A world of film, music, and the arts

Welcome to TrumpNewsInternational's Film/Arts section. Discover the latest in movies, theatre, paintings, and music. We aim to keep you entertained with insightful coverage of artistic achievements from around the globe.

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Review: Jackass: Best and Last — A Painfully Funny Farewell

Jackass: Best and Last is exactly what fans have come to expect from Johnny Knoxville and his fearless crew: outrageous stunts, ridiculous challenges, and a willingness to endure extreme physical punishment for the sake of comedy. After more than two decades of pushing their bodies to the limit, the ageing pranksters are clearly aware that their reckless style of humour cannot continue forever — and this film feels like both a celebration of their legacy and a possible farewell.

The biggest strength of the movie is its understanding of what made Jackass special in the first place. Watching Knoxville, Steve-O, and the gang suffer through painful, absurd stunts remains strangely entertaining. Whether it’s brutal hits, shocking experiments, or unbelievably uncomfortable challenges, the group’s commitment to the joke is still impressive. However, there is also a sense of concern watching performers who have spent years risking their health for laughs. Their bravery is admirable, but viewers may find themselves wondering how much more punishment they can take.

The film may disappoint those looking only for a constant stream of brand-new chaos. A significant portion of the runtime revisits classic moments from the series and previous films. However, these highlights serve as a reminder of the incredible level of stupidity and creativity that defined Jackass. Old favourites still get some of the biggest reactions, proving that the group’s best work has aged surprisingly well.

The new material delivers some memorable moments, including Steve-O enduring a horrifying robotic prostate exam and Knoxville pulling off another dangerously committed stunt involving a fake escaped-convict disguise. These scenes capture the unique Jackass formula: disgusting, reckless, completely unnecessary — and somehow hilarious.

Ultimately, Jackass: Best and Last works because it doesn’t pretend to be anything more than what it is: a celebration of pain, friendship, and foolishness. It may not offer enough fresh insanity to match the shock of earlier entries, but it provides plenty of laughs and a fitting tribute to a group that turned self-inflicted suffering into an art form.

If this really is the end, it is a suitably ridiculous goodbye — painful, chaotic, and completely true to the spirit of Jackass.

Review: We Are Still Here: A Journey Through Afghanistan by Zahra Joya

Zahra Joya’s memoir We Are Still Here: A Journey Through Afghanistan is a deeply affecting account of courage, journalism, and survival under one of the most restrictive regimes in the world. Combining personal testimony with investigative reporting, Joya does more than tell her own story: she records the experiences of Afghan women whose voices have been systematically silenced.

Joya’s journey is remarkable because she built a career in a society where women have long faced barriers to education, employment, and public participation. Born in Afghanistan’s Bamiyan province, she grew up during years of conflict and witnessed the limitations placed on girls and women. Determined to challenge these restrictions, she became a journalist and founded Rukhshana Media in 2020, Afghanistan’s first news outlet led by women and focused primarily on reporting stories affecting Afghan women.

The memoir becomes most powerful when Joya describes the dramatic changes following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021. The new authorities quickly imposed severe restrictions on women, including limits on education, employment, movement, and participation in public life. Through personal experiences and interviews with other Afghan women, Joya shows how these policies transformed everyday existence into a struggle for dignity and freedom.

One of the book’s greatest strengths is its refusal to reduce Afghanistan’s story to political events alone. Joya focuses on individual lives: women who lose access to education, activists who fear arrest, journalists who risk their safety to report the truth, and families forced to make impossible choices. Her reporting reveals the human consequences behind international headlines.

The memoir is also an important record of the dangers faced by journalists in Afghanistan. Joya describes threats, uncertainty, and the emotional burden of reporting in an environment where speaking openly can carry serious consequences. Her escape from Afghanistan highlights the difficult choices faced by many activists and journalists who had to leave their homeland for their own safety.

At times, the book is painful to read because of the suffering it describes. Joya does not soften the reality of life under Taliban rule, but her writing also avoids presenting Afghan women only as victims. A central message of the memoir is resistance: women continue to study, work, organise, and tell their stories despite enormous pressure.

The memoir’s greatest achievement is giving visibility to people whose experiences are often ignored. It is both a personal account of exile and a historical document capturing a critical moment in Afghanistan’s modern history. While the subject matter is harrowing, the book is ultimately defined by determination rather than despair.

We Are Still Here is an essential read for anyone seeking to understand contemporary Afghanistan, the impact of authoritarian rule on women’s lives, and the importance of independent journalism. Zahra Joya’s memoir is not only a record of what has been lost but also a reminder of the voices that continue to demand recognition and justice.