From heartwarming animations to science fiction epics, these are the films our team of editors and writers have loved this year.
It’s been a major year for film.
Locally, we’ve seen a handful of impactful releases.
The Mountain, a heartfelt coming-of-age film that sees a group of children climb
Hollywood releases have showcased major generic breadth too.
Gladiator II and Wicked drew audiences for a double bill full of spectacle. Francis Ford Coppola returned with the ambitious and confounding Megalopolis. Pixar’s Inside Out 2, exploring expanding emotions during puberty, topped the charts as the year’s highest-grossing film, while Disney’s Moana 2 showcased the acting prowess of New Zealanders like Temuera Morrison, Rachel House and Rose Matafeo. Comedy and supposed “romance” Anora has received plenty of Oscars buzz after scooping Cannes’ Palme d’Or. Action films played into a charming self-awareness too, with the stunt-filled fun of Fall Guy and the storm-chasing chaos of Twisters.
Horror fans have been especially rewarded – endless scary stories graced our screens this year.
The third instalment of Mia Goth’s X film series MaXXXine showcased a mash-up of Hollywood glam and slasher scenes. The Substance dissected narratives around beauty and ageing with an onslaught of gore. Smile 2 surprised with excellent psychological horror and mesmerising choreography. Cuckoo, starring Hunter Schafer, nailed nightmare imagery in an isolated resort town. M Night Shyamalan returned with Trap for a twist-ridden and fanatical ride, while his daughter made her creepy debut with The Watchers. I Saw The TV Glow dealt with existential horror through fandom and friendship. Nicholas Cage blurred the line between his comedic and dramatic performances in Longlegs, alongside scream queen Maika Monroe.
In this major year for film, these are the ones that caught the Viva team’s attention. The collection is wide-ranging; we’ve been drawn to a moving historical drama, a tender and passionate romance and a sexy tennis serving.
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This coming-of-age drama was a poignant entry into Aotearoa’s film archive this year. Director Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu and writer Maddie Dai approach the historical setting of a 1950s New Zealand institution for delinquent girls with all the gravity that it demands. The film is quiet in its construction of a threatening, restrictive wider world – nationwide policies and prejudices are communicated through single lines of dialogue or the inclusion of classroom plaques. But it’s funny too – you catch the sleepover giggles from the trio of girls who confess and scheme by candlelight. The humour is also able to hone close attention to the unfounded logic of colonisation. The shout of joy that Nellie (played by Erana James) hollers right before the credits roll is one of my favourite moments on screen this year. The whole film, enclosed by claustrophobic repression, builds this triumphant sense of relief and freedom for real effect. – Madeleine Crutchley, multimedia journalist
Dune: Part Two
Epic and expansive (and I’m not just talking about the avant-garde red-carpet fashion) the latest instalment of Denis Villeneuve’s science-fiction franchise eclipsed its excellent predecessor. There are plenty of talking points to mine in this adaptation of Frank Herbert’s famous books – colonial resource extraction, religious fanaticism, mummy issues – and my friends and I still are, continuing to discuss the films and their source material. Creatively, the world-building is sensational; the rendering of mechanical (as opposed to digital) technology, the planets Arrakis and Giedi Prime, and, of course, Jacqueline West’s incredible costumes. – Emma Gleason, lifestyle audience deputy editor
La Chimera
Attenzione poetic graverobbers. Wearing a rumpled linen suit and with a cigarette balanced in the corner of his mouth at all times, a sorcerous Josh O’Connor leads a mishmash troupe of tombaroli (tomb raiders) through the Italian countryside on a magical, mournful and incorporeal quest to loot Etruscan tombs and revisit past glories. Simply divine. – Tyson Beckett, multimedia journalist
All of Us Strangers
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Advertise with NZME.At this point in time, I’d watch Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal in absolutely anything, so obsessed am I with everything they’ve done so far. Mescal’s Normal People, Aftersun and The Lost Daughter; Scott in Sherlock, Ripley and – who could forget – as the Hot Priest in Fleabag. So bringing them together for All of Us Strangers, a beautiful, surreal, mysterious drama/romance/thriller, was a stroke of genius. Writer/director Andrew Haigh’s film, based on the 1987 novel Strangers by Taichi Yamada, is strange yet instantly captivating. The story deals with grief, loss, love, mental health, addiction, and loneliness, with contrasting backdrops of a bleak dystopian near-future and sepia-toned ‘80s past. The big twist left me awake for hours, searching for explainer articles to corroborate or contradict my thoughts. Left wanting more, I was happy to console myself with YouTube videos of Mescal and Scott’s Vanity Fair interviews, and Mescal’s Chicken Shop Dates. Like I said, I’ll watch either of them in absolutely anything. Roll on Gladiator II. – Stephanie Holmes, lifestyle premium editor
Anora
This was one of the best films I’ve seen all year. The plot isn’t revolutionary, nor are the characters rendered in complex detail, but both of those things do it a favour, in my opinion. We never get a complete picture of Ani and that’s the point. Her motivations and backstory are opaque because the film is about the personas we put on to do our jobs, the boundaries we create and the lips we bite to put up with it all. This is a story about work. It’s set mostly in Brighton Beach in Brooklyn, and the film traverses the neighbourhood, its diasporic spaces and hierarchies. The performances are exceptional; Mikey Madison’s is everything it’s been hyped to be and more, Yuriy Borisov’s Igor is subtle and simmering, and Karren Karagulian’s comedic turn as Toros made me laugh out loud more than once. Also excellent is the film’s wardrobe, with costume designer Jocelyn Pierce’s attention to detail and ability to show the nuances of wealth, power and taste building a believable, intoxicating world. – Emma Gleason, lifestyle audience deputy editor
