Samurais and Socialites!
If the batteries fell out of your remote last month and you’re just catching up, we’ve got you. Here’s the best of what March had to offer.
good.film
a year ago
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March’s Best Bite-Sized User Reviews
There’s roughly a billion or so new streaming shows a week nowadays, so who doesn’t love an on-point recommendation?! (rec? recco? reckie? Hmm, how about “streaming tip”? ... nope, that sounds borderline illegal.)
Here’s a few ‘check this out’ reviews from good.film users for shows you might’ve missed. If they sound like your speed, just click an image, then click ‘Watch later’ to add it to your Watchlist. Done!
“I was amazed at how good this series is - I ended up binge-watching most of it. It's a sci-fi with a distinct humour and astute observations of around gender norms in society.”
@jamesh
“No one is safe from this leader's power-thirsty craziness, and her people love her… whether they like it or not. I can't wait to see what happens next.”
@alisonmclennan
“Deeper and darker than I expected… Beef is reminiscent of Parasite. Both explore social inequalities and expose the depressingly huge gap between the haves and have-nots.”
@justasksiri
Our Streaming Pick of the Month is…
Want - no, NEED - your streaming series to be epic and sumptuous? Preferably stacked with meaty characters, ancient cultures and political intrigue? Oh, and the swinging steel of katana blades is a bonus?! Look no further than Shogun for your next Game of Thrones-y fix.
Set in the dying years of feudal Japan in the year 1600, the series revolves around the brutal enemies, alliances and rivalries of Lord Toranaga. Fighting for his life, poor old Lord T probably has enough going on before things really kick off, when a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a nearby fishing village. Cue the Dutch, the Portuguese and the Jesuit order all clashing with the ruling Japanese in even spicier ways than your favourite wasabi.
Spies? You bet. Tests of loyalty? Hai, sensei! Assassination attempts? In their dozens. But it’s no empty bloodfest: Shogun has been carefully adapted from the bestselling 1975 novel, and emphasises the psychology and ambition of a pivotal time in Japanese history, where the stakes of political chess being played were never higher.
Shogun sits at an unheard-of 99% on Rotten Tomatoes right now, pulling in raves that call the series “mesmerising” and “gripping television”. On top of that, its first two episodes were the most-streamed programs on the planet when they dropped. If you haven’t yet, tonight might be the night to jump aboard the Shogun train.
Shogun is streaming now on Disney+
Not for you? How about…
It’s haves. It’s have-nots. It’s Palm Beach. It’s 1969. What’s not to love, darling?!
The producers of Dead to Me are behind this altogether more colourful concoction, led by the fab Kristen Wiig and a pair of Oscar winners in Allison Janney and Laura Dern… and yes, that IS global pop icon Ricky Martin, well spotted!
It’s been described as “wildly entertaining” and a “dishy delight”, but under the frothy sixties vibes, it’s the meaty social mores of cutthroat ambition and high society hysteria that will have you hooked.
Palm Royale is streaming now on Apple TV+
Ava DuVernay’s Origin Makes an Impact
We’re still on a high! In collaboration with Kismet Movies, last week we staged first-look screenings of Ava DuVernay’s deeply felt new film Origin in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra and Perth, and the reactions have been personal and extraordinary.
We had some incredible conversations about what the film unlocked for members of our audience, and how the film is relevant to you, no matter which community you’re a part of. Here’s some of the wonderful feedback we received about Origin after the credits rolled:
- “A truly extraordinary film! I am still reeling from its power and impact! A bit lost for words whilst I process it all!” ~ Maria Dimopoulos
- “It was such an incredible film, I felt it to the core of my being!! It challenged me, it’s making me interrogate some long held beliefs, and it’s made me want to read deeper and wider.” ~ Wanyika Mshila
- “Origin is particularly relevant to Australian audiences in consideration of the ongoing treatment and plight of First Nations Peoples. Confronting and gut-wrenching, but essential viewing.” ~ Natalie Merryman
- “I had the opportunity last night to catch the early screening for Origin and whew, it's one of the best films I've watched. I sobbed twice and reframed my thinking on the term, 'racism'... it feels like a band-aid over a deeper wound.” ~ Ellysa Zainul
You can check out more reviews at our Origin page - and read our Guide to the film if you’d like to learn more about its impactful and highly current themes.
Can’t wait to see Origin for yourself? The film releases around Australia on Thursday, April 4. Click here to check screening times near you and purchase tickets online.
It’s Ripley, Believe it or Not
He was once The Hot Priest. Now, he’s just So Hot Right Now. Andrew Scott is on a tear, and off the back of acclaimed turns in All of Us Strangers and a West End run of Uncle Vanya, Scott’s latest miniseries looks to take full advantage of his chameleon-like abilities (and impressive bone structure).
That’s because Ripley is a series-remake of Patricia Highsmith’s 1955 crime novel The Talented Mr. Ripley. Remember Matt Damon deceitfully trying on Dickie Greenleaf’s Euro-life of wealthy leisure for size? That was a 2 hour movie, but this 8-episode series gives the full story room to breathe. And Ripley-esque stories seem to be hitting big of late (just ask anyone on TikTok how many versions of Barry Keoghan’s nude Saltburn mansion dance they saw).
Set in the early 60s and shot in the lushest of inky black & white tones, Ripley looks stylistically stunning. It also comes stuffed with Pedigree (yes, that’s Pedigree with a capital P): it’s from the creator of The Night Of, and has been adapted and directed by Steven Zaillian, the Oscar-winning writer of Schindler’s List, Moneyball and The Irishman.
That’s grabbed us - now check out the trailer at the link below and see if Ripley grabs you too.
Ripley is streaming on Netflix from April 4.
They Won… but WHY? Your Deeper Questions, Answered
The curtain’s fallen on another awards season, but did the right movies win the trophies? It’s subjective, of course, but at good.film we like to offer a little more analysis than your average movie website.
We covered a stack of new releases that recently found themselves reaching for speeches on the Oscar stage. So if you were puzzled as to why THIS actor or THAT movie was anointed with golden gongs, our Guides might hold the answers for you. Answers to questions like:
- Why is Poor Things the riskiest role of Emma Stone’s career?
- What’s the editing trick that makes Oppenheimer easier to understand?
- Why was Da’Vine Joy Randolph undeniable in The Holdovers?
- How does The Zone of Interest use sound to deepen its impact?
- What’s the secret to Anatomy of a Fall’s compelling flashback?
- Why the satire of American Fiction is perfectly timed in 2024
Grab a coffee and click above to go a bit deeper into the best movies of the year gone by. They might just enhance your appreciation for those cinema triumphs even more!
