| JOIN | SIGN IN | |
| Keep up-to-date on your favourite artists and movies, track gig and release dates, and join in the conversation. |
SEARCH RESULTS FOR
OUR CONTRIBUTORS
ASHLEY TERESA
SWITCH Contributor
Ashley is a Melbourne-based uni student. She may have a degree in neuroscience but you can catch her at a cinema the moment class is over (or even between classes!). A life-long lover of film, she recently started putting finger to keyboard to start reviewing films she loves and sharing her thoughts with the world.
TOP 3 ARTISTS: Tame Impala, Taylor Swift, Radiohead
TOP 3 MOVIES: La La Land, Whiplash, First Man (Damien Chazelle is my one true love)
BEST CONCERT: Tame Impala at Laneway 2017
FIRST MEMORY OF A FILM: Seeing 'Anastasia' with my cousins and hiding under my chair during the frightening Rasputin scenes.
[email protected]
www.twitter.com/AshMatxx
www.instagram.com/AshMatxx
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/obsession-2026-2.jpg)
Equal parts nasty, hilarious and emotionally intelligent, 'Obsession' marks Curry Barker as a major new director to keep an eye on. Much like other horror classics, the film acknowledges that monsters are often born from everyday emotions like heartache and longing, inadvertently twisted into something truly grotesque.
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/exit-8.jpg)
Despite outstaying its welcome, there's an eerie precision to 'Exit 8' that's worth appreciating. Its sound design, use of framing and space, and commitment to the horror of a liminal space are certainly enjoyable, but these alone can't quite sustain its runtime.
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/the-testament-of-ann-lee.jpg)
In embracing the chaos of her life, 'The Testament of Ann Lee' moves with as much fervour as her unconventional methods of worship. It's a film that understands that true faith is rarely as tranquil as we might believe. It's disruptive, chaotic and often overwhelming.
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/sirat.jpg)
'Sirāt' may leave some audiences feeling robbed of connection to the characters, as well as its refusal to soothe in its final moments. However, it's in this very denial of what audiences crave that lies the film's power, ensuring it's something you turn over and chew on long after the credits have rolled.
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/the-golden-spurtle.jpg)
'The Golden Spurtle' ultimately feels less like a documentary and more like a warm conversation with a stranger who unexpectedly makes your day. Leave your cynicism at the door and settle in for sincerity, craft and love. In the noise and bombast of the current cinematic landscape, the gentle nature of 'The Golden Spurtle' feels almost radical.
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/presence-2.jpg)
It's sad that the sum of its parts never really comes together as well as it could or should, especially given Steven Soderbergh's willingness to push filmmaking boundaries. Don't expect it to linger with you for very long.
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/a-complete-unknown.jpg)
Thankfully, the performances save 'A Complete Unknown' from being a waste of time, but don't go in looking for insight into Bob Dylan's life. For a career that's lasted this long, his life is far more interesting than what we see here. Best to go spin his discography instead.
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/we-live-in-time-2.jpg)
'We Live in Time' isn't bad, but it should be a slam dunk – so don't be disappointed if you come away with nothing but a shrug and a dried tear or two. That's the problem with "fine" films; talent like Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield deserve much better than "fine."
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/black-box-diaries.jpg)
It's an insightful look into the non-linear healing process of sexual assault survivors. By directing and producing the documentary of her own story, Shiori Itō's 'Black Box Diaries' is revealing in ways few would allow themselves to be on camera.
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/the-substance.jpg)
The fun of 'The Substance' is seeing how far writer/director Coralie Fargeat can push the audience when they have no idea what's coming. It's all incredibly confronting but essential to the film's point of just how far some will go when suffering intense insecurity and loneliness.
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/daughters.jpg)
Natalie Rae and Angela Patton have a long way to go in terms of their storytelling skills, but 'Daughters' is worth the frustrations and will still move many to tears.
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/inside-2.jpg)
'Inside' isn't reinventing the Aussie thriller, but it does establish Williams as a filmmaker who could see his name someday fall in the same sentence as Justin Kurzel, Thomas M. Wright or David Michôd. It's a film that rightfully demands to be talked about.
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/longlegs-2.jpg)
'Longlegs' is a haunting experience and it freaked me out to a satisfying degree.
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/inside.jpg)
Despite the bitter chill of the Melbournian winter, this year's MIFF line-up is one to don the puffer jacket and head out for. It's an opportunity to dive deeper into the culture of our beautiful city and celebrate the stunning cinemas Melbourne has to offer.
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/bottoms.jpg)
A film that should be primed for classic status, but never truly earns it. Perhaps the perplexing praise the film has received both critically and commercially is a result of a barren desert of any other teen comedies, and 'Bottoms' appears as the much-needed body of water nearby.
