Our film and TV recommendations this week: from The Enfield Poltergeist to The After

Want to hunker down in front of a screen but stuck for something to watch?

Here are the films, TV shows and special streaming events on our cultural radar right now, plus some of our favourites from recent weeks that you can catch up on…

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Milli Vanilli

No, it’s not a delicious dessert: it’s a band. In 1989, Rob Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan became the most famous duo in pop after a slew of massive hits… only for it all to fall apart when it was revealed that they hadn’t sung any of their own songs themselves. Were they in on it from the start, or thrown to the dogs by industry execs? The jury is still out, but this Paramount+ doc on the subject makes for fascinating viewing.

The Enfield Poltergeist

In 1977, small-town England was rocked by claims that a poltergeist was haunting a seemingly normal family. Almost fifty years later, Apple TV+ is taking a fresh (ish) look at the case, interviewing the girl at the centre of the hauntings (Janet Hodgson) and making liberal use of the hundreds of hours of audio tapes recording the supposed hauntings. Go on, treat yourself: it’s Hallowe’en, after all.

Why Does Everyone Hate the British Empire?

As the old joke goes, what have the British ever done for us? Well, that’s what Al Murray is setting off to find out. In this provocatively-named Sky show, Murray heads off to Australia, Jamaica, India and South Africa to chat to local comedians about the various ways in which the British Empire royally messed up. It’s sobering viewing, but – thankfully – Murray’s light comic touch sees us through.

The After

David Oyelowo stars in this touching Netflix short (very short: 18 minutes) film about grieving taxi driver Dayo. The man behind it is Misan Harriman: a self-taught photographer, he’s best known for shooting Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, and as you might expect, this is half film, half art.

Planet Earth III

What’s that noise? It’s only the buttery-smooth, infinitely comforting voice of David Attenborough returning once more to tell you all about the natural world. Yes, Planet Earth III is back for one last time, so prepare to be inundated with gorgeous sweeping pano shots and images of flamingo chicks frolicking. Oh, and the slow creeping blight of human activity. Fun!

Three Little Birds

Sir Lenny Henry’s latest oeuvre draws inspiration from a personal source: his own mother’s story of coming to the UK, as well as that of countless other Windrush immigrants. This story follows three women from Jamaica - Leah, Chantrelle and Hosanna - and the struggles they face in building a new life in a new home.

Coleen Rooney: The Real Wagatha Story

In 2019, Coleen Rooney detonated a pop-culture bombshell with one fateful Instagram post. Countless headlines and one libel trial later, Coleen is finally sitting down with Disney+ to tell her side of the story. Will it tell us much we don’t already know? Maybe not, but it’s still juicy, juicy drama: tuck in and savour.

The Burning Girls 

Samantha Morton stars opposite up-and-comer Ruby Stokes in this tense thriller from Paramount+. Morton is Jack Brooks, a Reverend who moves with her daughter to the quaint village of Chapel Croft. It’s supposed to be a fresh start, but soon enough the place is crawling with more skeletons in closets than a haunted house fairground ride. Very autumnal.

The Greatest Show Never Made

Cast your mind back to 2002: the heyday of reality TV. Big Brother was dominating the airwaves, David Beckham was rocking a sarong and thirty people signed up for a reality TV promising to make them rich. Except, it all went wrong in the most bonkers way possible - and now, a very entertaining Prime Video series is retelling the story for the first time.

Frasier

Can anybody say (or sing) “tossed salads and scrambled eggs?” That’s right, Frasier is back, and haven’t we missed it. Kelsey Grammer reprises his role as snobbish psychologist Frasier Crane - a role he’s played over almost four decades - in this Paramount+ reboot, and while the jokes need a bit of fine-tuning, the heart is still very much intact.

The Reckoning

It might not be fun viewing, but it does feel important: Steve Coogan plays disgraced paedophile Jimmy Savile in this series about the radio DJ’s horrific crimes. Savile hoodwinked the entire British public for more than fifty years, and indeed, this series feels almost like atonement for the BBC, Savile’s home for much of his career.

Awareness

For anybody who ever wondered what a Matrix/ Inception mashup would look like: this is for you. Prime Video’s new Spanish-language film is a sci-fi thriller set in the modern day where Ian (Carlos Scholz) is a teenager able to influence other peoples’ minds. But as is the way of things, one accidental slip and soon he’s on the run from nefarious forces. Does it make sense? No, but boy is it fun.

Fair Play

This workplace thriller features Phoebe Dynevor (yes, she of Bridgerton fame) butting heads with her on-screen fiancé Luke (Alden Ehrenreich). They’re newly engaged, but both work at the same hedge fund – and when she is unexpectedly promoted beyond him, tensions begin to bubble. Can anybody say ‘gender pay gap’?

