News.com.au
News.com.au is not a Tomatometer-approved publication. Reviews from this
publication only count toward the Tomatometer when written by the following
Tomatometer-approved critic(s):
Wenlei Ma
Rating
Title/Year
Author
1
2.5/5
The Front Runner (2018)
A misguided defence of a man and an attitude that feels particularly ludicrous in 2019.
Posted Jan 30, 2019
2
3.5/5
The Hate U Give (2018)
3
3/5
Ben is Back (2018)
Ben is Back is a fairly rote drama - it ticks the boxes and it occasionally veers into over-sentimentality. Julia Roberts' performance is what makes it stand out.
Posted Jan 30, 2019
4
3/5
Green Book (2018)
Where Green Book runs into trouble is if you scratch even a millimetre beneath its fuzzy, warm surface.
Posted Jan 30, 2019
5
2.5/5
Glass (2019)
Nineteen years is a long time to wait for a sequel that's so unsatisfying.
Posted Jan 17, 2019
6
3/5
Mary Queen of Scots (2018)
Mary Queen Of Scots is a passable historical drama whose odd story choices are saved by a strong performance from Saoirse Ronan.
Posted Jan 17, 2019
7
2.5/5
Storm Boy (2019)
8
4/5
Pick of the Litter (2018)
This is exactly the movie we need right now.
Posted Jan 17, 2019
9
4/5
Eighth Grade (2018)
10
3.5/5
11
3/5
Mary Poppins Returns (2018)
12
4/5
Cold War (Zimna wojna) (2018)
13
4/5
Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018)
Ralph Breaks the Internet would've been a fun but soulless movie if not for its nuanced and necessary story about friendship.
Posted Dec 25, 2018
14
5/5
The Favourite (2018)
Quite simply, an utter and hilarious delight.
Posted Dec 25, 2018
15
3.5/5
Vice (2018)
16
3/5
Aquaman (2018)
Aquaman is so unapologetically over-the-top, its madness is undeniably entertaining.
Posted Dec 22, 2018
17
3.5/5
Colette (2018)
Colette features some wonderful performances, especially from Keira Knightley, who deftly, convincingly charts Colette's journey from "innocent" to authentic bohemian.
Posted Dec 22, 2018
18
3/5
Bumblebee (2018)
Bumblebee works best when the story is focused on Charlie. For a Transformers movie, it's surprisingly serviceable.
Posted Dec 22, 2018
19
5/5
Roma (2018)
A movie like Roma is rare - something that's intimate yet also grand.
Posted Dec 22, 2018
20
4/5
Its trippy animated visuals is truly a comic book come to life, capturing the spirit and aesthetics of its source material better than any film before it.
Posted Dec 12, 2018
21
4/5
Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018)
Melissa McCarthy gives a brilliantly calibrated performance that should see her touted on the awards circuit.
Posted Dec 7, 2018
22
4/5
Sorry to Bother You (2018)
Sorry to Bother You is a wake-up call to the uncomfortable truth that the world we already live in may be the real dystopia. A little movie with a mighty punch.
Posted Dec 5, 2018
23
3.5/5
Creed II (2018)
Creed II does beat you over the head with its sentimentalism - too much text instead of subtext. But it's generally effective,
Posted Dec 5, 2018
24
5/5
Widows (2018)
It's rare to come across a film that is both brilliant and brilliantly entertaining.
Posted Nov 24, 2018
25
3/5
26
3.5/5
The Children Act (2018)
The Children Act is a mature and thoughtful film that is, above all, a wonderful showcase for a brilliant Emma Thompson.
Posted Nov 24, 2018
27
2/5
The movie jumps from one dizzying sequence to the next with little care about a cohesive story or throughline. It's a discombobulated mess.
Posted Nov 17, 2018
28
4/5
The Old Man & the Gun (2018)
There's nothing here that's going to vex or perplex you, and you'll walk out of the cinema happy and satisfied. A real crowd-pleaser.
Posted Nov 17, 2018
29
4.5/5
Shoplifters (Manbiki kazoku) (2018)
Hirokazu Kore-eda imbues his characters with so much empathy, no matter what they do (and some of it is quite questionable), you don't judge them, you understand.
Posted Nov 17, 2018
30
3.5/5
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)
The film is an intriguing experiment for the Coens and it's one that's very rewarding for the viewer.
Posted Nov 17, 2018
31
2.5/5
Outlaw King (2018)
Outlaw King is surprisingly underwhelming.
Posted Nov 11, 2018
32
3/5
The Girl in the Spider's Web (2018)
Let's call it watchable and diverting, rather than mandatory viewing.
Posted Nov 9, 2018
33
3/5
Boy Erased (2018)
Joel Edgerton has made an effective movie and a significant story with wonderfully rich performances - casting Kidman will automatically give you that.
Posted Nov 9, 2018
34
3.5/5
Suspiria (2018)
If you let yourself be taken over by its sinister spell, you'll be in for an unforgettable experience.
Posted Nov 9, 2018
35
3/5
Beautiful Boy (2018)
It all sounds very heavy and bleak, but there is a lightness of touch in Beautiful Boy that keeps it from being enveloped in unbearable darkness.
Posted Oct 25, 2018
36
3.5/5
Halloween (2018)
Halloween embraces the simplistic fear of the original and crafts a 40-years-in-the-making follow-up that will scare the crap out of you.
Posted Oct 25, 2018
37
4/5
22 July (2018)
22 July is not an easy movie to watch but it's one you should consider giving your time to.
Posted Oct 17, 2018
38
4/5
Wajib (2017)
39
4/5
A Star Is Born (2018)
While imperfect, A Star Is Born is a satisfying and emotionally evocative epic. If only it had managed to maintain the intoxicating allure of its first hour.
Posted Oct 17, 2018
40
3.5/5
Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)
Bad Times at the El Royale is an engrossing, entertaining noir-thriller with some effective set pieces and some standout performances. If only it had a bit more to say.
Posted Oct 10, 2018
41
5/5
First Man (2018)
In a word: Flawless. First Man is a stunning film where everything works in symphony.
Posted Oct 10, 2018
42
4.5/5
American Animals (2018)
American Animals is a different kind of movie, a truly electrifying story with purpose and meaning but one that has also given us a new form of storytelling.
Posted Oct 4, 2018
43
3.5/5
McKellen: Playing the Part (2017)
It's a must-see for any fan, and, be honest, is there anyone who's not an Ian McKellen fan?
Posted Oct 3, 2018
44
2/5
Venom (2018)
A disjointed, tonally confused and mediocrely written action flick, the best thing Venom has going for it is its relatively short runtime.
Posted Oct 3, 2018
45
2/5
Night School (2018)
There were some laughs, some giggles, even an occasional cackle, but for the most part, Night School is a lesson that often feels more like punishment.
Posted Sep 27, 2018
46
3/5
Ladies in Black (2018)
Ladies in Black isn't really a plot-driven movie, it's more of a mood, it's about inviting you to spend some time in this lovely, quaint world where it's always sunny.
Posted Sep 22, 2018
47
3/5
It works if all you're looking for is a movie you can take your children to see.
Posted Sep 22, 2018
48
2.5/5
Christopher Robin (2018)
It's a heavy-handed, unsatisfying experience. A more apt title would be Melancholy and the Infinite Childhood.
Posted Sep 13, 2018
49
3/5
The Predator (2018)
The first entry in the Predator franchise in almost a decade is a solid action romp that's even kind of ... goofy?
Posted Sep 13, 2018
50
3/5
A Simple Favor (2018)