Pick of the week
Disclaimer
Why is acclaimed journalist Catherine Ravenscroft burning a book in her kitchen sink in the early hours of the morning? All will eventually be revealed in this tricksy, enigmatic and, on occasion, startlingly sexually explicit adaptation of Renée Knight’s novel. Via flashbacks from various, possibly unreliable perspectives, a picture comes into focus of a life shaped by a tragedy – and a shocking act of selfishness – on a trip to Italy. Elegantly directed by Alfonso Cuarón and starring Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline, it’s a study of the ways we refine our memories as we age, moulding them until they take a shape we can live with. Complex, gripping and clever.
Apple TV+, from Friday 11 October
***
La Máquina
His nickname translates as The Machine. But boxer Esteban Osuna is invested with a very human sense of vulnerability by Gael García Bernal in this lively six-part drama. After a crushing defeat, Osuna is at a low ebb. He’s approaching the end of his career and, in tandem with his somewhat sketchy manager Andy (Diego Luna), is facing one more fight, hoping for victory, redemption and a final payday before retirement. But soon, instructions from a criminal gang with vested interests raise the stakes and present him with an impossible dilemma.
Disney+, from Wednesday 9 October
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Curfew
In a world where reports about male violence towards women appear daily, this drama based on Jayne Cowie’s novel After Dark presents a provocative premise. What if men simply weren’t allowed out after 7pm? Sarah Parish stars as Pamela Green, a detective trying to get to the bottom of what, in the circumstances, seems an unlikely crime: the brutal late-night murder of a woman. An investigation soon reveals fault lines related to the power imbalance in the system. It’s intriguing but flawed – the world-building never quite convinces and gender identity, in the most binary way imaginable, seems reduced to just two options.
Paramount+, from Thursday 10 October
***
Ali Wong: Single Lady
Last year’s outstanding dark comedy Beef was a perfect showcase for Ali Wong’s range; oscillating between buttoned-up restraint and bursts of startling rage, it suggested a performer of considerable depth. This standup special (her fourth for Netflix) sees her returning to the stage to explore a turbulent period in her life. A 2022 breakup ushered in what she describes as her “divorced-mom era”. She touches on everything from the split itself to the pitfalls of dating as a single parent, albeit one with a recognisable public face.
Netflix, from Tuesday 8 October
***
Killer Cakes
It’s a baking contest but we’re a long way from the homely gingham kitsch of the Bake Off tent in this eye-popping two-part series. Instead, prepare for edible maggots, bloody (but seemingly very tasty) severed heads and a cake that projectile vomits yellow bile when approached. Hosted by Scream star Matthew Lillard, Killer Cakes sees two teams join forces with Hollywood special effects artists to craft a range of revolting and terrifying cakes, with £20k on the table for the winners. It’s undeniably daft but good, gross-out fun all the same.
Prime Video, from Tuesday 8 October
***
Citadel: Diana
This pacy, ludicrous thriller franchise launched last year, with Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas exploring the titular counter-espionage organisation’s origin story. Now, the Citadel world expands into Italy, where cartoon baddies Manticore face some tough competition from other organised crime groups. Our hero is Matilda De Angelis’s Diana Cavalieri – a Citadel agent with a personal score to settle, forced to infiltrate Manticore Italy to destroy them from within in a range of implausibly cunning and ferociously violent ways.
Prime Video, from Thursday 10 October
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Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft
Not quite an origin story (the Survivor trilogy of video games fulfilled that function) but certainly filling a significant gap in the Lara Croft timeline, this animated series is set immediately prior to the original game series. Hayley Atwell voices our all-action adventurer as she sets out to recover a Chinese artefact with dangerous hidden powers. However, she must abandon friends to do this and embark upon a period of reflection about the events of her past. Nothing about this is particularly subtle but it’s realised with plenty of flash and flair.
Netflix, from Thursday 10 October
