Given the ambition he showed with his Mad Max-meets-Dawn of the Dead B-grade genre piece Wyrmwood (and its respective sequel), it makes sense that Australian director Kiah Roache-Turner would continue his genre mash-ups for his follow-up.  What proves surprising, however, is that for Sting, an ode to the creature feature (and, fittingly, Australia’s fear of the venomous arthropods), he’s blended such a mentality with a family drama, resulting in an occasionally unbalanced, but no less enjoyably camp horror effort that backs its gross effects with some emotional heft.

At the centre of the eventual lunacy is Charlotte (Alyla Browne, recently seen in George Miller’s Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga as the younger iteration of the titular character) – and yes, that name is suitably on the nose given the actions that take place – an artist-in-waiting who’s taken a particular shine to her stepfather, Ethan (Ryan Corr).  Just why their relationship is as important as it is is one of Roache-Turner’s emotional pivots throughout the brisk 91 minutes, but more pressing is her unorthodox “adoption” of a rogue spider she comes across one night as she sneaks through the vents of the New York-set apartment complex overseen by her wicked great-aunt, Gunter (Robyn Nevin, clearly enjoying herself as the archetypal human villain of the piece).

The opening credits clue us in that this spider is alien in nature, which explains why in a matter of hours it increases in size, and how it’s able to vocally mimic particular sounds it hears; Charlotte is all too excited to showcase Sting’s “feeding call” to inquisitive downstairs neighbour Erik (a wonderfully deadpan Danny Kim), who, in return, is rightfully concerned about just what type of species she has willingly let into her house.

As much as Erik warns Ethan and Heather (Penelope Mitchell), Charlotte’s mother, about this 8-legged-monster-in-waiting, we all know it will ultimately be for nought as we eagerly await the moment it outgrows its containment and proceeds to feed on whoever (or whatever) enters its path; note, for those that don’t respond well to the idea of animals hurting other animals, Sting doesn’t play well with others.

The final act of the film is suitably exciting and squirm-inducing as Sting terrorises Charlotte and her family, but Roache-Turner wisely peppers enough gory set-pieces throughout so that we aren’t simply waiting for the horrific conclusion.  Some of the family drama works in between (the dementia setting in for Charlotte’s grandmother, played by a delightful Noni Hazlehurst, is sweet), but there are a few too many moments that stall momentum, which could potentially see audiences check out.  This is a knowingly mindless horror feature and Charlotte’s fatherly woes won’t necessarily hold interest to those who want to see a giant spider crawl into a downstairs neighbour’s mouth and then bust out of their stomach; there’s a reason such an example is specific.

Ultimately the good outweighs the bad when it comes to Sting‘s temperament as a film, mainly due to how much fun it’s having, how heavy its winks are at the audience, and that Jermaine Fowler (who was most likely still hanging around our fair country following Ricky Stanicky‘s Melbourne wrap) adds suitable humour as a put-upon exterminator.  A little Evil Dead, a little Arachnophobia, and a lot of gooey, practical effects, Sting is Roache-Turner’s most accomplished film thus far.  And if this leap in quality between the zombies of Wyrmwood and the bite of this is indicative of his directorial trajectory, his turn as a genre mainstay is only increasingly going to prove more exciting with every shed of blood he gloriously unleashes on screen.

THREE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)

Sting is screening in Australian theatres from July 18th, 2024.

Sting was originally reviewed as part of last year’s Gold Coast Film Festival coverage.

Young Thug’s high-profile racketeering case will lose a key participant: the Atlanta judge who has presided over the trial since November.

Fulton County Superior Court Chief Judge Ural Glanville will no longer oversee the court proceedings in the RICO trial, a different Fulton County Superior Court judge ordered Monday, according to legal documents reviewed by The Times. Judge Rachel R. Krause said in an order filed Monday that the “‘necessity of preserving the public’s confidence in the judicial system’ weighs in favor” of excusing Glanville from the case, despite the court’s belief that he would continue “presiding fairly over this matter” if the motions were denied.

Glanville’s recusal comes weeks after defense lawyers for Young Thug and defendant Deamonte Kendrick, and attorney Kayla Bumpus, filed motions demanding that the judge remove himself from the case. The motions accused Glanville of holding an “improper” meeting with prosecutors and a prosecution witness, which did not include defendants and their attorneys.

In June, Glanville met with prosecution witness Kenneth Copeland and his attorneys. Bumpus previously represented Copeland but he relieved her of duties during his testimony on June 11. The June 10 meeting swiftly became a point of tension in the already stop-and-go trial.

Brian Steel, the defense attorney for Young Thug (real name Jeffrey Williams), accused Glanville of holding the alleged secret meeting but did not disclose how he knew about the gathering. As a result, Glanville found Steel in criminal contempt of court and sentenced him to spend 10 weekends in Fulton County Jail — though Steel was quickly cleared of the sentence.

Glanville said in a hearing earlier this month that he would release the transcript of the June 10 meeting. He also said that he would cancel a then-upcoming hearing “indefinitely” and would send the motions demanding his recusal to another judge.

“So this written order is entered, I will enter the order transferring it. Until such time that those things are decided, then we’ll be in recess until that time,” Glanville said at the time.

The case will be reassigned, according to the order, potentially posing yet another delay in the months-long trial. Young Thug’s racketeering trial began with opening statements in November, a year after Georgia officials accused the rapper in a sweeping 2022 indictment of being a founding member of the Atlanta criminal gang Young Slime Life, or YSL.