Bargain

It’s been hailed as the next Squid Game, so come expecting big things from this new South Korean thriller. The premise is appropriately bonkers: a black market auction is being held in the middle of nowhere to sell off the organs of men duped by a trafficking ring. Except – oh no, now an earthquake has trapped everybody in the building and suddenly the auction becomes a fight for survival.

Everything Now

Ahh, teenagehood: the age of first everythings, huge unrequited crushes and smoking behind the bike shed. Netflix’s new show is more about that, and then some - teenager Mia (Sophie Wilde) is fresh out of rehab for an eating disorder and wastes no time creating a bucket list to tick off all the teen experiences she’s missed out on.

First Ladies of Hip Hop

Narrated by none other than Neneh Cherry, this slick BBC documentary doesn’t perhaps have the star-power of its Netflix predecessor (also called First Ladies of Hip-Hop, confusingly) but covers much of the same ground. Fifty years after the genre first evolved, the show takes a look at the (mostly unrecognised) contributions British women have made it helping it become a world-conquering music phenomenon.

Gen V

You thought The Boys was gory? Wait until you see its spinoff show, Gen V. Set in the grounds of superhero university Godolkin, it follows a brand-new cast of characters as they attempt to secure their spot in Avengers-esque The Seven. It’s crude, it’s fun and it’s crammed to the gills with fake blood. Yum.

Flora and Son

Prepare for a deluge of the warm and fuzzies in Apple TV+’s newest film Flora and Son. Eve Hewson plays single mum Flora, who’s at a loss about what to do with troublesome son Max. Wouldn’t you know it, along comes Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a washed-up musician, and quicker than you can say ‘redemption arc’, the stage is set for a beautiful relationship.

Who Killed Jill Dando?

On the morning of April 26, 1999, BBC presenter Jill Dando was shot dead outside her home in Fulham. Her killer was never found – but now this new Netflix documentary is taking a forensic look at the entire case, including interviewing the man initially found guilty of her death (and who was later acquitted), Barry George.

The Fake Sheikh

The Nineties nostalgia train rolls on: the Fake Sheikh was practically a household name back in the days for his jaw-dropping scoops. Dubbed the ‘king of sting’ for his controversial journalism, he nevertheless suffered a spectacular fall from grace – and now this Prime Video documentary is reliving every juicy detail.

Sex Education Season 4

It is, as the creators say, “back with a bang.” That’s right, TV’s raunchiest show is bounding back onto our screens for one final, climactic season. Will Maeve and Otis get together? Will Eric continue to be fabulous? Will the other supporting cast members get their happily ever afters? It’s all to play for, and promises to be hugely entertaining (and of course, very cringe-worthy).

The Continental

What is the John Wick universe without Keanu Reeves’ titular assassin? Turns out, it’s actually loads of fun: this prequel series, set in the 1970s, tells the origin story of Winston Scott, owner of the series’ famous Continental Hotel. There are guns, there are explosions, there are nifty action sequences; perfect fodder, in other words, for franchise faithfuls.

Otto Baxter: Not A F***ing Horror Story

35-year-old Otto Baxter has Down’s Syndrome and also happens to be a megafan of horror films. Over the course of 90 minutes, we watch him  write, direct and star in his own horror-comedy-musical set in Victorian London – a process that took him six whole years to complete - and find out more about his own touching story.

Joanne and Vogue’s Sex Drive

Best friends Vogue Williams and Joanne McNally (yes, the ones from hit podcast My Therapist Ghosted Me) are on a quest to discover how to have better sex. Naturally, this means going to Ibiza and sampling the best of the island’s off-the-wall sex positivity practices – from steaming their ‘yonis’ in a field to trying out an erotic nightclub in Ibiza’s West End.

Welcome to Wrexham Season 2

Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, pictured above, are back for a second kick of the ball in the follow-up to the hugely successful first series, which went viral around the world. As ever, they’re battling to turn around the fortunes of Wrexham AFC, which they bought to great fanfare in 2020. This time around, the club is back on the hunt for promotion.

The Other Black Girl

Based on the hit book by Zakiya Dalila Harris, this Disney+ show is a thriller with a twist. Our hero is Nella (Sinclair Daniel), the only black person at publishing house Wagner. When Hazel (Ashleigh Murray) joins, Nella is initially thrilled, but things soon turn dark and she becomes embroiled in a mystery surrounding both Hazel’s past and Wagner’s less-than-squeaky-clean record.

