Radio Times
type: channel
link: https://www.radiotimes.com
date: 2026-04-08T10:20:00.000Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
items: Undertone review: A frustratingly under-cooked and underwhelming horror film
items: The Drama review: Robert Pattinson and Zendaya prop up provocative marriage film
items: If you're tired of FM26, you owe it to yourself to play this Football Manager deckbuilder
items: The Boys season 5 review: A more sombre than satisfying goodbye to Prime Video's anti-superhero hit
items: 6 classic Tomb Raider games are 'free' this week, but they do have some glaring issues
items: Les Liaisons Dangereuses review: Lesley Manville and Aidan Turner's chemistry is off the charts in this timeless tale of seduction
items: Waitress review: Carrie Hope Fletcher new staging is served to perfection
items: Romeo & Juliet review: Shakespeare meets Black Mirror in Sadie Sink's West End debut
items: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie review: Animated sequel is vibrant but paper-thin
items: Babies review: Paapa Essiedu and Siobhán Cullen are heartbreaking in another relatability masterclass from Stefan Golaszewski
items: Teeth 'N' Smiles review: Self Esteem is the British female rock star we never had
items: Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen review: Netflix's blood-soaked thriller values gore over lore
items: Bait review: Riz Ahmed's Bond-themed comedy is a stroke of hilarious, introspective genius
items: Jo Nesbø's Detective Hole review: Nordic noir series plays the grim hits but fails to stand out
items: Summerfolk review: Gorky's biting class satire is more relevant now than ever
items: Crimson Desert review: Too good to be true? Not entirely
items: Ready or Not 2: Here I Come review – Fun horror sequel elaborates on its predecessor's killer concept
items: Project Hail Mary review: Ryan Gosling charms in science fiction with a reassuring soul
items: The Claudia Winkleman Show review: Was there any doubt we'd be in good hands?
items: Reminders of Him review: A heartfelt but ordinary addition to the Colleen Hoover canon
items: A Woman of Substance review: Brenda Blethyn isn’t the only scene-stealer in this rompy remake
items: Marie & Rosetta review: Beverley Knight's powerhouse performance brings a forgotten musical hero into the spotlight
items: LEGO Smart Brick review: It’s great fun, but who is it for?
items: Mother's Pride review: Like an inoffensive light ale, slips down more pleasantly than you might expect
items: How to Make a Killing review: Glen Powell makes millions from murder in watchable but derivative thriller
items: Gone review: David Morrissey is bone-chilling in ITV coercive control thriller
items: The Bride review: An ambitious and stylish monster movie that doesn't quite cohere
items: Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man review – This big-screen spin-off keeps a firm red right hand on proceedings
items: The Capture season 3 review: The best thriller on TV returns to provide Holliday Grainger's finest hour
items: The Bride review: An ambitious and stylish monster movie that doesn't entirely cohere

Undertone review: A frustratingly under-cooked and underwhelming horror film
type: item
date: 2026-04-08T10:20:00.000Z
creator: Terry Staunton
subject: Movies
subject: Review
description: The buzzy debut feature from Ian Tuason focuses on a podcast host who receives some terrifying audio recordings – but it fails to effectively build on its premise.
encoded: Box office hits like The Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield helped establish the “found footage” chiller as a legitimate (and lucrative) sub-genre, but a found audio variation on the theme is a much tougher sell in a predominantly visual medium. The proliferation of podcasts in recent times may seem like a solid starting point for such fare, if the filmmaker can find something more interesting to focus on than an individual sat at a desk and wearing headphones, and in that respect Undertone gives itself a mountain to climb. Nina Kiri stars as Evy, co-host of a series investigating paranormal events in which she fulfils the role of the skeptic debunking theories put forward by her more easily convinced and remote (ie unseen) colleague Justin, played by Adam DiMarco. Justin passes on an anonymous email he’s received containing a string of random letters and 10 short audio files that suggest all is not well in the world of a young couple who’ve been recording each other in their sleep – cue Evy’s nonplussed face when she hears sleepy renditions of nursery rhymes which, Justin claims, reveal murderous messages when played backwards. “Mike, kill all,” says one, according to Justin, prompting Evy to do a bit of extra-curricular digging and discover that the reversed rendition her own childhood favourite, Baa Baa Black Sheep, seemingly instructs the listener to "lick the blood off". While all this is going on, writer-director Ian Tuason drip-feeds his audience a few facts about Evy; she’s caring for her invalid, comatose mother in an otherwise empty house, while wrestling with alcoholism and processing recent news of pregnancy. That’s about it, in terms of character development, so the narrative drive falls on the shoulders of the mysterious audio files gradually revealing more undefined terror from afar, but Evy and Justin pointlessly limiting themselves to playing just one fresh file per night is a baffling state of affairs that doesn’t do the story any favours. Sound r…

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The Drama review: Robert Pattinson and Zendaya prop up provocative marriage film
type: item
date: 2026-04-07T11:24:58.000Z
creator: Max Copeman
subject: Movies
subject: Contains Trailer
subject: Review
description: Writer/director Kristoffer Borgli's new film is engineered for discourse, not depth – but its lead stars are in fine form.
encoded: Warning: contains spoilers for The Drama, which is in cinemas now. At what point is a red flag impossible to ignore? That’s the principal question posed in this combustible new drama from Norwegian writer/director Kristoffer Borgli, which pushes the genres of romcom and marital drama to their very extremes. In fact, cinema has never known pre-wedding jitters quite like this. Starring Robert Pattinson and Zendaya as a couple in Boston about to tie the knot, The Drama is a film that hinges on a twist. But in contrast to The Sixth Sense, The Usual Suspects or Fight Club, where a late reveal memorably casts previous scenes in a new light, The Drama plays its hand early. And what lands on the table is indeed entirely original and unpredictable... even if Borgli can’t decide where to go in its wake. Charlie (Pattinson) and Emma (Zendaya) first encounter each other in a café and share a textbook meet-cute: she’s the bookstore clerk reading by the window and he’s the museum director who pretends to have read what she’s holding purely to strike up conversation. In the blink of an eye they’re loved up and having dinner to sample catering options for their fast-approaching dream wedding. Their friends Rachel and Mike (a terrifically catty Alana Haim and Mamoudou Athie) mention how before they got married, they asked each other: what’s the worst thing you’ve ever done? And that’s when the bombshell drops. Publicity for The Drama has been subtly subdued and entirely reliant on the profile of its stars, with press coverage limited in the hope of preserving the twist. Skirting around it, though, will not make for a worthwhile discussion of the film’s merits – so if you’d prefer to “go in blind” then it’s best to stop reading here. The skeleton in Emma’s closet is that she meticulously planned and intended to carry out a school shooting while at high school, only to stop short at the 11th hour. Naturally, this prompts Charlie to reconsider their relationship – and also causes a rup…

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If you're tired of FM26, you owe it to yourself to play this Football Manager deckbuilder
type: item
date: 2026-04-07T09:44:16.000Z
creator: Alex Raisbeck
subject: Gaming
subject: Technology
subject: Comment
subject: Review
description: When the seagulls follow the trawler, it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea.
encoded: Usually, by this point in the year, I would be about 20 seasons deep into a Football Manager save in [insert middling European football nation here]. This year, however, things are different. FM26 and I never truly clicked, and while I noted in my review that I have high hopes for FM27, I just haven't been able to make this year's game stick. Annoyingly for me, while FM26 hasn't captured me, the Football Manager itch remains, with my hunt for an FM simulacrum leaving a pile of failed saves in its wake. But late last month, my saviour entered the fray. Nutmeg – or NUTMEG!, to give it its bombastic, real title – is a fascinating take on the football sim. Flinging you back to the 1980s and '90s, Nutmeg puts you at the helm of an English football club, in charge of squad building, staffing, budgets, and the like. What sets this game apart is that instead of the tactics are typically the be-all and end-all of the football sim, Nutmeg is a card game. Like a footballing Slay the Spire, you're given a hand full of cards that you can play to influence the match. Your team will progress up the pitch, playing passes, dodging tackles and taking shots. Every action has odds assigned to it, and which cards you play and when can give your team that extra edge they need to hit the back of the net. It's a deceptively simple mechanic that actually feels surprisingly analogous to FM. Just as you may sit back against stronger opposition, or go all-out against weaker ones, Nutmeg allows you that same control over your games in a different way. Early on, in an attempt to score as many goals as possible, I found myself playing any and every card early on in games, just to get nowhere and end up conceding on the break. Outside of matches, you've got the chance to build your squad, make transfers, manage your budgets and more. Naturally, it's not quite as intuitive as FM's wealth of familiar statistics, scouts and data, so it can feel rather overwhelming to tackle at first, but once you get…

