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16 hours ago
12
Pick of the week
Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials
Chris Chibnall’s take on Agatha Christie’s 1929 story pulls off familiarity and freshness thanks to a sparky lead performance from Mia McKenna-Bruce. She plays Lady Eileen “Bundle” Brent, a young woman on the fringes of the aristocracy who turns sleuth when her suitor, Gerry Wade (Corey Mylchreest), is found dead. Did he take his own life? Bundle isn’t having it – and her investigation soon takes her into the notorious London neighbourhood of the title. The story balances delightfully contrived plotting with the emotional heft of Bundle and Gerry’s doomed romance and is augmented by a fine supporting cast including Helena Bonham Carter and Martin Freeman. Cosy January goodness.
Netflix, from Thursday 15 January
Hijack
Another year, another terrifying transport incident for Idris Elba’s supremely unfortunate corporate negotiator Sam Nelson. This time, Nelson is in Berlin travelling by subway when lightning strikes twice. However, what unfolds is intriguing, unpredictable and eventually explosive: expect many significant twists as the white-knuckle train ride runs parallel to official machinations that will have you questioning the motives of everyone involved. And we mean everyone. Hijack manages to take tired disaster movie tropes and gleefully give them new life – it’s ludicrous but gripping stuff.
Apple TV, from Wednesday 14 January
High Potential
After a mid-season break, the concluding episodes of this beautifully performed, thoroughly endearing crime drama get under way. The series has usually been at its most satisfying when exploring the troubled but resolute personal history of Kaitlin Olson’s crime-solving genius Morgan Gillory. But as we left, there was a cliffhanger as a series of bungles (one of which implicated Morgan and her straight-shooting colleague Adam Karadec) saw the escape of an art kidnapper. Could Morgan’s reputation now rest on the safe return of the painting he took?
Disney+, out now
Tell Me Lies
“Has anyone ever told you, you have really bad decision-making skills?” This judgment is directed towards Grace Van Patten’s Lucy Albright, but it applies to almost everyone in this soapy relationship drama. The third season continues the story of a sketchy but compulsive romance between Grace and Stephen DeMarco (Jackson White), an older guy whom she met at college and is inexplicably unable/unwilling to shake off. As we return, the couple are giving it one more go. “We have to be nice to each other this time,” says Grace, optimistically. Good luck with that.
Disney+, from Tuesday 13 January
Pole to Pole With Will Smith
Will Smith has had an interesting few years. So perhaps it’s little wonder that he wants a change of scenery. Helpfully, he’s been able to parlay that into a seven-part series in which he visits every continent in search of the wisdom that can only be attained on the very edges of the Earth. At least, that’s the idea – the reality frequently feels like an incredibly lavish stag do involving adventures by boat, abseiling into caves and encounters with giant anacondas. Speaking of creepy-crawlies, arachnophobes should tread extremely warily.
Disney+, from Wednesday 14 January
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
Expect complex protocols and endless expository dialogue as the latest expansion of the Star Trek universe strikes out into the galaxy. It follows the first group of new Starfleet officer cadets for a century as they learn the ropes. Most of them quickly master the essential skills of prodding hopefully at consoles while speaking in oddly staccato voices. But there’s more to it than that, as the group learn when they encounter incoming fire on an exploratory mission. It struggles to rise above the generic but a decent cast includes Holly Hunter and Tig Notaro.
Paramount+, from Thursday 15 January
Love Through a Prism
This unusual and rather charming manga from Yoko Kamio is set at a London art academy at the dawn of the 1900s. It tells the story of Japanese girl Lili Ichijoin as she pursues her creative dreams in the Big Smoke. Obviously, she stumbles headfirst into the terrifying intricacies of the British class system and meets many cads and bounders along the way. But she also falls hard for minor aristocrat (and talented painter) Kit. Can their mutual attraction survive contact with the various harsh realities they face? A nicely rendered and deeply wholesome tale.
Netflix, from Thursday 15 January
