Dr Luke Buckmaster
@lukebuckmaster.bsky.social
Guardian Australia's film critic, chief critic of Flicks.com.au and "The VR Critic" (thevrcritic.com). PHD in virtual reality. Creator of Nicolas Cage fan site The Cage Gauge: https://www.flicks.com.au/cagegauge/
In the spirit of "best of" lists spurring conversation, I respond to Tarantino's picks for the top films so far this century. Black Hawk Down as #1? Really?!
Tarantino made a best-of-the-century film list. I made it better
Quentin Tarantino’s century-best list gets turned upside down in Luke Buckmaster’s lively, opinion-soaked re-rank guaranteed to provoke film-lover debate.
www.flicks.com.au
December 5, 2025 at 1:00 AM
In the spirit of "best of" lists spurring conversation, I respond to Tarantino's picks for the top films so far this century. Black Hawk Down as #1? Really?!
Gillian Anderson's new western, the second season of Fallout, Rowan Atkinson returns and more: here's my monthly column on the biggest titles soon to arrive on streaming
Fallout season 2, a new Knives Out and Taylor Swift’s End of an Era: what’s new to streaming in Australia in December
Plus the director’s cut of Picnic at Hanging Rock, Back to the Future turns 40 and Will Forte opens a tanning salon in Sydney
www.theguardian.com
December 4, 2025 at 9:30 PM
Gillian Anderson's new western, the second season of Fallout, Rowan Atkinson returns and more: here's my monthly column on the biggest titles soon to arrive on streaming
Thank you Queensland XR Hub for having me as a guest speaker at their annual Extended Reality conference in Brisbane. Being part of a creative medium in its infancy is a strangely thrilling time. The highs, the lows, the progress, the setbacks - it's all part of the excitement.
December 1, 2025 at 9:16 AM
Thank you Queensland XR Hub for having me as a guest speaker at their annual Extended Reality conference in Brisbane. Being part of a creative medium in its infancy is a strangely thrilling time. The highs, the lows, the progress, the setbacks - it's all part of the excitement.
In the lead-up to next year’s creature feature Primate, I celebrate Monkey Shines - an amazing, psychologically scorching evil monkey movie
Retrospective: Monkey Shines is still the greatest evil monkey movie
In the lead-up to next year’s creature feature Primate, we celebrate George Romero’s 1988 horror classic—the only evil monkey movie that truly earns its bananas.
www.flicks.com.au
November 27, 2025 at 10:44 PM
In the lead-up to next year’s creature feature Primate, I celebrate Monkey Shines - an amazing, psychologically scorching evil monkey movie
Rose Byrne detonates the screen in this blistering, darkly comic character study that grips like a vise. Me on the amazing If I Had Legs I'd Kick You
The brilliance of Rose Byrne in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Rose Byrne detonates the screen in this blistering, uneasy, darkly comic character study that grips like a vise and refuses to let go.
www.flicks.com.au
November 20, 2025 at 11:34 PM
Rose Byrne detonates the screen in this blistering, darkly comic character study that grips like a vise. Me on the amazing If I Had Legs I'd Kick You
A beautifully composed meditation on work, wonder, and lives that slip quietly through history’s cracks. My review of Netflix's superb drama Train Dreams
Train Dreams is one of the great films of 2025
Joel Edgerton has drawn widespread acclaim for his performance in Netflix’s beautifully composed meditation on work, wonder, and lives that slip quietly through history’s cracks.
www.flicks.com.au
November 17, 2025 at 6:05 AM
A beautifully composed meditation on work, wonder, and lives that slip quietly through history’s cracks. My review of Netflix's superb drama Train Dreams
Predator: Badlands turns franchise pulp into genuine worldbuilding, giving the franchise new moral terrain and unexpected softnesss. My review
Predator: Badlands is the right kind of worldbuilding
With Predator: Badlands, director Dan Trachtenberg turns franchise pulp into genuine worldbuilding—giving the franchise new moral terrain and unexpected softnesss.
www.flicks.com.au
November 12, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Predator: Badlands turns franchise pulp into genuine worldbuilding, giving the franchise new moral terrain and unexpected softnesss. My review
What if the end of the world felt…kind of lovely? My review of the genre-breaking new show from the creator of Breaking Bad
Pluribus rewrites the end of the world with a blissfully strange twist
What if the end of the world felt…kind of lovely? The new show from the creator of Breaking Bad creates a truly genre-breaking apocalypse.
www.flicks.com.au
November 11, 2025 at 9:19 AM
What if the end of the world felt…kind of lovely? My review of the genre-breaking new show from the creator of Breaking Bad
Netflix’s new drama dives into the messy events leading up to the assassination of U.S. President James A Garfield. With excellent performances and a cracking script, this ain’t a dry history lesson.
