Strange Planet review

Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

With her shoestring debut Love And Other Catastrophes, Aussie writer/director Emma-Kate Croghan launched her career and, in part, that of the wonderful Frances O'Connor (Mansfield Park).

Croghan's follow-up, Strange Planet - - a kind of upbeat, Down Under This Life - - is a model of progress and maturity. Not only has Croghan's interest moved from university students to twentysomething professionals, but her much-expanded budget is right up there on the screen, in a depiction of Sydney which is vibrant and evocative.

The story follows a year in the messy love lives of two groups of friends, one male, one female, leading to the moment when, as we well know, they are all destined to meet. Strange Planet may not be particularly profound, but a bittersweet script and a cast of attractive young stars, aided by the classy Hugo Weaving, make it highly watchable.

The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine.