Interview – ‘Late Night With The Devil’ directors talk creating a 70s throwback horror flick

Nick L'Barrow
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Interview – ‘Late Night With The Devil’ directors talk creating a 70s throwback horror flick

31 October, 1977. Johnny Carson rival, Jack Delroy, is the host of ‘Night Owls’, a once hugely popular syndicated talk show. A year on from the tragic death of Jack’s wife, ratings have plummeted and sponsors are getting nervous. Desperate to turn his fortunes around, Jack pulls out all the stops for his annual Halloween special, booking a psychic, a professional sceptic, a parapsychologist and a young girl allegedly possessed by the devil… What could possibly go wrong?

After an incredibly successful film festival run in 2023, Late Night With The Devil is finally hitting Australian cinemas on April 11, and Nick L’Barrow had the chance to sit down with the film’s co-writers and directors Colin and Cameron Cairnes to discuss how the film could have looked completely different to what we got, 70s horror inspirations, and the importance of a films ending!

Nick: I want to begin by asking about the process of ultimately making two different films. We have ‘Night Owls’ and everything that happens on the late-night show. Then we have all the chaos that’s happening backstage in black-and-white. And both of them work so well together. I’m curious to know whether you had a different approach when it came to writing and directing each different part of the film?

Colin Cairnes:  I think we tried a bunch of different approaches to that in the script. You know, at one stage we were contemplating being complete purists about it and just cutting to colour pass for three minutes and seeing if that would build suspense!

Then there was a version where maybe the TV cameras just kept rolling but weren’t framing up as they would on the show. And we would just capture the story that we needed to convey, incidentally, like out of focus, from the ground, off screen. Which also seemed cool, but if you got 20 minutes of that, it might start to, perhaps be more contrived.

So, in the end, we have the prologue, which is “part two”. It’s really like a little, mini documentary. We thought we’d employ that device to then tell the story of what’s happening backstage, and to suggest that this is a very, very important night in the life of the show and Jack Delory. Why wouldn’t you have a handful of crew with two cameras backstage documenting this historic event.

Cameron Cairnes: And I don’t know if you picked up on it, but we were suggesting that this film crew were French documentarians. Which I think gives them a bit more access backstage because, you know, they’re speaking French and these American’s don’t care.

Colin Cairnes: It’s like it will never be shown in American. It’ll be one of those artsy, European things. But there’s a couple of snippets of other documentaries sprinkled throughout the film, and we’re kind of suggesting that’s the one crew that has been embedded in this world, you know? They’ve got a long-term project to document about the Abraxis, the satanic church, and all that stuff.

Nick: You’ve given me another reason to go back and watch it tonight! I’m curious to find out more about how you built an authentic feeling with ‘Night Owls’. There are all these small details, like the second time you bleep Lilly saying ‘fuck’ instead of the first time, or a boom mic falling in shot. What was the process in creating that truly authentic late night show feeling?

Cameron Cairnes: It’s interesting you bring up those things! Like the boom in shot, and the second beep. Nice pick up! The guy in the booth must’ve missed the first one!

Colin Cairnes: Yeah, it’s obviously on that two second delay. He was probably out having a ciggie and missed it! [laughs]

Cameron Cairnes: But yeah, they were all things we wrote into the script. I think they’re important little details that just help all the people in the production to get it, you know? It’s got to look a bit crude. It’s got to feel shambolic.

Colin Cairnes: Yeah, it’s live TV. Things go wrong. They can go very wrong!

Nick: Very wrong in this instance! And that’s one of the things I love about this film, and what I love about horror in general – you can have fun with this genre. This is a fun horror film. There are great comedic moments in this film, but how do you get two genres that seem reasonably like polar opposites, horror and comedy, to work so well together?

Colin Cairnes: I mean, I don’t think we see them as polar opposites. I think the world in the last 10 years, horror has got to be straight up the middle hardcore. No levity. That’s kind of what horror is now.

But there was a time in the 70s and 80s, you know, Carpenter, Joe Dante, and people like that. Even Cronenberg had a dark sense of humour where both those genres worked together, and horror was fun! And we shouldn’t forget that it works!

We want to make movies in that vein. The fact that we’ve got a bit of a comedy background as well, as directors, performers, editors, it’s not that difficult for us and we can sort of lean into that. And it felt like this was the place to do it. It’s a late-night talk show. The banter is there, the gags.

Too much stuff now, it just gets a bit maudlin and takes itself so seriously. And in real life, you know, there is levity. People do and say the wrong thing, and it’s funny sometimes. It’s just true to life, we think.

Nick: I’d love to ask about Ingrid Torelli as Lilly, because she is fantastic in the film. Her demeanour, and the way it changes as the film goes on. And that creepy stare! What point did you realise Ingrid was your Lilly?

Cameron Cairnes: Well, Ingrid came to use through our casting director. We saw, maybe seven or eight girls here in Melbourne, and they were all great. But Ingrid was clearly the front runner. And you know, it was just those damn eyes!

In terms of directing, I mean, she’s very instinctive. Her choices are all awesome and interesting. But you know, the eyes were kind of our killer now. I think early on in production, when we were shooting, we said don’t be afraid to look at the camera. It’s alright because it’s live TV. And she kind of took that to heart and ran with it!

Colin Cairnes: I think she found the power in it as well. At first, it’s kind of cute, you know? This supposedly innocent girl who’s a bit overwhelmed by the environment, you’re gonna look into the cameras.