Death by Lightning is a wildly entertaining ride through historical chaos
Netflix’s four-part drama dives into the messy events leading up to the assassination of U.S. President James A Garfield. With excellent performances and a cracking script, his ain’t a dry history les...
www.flicks.com.au
November 7, 2025 at 12:14 AM
Netflix’s new drama dives into the messy events leading up to the assassination of U.S. President James A Garfield. With excellent performances and a cracking script, this ain’t a dry history lesson.
I revisit Keanu Reeves' most under-appreciated film: A Scanner Darkly. It's a visually unique sci-fi that makes a powerful message about the futility of the war on drugs
Why A Scanner Darkly is Keanu Reeves’ most underrated movie
With Keanu Reeves back on the big screen in Good Fortune, it’s the perfect time to revisit his most under-appreciated film: a mind-bending, visually unique sci-fi.
www.flicks.com.au
November 3, 2025 at 3:52 AM
I revisit Keanu Reeves' most under-appreciated film: A Scanner Darkly. It's a visually unique sci-fi that makes a powerful message about the futility of the war on drugs
My review of Deeper - an entertaining and quite well-made film about a team of cave divers exploring New Zealand’s Pearse Resurgence cave system
Deeper review – extreme cave diving documentary offers drama but lacks a little oomph
Following a group of divers – including Richard Harris, rescuer of the Thai schoolboys – this doco is interesting but not exactly visually stunning
www.theguardian.com
October 31, 2025 at 5:14 AM
My review of Deeper - an entertaining and quite well-made film about a team of cave divers exploring New Zealand’s Pearse Resurgence cave system
It says something about the eternal qualities of the late and great David Gulpilil that he continues to be at the centre of remarkable stories, even after his death. My review of Journey Home, David Gulpilil
Journey Home, David Gulpilil review – an elegant celebration of one of Australia’s great actors
This illuminating, buoyant documentary traces the 4,000km trip to return the legendary Yolŋu actor to remote East Arnhem Land
www.theguardian.com
October 29, 2025 at 9:45 PM
It says something about the eternal qualities of the late and great David Gulpilil that he continues to be at the centre of remarkable stories, even after his death. My review of Journey Home, David Gulpilil
Warwick Thornton's sequel to Sweet Country has pacing issues and an emotional throughline that never quite takes hold. My review of Wolfram - a minor work from a major talent
Wolfram review – Warwick Thornton’s sequel to Sweet Country never quite comes together
Set four years after Thornton’s blistering neo-western, this film is impressively atmospheric and has strong performances, though Deborah Mailman is criminally underused
www.theguardian.com
October 28, 2025 at 7:47 PM
Warwick Thornton's sequel to Sweet Country has pacing issues and an emotional throughline that never quite takes hold. My review of Wolfram - a minor work from a major talent
There's never been a documentary quite like The Perfect Neighbor, which uses police bodycam footage to explore how fear and racism fuel tragedy. My review
The Perfect Neighbor turns bodycam footage into a gut-punch documentary
Part true crime and part social study, Netflix’s hit documentary uses police bodycam footage to explore how fear and racism fuel tragedy.
www.flicks.com.au
October 23, 2025 at 3:52 AM
There's never been a documentary quite like The Perfect Neighbor, which uses police bodycam footage to explore how fear and racism fuel tragedy. My review
Reposted by Dr Luke Buckmaster
What a weird name for a dog. But sorry for their loss.
October 22, 2025 at 10:08 AM
What a weird name for a dog. But sorry for their loss.
After playing Star Wars: Beyond Victory, I’m convinced that a mixed reality racing game will one day come along and knock our socks off—but this one isn’t it
Star Wars: Beyond Victory review - flashes of ingenuity
After playing Star Wars: Beyond Victory, I’m convinced that a mixed reality racing game will one day come along and knock our socks off—but this one isn’t it. There are some lovely embellishments, inc...
www.thevrcritic.com
October 20, 2025 at 6:06 AM
After playing Star Wars: Beyond Victory, I’m convinced that a mixed reality racing game will one day come along and knock our socks off—but this one isn’t it
Netflix’s The Twits looks gloriously off-kilter—crooked, colourful, and cheeky. But the script swaps Roald Dahl’s delicious cruelty for something sweeter. My review
Netflix’s The twits plays tug-of-war between nasty and nice
Netflix’s The Twits looks gloriously off-kilter—crooked, colourful, and cheeky. But the script swaps Roald Dahl’s delicious cruelty for something sweeter.
www.flicks.com.au
October 18, 2025 at 6:40 AM
Netflix’s The Twits looks gloriously off-kilter—crooked, colourful, and cheeky. But the script swaps Roald Dahl’s delicious cruelty for something sweeter. My review
Reposted by Dr Luke Buckmaster
While this bumpily plotted ride is far from a masterpiece - with a couple of scenes (including a soapy epilogue) deserving of immediate deletion - it’s got fun ideas and several surprises, says @lukebuckmaster.bsky.social
How Tron: Ares reimagines the Tron universe
Tron: Ares reinvents the iconic science fiction franchise, bringing its burningly bright virtual world crashing into ours. There are some surprises – and lots of “look, shiny!”
go.weareflicks.co
October 15, 2025 at 1:48 AM
While this bumpily plotted ride is far from a masterpiece - with a couple of scenes (including a soapy epilogue) deserving of immediate deletion - it’s got fun ideas and several surprises, says @lukebuckmaster.bsky.social
The question at the heart of this four-part series is problematically vague; no nation can be reduced to a single unifying idea. My thoughts on The Idea of Australia
The Idea of Australia review – an ambitious but overstuffed series that will make you shout ‘slow down!’
Marcia Langton, Bruce Pascoe, Grace Tame and Kerry O’Brien are among more than 60 names wrestling with the national identity in this frenetic SBS series, presented by Rachel Griffiths
www.theguardian.com
October 14, 2025 at 9:54 PM
The question at the heart of this four-part series is problematically vague; no nation can be reduced to a single unifying idea. My thoughts on The Idea of Australia
Handsome cinematography and beautiful landscapes can’t revive this dreary film – and where on earth is Richard Roxburgh’s accent from? My review of the NZ zombie movie Forgive Us All
Forgive Us All review – a dead-boring zombie film? That’s unforgivable
Handsome cinematography and New Zealand landscapes can’t revive this dreary movie – and where on earth is Richard Roxburgh’s accent from?
www.theguardian.com
October 14, 2025 at 9:39 AM
Handsome cinematography and beautiful landscapes can’t revive this dreary film – and where on earth is Richard Roxburgh’s accent from? My review of the NZ zombie movie Forgive Us All
It's rare to have this many cracking action movies premiering in the same month. Here's five adrenaline-charged new releases - from fiery rescues to criminal capers and nuclear terror.
October is a cracking month for action movies
Action movie lovers, rejoice! This month a handful of adrenaline-charged movies light up our screens—from fiery rescues to criminal capers and wartime terror.
www.flicks.com.au
October 11, 2025 at 3:58 AM
It's rare to have this many cracking action movies premiering in the same month. Here's five adrenaline-charged new releases - from fiery rescues to criminal capers and nuclear terror.
The new film from veteran director Bruce Beresford feels old-fashioned and simplistic, and while it’s told from the heart, sentiment smothers the story. My review of The Travellers
The Travellers review – sentiment smothers Bruce Beresford’s heartfelt film
Bryan Brown, Luke Bracey and Susie Porter give great performances in this story about a theatre-maker returning home to Australia from Europe to farewell his dying mother
www.theguardian.com
October 8, 2025 at 9:14 PM
The new film from veteran director Bruce Beresford feels old-fashioned and simplistic, and while it’s told from the heart, sentiment smothers the story. My review of The Travellers
The “school of hard knocks” drama must deliver students in need of help; a more interesting question is what to do with the teachers. Me on Netflix's excellent new film Steve
Netflix drama Steve breathes new life into the ‘school of hard knocks’ genre
Cillian Murphy burns slow and bright in Steve, a bruising but cathartic portrait of care, chaos, and collapse inside an English reform school—now streaming on Netflix.
www.flicks.com.au
October 8, 2025 at 6:08 AM
The “school of hard knocks” drama must deliver students in need of help; a more interesting question is what to do with the teachers. Me on Netflix's excellent new film Steve
Matthew McConaughey plays a school bus driver barrelling through hell-on-earth wildfire in The Lost Bus, a pulse-pounding disaster movie from director Paul Greengrass. Here's my review
The Lost Bus is a terrifyingly immersive disaster movie
Matthew McConaughey steers through an inferno in this pulse-pounding film, which showcases the intense, famously restless style of director Paul Greengrass.
www.flicks.com.au
October 3, 2025 at 6:27 AM
Matthew McConaughey plays a school bus driver barrelling through hell-on-earth wildfire in The Lost Bus, a pulse-pounding disaster movie from director Paul Greengrass. Here's my review
Mark Wahlberg sneaks, shoots, and connives in Shane Black’s twisty new heist thriller—an action flick that thrives on flipping expectations. My review
Play Dirty is exactly what you want from a Shane Black action movie
Mark Wahlberg sneaks, shoots, and connives in Shane Black’s twisty new heist thriller—an action flick that thrives on flipping expectations.
www.flicks.com.au
October 1, 2025 at 5:22 AM
Mark Wahlberg sneaks, shoots, and connives in Shane Black’s twisty new heist thriller—an action flick that thrives on flipping expectations. My review