Problemista
The surrealism of Julio Torres’ brain was perfectly distilled into his debut film released in March starring Tilda Swinton as the eccentric art-world outcast Elizabeth whose husband Bobby, known for his large-scale paintings of eggs, is cryogenically frozen so he might benefit from future success. Playing Alejandro, an aspiring toy designer from El Salvador living in Bushwick trying to realise his dream before his visa expires, Torres takes us on a trippy journey that explores a range of relevant themes including the complex nature of mentor and mentee relationships through to the challenges of navigating the US immigration system. What makes the film special is Torres’ typically deadpan delivery and Swinton’s comic timing, supported by an impressive ensemble cast including Greta Lee, Isabella Rossellini, Catalina Saavedra and James Scully. – Dan Ahwa, creative and fashion director
Challengers
Among many others, I was waiting in great anticipation for this film. Challengers marks Zendaya’s first true leading film role, sees another indulgent cinematic world from Luca Guadagnino and, most excitingly, was born from an original screenplay (which landed on The Black List before it was picked up by producer Amy Pascal). And, despite my high hopes, I was still dazzled. The performances from the three stars were captivating, the cinematography was loud and exciting and the costuming by Jonathan Anderson (who is the creative director of Loewe) all demanded keen attention. I also had an incredible viewing experience for this film, huddled in the dark of a mall cinema. The showing was a little while after the release date, so the theatre was about half-full. This seemed to encourage a looseness among the audience who were very attentive and often audibly giggling. The film, yes, is dramatic, sexy and full of tension. But it is also so self-aware and funny. I laughed through the thudding score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross booming in the middle of scenes, the juvenile gazing from Art and Patrick in the bleachers and the colossal sweat drops dripping gushing off of everyone. The sporty romance felt like a real event in the Hollywood releases this year, which is exciting to see for an original screenplay. – Madeleine Crutchley, multimedia journalist
Civil War
I saw this film earlier in the year and it really got under my skin. It’s not a mystery why, given the state of things. Civil War feels disturbingly real, rendering in an urgent way easily social contracts can be broken. No one in this film is a hero, not even the journalists who ride high on the adrenaline of covering a conflict, and grapple with the moral sacrifices that come with the field; it’s an extractive profession at the best of times, and when war is involved the price is high. I don’t think it’s surprising that this came from Alex Garland – author of The Beach, writer of 28 Days Later, and Ex Machina director – as he’s spent his career picking at the decay of Western imperialism. Civil War calls to mind anti-war films like Welcome to Sarajevo (1997) and Harrison’s Flowers (2000). All three centre around journalists and the importance – and flaws – of the fourth estate’s role during a crisis. – Emma Gleason, lifestyle audience deputy editor
Inside Out 2
A thought-provoking follow-up, this time around we are introduced to the precarious entrance into puberty and adolescence as our main character, 13-year-old Riley navigates life with a newly formed “sense of self” with the emotions we were introduced to in the first movie – Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, Disgust, now joined by Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment and Ennui. No matter how old we become, our lives are still shaped by our emotions and how we react in certain situations. An entertaining watch, with so many universal themes. – Dan Ahwa, creative and fashion director
Priscilla
From the opening shot of this biopic, Sofia Coppola establishes a steadfast alignment with the perspective of a 14-year-old Priscilla. The director refuses to waver from the young woman’s perspective throughout the entire film, creating a deeply sympathetic picture of her restricted to a mostly empty Graceland. It was fascinating to compare this film to the Elvis biopic starring Austin Butler (which largely treats Priscilla as an accessory). Baz Luhrmann’s film was full of razzle-dazzle, from the flashing neon lights to the near-garish colouring and obnoxious Vegas sparkle. By comparison, Coppola’s film is quiet and lonely, almost dull in its pinkish palette – amplifying the isolation of Priscilla’s time with (and without) “the King”. This choice makes Priscilla’s final moments, driving out of the confining gates of the Graceland grounds, feel victorious despite their simplicity. – Madeleine Crutchley, multimedia journalist
The Zone of Interest
In February I watched Jonathan Glazer’s eerie Zone of Interest about the life of Nazi commandant Rudolf Hoss and his wife, Hedwig, who live with their family in a home in the idyllic Zone of Interest next to the Auschwitz concentration camp. It won Best Picture at this year’s Oscars and rightly so. The cinematography was both beautiful and disturbing, the lack of dialogue and voyeuristic direction made this an all too real and unsettling watch. The soundtrack was equally if not more mesmerising – booming, ominous and heartbreaking. Sandra Huller as apathetic wife Hedwig was a standout performance. If there was an award for the most unforgivable villain of the year, Huller’s performance would be it. – Dan Ahwa, creative and fashion director
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