Wilderness

Road trips have never been so deadly. In Prime Video’s newest thriller, Jenna Coleman plays Liv, a dutiful wife who finds out her husband Will (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) has been cheating. To make it up to her, Will offers to take her on the holiday of a lifetime, travelling through America’s harshest and most beautiful landscapes. For him it’s a chance to repair their marriage; for Liv it’s a chance for revenge.

Domina Season 2

Nobody does political intrigue better than the Romans — they practically invented it. To that end, wind back the clock for the second season of Sky’s Domina, which documents the rise of Gaius Octavius (Matthew McNulty), the first Emperor of Rome, through the eyes of his third wife Livia Drusilla (Kasia Smutniak). This season, there are rebellions to contend with, revenge to extract and the future of Rome itself to fight for... juicy.

Love and Death

As it turns out, Elizabeth Olsen excels at playing slightly unhinged mothers. Here, she’s Candy Montgomery, who achieved notoriety in the 1980s for murdering her former lover’s wife Betty – striking her forty times with an axe. The story was serialised by Disney+ earlier in the year; now, watch HBO’s take on ITVX. And of course, Olsen is mesmerising.

The Changeling

2023 is LaKeith Stanfield’s year: fresh from appearing in Disney+ film Haunted Mansion, he’s now heading up Apple TV+’s new Gothic/ fantasy thriller. Stanfield plays Apollo, a used book dealer whose wife, Emma, goes missing after giving birth to their first child. His quest to find her will mean dealing with both witches and police officers… as you do.

Our Lives: Our Sea Forest

Tune in for some rampant wholesomeness. This documentary follows 73 year old diver Eric Smith and his daughter Catrine, as they work to restore the lush undersea kelp forest in Sussex. It’s been decimated by deep sea trawling, but has been making a remarkable comeback – thanks in no small part to their determination.

The Killing Kind

When it comes to bad decisions, dating the man you’re defending on a stalking charge is definitely up there. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what Ingrid (Emma Appleton) does - only for, surprise, her client/ lover John (Colin Morgan) to turn on her. Eek.

Heart of Invictus

Has Prince Harry put the family infighting to bed? It certainly seems like it: his latest Netflix show, Heart of Invictus, focusses on his annual Invictus Games for injured servicemen. The show’s focus is very much on the people taking part: there are interviews with veterans, discussions of mental health and a celebration of the human spirit.

Hatton

Boxer Ricky Hatton enjoyed a truly stellar career, but his fall from grace was sudden and shocking. In this documentary, he opens up – alongside his family and former colleagues – about his mental health struggles, the difficulties of adjusting to life after boxing and falling out with pretty much everybody.

Takeshi’s Castle

In an age of endless reboots, do we really need another? Well… yes. This UK revival of Takeshi’s Castle features Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan as hosts, a beautifully batty bunch of Joe Publics as competitors, and the obligatory terrifying obstacle courses for people to fall off spectacularly. Ahh, bliss.

The Wheel of Time Season 2

Can the lore get even more complicated? Yes it can. Prime Video’s fantasy blockbuster The Wheel of Time has returned for a second season, and things are looking dire for Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) and her band of budding sorcerers. After the events of season one, there’s a new set of villains to contend with, Moiraine has lost her powers and the Dark One is still lurking in the shadows.

The Price of Truth

This fascinating documentary from Channel 4 follows Dmitry Muratov the editor of the Novaya Gazeta – one of the only independent newspapers left in Russia – in his fight to report the truth. Filmed before, during and after the Ukraine war, it’s a sobering look at the dangers of being a member of the free press, and the dangers of abolishing it.

Ahsoka

The Star Wars universe continues to grow at (almost) the speed of light: Disney+’s latest offering sees fan-fave Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) in the spotlight. A former Jedi, rebel leader and now peacekeeper of sorts, Ahsoka is hunting down some rebellious Sith before they manage to threaten the fragile New Republic.

Invasion Season 2

Apple TV+’s drama is back for another bite at the apple – as are its pesky aliens. Season two shows the perspectives of five people around the world and how their lives are impacted by the alien invasion of Earth. And this time (having been repelled in season one), the aliens are angry.

Who is Erin Carter?

More cheese on this one than a quattro formaggi pizza. Swedish actress Evin Ahmad stars as Erin, a supply teacher who recently moved to Barcelona with her family. But when she is recognised by an armed robber, it quickly becomes clear that there is more to her than meets the eye – and the stage is set for an almighty action thriller.

Sanditon series 3

The last series of back-from-the-dead Austen show Sanditon is finally on our screens. Will Charlotte Heywood and Alexander Colbourne finally get it on? Will Georgiana find her mother? Will Edward Denham turn over a fresh page? It’s Austen, so there will (presumably) be a happily ever after… watch this space.

Henpocalypse! 

