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8 hours ago
6
Pick of the week
Murderbot
Perfectly in tune with our current state of low-key but persistent AI panic, this sci-fi comedy stars Alexander Skarsgård as the titular, self-named security cyborg. Skarsgård’s bot has managed to hack itself, but having overridden its programming, it’s unsure of what to do with its freedom. After all, one false move and its semi-autonomous state will be revealed. The tone is wry rather than dystopian. Murderbot has been hired as security by a shambolic gaggle of space-travelling environmentalists – but while it does have the capacity to go on a killing spree, it really just wants to be left alone to watch soap operas and ponder its place in the universe. Dryly funny and existentially intriguing.
Apple TV, from Friday 16 May
Overcompensating
There is a nicely tweaked all-American fantasy in this semi-autobiographical comedy, written by and starring Benito Skinner and featuring a soundtrack by Charli xcx. Benny (Skinner) is the handsome jock of small-town dreams. As he heads for college, the world is his oyster. But he’s confused by one thing: he keeps seeing boys he fancies. Soon, he hooks up (platonically) with Wally Baram’s Carmen, their sweet friendship both underpinned and undermined by the sense that neither is quite who they want to be. The pair are plainly too charismatic and easy on the eye to pass as true misfits but they’re good company all the same.
Prime Video, from Thursday 15 May
Untold: The Liver King
The Liver King (Brian Johnson to his mum) is one of the more absurd social media presences in recent history. An influencer claiming an “ancestral lifestyle”, his shtick is much as his name suggests: for years he claimed his musculature was the product of an offal-heavy diet of raw meat. This documentary – which hears from adherents to this bizarre regimen and from Johnson himself – explores the truth: in 2022, leaked emails revealed he’d been spending thousands of dollars a month on steroids. Yet another cautionary tale from an era overflowing with them.
Netflix, from Tuesday 13 May
Bad Thoughts
This sketch comedy from Tom Segura lands somewhere between I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson and a slasher film. Segura has described it as “a world where intrusive thoughts win” and that leads to some striking vignettes. It’s a realm in which country singers kidnap their fans and torment them psychologically until they provide lyrical inspiration, and where baristas are punished for their smugness by having their brains splattered on the counters of their coffee shops. The weirdness sometimes feels self-conscious but, still, a potential cult hit.
Netflix, from Tuesday 13 May
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Fred and Rose West: A British Horror Story
Is there anything more to be said about the grotesquely horrible case of Fred and Rose West? This documentary series fills in a few gaps, revealing recently discovered police recordings and shockingly visceral first-person testimonies from those unfortunate enough to have jobs requiring them to bear witness to the realities of the Wests’ crimes. It also features relatives of some of the victims, several of whom are speaking on the record for the first time. Whether it amounts to fresh insight or more wallowing in misery is debatable.
Netflix, from Wednesday 14 May
Abbott Elementary
While Quinta Brunson’s school-set mockumentary has lost a little narrative momentum in recent seasons, it has gained poignancy thanks to the US government’s attacks on publicly funded institutions. These latest episodes wrap up season four (season five is already commissioned). As both the cause and effect of Ava’s suspension, the school’s financial struggles continue to underpin the story. But there are also frequent reminders of why the teachers’ work matters, not least in the sweet season finale in which a play is staged by the students.
Disney+, from Wednesday 14 May
Hysteria
The late 80s “satanic panic” around heavy metal gets the drama treatment in this entertaining series in which a struggling high-school band get a bold idea. A local teen has gone missing and wild rumours are convulsing their small town; so why not go to the dark side? Soon, the band are filling rooms – but not all of the attention they’re receiving is welcome. Worse still, strange things are happening to the band members. Have they accidentally invoked dark forces beyond their control? The dialogue is often clunky but the whole thing feels appropriately cartoonish.
Paramount+, from Friday 16 May