But as Lilly becomes a character with real agency by the end of it, it anything was a matter of direction, it was looking at the camera. And she knew when to look, but not make it “too much”. She’s obviously got a big future ahead.

Nick: You mentioned earlier the films of Cronenberg and Joe Dante, and I think an element of this film that you can feel the nostalgic throwback to those sorts of films is the practical effects, especially the “worm scene”. How important was it having practical effects for both this film, but as a throwback to those films as well?

Cameron Cairnes: Oh, for sure. I don’t think it would have felt of the time period we were trying to set the film. And that’s not saying we don’t have digital effects; you just have to these days. But keeping it as practical as much as we can has always been our dictum. Dictum? Is that right?

Colin Cairnes: That’s a good word. I’ve never heard you use it. [laughs]

Nick: On a more personal level – I’m curious to find out whether you are supernatural sceptics like Carmichael? Or are you supernatural believers like June?

Colin Cairnes: Yeah, I’ve probably got one foot in the Carmichael camp! Well, no. Both. I’ve have both!

Cameron Cairnes: I’ve got half a foot in. I think even someone like Carmichael – why are they so obsessed if they’re not just a little bit hopefully that they discover something one day? If you’re so adamant it’s all bullshit, just go do something else!

I’m a bit like a sceptic, but I’m open to be shocked that something might be out there.

Nick: Does having that foot in both sides help when it comes to writing and understanding these characters?

Colin Cairnes: I think my feeling for when you’re writing that character, that you’ve just got to be in their headspace and see the world through their eyes. And that’s kind of fun because you’re playing that part as well.

Cameron Cairnes: I think you’re always having those arguments in your head when you’re writing. And when you’ve got a character like Carmichael, I think you’re right, there is a bit of sympathy. Or maybe not sympathy…

Colin Cairnes: Yeah, I know what you mean. I’m very sympathetic to Dr. June, you know, who’s trying to turn this into a science! Like there are things out there that we don’t fully comprehend, and she just wants to investigate them.

I think she probably is a sceptic to some degree, but she’s a also a bit more hopeful that we’ll find evidence.

Nick: It really makes the characters complex and entertaining! I want to begin wrapping up by talking about the final 10 or so minutes of this film, because without spoiling anything, this finale has been on my mind since I saw the film last year at Sydney Film Festival! I think it’s fantastic. But it had me thinking about the importance of opening and closing scenes, and the impact they can leave once the movie is over. As filmmakers, do you feel like the opening and closing scenes should be so impactful? And do you have any personal favourites that stand out as your favourites?

Colin Cairnes: Oh, boy! Well, it’s important, yes! You want to grab people, and then you want to finish strong because people walk out of the cinema and remember the last 10 minutes. It’s what they’re probably going to be talking about. And if you have lost them by that stage, then the film probably hasn’t worked. Endings only work if your beginnings work!

Constantly when you’re writing and editing and shooting, but certainly editing, you’re jumping back and forth between them trying to make sure you’re setting things up right and paying them off. All of that stuff’s important.

But as far as films that are a bit of an inspiration, it just so happened that I watched Audition again recently, which I hadn’t seen for 20 years. And that ending goes pretty bonkers. It’s a good example where it’s a slow burn, but it’s a really cool pay off. That probably was a little influence that we weren’t really conscious of.

Cameron Cairnes: You know, this kept entering my head. This Buffy episode. And I’m not a Buffy fan, but there was one very dreamy episode where all of the characters are sort of interconnecting. I wish I could give you more details on the episode! My partner is the Buffy fan!

Colin Cairnes: Another one I was just thinking was Dead of Night. You know that classic British film? It’s from 1945 or 46. You need to see it! But that ends in kind of a way where all these different short stories connect up. There’s a character that runs through the locations of each of the stories. That one was there in the back of my head!

Thank you to Colin and Cameron for their time, and to Maslow Entertainment, Umbrella Entertainment, and NixCo PR for organising the interview! Late Night With The Devil is in cinemas April 11.

Interview – ‘Robot Dreams’ director Pablo Berger on creating over 1000 characters for his Oscar nominated film

Nick L'Barrow
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Interview – ‘Robot Dreams’ director Pablo Berger on creating over 1000 characters for his Oscar nominated film

Set in 1980s NYC, ROBOT DREAMS is the story of Dog, a lonely canine who builds himself a robot for companionship. Their friendship blossoms as they embark on adventures (and misadventures) across the city, from taking the subway to Chinatown to roller skating in Central Park. But they are soon separated on the beach. Dog, devastated at the loss of his friend, does everything in his power to get Robot back.

Fresh off a nomination at the Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature Film, and leading up to it’s cinema release on April 11, Nick spoke with the film’s director Pablo Berger about creating a large scale New York feeling, the importance of music, and creating over 1000 different characters for Robot Dreams.

Nick: Obviously, this film is based on a graphic novel, but I’m curious to know whether at any point did you consider exploring these themes in live action? Or was this project always going to be an authentic animated adaptation of the graphic novel?

Pablo Berger: Yeah, from the beginning I only thought about an animation version of the graphic novel. As you know, it’s based on a graphic novel called Robot Dreams from Sara Varon, and it was a huge hit in the States in 2007. I read it in 2010, and the fact that it was a graphic novel, and the fact that I was going to adapt it in the medium that I was not familiar, it was like a challenge. It was a big excitement.

