Sometimes we get to the other side of December – full of holiday parties and end-of-year social gatherings – and decide we simply need to spend some time alone. And that downtime is often spent in the company of our favourite books, podcasts, films and TV shows. Well, at least they are at RUSSH. We've been powering through all the best films during awards season and now that the 2026 Oscar nominations are in.
We're listening to Amy Poehler's Golden Globe-winning podcast, and reading Emily Bronte's epic Wuthering Heights ahead of the upcoming premiere too. So for all the RUSSH team recommendations for what to watch, listen to and read in the month of January, read on...
Cassandra Dimitroff
Features and Production Editor
Watch … I headed to The Ritz for a Saturday night showing of Marty Supreme, which was as epic and high-octane and hilarious as I had hoped. I also saw Hamnet, which did weeks of emotional damage but I cannot stop thinking about how beautiful it was. I might even pick up a copy of Agata Grzybowska’s Even as a Shadow, Even as a Dream, who was on-set documenting the making of.
Listen … I’ve been listening to a lot of Cameron Winter ahead of his Sydney Opera House show this month, and Geese, Benee, Wet Leg and Lucy Dacus ahead of their shows at Laneway. I’ve also started listening to Mark William Lewis – the first artist to be signed to A24’s record label.
Read … Wuthering Heights – of course. It’s been a while since I dove into the classics and Emily Brontë did not disappoint. I was completely enamoured by her prose. I also devoured Lily King’s Heart the Lover on a plane ride to Brisbane, and – finally – the first of Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Quartet: My Brilliant Friend (so moreish and captivating). I’m now about half-way through Nicola Barker’s biting satire TonyInterrupter.
Alys Hale
Music Editor and Creative Producer
Watch… Much like Cassie, I recently saw Hamnet and was absolutely blown away. As a huge Shakespeare fan, my best friends got me tickets to the outdoor cinema and even though some incredibly rude people were blasting terrible music from their yacht, the film prevailed regardless. Whilst Mescal didn’t really seem like the bard to me, Buckley’s performance was incredible.
Listen… Obviously we are all in Laneway prep so most of the artists on the bill have been on rotation. I’ve also been curating some playlists for people and delving into Yamatsuki, K. Yoshimatsu and Soshi Takeda.
Read… I love to read cookbooks to relax when I don’t have the capacity for a novel and found a copy of Maggie’s Farm by Maggie Beer in Vinnies from the early 90s and it's actually fabulous.
Sophia Serafin
Implementation Manager
Watch … Industry season four. For those not playing along, it’s a UK-based drama created by two former investment bankers. It drops you straight into the gritty finance scene, alongside the complicated personal lives of its characters. Industry carries parallels to Succession, Euphoria, and Skins - chaotic, dark and addictive. You may even find yourself warming to the finance lingo. I’ve also just subscribed to MUBI - a streaming service curated by true film lovers - and am very much looking forward to upcoming movie nights.
Listen … I’ve been loving the Good Hang podcast with Amy Poehler. The interview format feels unexpected, and you can gauge that guests are genuinely engaged by the conversations. I loved the episode with Rachel Sennott.
Read … My reading list is long, but lately I’ve been drawn to novels that ask existential questions. I recently finished Your Friend and Mine by Jessica Dettmann, set between Sydney and London, which explores communication across diverse relationships, and the ways time can shape, stretch or limit what we value.Currently I'm reading Expectation by Anna Hope – one for the fans of Miranda July and Lisa Taddeo. It sits with the internal questions we often try to suppress, or would rather not say out loud, while tracing three females over a long-term period.
Koby Dulac-Daley
Fashion Assistant
Watch … In January was tuning into Heated Rivalry as the rest of the population was. I also would put on an episode of The Nanny for some great fashions while cooking dinner.
Listen … in preparation for Laneway, Wet Leg, Role Model, Chapell where on high rotation. Lorde was on repeat the whole month. Of course also our newly crowned best new artist Olivia Dean was a constant as always, loved her for many years and so glad she is finally getting her flowers.
Read … January is always a little crazy making up for lost time over the holiday break so not much reading was happening but when I did have a free moment my reading consisted of some international magazines and runway reviews from Haute Couture Week and Men's Fashion Week.
Stacey Gaskin
Consumer Revenue Manager
Watch … The Grammys, Bridgerton Season 4, and a plan to see Marty Supreme at my local cinema.
Listen … A lot of Sombr this month, as well as ROLE MODEL and Kehlani.
Read … on my TBR for February I have The Elsewhere Express by Samantha Sotto Yambao, Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth, My Husband's Wife by Alice Feeney and The Last Bear by Hannah Gold.
Samantha Corry
Social Media Coordinator & Assistant to Editor in Chief
I have seen some incredible films this month. Of course, I’ve seen all the Oscar nominated ones like Marty Supreme, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, People We Meet on Vacation. And all of these movies were either 4/5 or 5/5 for me. And like everyone I'm sure, I am so excited to see Wuthering Heights next week.
Listen … I have been re-listening to Rex Orange County, his music is just like honey, I can’t get enough. Also Madonna’s Like A Prayed (IYKYK) and of course the Laneway Festival 2026 playlist ahead of Sydney’s date.
Read … Cass and I were both reading Wuthering Heights ahead of the film premiere, and I absolutely loved it. Classic novels were my first love with reading, and it’s been a minute since I read one, so I’ve fallen in love all over again and need another one for my next book.
