Our film and TV recommendations: from Succession to Yellowjackets
Want to hunker down in front of a screen but stuck for something to watch?
Here are the films, TV shows and special streaming events on our cultural radar right now, plus some of our favourites from recent weeks that you can catch up on…
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March 24
Succession Season 4
It’s back! Dive into the twisted world of the Roys one final time and place your bets for who’s going to come out on top. Last season, Logan Roy (Brian Cox) double-crossed his double-crossing children; this season starts with them plotting revenge. The show is due to air on Sky Atlantic at 2am on Monday; for the less devoted, it will also be airing on NOW afterwards.
Yellowjackets Season 2
Survival show Yellowjackets was a surprise hit when the first season aired in 2021. Combining elements of drama and horror, it follows the story of a high school female football team whose plane crashes in the Canadian wilderness and must fight to survive- as well as their adult selves, years later.
The Dry
ITVX’s latest drama sees Roisin Gallagher take on the role of recovering alcoholic Shiv. She’s returning to the family in Dublin after a family death; unfortunately, the rest of her relatives are less than pleased to see her and Shiv’s approach of radical honesty soon starts to raise hackles.
Rabbit Hole
Keifer Sutherland returns on Monday in a Paramount+ series that seems rather like a cross between Now You See Me and Jack Reacher. Sutherland plays John Weir, a “master of deception in the world of corporate espionage”. Unfortunately, he finds himself on the run when he’s framed for murder by sinister forces; cue chaos.
March 17, 2023
Redemption
ITV’s latest drama puts Paula Malcomson in the shoes of DI Colette Cunningham. She’s working the beat in Liverpool, but when her estranged daughter turns up dead in Ireland, she sets off across the channel to find out why – and who might be responsible.
The Boston Strangler
Female investigative journalists are having something of a moment. In Disney+’s latest offering, Keira Knightley and Carrie Coon shine playing the women who broke the story of the 1960s killer, the Boston Strangler. It’s based on true events, so naturally the pair have to deal with the sexism of the era as well as the extreme danger of chasing a murderer.
Shadow and Bone Season 2
The irrepressible Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li) is back once more in the new series of the YA Netflix fantasy show. This time around, Alina’s on the hunt for the magical amplifiers that will increase her power – and the Darkling (Ben Barnes) is just a few steps behind her.
Swarm
This dark, twisted Prime Video show is straight from the mind of Donald Glover. In it, Dominique Fishwick plays Dre, the devoted fan of Queen Bey-esque musical icon Ni’Jah – who goes on a bloody, cross-country killing spree as proof of her devotion.
March 10, 2023
Luther: The Fallen Sun
Everybody’s favourite grizzled detective is back to show London’s criminals who’s boss. Idris Elba dons the overcoat after four years away to battle Andy Serkis’s demonic Robey: a villain who uses people’s Internet history to blackmail them into doing horrible things. Plus, Cynthia Erivo shines as his new boss, DCI Raine.
Paula
The fascinating life and tragic death of 90s icon Paula Yates will be front and centre in this Channel 4 documentary. Out Monday, it will also feature footage from four previously-unheard interviews with Yates herself, taken shortly before her death.
You Season 4, Part 2
Love it or hate it, Netflix show You is undeniably addictive to watch. The end of season four’s part one saw Penn Badgley’s murdery sociopath Joe at the mercy of a group of snobbish English aristocrats. Part two sees things – already bizarre – go off the rails entirely in five episodes that serve up twist after twist. Watch and feel your brain melt.
MH370: The Plane That Disappeared
Rounding off this Netflix-heavy week is its new documentary about the infamous missing plane MH370. In 2014, a routine trip from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing went wrong - but nobody knows how, or where the plane itself ended up. Now this show is exploring three of the most likely theories around what happened; prepare to enter a rabbit hole.
March 3, 2023
Daisy Jones and the Six
Prime Video’s big-budget adaption of the hit novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid is all about the rise and fall of a 70s rock’n’roll band. Based rather heavily on the real-life story of Fleetwood Mac, it’s nevertheless a fun ride through music history – and Elvis Presley’s granddaughter Riley Keough shines in the titular role of singer-songwriter Daisy.
Next in Fashion S2
Gigi Hadid takes over from Alexa Chung as the co-host of this breezy Netflix show. In it, aspiring designers compete in a series of challenges to win a cash prize and the chance to break into the industry. Featuring guest judges like Donatella Versace and Bella Hadid (aka fashion royalty), it’s perfect for bingeing.
Stephen Fry: Willem and Frieda- Defying the Nazis
Prepare to stare in wonder – and wipe away tears – at the story of Willem and Frieda. Presented by Stephen Fry, this Channel 4 documentary tells the remarkable story of two queer artists who saved thousands of Jewish lives by forging identity cards. Until now, they’ve been forgotten by history; hopefully, that’s now about to change.
Abbott Elementary S2
Golden Globe-award winning series Abbott Elementary is back on Disney+ for a second season. Telling the story of the teachers and students at Abbott Elementary school, it inspires the same kind of fuzzy good feelings as Ted Lasso, as well as sharp scriptwriting and gags galore; perfect for afternoons on the sofa.
February 23, 2023
Creature
Based on the critically lauded English National Ballet production, this gorgeous film is a celebration of dance and cinema. It follows Creature (Jeffrey Cirio) who is enlisted into an experimental programme in the Arctic; while there, he meets Marie (Erina Takahashi) and together they dream of escape. Choreographed by Akram Khan and directed by Asif Kapadia, it’s a beautiful, dreamlike piece that is well worth the price of a cinema ticket.