To make it live-action could have been done, but I would have to change the characters. Instead of anthropomorphic, they would have to be human beings. The story is universal, and it could’ve been done in live action, but maybe by some other director perhaps!

Nick: I think the animation is one of the most beautiful aspects of the film. And a big part of it that stood out to me – and this is coming from someone who’s never been to New York City – I felt so immersed into New York as the location of this story. It genuinely feels like a character itself with the sounds and the scale of the city. What were the key things you were looking to get right to create that immersive feeling of New York City?

Pablo Berger: Well, the thing with book is you don’t know which exact city it takes place. It takes place in an undefined American city. The design of the book is very basic with its background. So, even though the characters have a lot of spirit with Robot and Dog, making over the background was a big change.

When I decided to make this film, I wanted to make three characters: Robot, Dog, and New York. The reason is [because] I lived for 10 years in New York, and I thought it would add a big layer to the film if we could identify the city.

This is my fourth film, but my first animated film, and I loved the idea that I could make New York in the 1980s for people like you who have never been to New York. I wanted you to feel what New York was like in another time.

We were very careful to be precise about the background details. The cars, the stores, everything feels like it was from that time. And we’ve been approved by New Yorkers! I just did a presentation a few weeks ago at Film Forum, one of the best arthouse cinemas in New York. We did a Q+A, and the New Yorkers approved our representation of New York.

Nick: The sound design was a big part of that immersion too!

Pablo Berger: The sound was something we truly worked on. The sounds of New York, you have to put a specific alarm, or ambulance siren, sounds of the cars. We had to do a lot of research about it.

Nick: And on top of the soundscape, you use those sounds and music to create a rhythm to the film, especially during a scene that involves a rising drum beat coinciding with a bird flapping their wings for the first time. How important is music, score and sounds when it comes to creating a rhythm for the film?

Pablo Berger: Why it’s super important, you know, for me is when we study the history of cinema, we know from early on that music was playing – a piano!

For me, Robot Dreams is a musical. When you don’t have dialogue, the music becomes the voice of the characters. We had different kinds of music, like pop music, the diegetic music that appears in the film was very important.

And because it’s a film that takes place in New York, the most diverse city in the world, there are different ethnicities, different neighbourhoods, we had to put music in to reflect that. Robot Dreams has Latin music, punk rock, hip hop, new wave.

One of my favourite scenes in the film, and one of my favourite characters, is like a street musician that is a bucket drummer who is an octopus!

But then the key song is ‘September’ by Earth, Wind and Fire, one of the most popular songs of all time! And the song appears many times, in many different ways during Robot Dreams. When the song appears, Robot thinks about Dog, Dog thinks about Robot. It’s such a key part of the film.

But there is also the non-diegetic music, which the soundtrack was composed by Alfonso de Vilallonga, a collaborator on my last three films. And we thought the music that best reflects the sound of New York was jazz.

And of course, there’s the percussion. In all of my films there’s a lot of percussion. I think percussions and cinema, they work beautifully.

Nick: Going back briefly to the immersive nature of this film, that scale of New York feels so grand. And even though this is an incredible personal story, having so many background characters in this huge city makes the movie feel grand. How many animals and characters did you have to animate to create that feeling?

Pablo Berger: The thing is that you cannot represent New York without the New Yorkers, you know? So, for me that was a big part, and that was a big difference from the book. We wanted to create a big scale film because New York is a Megalopolis!

We had a team of character designers, which was led by Daniel Fernandez Casa, one of the best character designers in the world. He’s worked for Illumination for over a decade, and he came to work with us!

He had a dream team of six designers, and for about two years they just created non-stop. We had a book with like, over 1000 New Yorkers, any animals you could imagine. And they were designed with some kind of personality because that was important to us. That was my challenge to them, because there’s so many times were characters are in the background and they’re not moving or they’re non-descript.

But from my work in live action, characters in the background are so important. They have to be moving, and they have to have a personality. So, in our film, the characters in background, the New Yorkers, they’re moving, they’re doing something, and they’re going somewhere. And there’s a reason why they are. I think it gives the possibility that the audience may have seen the film once, and if they see it again, they might start paying attention to the background because there’s a lot of interesting things happening in the background!

Nick: Well, in regard to looking out for things in the background, you also have a lot of cinematic references in Robot Dreams. There’re obvious ones like The Wizard of Oz, but I believe there was also a certain shot from Jaws in here too…

Pablo Berger: Yes. Yes, there is!

Nick: Are there any other references people should look out? Are there any you’re particularly proud of?

Pablo Berger: Well, before a director, I am a film buff. I prefer to watch movies! The film is full… there are dozens of references to other films. But I prefer that the audience find them! Then they can go to Instagram or to Letterboxd and talk about the film references. There are many more to be found. It’s a bit like Where’s Wally!

Nick: Pablo, we’re getting close to the end of our time, but I just wanted to say that the final scene of this film is truly beautiful. I loved the film up until that point, but there was just something that hit me about longing, and relationships, and remembering the good times, but having the courage to move on. There are so many feelings that stirred in me because it’s a fantastic ending.

Pablo Berger: I think that in cinema, the third act, the end, needs to be strong. That’s the reason I decided to make the film, because when I read the book, and I got to the end, I thought it was wonderful. If I felt like this reading the graphic novel, then it surely was going to be a great ending when we make it for the cinema.