Combining penis straws with jokes about the end of the world: welcome to the BBC’s latest off-beat sitcom. In it, a bunch of hens retreat to an isolated Welsh cottage for the party to end all parties — until a global pandemic of crab measles (we don’t know what it is, either) kills the entire male population, and the only bloke left is the stripper they hired.

Emergency season 2 

Join London’s top-notch trauma teams to see what really happens at our hospitals. Filmed over a fortnight, the show takes us from the ambulance teams responding to emergency calls, all the way through to the surgeons saving peoples’ lives, and the rehabilitative care patients undergo in hospital.

At Home with the Furys

Prepare to raise your eyebrows past your hairline in this hilarious new reality TV show from Netflix. In it, boxing legend Tyson Fury has retired and is adapting to family life — but with six kids, a long-suffering wife (left) and influencer brother Tommy to deal with, it isn’t going to be quiet. Who knew toddlers could swear so much?

Heart of Stone

Everyone’s favourite Wonder Woman Gal Gadot hams it up as international spy Rachel Stone in Netflix’s new thriller. She’s been tasked with stopping a mysterious weapon named The Heart from landing in enemy hands (see what they did there?) and picks up a rag-tag team to help her.

We Are Newcastle United

Wrexham kicked football documentaries back into the spotlight. Prime Video’s take is narrated by club legend Alan Shearer, and takes us behind the scenes of the Magpies’ multimillion-pound acquisition by a Saudi company.

Ladies First

This major Netflix docuseries pays tribute to the often-overlooked women of hip-hop, working 50 years worth of history into four fascinating episodes. Featuring interviews with none other than Queen Latifah – as well as a slew of other artists – the show aims to lift up established names such as Saweetie and Cardi B, and pay tribute to overlooked ones from the past, such as producer Drew Dixon.

Only Murders in the Building Season 3

It’s back and more delightful than ever. Selena Gomez, Steve Martin and Martin Short reprise their roles as podcasting amateurs-slash-crime sleuths Mabel, Charles and Oliver to solve yet another murder. This time around, the casualty is star actor Ben Glenroy (Paul Rudd).

The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart

The icon that is Sigourney Weaver makes a rare TV appearance in Prime Video’s last TV offering. Adapted from the book of the same name and set in Australia, it stars Ripley (aka Weaver) as June Hart, the aunt of Alice, who takes her in after she’s orphaned. She owns a flower farm – very Insta-friendly – but she’s also hiding secrets.

Heartstopper Season 2

Slide into this wholesome TV series like a hot bath and let it warm the cockles of your heart. In season two, Charlie, Nick, Elle and Tao are back for more adventures in love: there’s a trip to Paris on the cards, new friends, the prospect of coming out to family members and the challenge of deciding their future.

Alone

Reality TV veterans have something new to binge this year: a Channel 4 reboot of the hit show Alone. The premise is simple. A selection of garden-variety Brits are dumped into the Canadian wilderness and forced to survive with only basic camping gear and their own wits to rely on. Oh, and there are bears.

Physical Season 3

The final series of this Apple TV+ comedy sees Rose Byrne return for one last time as Sheila Rubin. She’s come a long way – after therapy, she’s finally silenced the critical voice inside her head – and she’s hard at work converting the masses to aerobics. Until she gets sucked into an Anchorman-style rivalry with fitness rival Kelly Kilmartin.

Laura Whitmore Investigates

Incels, rough sex, cyber-stalking… Laura Whitmore’s new TV show is not an easy watch. But it’s still fascinating: over the course of three episodes, Whitmore takes a deep dive into some of the most troubling issues plaguing society today, and what (if anything) can be done to fix them.

Drag Me to Dinner

Drag queens cooking dinner: what could possibly go wrong? This Disney+ show combines the best of Ru Paul’s Drag Race with Come Dine With Me. With judges including Neil Patrick Harris and Bianca del Rio, queens will be going head-to-head in a series of dinner party related challenges. Flawless.

Good Omens Season 2

The end of the world beckons once more. David Tennant and Michael Sheen reprise their roles as partners in crime (and, perhaps, romance?) Crowley and Aziraphale in this delightfully bonkers sequel. This time around, the Archangel Gabriel (Jon Hamm) has lost his memory… which is unfortunate, as he also has valuable information about how to prevent the Apocalypse.

The Witcher Season 3 Part 2

Don those leather trousers (complete with a leather jacket) and take up your silver sword, for Henry Cavill is back one final time as Geralt of Rivia. In the final three episodes of this season, danger abounds. Ciri (Freya Allan) still has a bounty on her head, and as her quasi-parent it’s only right that Geralt set out to kill the people on her trail.