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The Boys season 5 review: A more sombre than satisfying goodbye to Prime Video's anti-superhero hit
type: item
date: 2026-04-06T16:00:11.000Z
creator: Nicola Austin
subject: Sci-fi
subject: TV
subject: Amazon Prime Video
subject: Contains Trailer
subject: Review
description: Buckle in for a bittersweet way to bow out.
encoded: Almost seven years on, one released spin-off series (Gen V), an animated anthology (The Boys Presents: Diabolical), and two upcoming projects later (Vought Rising and The Boys: Mexico), the acclaimed and hugely satirical flagship (anti) superhero show, The Boys, is finally set to come to a close with its fifth and final series. Spawning countless brutal and bloody memorable moments (Herogasm, anyone?!), hilarious memes, shock twists, and bold cultural, social, and political commentary, the biting and often gleefully sadistic series has undoubtedly become a cultural phenomenon, offering a refreshing counter-narrative to the often rinse-and-repeat formula of other superhero blockbusters. However, all good things must come to an end, and thankfully The Boys hasn’t quite overstayed its welcome, with showrunner Eric Kripke closing the curtain on this chapter with a planned five-season run. But, as with all popular shows coming to a close, the question of whether the writers can stick the landing is the primary concern, especially when certain finales (e.g. Game of Thrones, Dexter, Lost!) still prove a sore point for many fans and the wider cultural landscape. As Butcher (Karl Urban) and the Boys are back in town for one final hurrah, can Kripke and co. unleash a fittingly crazy goodbye to their merry band of vigilante criminals and depraved Supes? Well, not with the expected bang, but with something more unsettling - an emotionally devastating outing that strays alarmingly close to a present-day reality. Once an entertaining and subversive satire, the series now feels almost too recognisable, trading gleeful shock for an unsettling sense of inevitability and futility. Buckle up for a sombre swansong… The fifth season picks up soon after the last, with a dystopian America now firmly under Homelander’s (Antony Starr) egomaniacal and fascist control - thanks in part to the new Vice President Ashley (Colby Minifie) and her husband, clergyman Oh Father (Daveed Diggs) - while …

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6 classic Tomb Raider games are 'free' this week, but they do have some glaring issues
type: item
date: 2026-04-06T10:16:21.000Z
creator: Daryl Baxter
subject: Gaming
subject: Technology
subject: Comment
subject: Review
description: Ready for some retro Lara?
encoded: 2024's Tomb Raider I-III Remastered is now available for free for PS Plus subscribers throughout April – but back in March, I wouldn’t have recommended buying or playing it. On March 12, developer Aspyr released Patch 5, which, in addition to introducing a new ‘Challenge Mode’, also brought a slew of issues. This included the title music continuously playing when entering a level, wrong sound effects on different enemies, traps not working as they should, and lots more. More concerning was a new company taking charge of this ‘Challenge Mode’ patch, instead of a team of Tomb Raider community members who created this remastered collection, complete with remade textures. The fan community was in uproar. So much so, Aspyr announced on March 18 an initiative for players to submit issues to be fixed in a future patch. The first one came out on March 31, fixing many issues, but others remain. Fans have gotten in touch with this writer, highlighting how Lara’s braid in photo mode still moves, and the ninja enemies toward the end of Tomb Raider II either throw Tiger heads or nothing instead of daggers. It’s a disappointing fall from grace for a collection released to huge acclaim in February 2024, thanks to its faithful recreation of the original games, but with photo mode, new textures, and the three expansion packs. But it’s also telling how quickly this first fix was rolled out – perhaps because Tomb Raider I-III Remastered is now available for PS Plus subscribers. Despite a few bugs still present around all six games, here’s why they’re still worth playing. Back to the Croft Having written the book on the first two Tomb Raider games, as well as a follow-up coming later this year, which goes up to 2000’s Tomb Raider: Chronicles, I’ve got plenty of experience in playing every one of these games over the past 30 years. But first, a little history. The first Tomb Raider set a benchmark for how a fully-3D adventure could look and play for a whole new audience. Inspired by the…

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Les Liaisons Dangereuses review: Lesley Manville and Aidan Turner's chemistry is off the charts in this timeless tale of seduction
type: item
date: 2026-04-02T12:39:08.000Z
creator: Joanna Magill
subject: Going Out
subject: Reviews
subject: Review
description: Tense, sexy and playful, this revival of Christopher Hampton's Les Liaisons Dangereuses brings the best of the old and new.
encoded: Dangerous Liaisons is a tale that has been adapted time and time again, from TV mini-series to Korean historical romance film to the '90s cult classic film Cruel Intentions. Now it's time to enjoy another adaptation; the National Theatre revival of Christopher Hampton's 1984 Les Liaisons Dangereuses. A revival of a classic tale often reveals plenty about the age we're currently living in – so what does this production mean in the year 2026? Is it a cautionary tale against indulging in lies in the age of post-truth? A commentary on the shallow whims of the ultra-rich? Or is it simply an opportunity to witness the delight of Lesley Manville and Aidan Turner perform a dangerous, sexy tango of words and deceit? Whatever your interpretation, this much is sure: you are in for a wickedly sumptuous show. The 2026 National Theatre production, directed by Marianne Elliott, is a show of contrasts, with lavish costumes set against a sparse stage flanked by mirrors. This eerie juxtaposition makes the audience ill at ease, as well as highlighting both vanity and the sense of being unable to escape from yourself. Hampton's script stays relatively faithful to the original 1782 book Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos. We focus on the Marquise de Merteuil (Manville) and the Vicomte de Valmont (Turner), two aristocrats and former lovers who place bets and play games based on manipulation and sexual exploits. What follows are dangerous games of seduction, of both Cécile de Volanges (Hannah van der Westhuysen) and Madame de Tourvel (Monica Barbaro). Tension is rife throughout, with each word of Hampton's script dripping with sensuality and double meaning. A lot of this tension is beautifully portrayed through movement, with choreographer Tom Jackson Greaves's luscious interpretive sequences, using fluid movement to express anguish and raw sexuality where words fail. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2026/04/Aidan-Turner-Vicomte-de-V…

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height: 4928

Waitress review: Carrie Hope Fletcher new staging is served to perfection
type: item
date: 2026-04-01T14:49:16.000Z
creator: Laura Rutkowski
subject: Going Out
subject: Reviews
subject: Review
description: This is a firm favourite on my musical menu that I would order over and over again.
encoded: I last saw Waitress in London in 2020, with the supremely talented Sara Bareilles (responsible for the stunning music and lyrics) and Gavin Creel, who sadly passed away in 2024, as the leads. I have been eagerly anticipating the show’s return, but thought it would be difficult to top such a brilliant casting. But I’m happy to say that the UK tour that premiered in Wimbledon for a 10th anniversary production is just as magical in Abbey O’Brien’s restaging of Diane Paulus’s original work. Carrie Hope Fletcher effortlessly plays expert pie-maker Jenna, a waitress at Joe’s Pie Diner in small-town America, and Dan Partridge is very funny as the neurotic, but well-meaning Dr Pomatter. It’s based on the 2007 film written and directed by Adrienne Shelly. Jenna is married to the abusive Earl (played in the musical by a convincingly piggish Mark Willshire) and dreams of leaving him, but then she finds out she’s pregnant. A way out seems like a pie in the sky, until she hears about a pie-making contest that offers a prize of $20,000 to the winner. Where Earl thinks Jenna’s “no Sara Lee”, Dr Pomatter believes her pies are so good that they could win awards. In what could be seen as quite a sad story, it also has tons of humour that I think lands even better this time around, and I’m sure some gags have been added, and they really work. All the characters in Jessie Nelson’s script are well fleshed out, and realistically flawed – they never pretend to be anything but. Mark Anderson as Dawn’s besotted, eccentric love interest Ogie is a real scene-stealer and Les Dennis is great as the grouchy yet likable Joe, who owns the diner, and believes in Jenna’s abilities. Dan O’Brien does a good job teetering between appearing tough as diner manager Cal one minute, and as a big softie underneath it all the next. But it’s the female friendships that really shine here. The relationship between Jenna and fellow waitresses, Dawn (played with quirky charm by Evelyn Hoskins) and Becky (a hilario…

