Sydney cinemas reopen: 29 movies you can finally watch
Shuttered for 15 weeks, Sydney cinemas are finally reopen and moviegoers can stream through the doors. These are the 29 movies you can finally watch.
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It’s been more than 15 weeks since Sydney cinemas were last open.
While movie lovers have had plenty to watch at home thanks to the gazillion streaming services now operational in Australia, there’s still nothing like the immersive experience of the cinema.
A slew of new titles were released around the country in the three-plus months Sydneysiders were locked in and locked out and now’s their chance to catch up everything they missed.
So, what’s playing?
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings: Marvel’s big superhero epic features its first headline Asian superhero in a story about a young man trying to escape the legacy of his father, the boss of a crime organisation. Stars Simu Liu, Tony Leung and Awkwafina.
Nitram: Australian filmmaker Justin Kurzel’s pro-gun control film looks at the events leading up to the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, a dramatised story centred on a trouble young man and the national trauma he would wreak. The massacre itself is not depicted. Stars Caleb Landry Jones, Essie Davis and Judy Davis.
Candyman: Infused with body horror and incisive social commentary on the betrayal of American black communities by gentrification, Nia DaCosta’s sequel to a classic slasher interrogates the origin of Chicago’s bogeyman. Stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen and Teyonah Parris.
Annette: A wild cinematic rock opera conceived by music duo Spark and directed by Leos Carax, Annette is about the tempestuous relationship between a provocative comedian and a renowned opera singer – and the gifted child they bear. Stars Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard.
Shiva Baby: More tense and claustrophobic than a horror movie, Emma Seligman’s cringe comedy is centred on a young woman who ends up a wake with her sugar daddy, her ex-girlfriend and her parents. Stars Rachel Sennott and Dianna Agron.
Nine Days: A confident drama from a first-time feature director, Nine Days is an otherworldly story about an emotionally distant assessor who picks fresh souls for life on Earth. Stars Winston Duke, Tony Hale and Zazie Beetz.
The Suicide Squad: James Gunn’s delightfully deranged and viscerally violent anti-superhero movie assembles a group of villains for a mission to stop a kaiju-sized alien starfish. Stars Margot Robbie, Idris Elba and John Cena.
Black Widow: Avenger Natasha Romanoff finally gets her solo movie in this emotionally intimate prequel set before Infinity War. On the run from the government, Natasha calls on her “adopted” family from her KGB days. Stars Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh and David Harbour.
Pig: A truffle forager must emerge from his self-imposed isolation when his prized hunting pig is stolen during an attack. Less John Wick and more an existential study of grief, it’s grounded by triumphant performance from Nicolas Cage. Also stars Alex Wolff and Adam Arkin.
Lamb: Part domestic drama, part supernatural thriller and part folklore, Lamb is about a childless couple on an Icelandic isolated farm who discovers a creature in their sheep barn, which challenges everything we know about the law of nature and nurture. Stars Noomi Rapace.
A Fire Inside: Documentary A Fire Inside looks at the death and destruction of Australia’s Black Summer bushfires of 2019 and 2020, focused on the people directly affected and their stories of heroism, mateship and loss in the face of great peril.
Rosa’s Wedding: A Spanish comedy about a 45-year-old seamstress who has always lived her life for other people. When it all becomes too much, she formulates a plan to put herself first, much to the surprise of her family who finds her approach a little odd. Stars Candela Pena.
Free Guy: With shades of The Truman Show, Wreck-it-Ralph and The Matrix, rollicking but shambolic action-comedy Free Guy is about a non-playable character in an open world video game who suddenly gains sentience. Stars Ryan Reynolds and Jodie Comer.
Respect: A boilerplate biopic that charts Aretha Franklin’s turbulent life and prodigious talent from the time she was seven until the recording of her best-selling gospel album Amazing Grace. Stars Jennifer Hudson and Forest Whitaker.
In the Heights: Visually exuberant and brimming with joy, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s stage production is adapted for the screen by Jon M. Chu. It’s an earnest musical set in a Latinx community full of dreamers in New York City. Stars Anthony Ramos, Melissa Barrera and Jimmy Smits.
Joe Bell: Joe Bell is the story of a father and son who set out on a cross-country walk after the son reveals he’s been bullied at school for being gay. It’s based on the true story of Jadin Bell, an American teenager who suicided at 15. Stars Mark Wahlberg and Connie Britton.
Old: M. Night Shyamalan’s Old finds a group of holiday-makers on an isolated beach who finds themselves ageing one year every 30 minutes – what’s causing it, and is there any way to stop it? Stars Gael Garcia Bernal, Vicky Krieps and Eliza Scanlen.
Reminiscence: Lisa Joy’s uneven neo-noir mystery is centred on a man with a gift for resurfacing people’s memories but now he must wade through the depths of his subconsciousness to find his missing lover. Stars Hugh Jackman, Thandiwe Newton and Rebecca Ferguson.
The Killing of Two Lovers: This acclaimed relationship drama examines male rage and pain through a story about a father whose marriage breaks down and the struggles born out of moving on. Stars Clayne Crawford and Sepideh Moafi.
Jungle Cruise: Based on a Disneyland ride, Jungle Cruise is a bombastic but dull action-adventure about a botanist who hires a boat captain to help her locate an Amazonian magical flower before a rival expedition. Stars Emily Blunt, The Rock and Jack Whitehall.
Ride the Eagle: In this comedy about self-discovery, Leif is left a cabin by his mother but to claim it, he has to work through a list of tasks designed to teach him about life. Stars Jake Johnson, Susan Sarandon, J.K. Simmons and D’Arcy Carden.
Space Jam 2: This shameless, hammy corporate cross-promotion for Warner Bros functions as a sequel to the strangely beloved 1995 Michael Jordan/Looney Tunes movie. This new version stars LeBron James, who is sucked into an AI world in which he must play a basketball game against computer generated opponents. Also stars Don Cheadle.
Don’t Breathe 2: Set eight years after the first film, villain Norman lives in quiet isolation with a young girl, 11-year-old Phoenix. His past actions catch up with him in this horror movie that asks if redemption is possible for a murderer and rapist. Stars Stephen Lang.
Time Is Up: In this teen romance, one is a high-schooler with a laser focus on the future and the other is a “troubled” swimmer with tattoos, whose lives become entwined after an accident. Stars Bella Thorne and Benjamin Mascolo.
Paw Patrol: The Movie: A huge voice cast peppers this Paw Patrol movie which scales up for the big screen the adventures of Chase, Liberty and friends. Voices include Iain Armitage, Marsai Martin, Randall Park, Tyler Perry, Dax Shepard and Kim Kardashian.
Flashback: With fractured timelines and a tendency to ask, “what if it was worse”, the movie is about Fred, who starts to experience vivid flashbacks and finds himself confronted with the question of what happened to a classmate named Cindy and a scarred homeless man. Stars Dylan O’Brien.
F9: The ninth instalment of the Fast & Furious franchise (excluding the spin-off) features a lot of magnets, a trip to space and, of course, family, specifically in the form of Dom’s heretofore unmentioned brother who’s gunning for his big bro. Stars Vin Diesel, Sung Kang and John Cena.
Perfumes: A French comedy-drama about an affable chauffeur whose new client is a professional fragrance designer who really smells everything, and who expects him to do much more than drive. Stars Gregory Montel and Emmanuelle Devos.
The Alpinist: Even thrill seekers will have their hearts in their throats watching this documentary about Marc-Andre Leclerc, a mountain climber who takes his extreme sport at the absolute extreme, without any ropes, partners or safety gear.
Originally published as Sydney cinemas reopen: 29 movies you can finally watch
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