The title yarn, which won an Oscar for live-action short, stars Benedict Cumberbatch as a wealthy eccentric who goes to preposterous lengths to study a yoga’s clairvoyant powers just so he can cheat at blackjack. The film, along with three other Dahl adaptations, unfolds like an illustrated book read aloud in the family den. A Turkish arthouse drama TV show — Ethos was never going to pull in big numbers. But it is absolutely worth a watch, particularly if you are after something a little more grown-up and grounded than the typical Netflix Originals fare.
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At Shortlist you’ll find him mostly writing about movies and tech, so no change there then. This Spanish horror film gained serious word of mouth heat when it arrived in 2019, but it deserves a second hit of attention at the least. It’s set in a prison where the inmates live on floating platforms arranged one above the other — hundreds of the things. The Platform acts as a punchy exploration of class as well as a tight, mysterious sci-fi tinged horror movie. Created by one of the best true-crime doc makers (Errol Morris), it is about the wild story of CIA employee Frank Olson who, after being part of a top-secret experiment, is killed in strange circumstances.
A haunted house movie with a difference, His House follows a pair of asylum seekers given temporary leave to remain in the UK. It works on a powerful allegorical level and His House is also super-effective as a straight-up creepy scare-fest. While Marvel may have made the Thor myth its own, thanks to the MCU, this Norwegian series does well to take the idea and run with it in a different way.
The History Channel presents Forged in Fire, a competition show for amateur knife-makers that gets, uh, extremely intense. Each episode — hosted by Wil Willis, an expert on weapons and a veteran of the U.S. Contestants are challenged to combine materials, creativity, and skill to create game-changing blades worthy of a $10,000 prize.
If you ever wondered what one of the directors of Crank was up to now (as we all do), well he’s making cracking TV in the form of Happy. This rather violent, blacker than black comedy series focuses on Christopher Meloni as a hitman who starts to see his daughter’s imaginary friend, which just happens to be an animated blue unicorn (voiced by Patton Oswalt). This one definitely isn’t for the faint hearted – it’s over-the-top schlocky, very crude but blisteringly funny at times. Annoyingly it was cancelled after just two seasons but, even though it leaves you hanging a little, it’s still well worth a watch. Coherence is a mind-bending sci-fi thriller that explores the nature of reality and identity. The film follows a group of friends who gather for a dinner party on the night a comet passes overhead, causing a series of strange and terrifying events.
If you love the absurdity natura quiz of What We Do in the Shadows, allow me to recommend this delightful New Zealand import, available to stream on Max. Mike Minogue and Karen O’Leary reprise their roles as the bumbling police officers from the Shadows movie, and here, they investigate all sorts of bizarre cases — from mysterious crop circles to haunted Nissans. Maaka Pohatu is fantastic as their determined boss, and the show has the same dry, laugh-out-loud humor as the film. Basically, imagine The X-Files, if both Mulder and Scully were idiots. I recently mentioned Reservation Dogs in the context of shows that failed to get Emmy recognition until their very last season. Sky Rojo is a Spanish action-thriller series that follows three women on the run from their pimp and his henchmen.
It’s a creation of Damien Chazelle, director of La La Land and Whiplash. It sees a jazz club owner caught up with a criminal gang, but the atmosphere — rather than the plot — is the key draw here. Now in its second season, I Think You Should Leave is a brilliant sketch show that shows men at their absolute worst.
Extraordinary is available on Hulu. You can watch the trailer here:
The last thing anyone wants to do on movie night is argue over what to watch while flicking through the options, which is why we’ve done the hard part for you. We update this list every month with the best family-friendly options available now. There’s only been a single season of Take Two so far, but the cop-themed comedy starring Rachel Bilson and Eddie Cibrian has the potential to keep fans hooked for quite some time. Check out our list of the best hidden gems on Disney+, HBO Max, and Prime Video, or browse our recommendations of the best movies on Netflix. Iranian American chef Samin Nosrat adapted her best-selling book into a four-part limited series about the four fundamental elements of good food.
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It’s based on a New York Times article and also stars Ed Harris and Elizabeth Olsen. It’s rare a film by the Peter Pan of movies (Paul Rudd) would pass us by but this one did first time around, but we’re very glad we caught up with it on Netflix. Rudd is a writer who swaps his day job (or lack of it) to become a carer. He is given a job looking after Trevor (a brilliant Craig Roberts ), who has muscular dystrophy. We almost had a Da’Vine Joy Randolph-centered Season 2 of High Fidelity and Holdovers fans know better than anyone that that’s a big “L” for the culture.
For Luke’s next mission, he faces his toughest competitor yet — Greta Nelso (Carrie-Anne Moss), a German spy and, more importantly, Luke’s ex. You’re the Worst follows the complex relationship between Gretchen Cutler (Aya Cash) and Jimmy Shive-Overly (Chris Geere) — two people with some serious commitment issues struggling to find love and lasting happiness. As part of the Skin Wars franchise, Fresh Paint explores the art of using bodies as canvases. Former Skin Wars contestants mentor a group of artists who compete in a series of challenges to win a $10,000 prize. Each episode also ends with ambitious full-body pieces that are sure to wow you. The British sitcom explores the electric sparks, reassuringly magical comforts, and impossible awkwardness of intimate friendships, relationships, and life.
These discussions and guides offer insights that spark new discoveries and provide a sense of community among film buffs. You can easily figure out when someone grew up by learning which toys they love, and it’s that deep connection that fuels this documentary miniseries from Netflix. Episodes in the first season focus on the histories of action figures from properties such as G.I. The zombie apocalypse is here and terrifying in this Korean horror-thriller. The film is set mostly on a train to Busan, a southern resort city that has managed to hold off the zombie hordes … The confined space of the train creates a taut, claustrophobic environment.
One of the most contested TV cancellations in recent memory was this gender-flipped TV adaptation of the classic film and book, which found its audience just a little too late. Zoë Kravitz reminded us all how underutilized she was in Big Little Lies while playing the dynamic, Brooklyn record store owner, “Rob” (Robyn), at its center. Here’s to hoping we right these wrongs by nominating Kravitz for Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in The Studio. Les Revenants (The Returned) is a French supernatural horror drama series (not to be confused with the canceled American remake) that delves into the question of what would happen if the dead were to return. The Guilty is a tense and gripping film that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Despite being shot almost entirely in a single location, the film manages to create a sense of urgency and claustrophobia that is hard to shake off.
In just 16 minutes, it paints a fantastic picture of Shepherd, is blessed with a fantastic soundtrack and has an ending that will melt the coldest of hearts. It’s an historical epic that focuses on 16th century feudalism in South Korea, with added zombies! If you are a fan of Train To Busan and want a show that sprinkles in a bit of social commentary with its blood and guts, then this is for you. Allow us to give you a few recommendations for the shows that are worth your time (even if they’re no longer on the air).