Dr Luke Buckmaster
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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/
My review of Bradley Cooper’s new film as a director. It's no rise-to-fame comedy story—rather a tender, sideways character study and relationship drama.
Is This Thing On? is not your average film about comedy
Bradley Cooper’s new film as a director is no rise-to-fame comedy story—it’s a tender, sideways character study and relationship drama.
www.flicks.com.au
February 10, 2026 at 6:16 AM
Critics have savaged this AI-generated series. But have they missed the bigger picture? My thoughts
Is Darren Aronofsky’s AI-generated drama On This Day…1776 innovative, or high-end slop?
Critics have torn Darren Aronofsky’s AI series to shreds—but in their haste to boo, they may be missing the bigger picture.
www.flicks.com.au
February 9, 2026 at 12:14 AM
New Scrubs, a delightful The Muppets special, a fresh take on Lord of the Flies and more - here's this month's biggest streaming titles, picked by yours truly
New Scrubs, Muppets and Lord of the Flies: what’s new to streaming in Australia in February
Plus Jurassic World Rebirth, Paul McCartney documentary Man on the Run, and a sharply observed dramedy about open marriages
www.theguardian.com
February 4, 2026 at 7:16 AM
February 2, 2026 at 7:18 PM
How do you create interesting drama themed around a dog park? ABC's new, pleasurably paced, emotionally engaging series pulled it off. My review
Dog Park review – this charming comedy lures you in with dogs – but you’ll stay for the humans
Marketed as a comedy, the show is more of a light-touch drama, and it manages to sketch a fractious depiction of love that many will relate to
www.theguardian.com
February 1, 2026 at 9:58 PM
Caught Stealing is the Darren Aronofsky film no-one's talking about. And it's pretty damn good. My thoughts 👇
Why’s no-one talking about Caught Stealing? This crime drama slaps
Somehow overlooked, Darren Aronofsky’s Caught Stealing is a lean, bruising crime ride that deserves to make more cultural noise.
www.flicks.com.au
January 28, 2026 at 7:24 AM
Come for the ping-pong, stay for the panic attack. Me on why Marty Supreme is an instant classic
Marty Supreme turns the tables on sports movies, serving pure cinematic adrenaline
Come for the ping-pong, stay for the panic attack. Timothée Chalamet’s latest film defies sports movie conventions and serves a hell of a spectacle.
www.flicks.com.au
January 23, 2026 at 2:35 AM
Remember The 'Burbs? Me on why this cult classic stands the test of time
The ‘Burbs retrospective: why this kooky suburban satire still sings
Joe Dante’s cult classic The ’Burbs exposes the dark comedy lurking beneath suburban calm—and with a new TV remake on the way, its paranoia feels more relevant than ever.
www.flicks.com.au
January 20, 2026 at 8:59 AM
Oh me oh my. No Other Choice sure is a weird (and very good) serial killer movie. Here's my review
No Other Choice is one of the strangest serial killer movies you’ll ever see
Great word-of-mouth surrounds the release of No Other Choice, a wickedly weird and darkly funny serial killer movie that defies expectations.
www.flicks.com.au
January 15, 2026 at 6:08 AM
"An observer from another galaxy would say that we know what’s causing climate change, but we’re not doing anything about it as a global civilisation."
The past three years were the world’s hottest on record
The world is likely to miss the Paris Agreement goals to limit global heating to between 1.5 and 2 degrees above the pre-industrial average, making climate adaptation and “net negative” policies incre...
www.theage.com.au
January 14, 2026 at 8:15 AM
My take on Nouvelle Vague: a super stylish, feel-good love letter to Jean-Luc Godard’s great film Breathless. Tres bien!
