Wayne’s 4 X 2: Boy Swallows Universe, Kneecap and MORE!
Do you want something to watch but aren’t sure where to start?
2SER’s entertainment wizard, Wayne Massingham is back and he’s got you covered with his reviews of the latest and greatest in film, music and television.
It’s Wayne’s 4 by 2! 4 Reviews, 2 minutes each. Here’s what he had for us this morning:
Television: Boy Swallows Universe
Set in Brisbane, Boy Swallows Universe (2024) is a limited series about a working-class family trying to get through life, sometimes with the help of drugs. It is based off the book with the same name by Trent Dalton, published in 2018. The series was nominated for six Logies and won four of them, with Felix Cameron prospering in this breakthrough role as Eli Bell, the protagonist. It has a star-studded all Australian cast, with Simon Baker from The Mentalist (2008) and Sophie Wilde from Talk to Me (2022) in supporting roles.
Boy Swallows Universe is now available on Netflix. Watch the trailer here.
Film: Kneecap
Kneecap (2024) is an Irish film about the rise of the famous hip-hop group of the same name. It premiered at Sundance and was the first Irish film to do so. Rapping in their mother tongue, Kneecap became unconventional advocates for their native Irish language, inspiring others to learn the language whilst battling police and far-right establishments.
Now showing in cinemas, watch the trailer here.
Television: Physical
Australia’s own Rose Byrne portrays unfulfilled housewife Sheila D Rubin on her journey towards empowerment through aerobics in Physical (2021). Set in 1980s San Diego, Sheila creates an aerobics business whilst struggling to overcome her bulimia. Season three focuses on Sheila’s competition with Kelly Kilmartin where their both of their aerobics’ businesses struggle for the number one spot.
Physical is now available on Apple TV+. Watch the trailer here.
Album: Wild God by Nick Cave
The 18th studio album by Australia’s own Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds is laced with sombreness, but joy continues to shine through grief. Produced alongside Dirty Three member Warren Ellis, Wild God is described by Cave as “there’s no fucking around with this record. When it hits, it hits. It lifts you. It moves you. I love that about it”. Showcasing his vitality and spirit, the album moves out from the darker gloom encompassing Cave’s previous solo outings “Skeleton Tree “(2016) and “Ghosteen” (2019), and reunites with the Bad Seeds to deliver an experimental and joyous work that overcomes melancholy, and rocks out hard as it does.
Wild God by is out now. Check it out on Spotify.