I’m happy that you enjoyed the ending.

Nick: I really appreciate you taking the time to talk, and I hope we can do it again on your next project.

Pablo Berger: Thank you, Nick.

Thank you to Pablo for his time, and to Madman Films and NixCo PR for organising the interview. Robot Dreams is in cinemas April 11.

Win tickets to Robot Dreams

Alaisdair Leith
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Win tickets to Robot Dreams

From Spanish director Pablo Berger, Academy Award nominated film ROBOT DREAMS releases in Australian cinemas on April 11. The animated tragicomedy is based on the comic of the same name by Sara Varon and received the award for Best Film in the Contrechamp section of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.

Thanks to Madman Films we have 5 in-season double passes to giveaway to Novastream readers. To enter the competition, simply fill out the form below and head over to our Facebook page for a double entry.

Dog lives in Manhattan and he’s tired of being alone. One day he decides to build himself a robot, a companion. Their friendship blossoms, until they become inseparable, to the rhythm of 80s NYC. One summer night, Dog, with great sadness, is forced to abandon Robot at the beach. Will they ever meet again?

Robot Dreams is released in Australian cinemas April 11.

Movie Review – The First Omen

Alaisdair Leith
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Movie Review – The First Omen

We currently live in a world of remakes, sequels, requels from studios who are desperate to cash in on any franchise that made them even a sliver amount of money in the past. We have seen a few low points, particularly with last year’s attempt to resurrect the Exorcist films. We all know that this did not go well and plans for further films were shelved quite swiftly after the film’s disastrous performance at the box office. It was with a similar amount of trepidation that I went into The First Omen. Fortunately, I was completely surprised; the film is a disturbingly horrific and beautifully told story about corruption in the catholic church and the lengths they will go to cover it up. 

The story starts out looking at Margaret (Nell Tiger Free), a young American woman headed into ascension in the catholic church. She moves to Italy to complete her ascension into becoming a Nun after the priest from her childhood recommends her Cardinal Lawrance, who Bill Nighy brilliantly plays. At the convent, which is also acts as an adoption centre and refuge for pregnant young women who need assistance during their time. Margaret meets a young girl Clarita (Nicole Sorace), her treatment by the Nuns is different to the other girls there and often spends a lot of time in the Bad room. Things don’t add up for Margaret and she soon finds herself investigating the reason behind the cruel treatment of Clarita and how it connects to the inevitable birth of the anti-Christ. 

 We have seen many supernatural films about the Catholic church, particularly in the last few years with Warner Bros Conjuring spin-off The Nun and its sequel, Sony attempting with The Pope’s Exorcist and Universal’s aforementioned dreaded Exorcist sequel. Director Arkasha Stevenson clearly knows this, while understanding the real-life corruption and need for power that the Catholic church holds. Instead of fumbling about, this film embraces this idea completely and instead of one person trying to infiltrate the church and bring about the end of the world, this film dives much deeper into it. 

Some horror films are fantastic at delivering jump scares, others keep their cards close to their chest, offering up an intriguing mystery, and others just throw disturbing images and scenes at you in order to shock and sicken. This film manages to be all of these things at once, all securely contained in a two hour movie. The jump scares are genuinely earned in this film and came as a complete surprise. There are several moments when a character is staring into the pitch black and you can just make out something moving slowly towards them, the camera then flashes back to the character whose fear has intensified, and then back to the pitch black as the entity leaps out in the most satisfying way. Where the film really excels is the shock and sicken parts. Stevenson understands that the treatment of women and their bodies by the church is something else that is quite often glazed over in films and has no problem exploring this. Scenes of childbirth in extremely harsh conditions with demon hands prodding and poking around is confronting and told at such a rapid and sickening pace, for people like me who are quite queasy when it comes to needles, medical instruments and blood, this was not fun. 

Free is particularly fantastic as Margaret. Her understanding of the Church and her realisation as to what is happening, while still wanting to hold onto her own hopes and dreams of becoming a fully-fledged Nun is fascinating to watch. You could strip the Omen stuff away and this would still be an exciting film. Before she moves into the church full-time, Margaret is housed in the city of Rome with fellow recruit Luz (Maria Caballero), and their commitment to having one last night out before giving their bodies over to the Lord plays out in a surprisingly well-shot nightclub scene set in 1970’s Italy. 

During this time in Italy’s history, there was rioting in the streets, a large cultural shift of the younger generation leaving the church and looking to science and education combined with the politics of the time had a bloody two-decade effect on Italy’s social standing, and this is woven beautifully into the events of the film and the reason for the Catholic church wanting to go through with their plans with the antichrist. Having a movie set and actually shot in Italy is not easy to find these days with most studios using external shots with studio interiors. Here the filming was done in the town of Viterbo, the same locations as Life is Beautiful and the upcoming La Chimera. This location assists the movie in feeling alive and for that gothic horror vibe to ring through perfectly.

The first three-quarters of this film works perfectly, it is able to stand alone in its own right and does not need any prior knowledge or viewings of the Omen or its ill-fated sequels or TV shows to be able to follow this film. Stevenson is able to let her vision of this film stand on its two feet without needing to pay homage to the franchise’s past. It’s a shame that the final act and closing moments of the film do connect the dots to the Omen films and franchise, no doubt to support any future sequels that may need to occur if this film does well financially. That doesn’t take away from the experience of the film, it just does feel slightly disappointing that is didn’t finish a bit stronger. 

