Swallow The Universe! January’s Best Streaming, News and Reviews
2024 is off to a flying start, with great new series landing faster than we can hit Play!
good.film
a year ago
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Watch or Pass? Drop Us Your Thoughts!
Call us obsessed, but we never tire of checking out what good.film users like you have to say. Here’s the cream of the crop from the last few weeks - and if they sound like your speed, just click a title to add it to your watchlist.
“Good Grief is a layered, slow, simmering fire. It explores the messiness and grey areas of grief and being a human - it felt like a melancholy Sunday stroll, continually smooth, albeit at times, heartbreaking.”
@sandshoes
“What I took away from the movie most of all, is that we all have secrets, and each of us is battling a demon or two. We tend to tuck those away for the sake of appearances, and to give off the impression to others we would like them to have of us - but we’re all dealing with something at the end of the day.”
@ozgoeshollywood
“It's a story about coping, about how normalcy and boredom exist alongside terror and grief, and there's moments in the show that feel so relatable and well-observed I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Mostly though, I laughed.”
@sally
Our Streaming Pick of the Month
Late to the party? We just wanted to remind you that Boy Swallows Universe exists, if you’re one of the 17 Aussies who didn’t stream this fantastic local series when it hit Netflix a few weeks ago! Jam-packed with Australiana, its post-Chrissy timing was perfect.
That’s not to say it’s a breezy watch, but critics have hailed Boy’s balance of light and dark. Adapted from the beloved Trent Dalton novel, the Brisbane-set 1980s story covers stuff like drug use, domestic abuse, and jailed loved ones - and yet it maintains a magical, dreamy perspective thanks to its looking at the world through the eyes of its cheeky and charming hero, 13 year old Eli.
Something else? Try…
If you like your drama a bit more challenging (and a lot more internationally exotic), you might want to line up Expats in your queue. A series to slowly savour rather than binge, Nicole Kidman headlines this “icy, riveting” limited series that’s masterminded by Lulu Wang, the Chinese-born American filmmaker who picked up an Independent Spirit Award - and about a thousand other nominations - for her autobiographical feature, The Farewell.
Unfolding in six parts, Expats brings together three American women in Hong Kong, whose intense friendship and vibrant lives are shaken by the disappearance of Kidman’s character’s youngest son. That’s just the starting point for a storyline of clandestine affairs, trauma, identity, deceit and affluence. Oh, and did we mention it’s all set against the backdrop of Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement protests?
Whale Nation - Exclusive Screenings with Whale Experts
Whale Nation is a stunning French-origin documentary, and good.film is proudly partnering with Kismet Movies to bring you some special new English-language screenings next Sunday, February 18. If you live in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne or Hobart, you’re in luck - as the screenings will also include conversations with whale experts.
What makes the film so special? Aside from the breathtaking cinematography and immersive soundscape, Whale Nation adopts a unique point of view - that of the whales themselves.
Check out the trailer to see what we mean - sure they’re shy at first, but trust us, they’re very whalecoming!
Will and Harper Break Sundance… with a Future Netflix Hit?
From Anchorman to Barbie, we all know Will Ferrell’s capacity for a surprising LOL out of nowhere. But his latest project might come as the biggest and most timely surprise yet.
Teaming up with his longtime buddy of over 30 years, writer Harper Steele, ‘Will and Harper’ take a road trip with a difference. The springboard? At the age of 61, Harper has just come out as a transgender woman, and the pair decide to take a cross-country drive to “get to know each other” all over again, and answer all the curly, painful (and yes, funny) questions that arise. Lucky for us, they invited a camera crew along to track their every move.
‘Will and Harper’ just debuted to a rapturous reception at Sundance, where it scored multiple standing O’s and sold to Netflix for an undisclosed 8-figure sum. A streaming date is yet to be confirmed, but for now, you can read more about the film and add it to your watchlist here.
And the Oscar Goes To… One of These!?
Did you catch the Oscar nominations? Yep, the Academy has spoken, and ten superb movies have been anointed as the year’s best. We loved the choices - not just because they’re great films, but because seven of these Best Picture nominees were also chosen by the team here as good.film impact films. How’s that for an awards-calibre taste in movies!
If you’d like to keep across the best in film culture and discussion, good.film Guides go deeper than your regular old reviews. We explore the underlying themes, and try to answer the questions that you might’ve been pondering as you left the cinema. Like, did Barbie really puncture the patriarchy, or was it just a product? What’s the key to deciphering Oppenheimer’s shifting timelines? Did Nora choose the “right” destiny in Past Lives? And is the overt sexual freedom in Poor Things purely pervy, or supremely empowering?
We get into all of that, plus the unique artistry of Maestro, the cultural acknowledgment in Killers of the Flower Moon and the warm heart of The Holdovers. Check them out using the links if you missed any - especially if you’re looking to brush up your knowledge (and maybe win your office Oscar pool!) before the Academy Awards on March 11.
