THE BOSS DOG
The new Tiger King? So long as it doesn’t involve a return to the darkest, earliest days of lockdown, consider us interested. Netflix’s latest this-surely-can’t-be-real real-life documentary, Gunther’s Millions centres on a German Shepherd who has been left $400m in the will of his countess owner. Somewhat inevitably, there is a dark twist. Even more inevitably, we’ll all be talking about it relentlessly. Available on Netflix now
THE RETURN OF A CINEMATIC MASTER
It seems like yonks since a Darren Aronofksy big-screen outing. More than five years actually. Though if you’re a fan, you better sit down first… because The Whale might not live up to your high expectations. Oh really? But I’d heard about Brendan Fraser having to wear a gigantic fatsuit… Indeed, a cracking performance that’s just got him an Oscar nomination. So why the caveat? Well, you’ll spend a lot of time staring at Fraser’s morbidly obese teacher as he sits stranded at home in a loneliness as vast as his body. You might wonder why the camera lingers on him for so long… and what exactly is Aronofksy getting at? But he’s an edgy director, so surely something batshit happens. Not unless the bats are shitting sentimentality. Ewww! How could you Darren?I know, of all people to go saccharine. Is there a silver lining? Absolutely. Last week’s brilliant ES cover star Sadie Sink, who sparkles as Fraser’s daughter.
‘The Whale’ is in cinemas from 3 Feb
THE STARTLING SERIES
No Valentine? No problem. Get crushing on the fourth season of You — Netflix’s hit psychological thriller in which twisted serial-killer-come-university-lecturer-husband-and-dad, Joe, will be returning alongside a few of the ghosts of his past.
Part one available on Netflix from 9 Feb
THE PARTY POD
Remember that night you lost yourself — and your dignity — blissfully crushed on the Heaven dancefloor? How about that 6am snog deep beneath a Vauxhall afterhours arch? Then you have a generation of queer artists, promoters and clubbers to thank, trailblazers who share their stories in new docuseries Memories from the Dancefloor. Host Damian Kerlin delves deep into a culture that changed the face of partying in London and the world.
Available now on all major podcast services
THE EERIE READ
If you’re seeking a novel that screams ‘coming of age: but make it creepy’, look no further — Dizz Tate’s debut, Brutes, gets an A*. Following a pack of 13-year-old girls as the truth unravels about what happened to their friend — a mysterious preacher’s daughter — this is a brooding look at girlhood like you’ve never encountered before.
Out now. £12.99(Faber & Faber)
THE TWISTED FAMILY DRAMA
Those who’ve seen Ozark will know all about the ballsy brilliance of actor Janet McTeer. If not, though, you’ll have to take our word for it, because it’s imperative you get to The National Theatre where she’s stealing the stage in Simon Stone’s version of Phaedra — the sinister Greek tragedy about a woman who falls in love with her stepson and concocts a wicked plot for revenge when he refuses her advances.
Until 8 April. Tickets from £20 (nationaltheatre.org.uk)
THE GIRL POWER EXHIBITION
Although it’s the bad boys of Abstract Expressionism who traditionally dominate the headlines and history books (hello, Jackson Pollock), the movement’s female artists deserve just as much attention. The Whitechapel Gallery’s new show proves the point. Action, Gesture, Paint: Women Artists and Global Abstraction 1940-70 shines a light on the women who shaped post-war gestural abstraction: think Lee Krasner and Helen Frankenthaler alongside lesser-known names like South Korean artist Wook-kyung Cho and the Mozambican-Italian artist Bertina Lopes.
