTED COP EVOLVED ON THE PAGE AND SCREEN Simon: "I think the idea of him being in his own sort of purgatory or his own sort of limbo, and he's stuck as a human being, and having his own struggles and sense of trauma, I thought was an interesting point into this story of this other family and their trauma, and how fractured and broken that family was because of that trauma. I felt like that was the key into it, where in a sense it helped him to identify and figure out — well, not figure out; I don't really believe that he's gonna figure it out — but it gives it gives him a level of empathy and relatability, in a way, coupled with the kindness of the family bringing him in. Originally, what was it, Ivan? Originally, in the very first script that I read, he was a diabetic?" Ivan: "Yep." Simon: "And I think we talked about the idea of him actually being someone that is medicating because he can't face his own demons. Then we took that further into this idea of a person that's running from themselves through addiction. Then we explored it from there. There was something about that addiction that creates a vulnerability, and in that vulnerability there is that opportunity. No matter how hard he shields himself from feeling or connection, the vulnerability of addiction makes him susceptible to being able to connect — or for someone to connect with him, like the family or particularly the kids in that family breaking through that shell. It's almost like the harder he works to protect himself, the more vulnerable he gets." ON GIVING LIMBO A SEQUEL — OR EVEN BRINGING IT INTO THE MYSTERY ROAD FRANCHISE Ivan: "Wouldn't that be interesting — the duo, the two cops. Hopefully Simon and I will go on to do more stuff together. I'm a believer in if you feel like you've done something, you've done it, and there's no need to kind go back again unless there's a really good reason for that. Simon and I, I think we get along pretty well. We're a pretty good, creative, efficient, energetic team for old guys. We give those young guys a run, I reckon, for their level of passion. Ours is probably more mature, like a nice fine wine or something. But who knows? Never say never. I think there may be another Jay Swan film at some point. I have another idea for for Jay. Probably more in line with this one with the subtlety of it. Maybe a romance?" Limbo opened in Australian cinemas on May 18. Read our review.
It's a shot favourite with lemon and salt. There's a surf instrumental track that shares its name. Just thinking about it likely gets the early-90s hip hop cover of that tune stuck in your head. Although it's a famous spirit, tequila isn't always the best-appreciated tipple. Head to Carmen, James Street's newest bar and Mexican eatery, however, and the latter might change. Running through Fortitude Valley and New Farm, this stretch of road has long had Brisbanites flocking to the city's inner north for a sip and a bite to eat, adding dining and drinking options aplenty over the two decades since it rebadged its industrial stretch into an urban precinct. The new reason to head along is this 80-seater tequileria from Potentia Solutions Leisure, joining a hospitality stable that also features rooftop joints Lina and Soko. While Carmen is an eatery, bar and lounge in one, tequila- and agave-heavy drinks take pride of place on the menu. Standout sips include the El Tigre, which is made on Patron Reposado, plus grapefruit bitters, agave and dehydrated grapefruit; Sueno de Sandia, a citrusy number featuring Patron Silver, watermelon juice, lime, agave and basil syrup; and the Aventura, a mix of The Lost Explorer Espadin, Grand Marnier, St Germain elderflower, lime, lemon and raspberries. In addition to cocktails, plus a hefty list of tequila and agave in general — including a focus on small-batch mezcals — Carmen boasts Coronas, naturally, plus a premium wine list ready for the swilling. Australian vinos get ample attention, as do New Zealand, French and Italian drops. Food-wise, patrons can tuck into poached lobster tacos, Mexican popcorn chicken, charred corn rillettes, kingfish ceviche with fermented pineapple and wagyu steak crudo tostaditos, as well as dulce de leche cheesecake and Patron tequila sorbet. Other dishes also glean their influences from elsewhere around the world, as seen with Sydney rock oysters and beef short rib rendang. Seafood is a big feature, as tends to be the trend no matter what style of cuisine is on offer in Brisbane. Also, sustainability is a hefty focus across both the food and drinks spread. Carmen is working towards a zero-waste cocktail list, setting itself a goal to achieve waste-free tipples — but launching with a menu that's as close as possible in the interim. Images: Fortem Media.
