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Al Pacino plays Father Theophilus Riesinger in The Ritual.

Al Pacino tests credibility as a priestly exorcist in this horror outing

The Ritual is loosely based on a ‘real’ case in an Iowa nunnery in 1928, but that’s not the only point at which this film stretches belief.

  • Jake Wilson

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A scene from The Great Lillian Hall

This star-studded tale takes us into the heart of acting and obsession

Loosely inspired by a true story, The Great Lillian Hall takes us into the life of an actress who lives her craft.

  • Sandra Hall
A scene from Bring Her Back.

Australia’s horror twins are back with a new modern gothic

Bring Her Back looks set to match the success of its predecessor in Australia and beyond, especially given the involvement of British star Sally Hawkins.

  • Jake Wilson
Rojina Esmaeili and Saba Vahedyousefi.

Eccentric movie too full of in-jokes to be truly universal

Universal Language imagines the action unfolding in a country that seems to be an Iran superimposed on Canada. It does not live up to its promise.

  • Jake Wilson
Nature takes back the land in Wilding.

Farming left them in deep debt – so they let nature take back the land

Wilding is a documentary that tracks what happened when Isabella Tree and her husband, Charlie Burrell, allowed their land to return to its natural state.

  • Sandra Hall
The Surfer

The movie about Aussie surfers being mean to Nicolas Cage is finally here. Is it good?

In The Surfer, Nicholas Cage plays a man mocked by kookaburras, menaced by snakes and abused by the locals.

  • Sandra Hall
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La Cocina is set over the course of one day.

This plot might work in an hour of TV – unfortunately, this is a movie

La Cocina is set in a basement New York kitchen, tracking the events of a single day.

  • Jake Wilson
Clown in a Cornfield

Actually, what this crazed clown movie needs is fewer half-baked ideas

Based on a 350-page novel, Clown in a Cornfield is all set-up and no payoff.

  • Jake Wilson
Dale Frank in a scene from Nobody’s Sweetie.

A tiny budget and a whole lot of interruptions? If anything, they made this documentary better

Dale Frank was once considered one of art’s “bad boys”. A new documentary offers an intimate look behind the scenes.

  • Sandra Hall
James Dean stars in Rebel Without a Cause. 

10 iconic movies that are finally available to stream in Australia

It’s notoriously difficult to find old Hollywood movies on streaming services, but the introduction of Max has unlocked a treasure trove of classics to explore.

  • Craig Mathieson

Original URL: https://www.smh.com.au/topic/film-review-1ms9