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Romeo & Juliet review: Shakespeare meets Black Mirror in Sadie Sink's West End debut
type: item
date: 2026-04-01T07:56:10.000Z
creator: Olivia Garrett
subject: Going Out
subject: Reviews
subject: Review
description: Sadie Sink and Noah Jupe are sensational star-crossed lovers.
encoded: Sadie Sink's West End debut is a triumph of tragedy and heartache as she brings Robert Icke's adaptation of Romeo & Juliet back to the London stage. The timeless story of love and death is given a timeless out-of-body atmosphere as scenery, costume and framing devices are used to strand the production in a minimalist world where the 1590s and 2020s blend together. The show has the overall feel of the Black Mirror episode Hang the DJ as a giant digital clock flashes onto screen throughout – reminding that the lovers' lives are literally ticking away. This is joined by a clever time-warping element in which certain scenes are played out twice to suggest how their story could otherwise have gone: Tybalt interrupts Romeo at the party, the Nurse refuses to give Juliet the message, the Friar's letters arrive on time and so on – showing us how cosmically aligned these star-crossed lovers truly are. These elements create an effectively eerie atmosphere for the show and are a nice palette cleanser for the endless gun-toting modern adaptations we often see today, although this was occasionally ruptured by an out-of-pocket cover song only producers of The Traitors would enjoy. It also breaks a centuries-long trend of seeing the lovers' fates as a hopeless, foregone conclusion, we all enter the theatre knowing where their story will end up, but never before have I experienced a bitter tug of hope that it could go another way. But as the production overall seems to live somewhere in the uncanny valley, the cast's performances are utterly grounded. Sadie Sink is an infectiously likeable Juliet, who brings all the painfully real awkwardness of a teenage girl to the stage. She grunts, growls, giggles and leaps around in the first act, only to turn that energy into concerning obsession in the second – bravo to Robert Icke for remembering they are teenagers who, at the end of the day, are completely naive of the real world. Noah Jupe is equally impressive. His devoted Romeo comes wit…

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The Super Mario Galaxy Movie review: Animated sequel is vibrant but paper-thin
type: item
date: 2026-03-31T19:00:49.000Z
creator: James Mottram
subject: Movies
subject: Comment
subject: Contains Trailer
subject: Review
description: The ‘family is forever’ theme looms large, but never once feels sincere or authentic.
encoded: Nintendo’s colourful characters, Mario and Luigi, are back for Level 2. In 2023, The Super Mario Bros Movie powered up in cinemas, grossing $1.361 billion and gaining three Oscar nods. Created by Illumination, the animation company behind the Minions, this wild adventure plunged audiences into a 3D-realised world that was instantly familiar to anyone who has played any of the video games fronted by everyone’s favourite moustachioed, dungarees-wearing Brooklyn plumbers. Returning us to the lurid, trippy Mushroom Kingdom, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is equally barmy, if not quite as fresh or funny as its predecessor. Loosely based on the 2007 game Super Mario Galaxy and its 2010 sequel, this new film introduces fan-favourite character Yoshi, the cuddly-ish green dinosaur – here voiced by Donald Glover – who has a rapacious appetite. Like in the game, he consumes things, even people, and turns them into eggs. He soon meets with Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day), in an adventure that starts as Princess Rosalina (voiced by Brie Larson) is captured by a giant flying saucer, leaving her ‘babies’, the star-shaped, glowing Luma, at a loss for what to do. Behind this abduction is the evil Bowser Jr (Benny Safdie) who is building a super weapon and needs her magic to power it. His father Bowser (Jack Black) remains shrunken to the size of a doll – all thanks to Mario’s actions at the end of the last movie. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Mario movie without Princess Peach (Anna Taylor-Joy), the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom, and Toad (Keegan-Michael Key), who become instrumental in mounting the mission to save Rosalina. As plots go, it’s standard fare, although Nintendo fans will surely get a kick out an appearance by Fox McCloud, the protagonist from the Star Fox series and here voiced by Glen Powell (even if the character looks a little too much like Nick Wilde, the foxy lead in Disney’s Zootopia). Like its predecessor, the movie is at its best when it integrates clas…

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Babies review: Paapa Essiedu and Siobhán Cullen are heartbreaking in another relatability masterclass from Stefan Golaszewski
type: item
date: 2026-03-27T00:01:42.000Z
creator: James Hibbs
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: BBC
subject: BBC iPlayer
subject: On demand
subject: Review
description: A stumble in the show's final third can't take away from this powerful drama.
encoded: This article contains mention of pregnancy loss and miscarriage that some readers may find distressing. It's rare that I can say a drama absolutely won't be for everybody, but perhaps should be – that is the case with Babies. It won't be for everybody for two reasons. The first is that it is a new drama from Stefan Golaszewski, the master of unerring slice of life drama. I gave his last series, Marriage, a five-star review, believing, as I still do, that it was an exceptional piece of work. Once it was released into the wider world, many viewers disagreed, and took against it fervently. Babies has a similar pace, tone and structure to that series, so I can already say with some degree of certainty that those who were unimpressed by Marriage will have similar feelings here. The second reason is that it deals with the subject of repeated pregnancy loss and miscarriage, and does so in a way which is raw and unflinching. This topic will simply be too harrowing, too close to the bone for some viewers – and that's completely understandable. However, if they do find themselves able to give the series a go and continue with it, my hope is that they will feel seen, whether they have been through the experiences depicted on screen or not. Babies stars Siobhán Cullen and Paapa Essiedu as Lisa and Stephen, a couple in their 30s who are trying for a baby, but who endure multiple pregnancy losses and miscarriages. Meanwhile, the series also focuses on Stephen's best friend Dave, played by Jack Bannon, in his new relationship with Charlotte Riley's Amanda. Dave is besotted with Amanda, but she is evidently from a different world that Stephen, Lisa and Dave and has a different approach to life – one which, we soon learn, is at least partly informed by her own experiences. As Stephen and Dave struggle to talk to one another about their various circumstances, their friendship is tested right when they both need each other the most. Unlike Marriage, which ran for four episodes, Babies…