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/the-creator.jpg)
While it's far from perfect, 'The Creator' is a welcome new science-fiction story. It's not saying anything new, just repackaging and upgrading the software on this strand of thematic storytelling – and sometimes that's all a film needs to do to be deemed worthy of an audience.
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/perfect-days.jpg)
Don't be surprised if you walk out of the theatre the way Hirayama leaves his apartment; smiling, staring at the sky, and full of peace.
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/blackberry.jpg)
Despite the obsolescence of the phone through both internal and external factors, 'BlackBerry' refuses to let itself fall down a similar path. It's funny in a way few films of this breed are.
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/sanctuary-2023.jpg)
It'll tantalise its audiences – and probe them to consider what they themselves want – long after the credits roll.
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/past-lives-2.jpg)
Despite the bitter chill of the Melbournian winter, this year's MIFF line-up is one to don the puffer jacket and head out for. It's an opportunity to dive deeper into the culture of our beautiful city and celebrate the stunning cinemas Melbourne has to offer.
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/talk-to-me-2.jpg)
The refusal to play into routine jump-scare fare, effective sound design and a killer final 30 seconds make this an audacious horror debut. The Philippou brothers are a welcome new voice in the Australian film industry, and I cannot wait to see where their twisted tendencies take them next.
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/reality-2.jpg)
A compelling bottle film that boasts a must-see Sydney Sweeney performance, and manages to find humanity even in the tensest of circumstances.
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/we-were-once-kids.jpg)
Held together by a treasure trove of archival footage and Harris' natural flair for dynamic storytelling, 'We Were Once Kids' is a conventional yet confronting look at the dark underbelly of an already heavily-contested piece of modern art.
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/infinity-pool.jpg)
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/john-wick-chapter-4.jpg)
It somehow manages to outdo its own instalments in both quality and spectacle, making for an unforgettable cinematic experience. As for every other action film being released this year, they've well and truly got their work cut out if they want to come even close to taking John's crown.
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/shazam-fury-of-the-gods.jpg)
A frustratingly middling entry into the DCEU, made even more disappointing by the fact that the formula was already working so well in the first instalment.
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/the-blaze.jpg)
It seeks to warn us about the dangers of complacency around our ever-changing climate, but in fumbling ways to explore its sentimental edge, it struggles to drive home its messages.
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/ant-man-and-the-wasp-quantumania-2.jpg)
If superhero fatigue hasn't hit you yet, expect 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' to send you straight into the realm of exhaustion.
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/corsage.jpg)
While it's is messy and at times unbalanced, it's worth the price of admission for a magnetic performance from Krieps and a unique take on one of history's most oppressed figures.
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/babylon.jpg)
While 'Babylon' struggles to remain a consistently knockout experience, it's rare that directors are given the budget and resources to do whatever they want and tell original stories, and it's something we should all be supporting and championing.
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/marceltheshellwithshoeson.jpg)
It's a deeply personal project that poignantly applies its musings to the universal experiences of life, resulting in a unique and unforgettable experience.
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/starsatnoon.jpg)
While its sprawling, slow and opaque nature may turn many audiences off, this is a sensual and surprisingly humorous experience for those willing – and able to – get on its wavelength.
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/decisiontoleave.jpg)
Even if it's not quite his best work, this is a true testament to Park Chan-wook's concrete-solid status as one of the best filmmakers of our time.
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/thestranger.jpg)
Incredibly unsettling and truly one of the best offerings from the Australian film industry in years.
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/monalisaandthebloodmoon.jpg)
It's simply a grating experience. Almost every single directorial choice appears poised to rub audiences the wrong way, and not intentionally.
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/moonagedaydream.jpg)
It both successfully encapsulates the world of David Bowie and avoids all the storytelling pitfalls of traditional documentary filmmaking. Its influence on how we view documentaries will no doubt be felt for years to come.
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/navalny.jpg)
Daniel Roher has hit the jackpot with 'Navalny', a documentary so meticulously well-timed to capture an integral moment in political history it feels like a once-in-a-lifetime event.
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/bodiesbodiesbodies.jpg)
It's a film that is hiding a worthy and interesting sadness under its satire that is as trapped as David and his guests.
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/rodeo.jpg)
There's a great film in here somewhere, and Lola Quivoron tries her hardest to race away with her audience's hearts, but 'Rodeo' is at times too half-baked to pull off all of its tricks.
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/funnypages.jpg)
One of the most refreshingly comical (pun unintended) and authentic coming-of-age films of the last few years. Owen Kline proves himself to be a talent completely on his own merits.