The First Omen is not the film you think it’s going to be. It’s a deep dive into the manipulation of the Catholic church and the lengths they will go to to remain in power. A tale of possession and manipulation of the female body as simply an instrument to get what they want has never been told so succinctly by first-time film director Arkasha Stevenson. All of this is fuelled by spectacular performances from the cast, in particular, Free, who leads the charge in making this a horror film that has a lot to say about religion and women’s bodies. It is a terrifying and unsettling film that will stay with you long after you have left the cinema. 

The First Omen is showing in cinemas now.

TV Review – Ripley

Nick L'Barrow
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TV Review – Ripley

It’s a recipe for success. Take a critically renowned series of crime-thriller novels from Patricia Highsmith, have them adapted for the screen by Oscar winning screenwriter Steven Zallian, and cast one of the best dramatic actors working today in Andrew Scott (All of Us Strangers) as the lead role. And what do you get? Netflix’s latest binge-worthy series, Ripley.

Obsession, betrayal, fraud, and murder are all thematic foundations for this stylistic and thrilling adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley, and the consecutive novels that followed, centring around Tom Ripley (Scott), a desperate con-artist in 1960s New York who is barely surviving on fraudulently cashed cheques that he acquires through a fake debt collection service.

Opportunity strikes in the most unexpected way for Ripley when he is approached by a shipyard owner who believes Ripley went to college with his estranged son, Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn), who is currently away in Italy with no real prospects of returning home.

Offered a generous salary and all-expenses paid travel to the beautiful beachside villas of Italy, Ripley is requested to bring Dickie home by any means necessary. However, after befriending Dickie, his lavish lifestyle of high-end fashion, delicious food, and no financial worry appeals very much so to Ripley, who entangles himself in a web of deceit and lies to steal away the life he’s always dreamed of having.

Writing and directing all eight episodes of this mini-series, Steven Zallian’s attention to detail in adapting (and in some cases, updating) Patricia Highsmith’s novels to both paper and screen makes for truly engaging television, right from the opening moments. Zallian’s decision to play the series out in a full-framed, black-and-white allows him to utilise light in a striking manner, often to juxtapose the tonal jumps within the story.

In New York, where Ripley is constantly in a high state of paranoia, seemingly waiting for his house of fraudulent cards to cave in, the dark, dankness of the lighting and cinematography is completely immersive into the mindset of Ripley. However, the over-exposed brightness of Italy’s sunshining days then brings forth the potential of a new life, a new start, a brighter future.

Every frame of Zallian’s direction feels so deliberate. Ripley is an incredibly stylistic looking series that plays with framing expertly to evoke the feeling of the subject in frame. But it also captures the vast beauty of Italy, showcasing the monumental villas with such grandiose scale, or the beaches with such salty, shimmering beauty. The appeal of a new life for Ripley is not hard to imagine with direction like this.

Zallian also plays around with non-traditional filmmaking techniques, like having characters read the letters sent to each other directly to camera, almost conversationally with the recipients, which adds even more emotional context to pivotal moments throughout. It’s unique and engaging moments like this that heighten the entertainment factor of the series.

However, as appealing as the life Ripley wants to pursue looks, it doesn’t come with out thrills and tension. Patience is the virtue of this retelling of Tom Ripley’s story, and Zallian uses the eight episodes to build up relationships and the tension between them very well. Blending brilliant passive-aggressive conversations filled with character ambiguity often enhances the mystery and motives of not just Ripley, but those around him too.

What truly brings this all to life is the once again outstanding lead performance from Andrew Scott. Recent Oscar snubbing aside, Scott feels like he is continually ascending to his acting peak, and Ripley is another rung on the way to the top. The complexities of Tom Ripley as a character as truly fascinating to digest through Scott’s performance.

Balancing nuance with theatre style showmanship, Scott is enigmatic in every single scene he is in. For a character who so heavily entrenches themselves into their self-dug grave, the amount of sympathy that can be argued to be had for Ripley is a testament to Scott’s ability to portray Ripley’s desperation and fight to just survive, despite his means of income being criminal. Then, as the lure of more luxury, money, and status brings the starry-eyed Ripley in, the levels of desperation turn sinister, and at points, confronting and terrifying to watch.

The supporting cast, primarily consisting of Flynn as Dickie Greenleaf, Dakota Fanning as Marge, and Maurizio Lombardi as Inspector Ravini all bring a distinct dramatic flair that continually builds the tension within the story. Every character’s simmering distrust of the elusive Tom Ripley consistently sharpens the edge of uncertainty as to whether Ripley is going to finally be caught out, or what lengths he will go to for that not to happen.

Ripley is a visually engaging, stylistic, and tense adaptation of the various stories Patricia Highsmith created about elusive con-artist Tom Ripley. Steven Zallian’s writing perfectly and continually builds tension each episode, while his purposeful and deliberate direction adds more layers of complexity to the characters and story, all topped off with another brilliant performance by Andrew Scott, to equate in a series that will demand you to hit ‘Next Episode’ each time it pops up on your TV screen.

All eight episodes of Ripley are available on Netflix from April 4.

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Win tickets to see Back in Black

Alaisdair Leith
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Win tickets to see Back in Black

BACK TO BLACK chronicles the life and music of Amy Winehouse, through the journey of adolescence to adulthood and the creation of one of the best-selling albums of our time.

