Mel Campbell

Mel Campbell is a freelance cultural critic and university lecturer who writes on film, TV, literature and media, with particular interests in history, costume, screen adaptations and futurism. Her first book was the nonfiction investigation Out of Shape: Debunking Myths about Fashion and Fit (2013), and she has co-written two romantic comedy novels with Anthony Morris: The Hot Guy (2017) and Nailed It (2019).

Mel Campbell's Latest Articles

Koala Man. Image: Disney+
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Koala Man on Disney+ is surreal, silly and splendid – review

You can watch this show and find some shrewd observations about masculinity, social status and Australian cringe ... or just…

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The Bear, Disney+ review: one of 2022's standout shows

The pace and physicality of screwball comedy meets the fraught, raw quality of documentary in this winning, mordant series.

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Heartbreak High, Netflix, review: showing respect, solidarity and consent

The reboot of the 1990s show offers way more than nostalgia – it's fresh and watchable, with characters who aren't…

News

The Serpent Queen review: a period piece that finds its feet in the occult

The Serpent Queen casts a spell on the well-worn period drama genre, but will the magic last?

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I Just Killed My Dad, Netflix review: how family violence flies under the radar

Documentary-maker Skye Borgman investigates the compelling case of teenager Anthony Templet and his father, Burt.

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Good Luck to You, Leo Grande: a sex work film that works

Emma Thompson and Daryl McCormack impress us, and each other, in this winning comedy-drama by Sophie Hyde.

Opinions & Analysis

Persuasion on Netflix isn't entirely bad – really

We are clearly watching Anne’s own telling of her story: her own fantasy of being a playful, adorkable rom-com heroine.

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Miriam Margolyes: Australia Unmasked – review

The new ABC series sees Margoyles travelling south and west through Australia with some profoundly moving moments.

Features

Barons, Surviving Summer – surfing makes waves on TV

Surfing in 2022 is not how it was in its laid-back heyday but these shows express beautifully the thrill a…

Poet Don Ashby in A still from abc TV People’s Republic of Mallacoota
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People’s Republic of Mallacoota review: beyond the Black Summer bushfires

The six-part ABC documentary follows the Victorian coastal town's efforts to recover following the bushfires of 2019 and 2020.

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