Nouvelle Vague and Breathless make an awesome double feature
Nouvelle Vague is a stylish, feel-good love letter to Jean-Luc Godard’s great film Breathless. Luke Buckmaster unpacks the perfect movie double bill.
www.flicks.com.au
January 13, 2026 at 2:56 AM
Netflix is great at pumping out documentaries that make you want to hold your nose and bemoan the state of humanity. Here's my take on the latest
Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story is Netflix’s latest true crime curio
Netflix delivers another jaw-dropping true-crime tale, unpacking the horrific story of Jodi Hildebrandt with some surprising restraint.
www.flicks.com.au
January 9, 2026 at 12:33 AM
In the present moment of post-truth, Trump-era America, this excellent documentary about legendary journo Seymour M. Hersh lands with alarming force. My review of Cover-Up
Cover-Up is a bracing reminder of why investigative journalism matters
Now on Netflix, Cover-Up explores the career of legendary reporter Seymour M. Hersh and the battles behind publishing uncomfortable truths.
www.flicks.com.au
January 7, 2026 at 2:49 AM
This biodrama about Australian tennis legend Evonne Goolagong Cawley is well above standard, rah-rah-rah, win-at-all-costs sports fare. My review
Goolagong review – ABC drama about Australian tennis legend is deeper than most sporting biopics
Newcomer Lila McGuire is outstanding as the former world No 1, her story unfolding over three well-paced, captivating and graceful episodes
www.theguardian.com
January 3, 2026 at 9:02 PM
Brooke Satchwell is the highlight of Dear Life, delivering a painfully good performance as a distraught widow. My review
Dear Life review – Brooke Satchwell hauntingly good in an otherwise clunky drama
Playing a grief-stricken woman who traces the organ recipients of her late fiance, the actor outshines the rest of this cloying Stan series
www.theguardian.com
January 2, 2026 at 5:31 AM
Phew! This year I wrote 149 film and TV critiques - about one every two and a half days - and launched the world’s largest collection of virtual reality reviews by a single person. I'll stop writing when I'm dead. Thank you to everyone who read my work, it's greatly appreciated. Happy New Year!
December 30, 2025 at 10:44 PM
From shark mayhem to porridge-making, here's the best Australian films from 2025. My annual list for the Guardian
The 10 best Australian films of 2025
Spanning shark mayhem, Nicolas Cage and porridge-making, here are film critic Luke Buckmaster’s 10 favourite Australian movies of the year
www.theguardian.com
December 25, 2025 at 10:27 PM
Is it just me, or are we less impressed by movie special effects than we used to be? Here's where the real creative upheavals are happening.
Do eye-watering special effects still impress like they used to?
James Cameron’s latest blockbuster dazzles with glossy spectacle, but the real revolutions and creative upheavals in motion picture technology are happening elsewhere, writes Luke Buckmaster.
www.flicks.com.au
December 24, 2025 at 12:54 AM
The new Amadeus TV series is unexpectedly excellent, with a roaring pace and sizzling performances. My review.
Amadeus is back – now a juiced-up, compulsively entertaining TV series
This compulsively watchable resurrection of Amadeus is sexy, loud, and gleefully irreverent, matching the classic film’s brilliance while blazing its own trail.
www.flicks.com.au
December 19, 2025 at 12:08 AM
The new Amadeus TV series is unexpectedly excellent, with a roaring pace and sizzling performances. My review.
Amadeus is back – now a juiced-up, compulsively entertaining TV series
This compulsively watchable resurrection of Amadeus is sexy, loud, and gleefully irreverent, matching the classic film’s brilliance while blazing its own trail.
www.flicks.com.au
December 19, 2025 at 12:06 AM
Best intro to a novel of all time? I love it so much it's framed and hung on my wall
December 16, 2025 at 7:06 AM
Mr Bean may be retired, but Rowan Atkinson’s signature brand of chaos survives in this fun new series. My take on Netflix's Man vs Baby
Rowan Atkinson brings Mr Bean-ish chaos to Man vs Baby
Mr Bean may be retired, but Rowan Atkinson’s signature brand of chaos survives in this fun new series—with awkward stunts, eyebrow gymnastics, and a baby turning his life upside down.
www.flicks.com.au
December 12, 2025 at 1:56 AM
Ranking Russell Crowe's best performances was no easy task. He has an amazing ability to strip difficult characters of baggage, and find what makes them human. Great oeuvre, great actor.
Russell Crowe’s 20 best roles – sorted!
With Nuremberg out in Australian cinemas, we cast an eye over Rusty’s eclectic, varied and downright impressive oeuvre. Are you not entertained?
www.theguardian.com
December 6, 2025 at 6:16 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?!
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