REVELATION PERTH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Running from the 4th to 17th July, the Revelation Perth International Film Festival is jam-packed full of Aussie exclusives, indie offerings and first-run films. Jump into our reviews below to explore the 2019 line-up.

THE WIND

A paranoid Western nightmare

Horror Westerns are incredibly hard to accomplish, and director Emma Tammi’s boldness and imagination makes ‘The Wind’ a spooky breath of fresh air.

A DOG CALLED MONEY

An uneven mix of music, imagery and poetry

An intriguing snapshot of PJ Harvey’s creative process, but little else. It's less of a portrait of an artist or a travelogue and more of an outline of the relationship between poetry and imagery

ALIEN

Ridley Scott's sci-fi masterpiece screams on 4K

On the surface, it's nothing more than a haunted house story set on a space ship, but B-movie concept is elevated by Ridley Scott’s classical hand, approaching the film like gothic horror.

BLACK '47

A bleak historical revenge Western

An exploration of a gruelling period in Irish history, the film toys with notions of ethics in an amoral world in the first portrayal of the Great Famine on the big screen.

CHILDREN OF THE SEA

Sunk by a soggy script

This film epitomises the risk that filmmakers take with adapting a long-running or ongoing manga - a vast amount of material has to be peeled back to the core essentials..

DRAGGED ACROSS CONCRETE

A hypnotically violent and excessive crime flick

Even at 160 minutes and with ample dialogue, it's not once tedious or dull. It's the 'Before Sunrise' of dirty cop films. Genuinely thrilling, ugly, bleak, brutal and vile in the best ways possible.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, COLIN BURSTEAD

A toxic family car crash

An entertaining - if not uncomfortable - film, this family has more secrets and infighting than an episode of 'Keeping up with the Kardashians', so sit back and watch the drama unfold.

HAIL SATAN?

A hell of a fascinating documentary

This is an unconventional community battling conformity and demanding separation of church and state. Set aside your preconceived notions of Satanism - it's a hell of an eye-opening experience.

KURSK

When tragedy and bureaucracy collide

Moments of suspense are abound but not abundant. This isn't a traditional "submarine movie", but the themes of bureaucratic interference and media manipulation are more relevant than ever today.

MILES DAVIS: BIRTH OF THE COOL

The man behind the jazz legend

By humanising a musical genius, we end up with an engrossing, hilarious, informative and heartbreaking look at the Miles Davis that music fans thought they knew.

THE RAFT

Smooth sailing

In its best moments, 'The Raft' strives in teaching us how simple it can be for our ambition to become our downfall.

ZOO

Toothless and shambling

It only takes one good and original zombie film to breathe new life into the genre that refuses to die and make us believe in the walking dead once more. ‘Zoo’ is not this film.

THE FINAL QUARTER

Tackling a shameful chapter in AFL history

The booing of Adam Goodes started after he took a stand on racism. The events depicted in ‘The Final Quarter’ should be regretted deeply, both for his sake and ours.

THE WEDDING GUEST

Cancelled due to boredom

It isn’t the worst thriller of all time, it’s just dull and uninspiring. If you need to be reminded of Dev Patel’s talents then it's fine, otherwise you might want to attend a different wedding.

TUMBBAD

Visually rich Hindi horror

As a unique historical fantasy film coming out of India, ‘Tumbbad’ is a triumph for the filmmakers and a high-point for Hindi horror cinema.

XY CHELSEA

An intimate look at a political activitist

An intimate look at the very complex identity of Chelsea Manning who did what she thought was the right thing in releasing classified documents to WikiLeaks, despite the dire consequences.

CARMINE STREET GUITARS

Heartfelt #GuitarPorn

The most enjoyable music documentary of the year. The genuine passion for guitars and music felt by all the participants in the film reverberates out of the screen and into the hearts of the audience.

MEMORY: THE ORIGINS OF ALIEN

Three Men and a Xenomorph

A comprehensive look at the three men who created 'Alien' and the influences which bled together into a masterpiece.

EXTRA ORDINARY

Just plain old ordinary

At its best, the film is alive with light humour and a clumsy romance. But it's too uneven - with a wonky tone, hit-and-miss jokes and annoying acting - to be anything more than merely ordinary.

CHAINED FOR LIFE

The aesthetics of acting

An amusing, cunningly structured meta-commentary on filmmaking and cinematic ideals of beauty, the film is also an inside joke with a generosity of heart and humour.