Watching

Escape Room

Adam Robitel’s (Insidious: The Last Key) latest filmic venture Escape Room sees six strangers gifted with a puzzle box invitation to attend the Minos Escape Room Facility where there’s a chance for the winner to pocket a cool $10k. In traditional “too good to be true” style, the seemingly nonchalant game takes a nasty turn and the puzzles become more sinister as they progress. Sitting pretty somewhere between the Saw franchise and 2016’s The Belko Experiment, this psychological thriller will entertain while pushing you to the edge of your seat. Catch this flick when it hits cinemas February 21.

The Front Runner

Based on the scandalous events which inevitably led to the downfall of U.S Senator Gary Hart’s political career, The Front Runner (Feb 6) examines the rise of the potential 1988 presidential candidate and the backlash he received when media outlets exposed Hart’s dishonest actions. Jason Reitman (of Juno and Tully fame) takes the reins as director and puts his own cinematic twist on the events, employing some heavy star power by way of Hugh Jackman who takes on the role of Hart. With Vera Farmiga, J. K. Simmons and Alfred Molina rounding out the cast ensemble, this American political thriller is sure to be a hit.

Bingewatching

Tidying Up with Marie Kondo

Marie Kondo, founder of the KonMari method and all-round queen of tidying, drops the 411 on all you need to know about organising and tidying up as she visits families and assists them. While this may not possess a thrilling or high-octane plot, Kondo’s approach to what can be regarded as one of the most mundane things is insightful and informative and will have you de-cluttering and tidying in a jiffy!

Reading

Not Bad People – Brandy Scott

Being compared to novelist Liane Moriarty is a pretty neat feat and is well deserved for Kiwi journo Brandy Scott whose debut novel Not Bad People has taken the literary world by storm. The compelling novel follows the premise of three best friends whose one seemingly harmless action results in tragedy and leads to the unravelling of a history of past resentments, dark secrets and haunting lies.

Listening

Julia Jacklin – Crushing

She’s come a long way since the days of singing in bands solely dedicated to covering Avril Lavigne and Evanescence songs, and now Australian native Julia Jacklin is tapped to release her album Crushing on February 22. Her first two singles ‘Pool Party’ and ‘Coming of Age’ put her on the muso map and even got her singled out for kudos by Rolling Stone Australia which tipped her as a “Future Is Now” artist – the 28-year-old has even lent her vocals to local lad Marlon Williams on his extensive tour. Keep an ear out for the dreamy indie pop and confessional alt-country tunes of this star-on-the-rise. She’s sure to crush it with this upcoming release.

Playlist

Mild Orange – ‘Stranger’ Foreplay | Ocean Alley – ‘Confidence’ Chiaroscuro | Bon Iver – ‘Skinny Love’ For Emma, Forever Ago | Sticky Fingers – ‘How To Fly’ Caress Your Soul | Tkay Maidza – ‘White Rose’ Last Year Was Weird (Vol. 1)