Thanks to Studio Canal, we have 10 in-season double passes to giveaway to Novastream readers.

A celebration of the most iconic – and much missed – homegrown star of the 21st century, BACK TO BLACK tells the extraordinary tale of Amy Winehouse. Painting a vivid, vibrant picture of the Camden streets she called home and capturing the struggles of global fame, BACK TO BLACK honours Amy’s artistry, wit, and honesty, as well as trying to understand her demons. An unflinching look at the modern celebrity machine and a powerful tribute to a once-in-a-generation talent. In Cinemas April 11

To enter, fill out the Form below and head on over to our Facebook page for a second entry into the competition.

Review – Monkey Man

Nick L'Barrow
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Review – Monkey Man

Hanuman is a Hindu deity of wisdom, strength, courage, devotion, and self-discipline, who’s legendary stories and mythology within Hinduism has inspired the foundations of first-time writer/director Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire) new revenge fuelled action-thriller, Monkey Man, which is releasing in cinemas after a truly explosive premiere at this year’s SXSW Film Festival.

Arguably more well-known to general audiences for his incredible dramatic work in films like Slumdog Millionaire and Lion, Patel’s first foray into the action genre is a brutal, gritty, and feral thriller that is driven by an emotional revenge tale that follows an anonymous man, known only as Kid to those who interact with him, played by Patel.

Kid spends his nights in an underground fighting league, wearing a monkey mask (Kid’s way of channelling the resilience of Hanuman), getting the living shit beaten out of him night after night for cash from an eccentric bookie named Tiger (Sharlto Copley).

As Kid’s resilience grows, and his rage burns, he uses his connections and understanding within this criminal underworld to infiltrate a corrupt elite society of businesspeople, police, and politicians, some of whom were responsible for the death of Kid’s mother when he was a child, and burn it all to the ground.

Balancing a gritty, brawl-like brutality in the action sequences, scathing social commentary surrounding the elite vs. working class societies of India, and a heart wrenching personal tale of tragedy and the rage-filled vengeance that consumes the lead character, Patel’s feature filmmaking debut packs a lot into its 2-hour run-time.

There’s no denying that this is a bold undertaking for a first film, with Patel unapologetically and bombastically making the film he obviously wants to make. Almost in the sense that if this was his one chance to make a film, he’s going all in, both physically and thematically. And at times, it can feel like a lot.

There is an up-and-down style pacing that doesn’t always allow certain themes and concepts to breathe, despite these interesting themes of oppression, racism, political abuse, and even transphobia, that are so clearly important to Patel, being explored through a non-Hollywood, rose-coloured lens.

What does land during the exploration of these themes however is a story and character that is purely driven by a singular emotion – anger. And that’s felt not just in the world that Monkey Man is set, but by Patel’s filmmaking as well, giving this film a heart that sets itself apart from every other action-packed, stock standard, revenge thriller. It’s this film’s heart that’s been injected in to the script by Patel that makes every action scene feel like the stakes have been raised even higher than anticipated.

Minor pacing and structure issues aside, Monkey Man is a wildly thrilling ride due to the intensity and brutality of the electric and frantic action scenes. From every booming punch inside the underground fighting ring, to each stab slicing and gunshot bellowing in the insane final act of this film, Patel has show he is a force for the action genre, both in front of and behind the camera.

The camera is violently thrown around the brilliantly choreographed set pieces as much as stunt performers (and Patel himself) are thrown around the frame in that same energetic way films like John Wick have more recently, but also showcasing obvious inspiration from Hong Kong martial arts cinema and iconic Bruce Lee films. It’s less fighting, and more so brawling, which elevates the brutality to a whole new level.

Outside of the action, there is a grittiness to the cinematography that highlights the feral nature of this criminal underworld that Kid has entangled himself in. It’s dark, it’s dank, and it is completely immersive. The true beauty is highlighted in the oppressed people at the foundation of Monkey Man’s themes, which Patel showcases frequently throughout the film, but is truly at the films core during the second act in which Kid’s hero’s journey takes him to a scenic location containing a group of non-binary warriors, of whom are truly a highlight in the film’s second half.

Patel’s love for Indian art extends to the film’s soundtrack, which is loaded with Bollywood bangers that increase the excitement of the adrenaline fuelled action scenes. But Patel also has fun with some unexpectedly hilarious needle drops, showing he knows how to make a film this gritty and emotionally driven a lot of fun too.

Monkey Man is a bold, ambitious directorial debut from Dev Patel, whose adoration for marital arts cinema combined with his desire to tell an emotionally driven story about systematic oppression in the country he loves, leads to a brutal, gritty, wild action flick that is bombastic when the punches fly, and heart string pulling when the story beats land. There is a lot going on in this film, and not all of it cohesively works, but there are far more pros than cons for this action-packed revenge flick, and makes Patel’s next directorial effort one to watch out for.

Monkey Man is in cinemas April 4, courtesy of Universal Pictures.

Interview – ‘Before Dawn’ director Jordon Prince-Wright discusses the intimate story behind a large scale World War I film

Nick L'Barrow
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Interview – ‘Before Dawn’ director Jordon Prince-Wright discusses the intimate story behind a large scale World War I film

BEFORE DAWN is an epic retelling of one of Australia’s most significant triumphs during WW1, based on authentic war diaries. Jim Collins (Levi Miller), a young man from the outback, joins the ANZAC to fight on the western front with the hope of making a difference, leaving behind his family-run sheep station. However, the muddy, ruthless, and unforgiving nature of the war begins to weigh heavily on Jim, leaving him with a profound sense of guilt. As the battalion dwindles, and hope fades, Jim’s redemption comes in a pivotal moment during one of Australia’s most significant battles. He must choose between risking his life or living with the weight of leaving another soldier behind.