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Teeth 'N' Smiles review: Self Esteem is the British female rock star we never had
type: item
date: 2026-03-26T12:00:34.000Z
creator: Olivia Garrett
subject: Going Out
subject: Reviews
subject: Review
description: Rebecca Lucy Taylor (AKA Self Esteem) fills a British Janis Joplin-sized hole in revived play.
encoded: It's very common when imagining the world of '60s rock and roll, to conjure up an image tainted with Hollywood glamour. To see the life of drink, drugs and sex while travelling on the road through the rose-tinted lens of an Annie Leibovitz photoshoot. So it's unbelievably refreshing when you get a rather more British take on it, that is a seedy, unkempt, patchwork version, that literally reeks of cigar smoke and every single thing on stage is brown. This is the world of David Hare's Teeth 'N' Smiles, a play originally written in 1975 when the idealistic world of classic rock was fading into raw defiance of punk, when, as Hare puts it, conversations about "civil rights and the radical overhaul of society" had become "drinkers talking about themselves and their relationships". The premise is simple and based on a real-world instance, when The Rolling Stones, at the peak of fame, were booked to perform at an Oxford University ball, leading him to the question: what happens when you put the dry, cynical world of rock and roll in the stately setting of a posh university? It is here we meet the cult band Maggie Frisby and the Skins, playing three sets at the Jesus College May Ball at Cambridge University on a night when everything, particularly Maggie, seems to be disintegrating. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2026/03/31.-TEETH-N-SMILES.-Noah-Weatherby-Inch-Rebecca-Lucy-Taylor-Maggie-Samuel-Jordan-Smegs-and-Jojo-Macari-Peyote.-Photo-by-Helen-Murray-a0da0b6.jpg" width="5919" height="3946" alt="Teeth 'n' Smiles by David Hare ; Production ; Cast: Rebecca Lucy Taylor, Michael Fox, Phil Daniels, Michael Abubakar, Roman Asde, Bill Caple, Joseph Evans, Damien James, Samuel Jordan, Aysha Kala, Jojo Macari, Gregor Milne, Christopher Patrick Nolan, Noah Weatherby, Guy Amos, Daniel Crespin, Levi Heaton ; Director: Daniel Raggett ; Assistant Director: George Jibson ; Casting Director: Bryony Jarvis Taylor CDG ; Writer: David Hare ; Music: Nick Bi…

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Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen review: Netflix's blood-soaked thriller values gore over lore
type: item
date: 2026-03-26T08:01:07.000Z
creator: Louise Griffin
subject: Fantasy
subject: TV
subject: Netflix
subject: Review
description: The Night Manager star Camila Morrone steals the show in Netflix's new horror.
encoded: Ever witnessed a wedding where a happily ever after just doesn't seem on the cards? Netflix's blood-soaked new horror series takes that fear to the extreme, shouting from the rooftops with every title card, that Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen by the end of its eight episodes. You can't say you weren't warned... A week before their wedding, Rachel Harkin (Camila Morrone) and Nicky Cunningham (Adam DiMarco) travel to Summer House, the ancestral home of Nicky's family. But multiple strange happenings plague the couple on the way there, leaving Rachel, in particular, more than a little on edge at the beginning of her wedding week. Things only get more unsettling when they get to Summer House and meet the rest of Nicky's imposing family, including his parents, whose marriage he idolises, brutally honest brother Jules (Jeff Wilbusch) and his no-nonsense wife Nell (Karla Crome), larger-than-life sister Portia (Gus Birney), and quiet and watchful nephew Jude (Sawyer Fraser). As Rachel gets closer to her big day, she's filled with an unmistakable sense of dread. But surely everything will be fine once she and Nicky get married, right? Right? Created by Hayley Z Boston and executive produced by the Duffer brothers, marking their first release since Stranger Things, Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen makes for a thrilling watch, perfect for a rainy weekend binge. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2026/03/SomethingVeryBadIsGoingtoHappennS1E500364616R-0273a13-e1774016662478.jpg" width="2700" height="1800" alt="Camila Morrone as Rachel Harkin, Adam DiMarco as Nicky Cunningham in Something Very Bad is Going to Happen" title="Camila Morrone as Rachel Harkin, Adam DiMarco as Nicky Cunningham in Something Very Bad is Going to Happen" /> It's an interesting premise from showrunner Boston, which taps into fears that have been unintentionally instilled into many from a young age about choosing the right person to marry - and what may happen i…

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Bait review: Riz Ahmed's Bond-themed comedy is a stroke of hilarious, introspective genius
type: item
date: 2026-03-25T08:00:51.000Z
creator: Morgan Cormack
subject: Comedy
subject: TV
subject: Amazon Prime Video
subject: On demand
subject: Review
description: There are some serious laughs and deep thinking to be done with Bait.
encoded: *Warning: This article contains spoilers for Bait.* When it comes to comedy, many TV fans may not immediately suggest Riz Ahmed as the first choice for a series frontman that has major funny chops. With previous critically acclaimed roles in the likes of The Night Of, Sound of Metal, Rogue One and Mogul Mowgli, Ahmed is no stranger to the screen or a powerful, multilayered role. But as for whether the majority of his characters have left us in fits of laughter on the floor? Not quite as much. It's clear the actor and rapper is known for picking roles and productions that show off a range of experiences and stories but in Bait, Ahmed has not only crafted a story that is equal parts funny and introspective, but it's clear to see that the actor is having some serious fun in this lane of his career. So much so that after watching, you may start to wonder just why he hasn't been cast in more comedies. Prior to its release, Bait got Bond back on people's brains as the trailer renewed interest in the infamous franchise and the state of its future. No longer were people wondering who the next 007 was because it looked as though Ahmed was pitching himself to be the iconic spy in his new meta project. While Bait could easily stand as an extended audition tape for Ahmed to take on the title role (one that I personally wholeheartedly support), Bond is simply a plot device here that opens up the door to a whole world of deep, contemplative thinking. Laughs are to be had in plentiful supply, but the great thing here is the red herring of Bait. It's not simply just a six-parter that will leave you laughing out loud – a rare feat, it seems like these days – but it's tackling of wider themes may even leave you wondering about the persona you show up as on any given day. We follow Ahmed as struggling actor Shah Latif as he embarks on the dream of a lifetime – getting the chance to audition to be the next James Bond. While he fudges the audition, he's later informed by a runner that p…

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Jo Nesbø's Detective Hole review: Nordic noir series plays the grim hits but fails to stand out
type: item
date: 2026-03-20T21:00:00.000Z
creator: James Hibbs
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: Contains Trailer
subject: Netflix
subject: On demand
subject: Review
description: Nesbø's series feels like a surefire hit — one that was made 15 years ago.
encoded: In the early 2010s, the entire world saw a Nordic noir boom, as the incredibly popular Scandinavian literary trend came to screens around the globe. The distinctive traits of the crime fiction sub-genre are as follows - each entry into it tends to follow a morally complex, troubled protagonist, who has a distinct knack for solving crimes amid a Scandinavian backdrop. They are also known for their presentation of particularly brutal violence and for their bleak, dark tone. With shows like The Killing and The Bridge dominating conversation, it wasn't long before America and the UK tried to get on board the trend. A US adaptation of one of Jo Nesbø's acclaimed Harry Hole books, The Snowman, was released in 2017 and was resoundingly panned. Now, almost 10 years on, comes a second attempt to bring Harry, one of Nordic noir's most famous figures, to the screen. This time around, the adaptation is from Netflix, and they're going right back to the source. A nine-part series, Detective Hole is a Norwegian series, which has been created by Nesbø himself. Naturally, hopes are high that this will be the adaptation which does the character, and the novels, justice. Now, I'm in the position of not having read any of Nesbø's novels, so it's hard for me to say what the reaction will be from die-hard fans. However, from everything I do know, this is very much in keeping with the spirit of the novels, and is certainly a prime example of the Nordic noir genre on screen. For many, that can only be a good thing. Unfortunately, it's also what stops the series from reaching beyond its literary and filmic inheritance. To set the stage, this first season of Detective Hole is an adaptation, specifically of Nesbø's fifth novel in the Harry Hole series, The Devil's Star. It follows Harry, played by Tobias Santelmann, a tormented recovering alcoholic who is an iconic figure in the Oslo police force - respected for his crime solving skills, but known for his difficult temperament. One of the off…

