We round up three great films, reads, shows to bingewatch, new albums to treat your ears to and a couple of decent podcasts to enlighten.

Watching

Nick Paris from Lumière Cinemas reviews some of the best from the current crop of cinema releases:

Rams In this rural Australian comedy-drama, feuding brothers Colin (Sam Neill) and Les (Michael Caton) are raising separate flocks of sheep descended from a breed passed down through their family for generations. When Les’s prize ram is diagnosed with a rare and lethal illness, authorities order a purge of every sheep in the valley. Hot-headed Les opts for angry defiance, while introverted Colin takes the subtler approach: hiding all the sheep he can fit in his farmhouse.

It Must Be Heaven Elia Suleiman’s It Must Be Heaven is both a comedic and melancholy contemplation of his place in the world and the Palestinian identity. The film stars its director as himself, never speaking a word as he observes the everyday oddities around him, every place he goes inevitably carrying some reminder of home. With unease and lightheartedness going hand-in-hand, this is a silent film full of comedy, absurdity and depth of thought about the state of the world.

End of the Century Ocho (Juan Barberini), an Argentine poet on holiday in Barcelona, spots Javi (Ramón Pujol) from his apartment balcony, sparking fantasies of holiday romance. After a passionate hook up, it transpires they have met before, and what seemed like a one-time encounter becomes an epic, decades-spanning relationship. This rule-breaking love story bends perception of time and explores deep human connection.

Reading

A Gentleman in Moscow, Amor Towles In 1922, Count Alexander Rostov faces a Bolshevik tribunal, which deems him an unrepentant aristocrat and sentences him to house arrest in Moscow’s Metropol Hotel. Meanwhile, some of the most tumultuous decades in Russian history unfold beyond the hotel’s doors. Told with indomitable humour and sophistication, this is an all-too relevant read in the year of quarantine.

The Girl From Revolution Road, Ghazaleh Golbakhsh This collection of essays is a powerful perspective on double identity from a first-generation Iranian in New Zealand. Some stories will have you laughing, such as tales of dating in the time of Corona, while others – including from Ghazaleh’s childhood in Iran – are more sombre, but all reflect an important viewpoint on homeland, ethnicity and belonging.

The Art of Simple, Eleanor Ozich With practical ideas for decluttering, making your own natural beauty products and household cleaners, and a few recipes for nourishing meals, this
is a book for anyone looking to simplify life. Eleanor leads by example after deciding to bring her busy life down a notch. Pick up a copy, settle in a sunny spot and enjoy some quality tips on how to pare life back and cherish the simple pleasures.

Listening

Split Enz – True Colours (40th anniversary edition) Kiwi music icons Split Enz’s most successful album ever is turning 40 this year, and to celebrate this spring chicken, the group are releasing an expanded new mix on CD and four special edition coloured vinyls. Keyboardist Eddie Rayner remixed the original stereo masters to create a bigger, better auditory experience. The music is still well-loved around New Zealand, with the album once again finding itself at the top of the charts after its re-release.

Taylor Swift – folklore A surprise album written and recorded during quarantine and released less than 24 hours after it was announced, folklore takes a left turn from Taylor’s usual style. With thoughtful storytelling perspectives and acoustic, folksy arrangements, this is a creative, heartfelt record that avid Swifties and the uninitiated have been snapping up.

Gorillaz – Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez Gorillaz were doing the virtual thing long before it became our way of life. Song Machine is an audiovisual music ‘series’ project of singles and music videos across genres from punk rock to electronic, with surprise guests on every ‘episode’. It taps into social media buzz with little to no notice before each episode is dropped, requiring fans to subscribe to catch each new release, or hear about it through word of mouth.

Bingewatching

The Boys We know superheroes to be the good guys: self-sacrificing, honourable, and, well, heroic. But who would step in if they started going rogue? Kiwi stars Karl Urban and Antony Starr play a ruthless vigilante and a superpowered psycho in this irreverent take on superheroes using their powers to serve themselves. Watch on Amazon Prime Video.

Away “I have a husband who is critical, a daughter who thinks I abandoned her and a crew who think I tried to kill them.” Hilary Swank plays the commander of the first crewed mission to Mars in this odyssey of a series about hope, humanity and needing each other. Watch on Netflix.

The Morning Show We binged this newsroom drama way too quickly, but good news is on the horizon: Season 2 drops in November. The Morning Show explores power dynamics between women and men in the high-pressure environment of morning news, headed by Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston. Watch on Apple TV+

Podcasts

Rabbit Hole A dive into the internet itself. What is online life doing to us? How is it changing us? The New York Times tech columnist Kevin Roose talks internet communities, conspiracies and celebrities, delving into the subtle ways online systems affect us and our behaviour.

Design Matters Graphic designer, author and educator Debbie Millman talks to a wide range of incredibly creative people, from actors to writers, chefs to musicians, about their projects, inspiration, failures and triumphs, creative culture, and the artistic expression everywhere in your life.