Leading up to the film’s release, in cinemas April 4, Nick L’Barrow had the chance to chat with Before Dawn‘s director Jordon Prince-Wright about the diaries he found that led to creating this film, harnessing the values of the ANZACs on set, and the moment on set he realised the epic scale of this production.

Jordon Prince-Wright: The fact that you’ve got a Mission: Impossible poster there – I like you already!

Nick: Well, thank you very much! It’s a great movie! And thank you for taking the time to chat about Before Dawn. I really appreciate it. It’s such an epic scale film. Was there a point during either the screenwriting process, or perhaps a moment on set, where you had the chance to take a step back and really take in the sheer scale of this project?

Jordon Prince-Wright: The point that it happened was when we were on set, and I saw 300 extras march past me in uniform. And that’s when I looked at the DOP and had a few… choice words that I said! It was a lot bigger than I ever expected it to be.

I think we always knew it was going to be big. We postponed because of COVID, and that gave me 12 months to go and make things bigger again! I was always so passionate about this project, so there was this kind of tunnel vision that we didn’t really take a step back and go, “Whoa! This is really big!”

It was only in that moment, when I was sitting there, having some lunch and I saw them walk past. And I went, “Oh, what have we got ourselves into?!” [laughs]

Nick: I read that a lot of the story for this film came from diaries you read with recounts from ANZACs who were in the trenches during the war. How did you come across the diaries? And was there a certain story or event from them that was the turning point of you adapting it for this film?

Jordon Prince-Wright: So, I read the diaries in high-school. And then I branched out to other museums to try and find other diaries, and you got to read the same event from different soldiers’ perspectives.

But the turning point for me was when I ‘d start talking to people about it, and I’d mention World War I, and they’d go, “Oh, Gallipoli, right?” Well, there’s actually more than just that! Yes, it was the bloodiest battle. But there were ANZACs on the Western Front! I’ve got to tell their story!

So, I made all these short films, which kind of got this crew all together. And then we made this feature with an unconventional way of getting funding. Then doing the same thing for Before Dawn, but on steroids essentially!

For me it’s almost like I want to find what’s impossible to tell on screen. Let’s try it. Let’s give it a crack. That’s the thing that scared me the most. Yes, we’ve got such massive sets, and it’s a big scale film. But it’s actually the intricate characters and the casting, making sure that was all right. There was so many layers with this production to pull off.

Nick: Was there a certain soldier’s diary entry that really helped you get in to the mindset of what the ANZACs were going through to create those intricate characters and intimate story?

Jordon Prince-Wright: It was actually Archie’s character, the young guy. Because for me, I remember when I did a short film, and I dressed up in the [army] uniform, and I was 16 when I did the short film. And I remember looking at Archie, he was 16.

I mean, no one can put themselves in that place. We don’t know how we would react until we’re actually there. But, I’d like to think if I was in that situation, I wouldn’t go out there and be there hero. I’d be like Archie. He’s very reserved and trying to take it all in.

Being able to read those diaries, I found a lot of times I was going, “What would I do in these situations?” And then I would flip it into what the character was thinking. What is that actual solider thinking now? And how we put that on screen was very hard to do.

Nick: The ANZAC spirit is well known to hold values including mateship, courage, ingenuity, larrikinism – how important was it for you to facilitate those values on set as well?

Jordon Prince-Wright: Yeah, look, the brilliant thing is I had an awesome cast to work with. I had an awesome crew to work with.

We were in the wettest winter on record. There was mud, it was raining. It was the closest thing you could get to the actual Western Front! I’m not going to lie – it was a really hard shoot! But after the first week, the worse it got, the happier we were and the more we laughed at things.

People would fall in mud, and people were pulling each other out of the mud, and we’d have a laugh. It really helped to get that camaraderie between everyone. I was working with actors who are well known names! But after a few days, it was like we were all best mates out of high school. That’s what it felt like.

And hats off to them because everybody was awesome to work with, everyone was down to earth. Also, we knew what we were doing. We weren’t just telling a story here. We weren’t just telling a story that’s based on true events. It was an ANZAC story. It had that extra weight that we needed to do this right.

Nick: Speaking of this cast, it’s often we hear actors say how important sets and costumes are to understand their characters. I’m curious what it was that helped you understand this story outside of the diaries?

Jordon Prince-Wright: For me, it was looking at the trench maps and understanding the scale. Looking at those maps and realising it was actually quite big, and how this scene would happen here, and that scene would happen there.

I knew in order to do this properly; I would need to build it to scale. But when we actually were filming, we had a few shots in the film where we would pull back and would look down into the trenches and could see everything going on. And it looked great, and we had a great set, but it took the audience away from being actually in there. So, we cut that all out and that’s why we stayed in there.

It served its purpose by being able to feel big in scale. But for me, reading those diaries, looking at the trench maps, trying to understand where particular events took place in the trench maps. It was so intricate.

Nick: I wanted to wrap up by asking about the opening of the credits of this film, where you have ‘For Grandad’ as a dedication on the screen. If you don’t mind me asking – what was your Grandad’s influence on this film, and on you in general?