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Summerfolk review: Gorky's biting class satire is more relevant now than ever
type: item
date: 2026-03-19T16:48:31.000Z
creator: Joanna Magill
subject: Going Out
subject: Tickets
subject: Review
description: Alex Lawther shines in this new adaptation of Gorky's ever-relevant oeuvre.
encoded: A large group of petty bourgeoisie clothed in white sit beside a lake in the heat. They drink, they complain and they argue, leaving a trail of chaos in their wake and expecting the working people of the resort they summer in to pick up after them. While you'd be forgiven for thinking this is a scene from The White Lotus, this is, in fact, Summerfolk, a play written by Maxim Gorky in 1904. Give the modern prevalence of "eat the rich" films (Parasite, Triangle of Sadness, The Menu, Saltburn etc), right now feels like a very appropriate time for a revival of Gorky's biting class satire. With a cast of mostly shallow, rich characters bickering in luxurious summer surroundings while the world around them is on the brink of collapse, Summerfolk slots right in. At first glance, an early 20th century long Russian play with a large and complex cast of characters may not exactly seem relatable to the 2020s. However, Nina and Moses Raine's new adaptation makes the satire feel both fresh and relatable. Gorky's work deals with the preoccupations of the intelligentsia right before the Russian Revolution; affairs, loveless marriages, opinions on lacklustre poetry. At times, we the audience, as a fly on the wall, can see deeper into the darker side of the upper middle class psyche of the time; from the male characters' rampant misogyny to Pyotr's disdain for his own working class origins. Gorky and the Raine siblings have worked in tandem to create a hilarious and affecting script, stuffed with terrific one-liners and expertly-placed expletives, without shying away from the darker elements. It's impossible not to draw parallels between Summerfolk's underlying sense of political and social unease and the churning anxiety present in our current world. These eerie similarities mean that this contemporary production speaks to the timelessness of theatre. Despite being reduced by an hour, Summerfolk still boasts a hefty run-time. While the first half effortlessly flies by, the producti…

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Crimson Desert review: Too good to be true? Not entirely
type: item
date: 2026-03-18T22:00:24.000Z
creator: Alex Raisbeck
subject: Gaming
subject: Technology
subject: Review
description: Why have one game when you could have them all?
encoded: It's been a while since I've seen a game garner the levels of hype pre-launch that Crimson Desert has managed. By way of a seemingly endless stream of new clips, developer Pearl Abyss has been barraging social media with one new mechanic after another, so much so that the de facto response now appears to be "it's too good to be true, right?" Well, having got to grips with Crimson Desert, I can say that while on the mechanics front, Crimson Desert does what it says on the tin, that doesn't mean it's all it's all it's cracked up to be. Crimson Desert is an action-adventure game set on the continent of Pywel. Playing as the Greymane warrior Kliff, you scour the continent for your scattered comrades, navigating warring factions and mythical forces on your path to seek your vengeance. At this point, what most people know of Crimson Desert is that it appears to have incorporated every game mechanic under the sun. You've got your classic melee, ranged and magic combat of any medieval action adventure, but that's supplemented by a deep skill tree that offers a huge amount of flexibility, unlocking entire new moves and combo systems. The game also takes a fascinating approach to learning new moves, in that Kliff must see the move being performed in-game before he can learn them himself, but once you land your first RKO on a goblin, it's all worth it. In many ways, Crimson Desert feels reminiscent of a great number of games. It feels perhaps mean to say that it rips off other titles, but in so many aspects, Crimson Desert doesn't just feel similar to other games, but effectively a total reskin. What Pearl Abyss has done with this game is effectively combine The Witcher 3 and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, sprinkling bits and pieces they liked from other titles in for good measure. You have the huge open world, combat and exploration of The Witcher 3. You have the Sky Islands, physics, and what is essentially Ultrahand from Tears of the Kingdom. You've got a kind o…

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Ready or Not 2: Here I Come review – Fun horror sequel elaborates on its predecessor's killer concept
type: item
date: 2026-03-18T14:53:28.000Z
creator: Emma Simmonds
subject: Movies
subject: Contains Trailer
subject: Review
description: Samara Weaving is joined by a great cast of genre favourites including Elijah Wood, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Kathryn Newton.
encoded: Emerging from the flaming wreckage of the first film with more of the same in mind, Ready or Not 2: Here I Come elaborates on its predecessor’s killer concept. Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett return at the helm, with Samara Weaving gritting her teeth and going again, as she slips back into that blood-soaked wedding dress. In the 2019 original, Weaving’s Grace MacCaullay married into the filthy rich Le Domas family only to be forced to play a game on her wedding night with her secretly satanic in-laws. Unluckily for her, it turned out to be the dreaded hide-and-seek – a rarely enacted ritual which involves the new family member being hunted by the entire ghastly group, so that they might be offered as a sacrifice. The sequel picks up exactly where that film left off, following the Le Domas clan’s explosive comeuppance. Grace finds herself a suspect in their deaths, before learning that her survival in the previous game has put her in the sights of the world’s wealthiest families. She’s triggered a clause which means the high-seat on their council and all the power that comes with it, is up for grabs, if one of them can kill her before dawn. If not, Grace can claim the seat for herself. It’s a horrific case of déjà vu for the just-getting-her-breath-back Grace, and this time round she isn’t just fighting for her life, she’s fighting for the life of her estranged sister, Faith (Kathryn Newton), too. Faith happens to be visiting when Grace is captured, and resents her for abandoning her to foster care as a teen. The two are handcuffed together as the game begins, forcing them to confront their issues fast and co-operate. Canadian horror auteur David Cronenberg plays Chester, the head of the powerful Danforth family, with Sarah Michelle Gellar and Shawn Hatosy, his twin offspring Ursula and Titus, tasked by their father with restoring their family to the high-seat. Elijah Wood is a lawyer overseeing the new game, with Kevin Durand and Néstor Carbonell a…

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Project Hail Mary review: Ryan Gosling charms in science fiction with a reassuring soul
type: item
date: 2026-03-17T10:57:41.000Z
creator: Terry Staunton
subject: Movies
subject: Sci-fi
subject: Contains Trailer
subject: Review
description: This adaptation of Andy Weir's novel is by no means the most original movie – but there's much joy to be had.
encoded: The last time Ryan Gosling blasted off into space was in the guise of Neil Armstrong heading for the moon in 2018’s First Man, making it home again before the milk in his fridge had gone off. Project Hail Mary is a considerably longer voyage into the unknown that sees Gosling’s mild-mannered science teacher Dr Ryland Grace on a fictional mission with significantly greater stakes than the one embarked upon by NASA’s real-life history maker. Exactly how long it’s been thus far when Ryland awakens on a spaceship isn’t immediately clear, certainly not to the hippy-haired, shaggy-bearded doc himself who’s suffering from amnesia; the most he can surmise is that he’s “several light years from my apartment” and all his fellow crew members have died. The bewildered traveller’s temporary memory loss is a tidy device, setting up a succession of patchy recollections to serve as flashbacks explaining how he got where he is and what’s happening back on Earth to have made the trip necessary; the sun is dying from a constant bombardment of parasitical extraterrestrial bacteria, and the key to avoiding mass extinction may just lie in a seemingly immune star at the far end of the galaxy. It’s good to get the premise-establishing science stuff out of the way in one sentence, as Project Hail Mary is by no means a film reliant on swathes of technological hokum (Ryland’s on-board problem-solving is framed in the playful manner of middle school classroom exercises), and more a family-friendly, intrinsically human story. Not entirely human, though, as our plucky but still a bit fuzzy-headed hero discovers a creature in the same planet-in-peril boat, or rather a massive craft that dwarfs Ryland’s own; a spider-ish being whose body appears to be comprised of several rough-hewn stones. He decides to call him Rocky. Language barriers are slowly overcome until viewers twig that what they’re watching is, in fact, a buddy movie in all but name, with a personality that could feasibly lay claim to …