Endeavour final season
Inspector Morse fans have a solemn weekend ahead: Sunday sees the start of the final season of Morse prequel series Endeavour on ITV1. Shaun Evans and Roger Allam return as Morse and his partner in crime Fred to solve some more cases - and the last three episodes will finally reveal how they became estranged for good.
We Have A Ghost
David Harbour has cornered the market in paranormal acting roles - now, in this Netflix family-friendly film, he’s playing a ghost called Ernest. Opposite him is Jahi Winston, who plays teen Kevin. Kevin’s bummed to be moving house, but when he meets Ernest the hijinks start and the quest for fame begins.
Neighbours
Sometimes, the only thing you want to watch is a soothing old fave. Neighbours ticks all those boxes and then some - and even better, some of its best episodes have now launched on Amazon streaming service Freevee. Just the thing to settle back with before the soap relaunches for good later this year.
February 17, 2023
The Inspection
Bring some tissues to the cinema to watch this film, inspired by creator Elegance Bratton’s own life story. In it, Jeremy Pope plays protagonist Ellis French, a young, black gay man who decides to join the Marines and find meaning in his life: yes, there’s prejudice, but there’s also camaraderie and support. A gem.
The Twelve
Sam Neill heads ITV’s newest crime show, which arrives from Australia. He plays the defence lawyer of Kate (Kate Mulvany), who is on the stand for murdering her niece. The titular Twelve in question are the jurors, all of whom have lives — and secrets — that may well impact how the case plays out. In short, it’s a must-watch for crime fans.
The Piano
The makers of Bake Off are back to add their signature feelgood style to… piano-playing. That’s right: in this wacky Channel 4 show, contestants play the free pianos present in railway stations around the UK. The twist? They’re also being secretly judged by pop star Mika and piano virtuoso Lang Lang.
Prue and Danny’s Death Road Trip
The issue of assisted dying is a hotly contested one — and this new Channel 4 documentary aims to see both sides. In it, supporter Prue Leith goes on a road trip with her son, Danny Kruger MP (who is firmly against it). They’ll visit places assisted dying has been legalised and speak to people on both sides of the divide. It’s a humbling (and fascinating) watch.
February 10, 2023
Magic Mike’s Last Dance
See Channing Tatum flex those pecs one last time in the finale of his Magic Mike franchise. Salma Hayek, inset with Tatum, joins in the fun as a divorcée who falls for Mike and hires him to put on a steamy, one-night-only cabaret in London. It’s silly, sexy and features some jaw-dropping ensemble routines — catnip for all the fans.
You, season 4
Serial killer-slash-romantic obsessive Joe Goldberg is back — and this time, he’s in London. The latest series on Netflix sees the antihero (Penn Badgley) make friends with a group of rich aristocrats. Only this time, one of them is stalking him.
All That Breathes
This Bafta and Oscar-nominated documentary is finally available to watch on Sky, and it is well worth catching. Set against the smoggy backdrop of New Delhi, it follows two brothers who are attempting to save its native black kite from extinction.
Ghislaine Maxwell: Partner in Crime
What led Ghislaine Maxwell to a 20-year jail sentence for sex trafficking? This ITV documentary interviews Maxwell’s friends, family and victims to uncover just how involved she was with recruiting, grooming and trafficking girls for Jeffrey Epstein. A harrowing watch.
February 3, 2023
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Audiences loved (or at least tolerated) him in Shrek. Now, Puss in Boots (still voiced by Antonio Banderas) is back for his very own standalone movie. Watch him look adorable, swing a sword and attempt to salvage his reputation with a cast of fantasy characters. Still, it’s a hoot – and its stars include Salma Hayek, Zach Galifianakis and Guillermo del Toro of all people.
Pamela, a love story
The inimitable Pamela Anderson takes to Netflix to finally tell her own story, in her own words. Featuring old documentary footage, extracts from Anderson’s diaries (read by herself) and insights galore (including her famous wedding to Tommy Lee), it’s a long-overdue documentary that exposes just how ruthless the media can be.
Nolly
Helena Bonham-Carter doesn’t so much act as inhabit the role of soap opera star Noele Gordon in ITVX show Nolly. Written by TV juggernaut Russell T Davies, it follows Gordon’s career in the long-running show Crossroads, from which she was brutally axed in the eighties, at the peak of her fame.
Your Honor: Season 2
Bryan Cranston continues to prove his acting range in the second series of Paramount+ show Your Honor. In it, Cranston returns as retired judge Michael Desiato, who found his family in the firing line after his son kills the son of a mafia kingpin in a hit and run accident. Now he’s back, and in prison for tax evasion.
January 27, 2023
Unwelcome
The Irish countryside has never been so terrifying. In this new horror/ thriller film, an English couple (played by Hannah John-Kamen and Douglas Booth) move into an old house and are soon contending with a host of unfriendly locals – as well as some supernatural housemates that, Gremlins-style, need feeding every night.
Lockwood & Co.
In Netflix’s newest TV show, ghosts roam the streets in an alternate-reality version of London. Taking them on is Lockwood & Co, a plucky group of paranormally-sensitive teens (including Bridgerton’s Ruby Stokes) who are juggling keeping their business afloat with solving mysteries.
You People
This screwball Netflix film sees Jonah Hill star as Ezra, who along with girlfriend Amira (Lauren London), brings their families together to meet for the first time. Of course, with actors like Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Eddie Murphy playing the parents, things aren’t going to be simple. Expect to laugh (and, if we know Hill, cringe) a lot.
Buffering Season 2
Iain Stirling isn’t just the voice of Love Island – he also stars in Buffering, the second season of which will be airing on ITV2 this coming Monday. Billed as a “semi-autobiographical sitcom”, it follows a group of friends attempting to navigate their late twenties, and has guest stars galore, including Emily Atack and Laura Whitmore.