Jordon Prince-Wright: Grandad has always been a massive, massive supporter of mind. He served with the British army. He was a Two-Pound Pom. Just the courage of doing that, right? Leaving the UK and coming to Australia with two daughters and no job yet! The courage to do that is just remarkable!

He’s always been supportive of me, and unfortunately, he’s no longer alive, but he was the type of guy who was always there. It’s something’s impossible, harness that energy and then go do it so you can say I told you so!

That’s why I wanted to dedicate the film to him, not just because of his military background, but because of the fact that every film we have down has got bigger and bigger, and he was a driving force of that.

Thank you to Jordon Prince-Wright for his time, and to Umbrella Entertainment and NixCo PR for organising the interview! Before Dawn is in cinemas April 4.

Win tickets to Late Night with the Devil

Alaisdair Leith
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Win tickets to Late Night with the Devil

31 October, 1977. Johnny Carson rival, Jack Delroy, is the host of ‘Night Owls’, a once hugely popular syndicated talk show. A year on from the tragic death of Jack’s wife, ratings have plummeted, and sponsors are getting nervous. Desperate to turn his fortunes around, Jack pulls out all the stops for his annual Halloween special, booking a psychic, a professional skeptic, a parapsychologist, and a young girl allegedly possessed by the devil… What could possibly go wrong?

Late Night with the Devil is finally in Australian cinemas on April 11, and to celebrate, we have 10 in-season double-passes to giveaway! Fill out the form below to enter and head to the Novastream Facebook page for a double entry and look for the Late Night with the Devil competition post for more details.

Review – Godzilla X Kong : The New Empire

Alaisdair Leith
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Review – Godzilla X Kong : The New Empire

The MonsterVerse has been described as “fun” many times throughout its history, and the new entry Godzilla X Kong : The New Empire is no exception. While the Monsterverse has been littered with mostly positive entries, there has been the occasional misstep (King of Monsters anyone?) The New Empire propels the series forward by putting the human characters last and letting Kong and the Hollow Verse be front and centre. While Godzilla is still a part of the story, this really is about Kong and his connection to Hollow Earth and finding more of his kind. It’s told with director Adam Wingard’s trademark use of neon colouring and synth sounds that have really carved out his idea of what the Monsterverse is. 

Set a few years after the events of the previous movie, Kong is living in Hollow Earth, settled into his new home, he is starting to feel the sting of being completely alone. He makes his way back to Earth through new access points that have opened up between the two places. His infected tooth is replaced by vet Trapper (Dan Stevens) the newest of the human cast. When Godzilla senses Kong in his territory and a greater threat rising from the uncharted territory of Hollow Earth, the two titans must once again team up to take down a threat that threatens to destroy both worlds. 

Stevens is the perfect addition to the cast, his romantic past with Ilene (Rebecca Hall) creates an interesting dynamic and their chemistry is really evident here. Unfortunately, Bernie (Brian Tyree Henry) is back and is just as annoying, if not more than the previous film. He offers nothing of substance apart from being the screamy, whiny annoying one that can apparently interpret Jia (Kaylee Hottle) dreams that are calling her down into Hollow Earth. The focus this time around is on the monsters, in particular Kong who takes the front and centre of the story as his exploration through Hollow Earth to find more of his kind is an engaging journey to watch. The majority of this is done with no dialogue and strikes a great balance in an otherwise very loud blockbuster story. 

Wingard puts his usual neon flair into the striking visuals of the monsters and the world they inhabit. Godzilla going Barbie pink is a nice mix up and adds to the colour palette that this series is well known for. The designs of the new creatures are close to Avatar, but definitely not from Pandora. There are a few surprises that I don’t wish to spoil, but the Kongs as seen in the trailer each have a unique design and their personalities all just fit well into the DK Country characters with Cranky Kong (Scar King), Diddy Kong (the orange baby one) and of course the main man Kong, who really leads front and centre here. 

Sidelining the human characters while still making them an important part of the story was a smart move. Honing in on Jia and Ilene and how they fit into this new world is fascinating to watch. Hottle steals every scene with her wide, curious eyes, and her relationship with Kong is still as sweet as it was in the last film. The mo-cap provided by Allan Henry for Kong and the other creatures helps the transition to a digital character have the soul and heart that this character requires in this film to embark on his journey. 

When the action sequences finally kick in, the film goes hard. There is an incredible sequence with no dialogue for 15 minutes with Titans v Titans, monsters vs monsters, smashing and bashing each other attempting to come out on top. This movie does a lot of country hopping making it feel like a truly international affair with portals from Hollow Earth popping out all over the planet. The sheer amount of anticipation when a Titan heads for a portal to see where they pop up was a key part of the excitement of this film. 

If you are heading into this film looking for cohesion or a complex arc, you will definitely not find it here. There is a sense of whimsy and fun in this series that is really dialled up to eleven in this story. The neon colour palette and links to Godzilla’s nuclear history is on clear display here and while he is sidelined for Kong to take the main story this time around, there is enough interaction to still deliver on big action. 

The recent Godzilla Minus One may make this film pale in comparison, however it is important to note that this franchise is completely separate and it’s important to keep the history of the Monsterverse in mind when consuming this film. It is a big, dumb, loud action flick that delivers on its promise of larger-than-life action sets that are best viewed on an IMAX screen (or the biggest one you can find!) 

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