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The Claudia Winkleman Show review: Was there any doubt we'd be in good hands?
type: item
date: 2026-03-13T23:25:29.000Z
creator: Katelyn Mensah
subject: Entertainment
subject: TV
subject: BBC iPlayer
subject: BBC One
subject: Comment
subject: Review
description: There's a new Friday night chat show host in town!
encoded: It's only been a matter of days since Claudia Winkleman was last on our TV screens, thanks to Crufts, but tonight marked the first time we truly saw her in her element. Announced late last year, fresh off of The Celebrity Traitors high, the BBC announced that Winkleman would host her very own chat show, made by the same production company behind The Graham Norton Show. It's important to not draw comparisons between the two, because despite the same Friday night slot, Winkleman brings her well-known and much-loved flair to the sofa. The studio is impressive, and offers a very Traitors vibe, thanks to the dark teal colour of the sofas – as was correctly guessed by guest Jennifer Saunders. Though, despite the nod to the reality series, Winkleman carves herself out as a worthy chat show host – not just as the host of The Traitors who also happens to front a chat show. Over the course of her career, Winkleman has always had a level of professionalism, swagger and self-deprecating humour that many of the nation has grown to love, including those in attendance of the recording. From the off, her interactions with the audience gave viewers an idea of what was to come, and throughout the episode, she manages to weave in plenty of audience interaction to accompany the anecdotes of the celebrities. But is the show perhaps too reliant on its audiences participation? While, sure, the celebrities may know the stories they plan to tell ahead of time, too many audience members who just so happen to have a story or relation to the anecdote each episode could make it feel a little too staged. Where Winkleman excels in off-script moments (see: Celia Imrie's flatulence), it'd be a shame to not have more go-with-the-flow moments between her and the celebrities. Tonight's line-up included Jeff Goldblum, Jennifer Saunders, Vanessa Williams and Tom Allen, all of whom had great stories to tell and plenty of charisma to keep the show moving, but it was Winkleman who was able to keep the show…

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Reminders of Him review: A heartfelt but ordinary addition to the Colleen Hoover canon
type: item
date: 2026-03-11T17:01:28.000Z
creator: Chezelle Bingham
subject: Movies
subject: Comment
subject: Contains Trailer
subject: Review
description: A largely run-of-the-mill romantic drama – but not without its charms.
encoded: Colleen Hoover’s third book adaptation probably isn't anything that we weren’t expecting. Directed by Vanessa Caswill, Reminders of Him has all the everyday, hallmark features of the constantly expanding Hooververse – a great cast, a light tug on the heartstrings and enough cheesiness to clog the arteries. Reminders of Him puts the usually blood-soaked Maika Monroe in a role far removed from the laboured-breathing, scream queen territory she’s usually found. This time around, she plays Kenna Rowan, a young woman who has recently been released from prison following an unthinkable, tragic mistake involving her boyfriend Scotty (Rudy Pankow). She returns to town hoping for a chance at redemption and, most importantly, to be reunited with the daughter she barely knows. Though Hoover has previously mentioned she deliberately set the story in an ambiguous location – if the guitar strumming, country-infused soundtrack is anything to go by, we appear to be in a small town somewhere in a southern state. And if that didn’t quite make it clear, there’s also a debut film role for Grammy award-winning country artist and Yellowstone alum Lainey Wilson, who pops up in a handful of welcome scenes as Kenna’s friend Amy to remind us Kenna may in fact have a Heart Like a Truck. The film’s cast is perhaps its greatest saving grace. Monroe is, expectedly, a natural fit for Kenna. With so much tragedy in Kenna’s past, Monroe draws on her horror pedigree to weave threads of tension and sympathy into a performance that without her would likely not have commanded quite as much attention. Monroe has long had a knack for stealing the screen, and here she manages to elevate the occasional early noughties, straight-to-DVD energy of the film with some natural charisma. Meanwhile, Withers offers a spin of the ‘rough-around-the-edges-but-still-a-nice-guy’ archetype in the form of Ledger, the bar owner Kenna finds herself involved with. Previously best known for his leading role in Justin Tipping’s…

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A Woman of Substance review: Brenda Blethyn isn’t the only scene-stealer in this rompy remake
type: item
date: 2026-03-11T15:52:29.000Z
creator: Morgan Cormack
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: Channel 4
subject: Contains Trailer
subject: Review
description: Jessica Reynolds is a captivating tour-de-force in this '80s remake.
encoded: After 14 years helming ITV crime drama Vera in her signature hat and mac, many Brenda Blethyn fans will undoubtedly be tuning into A Woman of Substance to see the actress in an entirely different kind of role. A vision of complete glamour in the show's trailer and promo images, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Blethyn is the only leading lady in this new Channel 4 drama – but actually, she gets a lot less airtime than many may think. Instead, it's very much a series that I think calls for Jessica Reynolds's (House of Guinness) name to be mentioned whenever anyone wonders who is helming the adaptation. The pair both embody lead character Emma Harte, with Reynolds driving the series in the focal point era of Emma's story. Blethyn, on the other hand, is an apt central force for the drama, bookending episodes and grounding us in the hopes that Emma does achieve all she sets out to do. Her scenes are mainly in her New York headquarters of her business empire, wrestling with the very real fact that by ensuring her children have never had to want for anything, they may have ended up a tad spoilt. For many, this will be their first touchpoint with A Woman of Substance and for plenty others, they will hold fond memories of the 1985 three-parter that also aired on Channel 4 at the time. Based on Barbara Taylor Bradford’s 1979 novel of the same name, this series has been created by The Buccaneers's Katherine Jakeways, who clearly knows a thing or two about crafting a steamy period drama. In the era of shows like The Buccaneers, Bridgerton and The Gilded Age, as well as the much talked-about Emerald Fennell adaptation of Wuthering Heights currently in cinemas, there's much talk about the current racier edge to period pieces. Creating productions with the female gaze at the forefront of the ideation process has sure been a long time coming and while that's a subject I could wax lyrical about at any time of day, it's clear to see that A Woman of Substance is a relatable produc…

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Marie & Rosetta review: Beverley Knight's powerhouse performance brings a forgotten musical hero into the spotlight
type: item
date: 2026-03-09T17:21:25.000Z
creator: Joanna Magill
subject: Going Out
subject: Reviews
subject: Review
description: This compelling production shines some much-needed light on a forgotten hero of musical history.
encoded: Before there was Elvis, before there was Little Richard, before there was Chuck Berry, before there was Jimi Hendrix – there was Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Known as the Godmother of the Rock and Roll, Rosetta fused gospel music with secular music and played a key role in developing rock and roll, thanks to her pioneering electric guitar playing and sensational stage presence. However, Sister Rosetta Tharpe has often been all-but erased from her rightful place in musical history. That's where George Brant's play Marie and Rosetta comes in, telling the story of Sister Rosetta and her singing partner Marie Knight. This two-hander shines light on the highs and lows of Sister Rosetta Tharpe's career as she engages in a spirited conversation with her newly employed singer Marie Knight. The play takes place in just one setting, but doesn't lose momentum, thanks to the combination of vibrant musical numbers and the sheer talent at work on stage. Sister Rosetta Tharpe is certainly a demanding role, but who better to take on the challenge of portraying this legend than fellow legendary performer Beverley Knight? Knight more than earns her stripes in this production; her physicality is completely transformed, seamlessly adopting a new gait and new laugh, as well as powerfully interpreting Sister Rosetta's smoky and playful vocals. Kudos must also be given to Ntombizodwa Ndlovu for her subtle and masterful development of Marie Knight's character on stage, from shy ingenue to self-assured performer. Watching this production, it's hard to believe that this is the young actress's West End debut— we're expecting big things in her future. Marie & Rosetta is a jukebox musical, straddling gospel, jazz and blues music as the titular characters run through Sister Rosetta's set list. Marie begins by taking the more serious, spiritual numbers, while Sister Rosetta adds more secular elements, and encourages Marie to do the same. From the very first note, it's clear that we're dealing with two …

