Writing's a fight and this boy needs a battle
I often find this kind of production a little plodding but for some reason this kept me watching. David Tennant is unnerving as Dennis Nilsen but it’s Daniel Mays, as the detective tasked with investigating the serial killer, is the anxious heart of the piece. More compelling than usual.
A woman haunted by her mother’s death, and the events that provoked her divorce, hikes the Pacific Crest Trail, confronting her demons, vanquishing her personal foes, and discovering her true self as he battles the trail. It’s brutally honest in a way that’s not often seen in stories about women. Engaging if a little uncomfortable to watch.
An alternative history of America by David Simon and Ed Burns, based on the novel of the same name by Philip Roth. Franklin D. Roosevelt is defeated by the populist Charles Lindbergh in presidential election of 1940. Lindbergh signs a pact with Hitler keeping America out of the war, but unleashing the kind of antisemitic hatred that consumed Germany in the 1930s. At its core this is a family drama. We see events unfold through the fractious relationships of working class Jewish family from New Jersey. It’s works because the relationships and tensions are subtle and complicated.
This steam punk noir manages to weave a murder mystery into a love story, in fact several love stories. It balances out the passion with a heavy dose of political intrigue, that hinges on a nineteenth century xenophobia against the races of mythical creatures who live on Carnival Row. It’s well constructed if a little slow on occasion. Put me in mind of China Miéville’s Bas-Lag series.
Really interesting story, that throws up all kind of very difficult questions. Compelling watch.
A slow burn that works well to create lots of possibilities, and a finale ​that makes you want to come back for series two.
‪This picks up exactly where season one left off. The political intrigues continue, but it’s the pace of the action and quantity of gore that’s most impressive. Think Train to Busan (2016) but set in feudal Korea. Can’t wait for season three.‬
This South Korean period drama adds a new twist to the zombie genre. There’s a lot to like in a very bingable six episodes. It’s packed with action and gore soaked teeth. The characters are well draw, with a plot that has a decent amount of mystery. A usurped prince discovers his strength fighting for his inheritance.
This feels like a film out of its time. True it’s set in the early 1980’s. But it’s more to do with the way the story unfolds. Anne Hathaway’s character is strong and wilful in the first half, but ends up being strangely passive in the second. There’s a righteous political expose in there somewhere, waiting to take down some corruption, but it gets lost in the poetry of its point of view.
Steven Knight gives us a sublime interpretation of this classic story. He brings an emotional depth that’s lacking from previous versions. While other adaptations interpret events and actions, Knight gives us psychological profile of Scrooge. All of the naysayers should read the original. The story of A Christmas Carol may be our current embodiment of Christmas, but it was once a ghost story about human frailty. It’s perhaps a sign of the times that we realise Scrooge learned his behaviour from years of abuse, but this time, he’s ready to give up his wealth in a way historical versions were not.
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