OLIVIA J. BENNETT

Hello! I’m an arts writer, researcher and critic based in Brisbane, Australia.

I've reviewed and written about art, film, music, and digital culture in Australian and international publications. I’ve also played a pivotal role in the programming, digital production, and successful delivery of numerous projects within Australia’s film and music industry.

I'm fascinated by how global trends intertwine with personal stories, revealing the impact of cultural issues on our daily lives. In my work, I prefer to experiment with non-linear storytelling, multiple perspectives, and mixed media to capture the intricacy of modern cultural tensions.

I’ve been honoured to participate in Gertrude Contemporary’s Emerging Writers Program and the Melbourne International Film Festival’s Critics Campus.

I'm also a freelance copywriter, content writer, and strategist whose work is driven by principles of complexity and interconnectedness.

With five years of freelancing, three years in agency environments, and two years navigating Melbourne's strictest COVID-19 lockdowns, I've faced real tests of resilience and adaptability in my career. This experience has enriched my ability to develop copywriting, content, and strategy for various sectors, including tech, health, lifestyle, retail, design, construction, hospitality and (of course) the arts.

I completed a Bachelor of Art History and Curating at Monash University, majoring in Film Studies. For my BA Honours thesis in Screen and Cultural Studies at Melbourne University, I argued that the documentary films of Harvard University’s Sensory Ethnography Lab are hyperobjects. Applying Timothy Morton’s concept through poetics, I explored their capacity to provoke a transgressive experience of ecological thought and feeling.

On a personal note, I'm on track to pass the DELF B2 French exam in 2025, and I am currently working on launching new business ventures that will further leverage my expertise and passions.

Souhaitez-moi bonne chance!

SHINING GIRLS

Apple TV+

Written by Olivia J. Bennett
Edited by Claire Cao
Published in print by The Big Issue AU
Issue #660 | 29 April 2022

1/2

Elisabeth Moss returns to her old tricks, playing a strong-willed woman subverting male narratives inside an uncanny revision of reality. In Shining Girls, she plays Kirby Mazarachi, a journalist haunted by a brutal attack. Since the incident, she struggles to grapple with a butterfly-affected reality, driven by a determination to catch her serial perp (Jamie Bell, Billy Elliot). The script presents a lazy take on the memory loss that often accompanies survivors of abuse. Despite Moss’ success in similar roles (The Handmaid’s Tale, The Invisible Man), her take on this trope struggles to hold. Her past performances leave this thickly laden, fantastical feminist allegory feeling done before, as most of the series drags its feet, before making an unexpected drop into a hollow ending. Tired of seeing symptoms of trauma being used as thrilling, mind-bending narrative devices? It feels as though Moss is, too. Despite her award-winning dissociative stare and reserved speech, these traits feel far too methodical and forced here.