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LEGO Smart Brick review: It’s great fun, but who is it for?
type: item
date: 2026-03-09T14:00:46.000Z
creator: Rob Leane
subject: Gaming
subject: Technology
subject: Review
description: Will the novelty wear off?
encoded: The LEGO Smart Brick certainly made waves when it was first announced, the internet set ablaze with intrigue at the prospect of an all-singing, all-dancing LEGO brick that could bring your play time to life. I'll admit – when I saw our LEGO Smart Brick preview come in from the CES conference, I was filled with jealousy that I hadn't been there myself to be among the first people to try it. The hype was real. However, now that I’ve played with the LEGO Smart Brick Luke Skywalker’s X-Wing kit in the comfort of my home, turning it from a box full of bricks to a fully functioning toy set, I have found myself with a question: who is this range of toys actually for? Shop the whole range of LEGO Smart Brick sets When I was at the London Toy Fair earlier in the year, I learned that there are a few different types of people that interact with toys. Kids who actually play with toys are an obvious cohort, and there’s also an increasing number of ‘kidults’ who are perhaps more likely to buy a toy in order to display it as part of their collection. As a 30-something without children of my own, I fall firmly into the ‘kidult’ camp. Over the last few months, I’ve filled a shelf with two nostalgic little LEGO sets: the Nintendo Game Boy kit and the mini Millennium Falcon. Both were fun to build, and it brings me joy to look at them from my sofa while watching TV of an evening. As a kidult, I don’t particularly need a LEGO set to make noises or flash with lights. Once I’ve made a LEGO set and found a place for it, I could go for months without touching it at all (save for a gentle dusting, or showing it off to an equally nerdy house guest). But I can’t help but wonder, do young kids actually need this either? When you have the powerful enough imagination of a child, do you need sound effects or lighting effects to make your play more interesting? Or are you already making all your own noises, and inventing your own stories without the need of prompts? Putting that question aside for…

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Mother's Pride review: Like an inoffensive light ale, slips down more pleasantly than you might expect
type: item
date: 2026-03-09T12:55:35.000Z
creator: James Mottram
subject: Movies
subject: Review
description: Martin Clunes, Mark Addy and James Buckley star in this feel-good comedy set in a British pub.
encoded: From Local Hero to The Full Monty and Fisherman’s Friends, the feel-good comedy has always been a staple of British cinemas. Mother’s Pride fits neatly alongside these and others. Set in Somerset, it’s the sort of movie designed to appeal to the real ale crowd, with its story of a small, independent pub going up against a successful chain and brewing its way to success. The film stars Martin Clunes as Mick, the curmudgeonly landlord of The Drovers Arms, an ale house on its last legs. It’s not hard to see why. Mick is still grief-stricken over the loss of his wife. Living with son Jake (James Buckley), a single parent, he’s also cut up about the disappearance of his other son Cal (Jonno Davies), who took off to become a musician and never even returned for his mother’s funeral. But this failed pop star with just one hit to his name, ‘Guiding Light’, now returns, broke and with his tail between his legs. Mick hardly welcomes him with open arms. With bills mounting up and the bailiffs hovering, the pub is facing repossession – until Cal takes it upon himself to dive into his grandfather’s recipe book and start concocting a mild ale. “Brewing’s in our blood,” he says, and despite an early cock-up – way too much sugar in the mix gives them all a blinding hangover – they come up with a brew that might yet save the pub. The plan is to enter it into a regional competition before heading to the finals in London, in the hope that a high-profile win might give the pub a blaze of much-needed publicity. Director Nick Moorcroft knows exactly how to chisel out these family-friendly regional comedies. With Meg Leonard, he co-wrote Cornish male choir tale Fisherman’s Friends and its 2022 sequel Fisherman’s Friends: One And All, which he directed, and he and Leonard re-team here. Much like the Fisherman’s Friends films, this offers few surprises but plenty of charm. The script is a little too over-stuffed – family grief, mental health, and single parenthood are all squeezed in – and …

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How to Make a Killing review: Glen Powell makes millions from murder in watchable but derivative thriller
type: item
date: 2026-03-09T11:31:00.000Z
creator: Max Copeman
subject: Movies
subject: Contains Trailer
subject: Review
description: Despite another likeable lead performance from its star, John Patton Ford's remake of an Ealing comedy fails to stand out from the crowd.
encoded: There has never been a worse time to be a rich person in a film. In the last seven years alone, Parasite, The Menu, Ready or Not, Triangle of Sadness, Knives Out and Saltburn have all seen the proverbial 1% meet gruesome ends, as the “eat the rich” subgenre has united audiences against a common enemy. With this in mind, How to Make a Killing, the new thriller starring Glen Powell, both joins these ranks with ease and fails to stand out from the crowd. It is adequately watchable and aims to be keenly modern, but is undercut by a failure to escape roots in a British film from 1949. Written and directed by John Patton Ford (Emily the Criminal), the film opens with Becket Redfellow (Powell) having his last meal while in a cell on death row. As he enters his final few hours, he recounts to a priest provided by the penitentiary how he murdered his way to the top of his family tree to claim billions in inheritance. If that sounds familiar, it’s because it is: this black-comedy thriller is a wholesale 21st-century remake of Kind Hearts and Coronets, the superlative Ealing comedy with Dennis Price and Alec Guinness. View Green Video on the source website “Money doesn’t buy you happiness? That’s dead wrong,” Becket says in voiceover. He is the son of Mary Redfellow, a New York aristocrat who was exiled by her father (Ed Harris) after refusing to have an abortion when she became pregnant with Becket as a teen. Upon growing up and learning that he is eighth in line to the $28 billion family fortune, he pledges to “prune a few branches from the family tree” – a line lifted somewhat shamelessly from Kind Hearts and Coronets. What follows is a light-on-its-feet 105 minutes that revels in the double entendre of its title, as the audience are privy to the planning and execution of Becket’s schemes. Having “the right kind of life” is what drives him, as a number of cousins and uncles of all archetypes are dispatched in comedic ways involving yachts, a bow and arrow, photography dark …

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Gone review: David Morrissey is bone-chilling in ITV coercive control thriller
type: item
date: 2026-03-08T10:10:40.000Z
creator: Abby Robinson
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: Contains Trailer
subject: ITV
subject: Review
description: When the wife of elite school headmaster Michael Polly (David Morrissey) goes missing, DS Annie Cassidy (Eve Myles) suspects he knows more than he’s letting on.
encoded: Only the first episode was made available for review at the time of writing. David Morrissey last appeared on screen in the second season of Daddy Issues, a BBC comedy in which he plays an incompetent yet well-meaning man trying to rebuild his relationship with his daughter (Aimee Lou Wood) while adapting to life as a first-time granddad. It's a delightful and inspired departure from the grittier roles he's come to be recognised for (Sherwood, State of Play, The Walking Dead), although delivered with the same commitment as those performances. But Morrissey returns to his bread and butter in ITV crime thriller Gone. Written by George Kay – who also penned Yorkshire Ripper drama The Long Shadow, in which Morrissey also starred – it could well be his most unsettling work to date. He plays Michael Polly, the headmaster of a renowned private school in Bristol – the Range Rover and Latin kind – who takes Britain's stiff upper lip to an entirely new level. He returns home from work one afternoon with his daughter Alana – played with authentic emotional honesty by Emma Appleton, who also teaches at the school – only to discover that his wife Sarah, another teacher there, is missing. Alana's concern is immediate – Sarah was scheduled to take a music lesson with a pupil at the house, so it's highly unlikely she's simply popped out to grab some milk. Michael, by contrast, appears entirely unmoved. His demeanour is no different from when he's addressing pupils during morning assembly or dealing with paperwork. And as the hours crawl by, it's Alana – not Michael – who takes charge of the situation, despite his need for iron-clad control in every other aspect of his life. She's desperately trying to get to the bottom of her mum's absence. He appears more concerned with the school rugby team's chances of winning the championship. Read more: Is ITV’s Gone based on a true story? Torchwood legend Eve Myles reveals why dark new drama "took its toll a bit" It's a chilling display from …

