Welcome to the Film Pie! Brisbane based film critic Matt Toomey has reviewed thousands of movies since 1996. See what's out now, or browse the review archive.

Mini Reviews

Raw (out Apr 20) is a wonderfully messed up French horror film about a vegetarian teenager who develops a love for human flesh during her first year at college. Some scenes are "hard to stomach" which makes it all the better. Grade: A-.

Table 19 (out Apr 20) is a comedy about a group of "randoms" seated in the far corner table at a wedding reception. They open up about their respective backgrounds and problems. There’s a lot of talk at Table 19 but there weren’t many laughs in Cinema 4. Grade: C.

Going in Style (out Apr 20) is an uninspired, unfunny comedy about three 70-something-year-old guys who plan on robbing a bank to pay for their retirement. None of the characters demonstrate any intelligence and it looks like they wrote the script as they went along. Grade: C.

Their Finest (out Apr 20) is a fictitious WWII comedy-drama about a young Welsh woman (Gemma Arterton) who finds herself making propaganda films to help lift the spirit of the British public. I was disappointed by the final act but this is still a likeable crowd-pleaser that offers drama, comedy and romance. Grade: B.

Berlin Syndrome (out Apr 20) is based on the novel by Melanie Joosten and is about young Australian woman living in Germany who is abducted and kept captive by a sinister man. I wasn't 100% sold by the finale but it's a tense thriller in the lead up. It asks the question - "what would you do in the same situation?" Grade: B+.

The Country Doctor (out Apr 13) is an odd French drama about a sick doctor who is training an assistant. It meanders along and then culminates with a rushed finale that feels out of place. Grade: C+.

Frantz (out Apr 13) is the story of Frenchman who mysteriously befriends the widow of a German soldier just after World War I. Some scenes are quite moving but there are lulls in between where my interest waned. Grade: B.

CHIPS (out Apr 6) is based on the TV series from the late 1970s as is a standard, unadventurous comedy about two California Highway Patrol officers uncovering massive corruption within their ranks. There's chemistry between stars Michael Peña and Dax Shepard but most jokes are childish and not that funny. Grade: C+.

Colossal (out Apr 13) is creative but there's not enough material to justify the two hour length. It's about two troubled alcoholics (Anne Hathaway and Jason Sudeikis) who find themselves in control of two Godzilla-like monsters that are terrorising South Korea. Grade: B.

The Fate of the Furious (out Apr 13) is a mixed bag. There are some great action pieces, a fun cameo from Helen Mirren and a worthy villain in Charlize Theron. The story itself is very ho-hum though. We've seen in before and we'll see it again. I'm also growing tired of the "family" theme that is reiterated to the point of being annoying. Grade: B-.

Denial (out Apr 13) is a historical drama based on famous UK court case from the late 1990s. After criticising the works of a Holocaust denier, a U.S. professor (Rachel Weisz) finds herself on trial for libel in the UK. Those looking for insight into "fake news" and the inner workings of a major court case should find lots to take away from this. Grade: B+.