Nostalgia is an incredibly powerful force, says streaming columnist NICK OVERALL.

Modern audiences can’t resist a series that winds back the clock a few decades, putting on show the sights and sounds of an entirely different era.

Combine nostalgia with horror and you get one potent concoction indeed.

That’s exactly what a new film called Late Night With the Devil has done, streaming on Netflix from October 18.

This one is directed by Australian filmmakers Colin and Cameron Cairnes and serves as a wickedly satirical look at late-night TV and the extreme lengths some will go to chase fame.

It takes place in 1977 on the set of a popular entertainment program during Halloween. The props, music, costumes, even the grainy camera work, are all designed to replicate the feeling of watching a late-night show on the small screen from 50 years ago.

“The live television event that shocked a nation!”, the film’s wryly retro poster reads.

David Dastmalchian, who viewers might have seen before in The Dark Knight and Prisoners, plays the show’s charismatically creepy host Jack Delroy.

In a bid to boost ratings, Delroy invites a girl who some say is “possessed” on to his program as a guest. It’s from there that things spiral into insanity.

Entirely original, Late Night With the Devil is one of the most unusual horror offerings out there on streaming.

In an era where these movies are pumped out by the truckload, to see one do something this bold and succeed is a treat, even better that it comes from two brothers here in Australia.

Those looking for a special scare this Halloween are sorted.

STAYING on the topic of Aussie talent, Disney Plus has just launched a new series created and filmed down under.

It’s called Last Days of the Space Age and coincidentally, it’s also set in the ’70s.

The drama series takes place in and around Perth and follows the daily lives of a dozen characters as the social and political fabric of the world rapidly changes around them.

Among the ensemble are Judy and Tony, a couple who both work at a local power plant they are striking against.

Their daughter Tilly has aspirations to be one of the first female astronauts, despite society telling her to focus on finding a husband.

Then there’s Jono, the eldest brother of a Vietnamese family who immigrated to Australia and who is trying to carve out a life on the meagre profits from a food truck.

Last Days of the Space Age is trying to capture a moment in Australian life by touching on as many social issues as possible through as many characters as it can muster up.

Perhaps the most notable appearance here is from Scottish actor Iain Glen, a star of Game of Thrones.

There’s plenty of Australian talent on display though, including Jesse Spencer, famous for his roles in House and Chicago Fire, and Radha Mitchell, who kick-started her career on Neighbours.

Last Days of the Space Age walks a fine line between period drama and soap opera, a misty-eyed look back at the end of an era with social commentary that occasionally hits its target.

Performances from its main cast do help the series stay afloat and for Australian viewers, this look at a different era might be enough to keep them coming back for the show’s slightly-too-long eight-episode-run.

THAT’S enough of wistfully gazing back; those looking for something more action-packed can now stream Challengers on Amazon Prime Video.

On its surface, Challengers is a movie about tennis, but those who click play will soon learn that there’s much more here than meets the eye.

Zendaya stars as Tashi, a former tennis prodigy turned coach after suffering a devastating ankle injury.

Tashi now vicariously lives out her career through her husband Art, who she’s turned into a grand-slam champion. 

Things take a turn when Art has to compete against Patrick, his former best friend and Tashi’s ex-boyfriend who’s now determined to win back more than the game at hand.

Challengers present love like a game of tennis, an energetic and addictive back and forth.

Some pithy cinematography backs it up. In one particularly clever shot, the audience becomes the tennis ball, getting hit between both players on the court.

All of this makes Challengers double up as a great sports movie and a great romance movie. For those looking for an entertaining watch, this one serves up an ace indeed.