HaydenGV

The Proposition is a harsh, gritty and dirty hellish journey into one family's cycle of violence and a country's early years of settlement and class displacement. Shot as equally sweltering as the Australian desert landscape, the film features a stirringly dark and ambient musical score by Nick Cave who also does a fine job with the script. Not for the faint hearted, The Proposition to this day remains John Hillcoat's finest work.

97 _95%

Stalker (1979) - Rated 29 Dec 2016

Stalker is a beautifully somber reflection on the search for happiness, faith, identity and fulfillment through the existentially philosophical lens of Andrei Tarkovsky. Filled with unforgettable imagery and a definite need to rewatch a time or two, Tarkovsky crafts a deeply rich film that speaks spiritually to the soul and moves at a meditative dreamlike pace, but never once feels strained, sluggish or just plain boring.

97 _95%

La La Land (2016) - Rated 11 Dec 2016

A dazzling and magical tribute to Golden Age Hollywood, musicals and most of all; the dreamers. Chocked to the brim with majestic colours, superb choreography and lovable performances, Damien Chazelle's La La Land is a trip down nostalgic memory lane filled with love, passion, artistry and the pursuit of dreams at any cost. Though not quite as blindsiding as Whiplash, Chazelle is two for two with a wondrous ride that is bound to capture hearts in cinemas across the globe.

92 _82%

Apocalypto (2006) - Rated 10 Dec 2016

Apocalypto is currently Mel Gibson's magnum opus; a visually beautiful and brutal examination of fear, family, violence and the fall of once great civilizations. Essentially a large chase scene, it is unforgiving, merciless, yet somehow manages to create a hopeful optimism at its center against the relentless force of overpowering inevitability and destiny. Any film goer owes it to themselves to go on the visceral adventure that is Apocalypto.

83 _52%

Hacksaw Ridge (2016) - Rated 05 Nov 2016

A tale of daring bravery, courage and true heroism in the face of unrelenting hell, Hacksaw Ridge is an effectively told story that occasionally suffers from jumpy pacing, a need for more thorough development and heavy-handed symbolism, but is earnest in its well-told themes. Mel Gibson constructs brutal action sequences that capture the horrors of war alongside great performances from Andrew Garfield and Hugo Weaving.

90 _70%

Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016) - Rated 30 Oct 2016

Hunt for the Wilderpeople plays out like an adventure film only packed to the brim with Kiwi charm. It's heartfelt, genuinely hilarious and made with serious care towards its writing. Sam Neill and Julian Dennison play off each other with wonderful chemistry and comedic timing that only strengthens their characters journey for purpose, companionship and the spirit of rebellious adventure.

90 _70%

Hell or High Water (2016) - Rated 28 Oct 2016

For all its Western tropes and familiarity, Hell or High Water tells a quasi-Western tale of brotherhood, desperation, and the lengths the common man goes to to provide for their family, and it's incredibly enjoyable every step of the way. Told with earnestness, humour, honesty and well-developed characters, the three lead actors shine in this well directed ride that feels especially meaningful to the average working American today.

55 _17%

Suicide Squad (2016) - Rated 02 Aug 2016

Reasonable performances and a colourful cast are unfortunately not enough to make up for the thinly written, poorly paced and bizarrely edited film that Suicide Squad is. Including an underwhelming Joker performance from Jared Leto and obnoxiously used licensed music, David Ayer's DC film features a cast of villains you will likely be emotionally unattached to the entire run-time, and action set-pieces that are serviceable at best.

90 _70%

Midnight Special (2016) - Rated 24 May 2016

A wonderful allegorical tale for dealing with loss, Midnight Special is a well-executed story of genre and expectation subversion, with intensely understated performances and an intriguing mystery to be unraveled.

55 _17%

X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) - Rated 23 May 2016

X-Men: Apocalypse unfortunately falls into the trappings and cliches of comic book films past. Schlocky, filled with multiple story threads that seem to find no flow or meaningful impact, the film runs along at a pace that is both slow, over-long and rushed all at once. Emotional moments come across as rather over-expository and ham-fisted, along with a villain who is likely to make you laugh more than make you scared. This is a mixed bag of mutant action.