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The Bride review: An ambitious and stylish monster movie that doesn't quite cohere
type: item
creator: Jeremy Aspinall
subject: App
subject: App features
description: Maggie Gyllenhaal’s re-imagining of the Bride of Frankenstein boasts a mesmerising Jessie Buckley performance, but there's a little too much going on...
encoded: ★★★☆☆ The Bride is released in cinemas from Friday 6 March. Add it to your watchlist James Whale’s Bride of Frankenstein (1935) starring Boris Karloff and the luminous Elsa Lanchester remains a playful, witty follow-up to the English director’s seminal version of Frankenstein (1931), and is often cited as a sequel superior to its acclaimed original, along with the likes of The Godfather Part II, The Empire Strikes Back and The Dark Knight. Writer/director Maggie Gyllenhaal’s re-imagining of the 1935 Universal masterpiece is playful, too, boldly locating to mid-1930s America where the Monster or “Frank” (played by a suitably stitched-and-stapled Christian Bale) has reached the end of his tether after being alone for over a century. His desire for a mate brings the patchwork Romeo to the door of Chicago scientist Dr Euphronius (Annette Bening), whose work in reinvigorating the dead offers lovelorn Frank the chance to have a companion just like him. All they need is a recently deceased corpse… Enter Jessie Buckley as Ida, whose sudden transformation from glum gangster’s moll to dangerously gobby harridan is all down to being possessed by novelist Mary Shelley (also played by Buckley, emulating the monochrome framing device from the 1935 original). Here, the Frankenstein author occupies a shadowy netherworld where she bemoans her lack of agency in life and so injects her proto-feminist ire into Ida, only to put the poor girl in an early pauper’s grave and become the ideal candidate for revival. Indeed, it is Shelley who poses the question from the outset whether the unfurling tale will be “a ghost story, a horror story or most frightening of all, a love story?” In her second film behind the camera (following The Lost Daughter in 2021), Gyllenhaal attempts to harness all those elements, while adding in plenty of genre-mashing moments. From Frank’s love of movie musicals, encapsulated by song-and-dance matinee idol Ronnie Reed (Jake Gyllenhaal), to the unnatural born kill…

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Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man review – This big-screen spin-off keeps a firm red right hand on proceedings
type: item
creator: Terry Staunton
subject: App
subject: App features
description: Although there are some issues in the transition from TV to film, this is nonetheless a robust offering for Cillian Murphy's Tommy Shelby.
encoded: ★★★☆☆ Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man is in cinemas now and on Netflix from 20 March. Add it to your watchlist. Whatever happened to Peaky Blinders' Tommy Shelby? The last we saw of Cillian Murphy’s charismatic mob boss turned Member of Parliament at the conclusion of Peaky Blinders’ sixth season, he was riding off into the sunset after brokering dubious transatlantic business deals and infiltrating Fascist figurehead Oswald Mosley’s inner circle, while on the verge of a nervous breakdown following the death of his young daughter. Time doesn’t necessarily heal wounds, though, and during his long self-imposed exile (the story picks up again in 1940) Tommy’s been trying to make sense of it all by writing a book. But, Murphy's protagonist is still haunted by personal tragedies that prey on his mind much more than the war that’s broken out between England and Germany: "I’ve got a war of my own, inside of me ‘ead," he says early in the narrative. All that changes with a visit from Kaulo (Rebecca Ferguson), the Romani gypsy twin sister of the woman with whom he fathered a son back in the 1910s; she tells him the now fully grown Duke (introduced late in the most recent series and played here by Barry Keoghan) is causing havoc back in Birmingham, forcing Shelby senior to return to the city and re-take the reins of the family business. Duke’s been using muscle and intimidation to steal weapons from local munitions factories intended for squaddies on the front line, and he’s about to upset even bigger applecarts, helping Nazi sympathiser John Beckett (Tim Roth) to undermine the war effort by flooding the UK economy with £70 million in counterfeit banknotes. How does Kaulo know all this? Gypsy visions, of course; a Peaky staple going back several series that creator-writer Steven Knight enjoys calling upon for short-cut exposition, and to dig around inside the noggin of his central character - Tommy’s still hearing the voice of matriarch Aunt Polly, long after her murder in s…

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The Capture season 3 review: The best thriller on TV returns to provide Holliday Grainger's finest hour
type: item
date: 2026-03-06T00:01:14.000Z
creator: James Hibbs
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: BBC
subject: BBC iPlayer
subject: Contains Trailer
subject: On demand
subject: Review
description: If this really is the final instalment, the BBC drama is going out on a thrilling high.
encoded: When I was watching the first three episodes of The Capture season 3 that have thus far been provided for press, I started worrying about the then-upcoming release of the show's trailer. A strange thing to worry about, I know, but so genuinely shocking, gripping and explosive were the twists and turns across the season's first three hours, that I grew concerned that the marketing would have to spoil them, ridding viewers of the glee I got out of witnessing them completely fresh. Thankfully, having now seen the trailer for season 3, I feel reassured that fans can enter the new episodes spoiler-free – and boy will they want to. Because the best thriller on TV is back, back with a bang as it goes more ridiculous, but also more propulsive and mind-bending than ever before. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2025/11/Holliday-Grainger-as-Rachel-Carey-in-The-Capture-S3-coming-to-BBC-iPlayer-and-BBC-One-in-Spring-2026-291b2ba.jpg" width="7203" height="4802" alt="Holliday Grainger as Rachel Carey in The Capture season 3, stood in an interview room with her back to a mirror, which reflects her multiple times." title="Holliday Grainger as Rachel Carey in The Capture S3 coming to BBC iPlayer and BBC One in Spring 2026" /> Given my aforementioned fear of spoiling things, I will be brief in describing the plot. All I will say is what the BBC has also said – that the season starts one year on from the end of season 2 and finds Holliday Grainger's Rachel Carey now as the acting commander of Counter Terrorism Command. In her new role, Carey is behind a new programme called Operation Veritas, a system of cameras designed to detect deepfakes and correction as it happens in real time. However, she soon finds herself drawn into a conspiracy when an exceptionally well-coordinated act of terror is executed and leaves behind just one witness. Now, I have to confess something up top – I have something of a bias towards The Capture, or at least, I appear to.…

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The Bride review: An ambitious and stylish monster movie that doesn't entirely cohere
type: item
date: 2026-03-05T15:15:18.000Z
creator: Jeremy Aspinall
subject: Movies
subject: Review
description: Maggie Gyllenhaal’s re-imagining of the Bride of Frankenstein boasts a mesmerising Jessie Buckley performance, but there's a little too much going on...
encoded: James Whale’s Bride of Frankenstein (1935) starring Boris Karloff and the luminous Elsa Lanchester remains a playful, witty follow-up to the English director’s seminal version of Frankenstein (1931), and is often cited as a sequel superior to its acclaimed original, along with the likes of The Godfather Part II, The Empire Strikes Back and The Dark Knight. Writer/director Maggie Gyllenhaal’s re-imagining of the 1935 Universal masterpiece is playful, too, boldly locating to mid-1930s America where the Monster or “Frank” (played by a suitably stitched-and-stapled Christian Bale) has reached the end of his tether after being alone for over a century. His desire for a mate brings the patchwork Romeo to the door of Chicago scientist Dr Euphronius (Annette Bening), whose work in reinvigorating the dead offers lovelorn Frank the chance to have a companion just like him. All they need is a recently deceased corpse… Enter Jessie Buckley as Ida, whose sudden transformation from glum gangster’s moll to dangerously gobby harridan is all down to being possessed by novelist Mary Shelley (also played by Buckley, emulating the monochrome framing device from the 1935 original). Here, the Frankenstein author occupies a shadowy netherworld where she bemoans her lack of agency in life and so injects her proto-feminist ire into Ida, only to put the poor girl in an early pauper’s grave and become the ideal candidate for revival. Indeed, it is Shelley who poses the question from the outset whether the unfurling tale will be “a ghost story, a horror story or most frightening of all, a love story?” In her second film behind the camera (following The Lost Daughter in 2021), Gyllenhaal attempts to harness all those elements, while adding in plenty of genre-mashing moments. From Frank’s love of movie musicals, encapsulated by song-and-dance matinee idol Ronnie Reed (Jake Gyllenhaal), to the unnatural born killers later embarking on a Bonnie and Clyde-style joyride across America, the sophomore…