Pick of the week
Black Doves
We begin in a pub, with Fairytale of New York playing. But soon, three brisk, businesslike killings puncture the mood: this espionage thriller won’t be observing festive niceties. Keira Knightley is enigmatic as Helen, a member of shady information-traders Black Doves. Helen has mixed business with pleasure to a dangerous degree and Ben Whishaw’s troubled assassin Sam has been sent to dig her out of a hole. However, Helen is married to a high-flying politician and, perhaps inevitably, is stealing state secrets – and it soon becomes clear that an apparently localised story has geopolitical ramifications. Never exactly shy of genre cliches but pacy, slick and nasty all the same.
Netflix, from Thursday 5 December
***
The Agency
The shadow of Slow Horses lingers over all new spy dramas. But this is a very different beast – earnest and serious. It’s not without its merits, though, offering a new angle on a well-mined seam. The Agency of the title specialises in recruiting and training spies before deployment. Michael Fassbender is “Martian”, a jaded but expert operative, back in London and struggling to leave a tricky personal situation behind in Khartoum. Meanwhile, the cold war is back with Belarus proving a particular troublesome spot. There’s plenty of exposition to get through initially, but it’s just about worth it.
Paramount+, from Saturday 30 November
***
The Primrose Railway Children
Jacqueline Wilson’s novel – itself inspired by E Nesbit’s children’s classic – gets another adaptation. And no wonder: the story is a charming parable about family, perfect for multiple generations to enjoy during the festive season. In this version, Sarah (Nina Toussaint-White) and her three kids find themselves uprooted from their comfortable lives in Glasgow to the unfamiliar but beautiful Scottish Highlands after dad Rob (Kevin McKidd) mysteriously disappears. Appropriately, jeopardy levels are low and hugging and learning are prioritised.
BBC iPlayer, from Sunday 1 December
***
Meet the Rees-Moggs
Watching Jacob Rees-Mogg losing his seat while standing next to a man wearing a baked-bean mask was one of the highlights of this year’s general election. But he hasn’t stayed out of the public eye for long. As he confesses in this new fly-on-the-wall series: “I quite enjoy winding people up.” His knack for this activity remains undeniable – Rees-Mogg’s public persona has always seemed as carefully constructed as that of any reality TV star, and his provocatively smug and ultimately vacuous self-projection will enrage as many people as it amuses.
Discovery+, from Monday 2 December
***
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew
Another appendage is attached to the ever-mutating and evolving Star Wars universe. This eight-part series takes place in the same timeline as The Mandalorian but works well as a standalone story, maintaining just the right balance of sweetness and scares. It’s a coming-of-age narrative of sorts – four children make an ominous discovery on their home planet and go on a life-defining adventure around the galaxy, partly in the company of Jude Law’s enigmatic (and mildly shifty?) Jedi Jod Na Nawood. Can the quartet make it home safely?
Disney+, from Tuesday 3 December
***
The Sticky
It’s the kind of tale that’s so odd it has to be based on a true story – and, sure enough, the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist of 2011-12 is among the largest robberies in Canadian history. This comedy drama tells the story of a group of farmers, including Margo Martindale’s Ruth Landry, who have had enough of being pushed around by huge, unaccountable food industry bullies and decide to take a (very big) slice of the profits they’re being denied. The heist itself is surprisingly straightforward – but that’s only the beginning of their problems.
Prime Video, from Friday 6 December
***
Sabrina Carpenter: A Nonsense Christmas
Festive variety shows have become a fixture in the streaming era. This year, it’s the turn of singer-actor Sabrina Carpenter to don a red and white fur-trimmed corset and a Santa hat, sing a few of her hit songs from the year, pretend to open some presents, take part in a series of mildly cringeworthy comic interludes and welcome a bunch of special guests. It’s pretty starry stuff: expect turns from Shania Twain, Cara Delevingne, Chappell Roan and many more. Sabrina also has a festive EP, Fruitcake, to flog so don’t expect there to be much reticence on that front.
Netflix, from Friday 6 December
