Pick of the Week
Fallout
As a post-apocalyptic thriller, based on the Fallout computer games, this series shares some DNA with The Last of Us. After a nuclear attack hits the US, we flash forward a couple of centuries and meet a group of survivors who have formed an underground society in nuclear bunkers known as The Vaults. Eventually, events force vault-dweller Lucy (Ella Purnell) to venture above ground. It’s sneakily funny in places – a group of savage invaders from the surface are simultaneously hellbent on violent carnage and enchanted by the taste of wedding cake. There’s also a distinct polemical edge concerning the inevitability with which humanity creates its own boundaries and nurtures its own divisions.
Prime Video, from Thursday 11 April
* * *
Baby Reindeer
Comedian Richard Gadd met his stalker Martha (Jessica Gunning) while he was working in a pub. She claimed to be a hot-shot lawyer, and yet couldn’t afford a cup of tea. Their relationship didn’t get much clearer – what started as Gadd feeling sympathy for a seemingly vulnerable person culminated in her sending him 41,000 emails and 350 hours of voicemail. This dark drama explores the traumatic experience in compelling style. Crucially, Gadd doesn’t let himself off the hook – he encouraged Martha’s interest and, at one point, followed her home. There’s no victim narrative here – just a story about two troubled lives messily intertwining.
Netflix, from Thursday 11 April
* * *
The Fable
Increasingly, anime is to Disney+ what true crime is to Netflix. This latest series is an adaptation of a manga comic created by Katsuhisa Minami a decade ago. It’s a nicely realised and dryly funny story of a fish-out-of-water hitman. Fable (voiced by Kazuyuki Okitsu) has devoted his whole life to becoming a flawless assassin. He’s coming off the back of a bumper year, containing more kills than ever before. Sadly, trouble is afoot and Fable is ordered by his handler to lay low and kill no one for a year. Can our homicidal hero stay out of trouble?
Disney+, from Sunday 7 April
* * *
Unlocked: A Jail Experiment
Arkansas doesn’t immediately appear a likely hotbed of progressive thinking where crime and punishment are concerned. But as this documentary suggests, County Sheriff Eric Higgins is something of a maverick. His response to a crisis in staffing numbers and prisoner misbehaviour feels bravely counterintuitive: for six weeks, there will be no locks and no officers. Will chaos reign? Or might a taste of autonomy and responsibility have a civilising effect on these hardened felons? A fascinating experiment in human nature and the power of trust.
Netflix, from Wednesday 10 April
* * *
Anthracite
A picturesque but bleak French thriller exploring the aftermath of a 1994 mass cult suicide in an isolated Alpine village. When a woman is murdered 30 years later, old wounds are reopened. However, the perfect scapegoat has seemingly just arrived in town in the shape of young offender Jaro, who is trying to make a fresh start but finds himself accused of murder. With the help of Ida, an eccentric teen searching for her missing father, Jaro attempts to prove his innocence. The performances and dialogue feel a little clunky but the premise is intriguing.
Netflix, from Wednesday 10 April
* * *
Heartbreak High
This 90s Aussie teen drama, which Netflix has successfully rebooted for the post-Euphoria generation (albeit maybe not quite that racy), is back for a second season. As we return, Amerie (Ayesha Madon) is a hate figure once again. She’s used to it by now, but this time it doesn’t seem to be her fault. Someone is out to get her. Thankfully, her loyal friends are around to compile a list of suspects – which is inevitably almost as long as the Hartley High register itself. Elsewhere, a new sports teacher is causing adolescent hormones to rage uncontrollably.
Netflix, from Thursday 11 April
* * *
Franklin
A story of historical intrigue in this period drama (based on a Pulitzer prize-winning book by Stacy Schiff) which stars Michael Douglas as the founding father of the USA, Benjamin Franklin. We meet Franklin as the nation is experiencing birth pangs and, as the British threaten to take control, its independence hangs in the balance. Can Franklin convince the French to offer military and financial assistance? A trip to Paris beckons, but our surprisingly mischievous hero has more on his mind than just diplomacy. It’s sturdy but slightly workmanlike fare.
Apple TV+, from Friday 12 April
