Movie reviews of Jacob Richardson

Puss In Boots: The Last Wish is a gorgeously animated, action-packed, cool film with an emotional heart that will have you laughing and bawling in your seat, no matter your age. Review

Babylon is an impressive achievement - but it is so overly long, structurally unfettered, that it loses some of its impact. Review

A shambling mixed race rom-com that swerves on a strong exploration of the actual cultural issues at play, in service of a white savior romance between two leads without a drop of chemistry. Review

A barely watchable film that should have stayed buried. ... Review

Avatar: The Way Of Water does like the original in pushing the boundaries of possibility when it comes to VFX, but more so it delivers an incredible about face in storytelling; creating a compelling family of characters, and a hero and villain arc that is absolutely engaging. Review

An overlong and tired performance that delivers very little in the way of laughs. ... Review

A nearly unwatchable Aussie actioner that limps to a conclusion you could see coming from the drive to the theatre. ... Review

Delectable satire melds the salivating cinematography of Chef’s Table with the thrill of Midsommar and the satirical comedy stylings of Bodies, Bodies, Bodies. ... Review

The Moths Will Eat Them Up is tense, thrilling and gripping, and is worth your time. Review

A middling attempt at capturing a pivotal time in history, that wins when it gives the space for the victims’ stories to be told, but loses when the cliched hero worship of the reporters sings out. Review

Big things come in small packages, and despite the low wattage and single-room setup of this piece, Mass is a tremendously written, fantastically acted and heartbreaking movie that muses on grief, forgiveness and moving on. Review

Absurdist, entertaining and soul-searching, Triangle of Sadness is a worthy follow-up to Ruben Oestlund’s The Square, even if it doesn’t quite reach that film’s towering heights. Review

Messy, overstuffed and without the same cohesive vision as the original, this sequel coasts by on memories of the first film, and touching tributes to Chadwick Boseman. Review

The stunning landscape drone work on display here hides a dark underside to the Palawan forestry industry; but Delikado does a fantastic job of shining a spotlight on the heroes protecting this gorgeous environmental paradise. Review

Malibu Crush does exactly that to the brief flashes of quality cinema mixed in amongst its otherwise chaotic energy. Review

The conclusions drawn from James Gray’s Armageddon Time are perhaps a little trite and obvious, but you can’t deny the filmmaking talent on display, or the incredible turn from Anthony Hopkins. Review

Gripping and visceral, while The Blue Caftan deals with soul-crushing content, it never wallows in it; instead giving us an uplifting, lovely and gritty tale of love in all its forms. Review

Seriously Red isn’t serious at all, and that’s a good thing. There’s plenty of fun and laughs to be had here, but if you’re looking for deeper meaning or a film that sticks its landing, there’s something just not quite right about it. Review

Unabashedly cute, heartwarming and lovely, the most shocking thing about this movie is just how potent and uplifting the story is. Review

Heartwarming, easy fare about following your dreams, irrespective of other’s opinions. Review

A gripping story about an important piece of New Zealand history, couched in a relatively entertaining actioner. Review

This wickedly funny, beautifully shot tale of male friendship soured is a fitting addition to McDonagh’s already stacked oeuvre. Review

Propulsive viewing that excites, enrages and intrigues, TAR is one of the best movies of all time - not least of which because of the towering, no holds barred performance from an absolutely magnetic Cate Blanchett. Review

The Woman King is gorgeous, violent, eye-opening and start-to-finish thrill-a-minute entertaining. Review