A FAMILY AFFAIR is romantic comedy on Netflix. It stars Zac Efron, Nicole Kidman and Joey King. King plays Zara, an assistant to uber-famous action star Chris Cole. Chris meets Zara’s mother, Brooke, and they start seeing each other. This upsets Zara, who knows about Chris’ playboy past. After a fight with Zara, Chris and Brooke secretly see each other. Zara is furious when she finds out and eventually calls out Chris for his playboy ways. However, once Zara discovers Chris has been in love with her mom all along, she devises a plan to patch things up.

A FAMILY AFFAIR is a bit predictable and promotes the idea that personal happiness is all that matters. However, quality acting and a positive message about the importance of family deliver a fun viewing experience for romcom fans. The movie also rebukes self-centeredness and features a redemptive solution to the differences between Zara and her mother. Efron, Kidman and King deliver appealing performances. However, A FAMILY AFFAIR is marred by too much foul language and a casual attitude about premarital sex. MOVIEGUIDE® advises extreme caution.

(RoRo, B, C, Ho, LLL, S, N, AA, M):

Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements:

Strong Romantic worldview where characters justify their actions because they make them happy and are advised to do what makes them happy, mitigated by some moral, redemptive content including a mother reconciling with her daughter, a positive view of marriage, a positive reference to Heaven, references to love, and, although the daughter is selfish throughout the whole movie, she’s eventually chastised for her self-centeredness by her best friend, which causes her to repent and apologize, plus there’s a positive reference to LGBT relationships;

Foul Language:

28 obscenities (including three “f” words, and many “b” words), 11 instances of profanities using the word God, 3 light profanities, and some obscene jesters of the main character flipping people off;

Violence:

Multiple instances of verbal arguments, but no physical orb actual violence;

Sex:

Two implied fornication scenes (one with upper male nudity and a bare female back) plus one positive reference to LGBT relationships.;

Nudity:

Four instances of upper male nudity, one scene of a woman’s bare back, and a brief shot of a woman in underwear and a bra;

Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse:

Some social drinking and two instances of drunkenness leading to sex;

Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse:

No smoking or drug use; and,

Miscellaneous Immorality:

Self-centered and conceited characters rarely consider how their actions impact others, but eventually rebuked, and characters sometimes wonder if they can say something because of the political correctness and cancel culture around them.

The romantic comedy A FAMILY AFFAIR is among Netflix’s biggest summer movies. It stars Zac Efron, Nicole Kidman and rising star Joey King. King plays Zara, an assistant to uber-famous action star Chris Cole. Chris has taken Zara for granted, however. As he does everyone else in his life. Zara took the job as a stepping stone in Hollywood but has realized Chris has no intention of advancing her career.

After a heated fight with Chris over the stupidity of an upcoming role, Zara resigns to continue pursuing her dream of becoming a big-name producer. Zara initially hides this life change from her mother, Brooke, with whom she lives. She eventually confides in her mother that she quit because the assistant position felt like a dead-end job.

The next day, Chris realizes his mistake. He visits Zara’s house to apologize for his oversight and offer her advancement toward production roles. However, when he shows up at Zara’s house, she’s out running errands. Instead, he’s greeted by Brooke, who invites him to wait inside.

After a couple drinks and some light banter, they start making out and eventually bring things to the bedroom, where Zara finds them only minutes later. Appalled by what she sees, and aware of Chris’s playboy reputation, Zara forbids them from seeing each other again. That night, she sleeps over at a friend’s house.

A few days later, Chris contacts Brooke, asking her to dinner to discuss what happened. Brooke eventually accepts the invitation. The dinner begins with talk of staying “just friends,” but they decide to pursue romance instead, turning the dinner into a date. They visit Chris’s favorite places, before getting drunk and sleeping together for a second time.

Chris and Brooke keep their relationship a secret from Zara. However, Zara’s suspicions that they’re still seeing each other are confirmed when she catches them at a charity event together. Zara blows up again about the relationship, especially the fact her mother kept it a secret from her. Chris has had dozens of women before her mother. So, Zara begs her mother to stop seeing Chris, who she believes is just using her mother.

Zara spends multiple nights at a friend’s house before traveling to her grandmother’s home for Christmas. There, she sees her mother for the first time since their last fight. Before Zara arrives, however, her grandmother asks Brooke to invite Chris to Christmas to meet him and get a sense of his character.

The holiday progresses smoothly, and Zara starts to support the relationship. However, she discovers diamond earrings in Chris’s bag while they pack to leave. These earrings are a parting gift Chris has given to all his previous girlfriends. Seeing through his façade, Zara realizes Chris is treating Brooke just like he treated the other women before her. Furious, Zara exposes Chris in front of her mother, who promptly asks him to leave.

After a lonely New Year’s Eve spent by all the characters, Chris meets with Zara and confesses to using Brooke like his past girlfriends. He admits he considered dumping her mother. However, he assures Zara he really loves Brooke. He insists the earrings were intended to be a Christmas gift, not a precursor to dumping her. Convinced of his sincerity, Zara devises a plan to reunite the couple.

A FAMILY AFFAIR is a clichéd romantic comedy that doesn’t innovate within the genre often promotes a Romantic worldview that prioritizes personal happiness above everything else. Despite its predictable plot, the movie imparts lessons on self-centeredness and features a redemptive storyline centered on the relationship between a mother and daughter, adding moral depth to the viewing experience.

Efron, Kidman, and King all deliver quality acting performances. Though the plot is unrealistic and predictable, A FAMILY AFFAIR offers an enjoyable viewing experience for fans of lighthearted romance comedy.

Excessive foul language and two implied fornication scenes are the largest drawback in A FAMILY AFFAIR. The foul language includes three “f” words and some strong profanities. So, MOVIEGUIDE® advises extreme caution.