Counter Culture

3,062 words, 16 minutes read time.

Selections and writing by Pat Harrington | Music by Tim Bragg

This week’s curated list spans eras, genres, and continents. Each title is chosen for its resonance with the social, political, and emotional undercurrents shaping our world today. The quiet radicalism of Hobson’s Choice is thought-provoking. The relentless pressures laid bare in Boiling Point are compelling. The films and programmes here are both stimulating and enjoyable.

We move from the richly nostalgic surfaces of Hello, Dolly! to the dystopian disorientation of Total Recall, where the illusion of choice is anything but harmless. Meanwhile, Dead Calm reveals psychological fractures under extreme conditions. Donnie Brasco also highlights these fractures. They invite us to question appearances, allegiances, and identity itself.

Elsewhere, stories like The Cruel Sea and Radical remind us of the human toll of war and inequality. Documentaries such as Are You Autistic? and Jack the Ripper: Written in Blood challenge cultural assumptions and offer fresh perspectives on visibility, justice, and memory.

Every programme has been selected by Pat Harrington with an eye for cultural depth and contemporary relevance. The accompanying music is composed and performed by Tim Bragg.

The films, series, and documentaries featured this week invite us to look more closely. We are encouraged to examine not just the screen but the systems and stories that shape our lives. This is culture not as escape, but as a mirror, a question, and, sometimes, a quiet call to action.

Saturday 5th April 2025

Hobson’s Choice (1954)
Talking Pictures, 15:35
David Lean’s adaptation of Harold Brighouse’s play offers a nuanced look at class and gender. It examines self-determination in Victorian England. The film examines how people were treated based on their class and gender. It highlights individuals’ struggle for self-determination. Charles Laughton plays Henry Hobson, a tyrannical boot shop owner whose eldest daughter, Maggie, resists patriarchal control with quiet determination. Through the lens of familial rebellion and unlikely romance, the film challenges the era’s rigid social hierarchy and gender roles. Hobson’s decline is both comic and tragic. It reflects on the cost of dominance and the rise of a new kind of working-class confidence. The understated triumph of Maggie offers a quietly radical vision of female agency.

Hello, Dolly! (1969)
BBC Two, 15:15
Gene Kelly’s big-screen musical is lavish and nostalgic. It evokes the golden age of Broadway. It offers escapism during a time of great cultural upheaval. Barbra Streisand’s Dolly Levi is a force of nature—manipulative, glamorous, but undeniably empowering. Beneath its sparkle lies an undercurrent of social longing. Women maneuver for independence. Men grapple with loneliness. Working people are caught in the dance of capitalism. The film’s grandeur sometimes obscures its quieter commentaries on matchmaking as social strategy and self-invention as survival.

Total Recall (1990)
5Action, 21:00
Paul Verhoeven’s sci-fi spectacle, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, melds mind-bending narrative with biting political satire. The film is set in a dystopian future where memories can be manufactured. It critiques corporate colonisation, surveillance, and the illusion of choice. At its core is a meditation on identity. It explores what it means to ‘remember’ ourselves. It questions whether rebellion can be authentic when even memories are suspect. Beneath the explosions and action is a deep disquiet about class oppression and capitalist control.

Dead Calm (1989)
5Star, 23:35
This tense thriller is set on the open sea. It dissects the psychological effects of trauma and control. Nicole Kidman’s portrayal of a grieving woman thrust into a life-or-death struggle is layered with strength and vulnerability. Sam Neill and Billy Zane round out a trio exploring masculinity, guilt, and manipulation. The isolation of the yacht setting magnifies the film’s exploration of power dynamics and survival instinct. As the characters navigate physical and emotional currents, Dead Calm questions the façade of civility. It also examines the latent violence in relationships.

Sunday 6th April 2025

The Cruel Sea (1953)
BBC Two, 10:30
This British wartime drama navigates the perilous waters of the Atlantic. It also explores the emotional landscapes of those caught in the theatre of war. Charles Frend directed it. The film is based on Nicholas Monsarrat’s novel. It focuses on the lives of Royal Navy officers during the Battle of the Atlantic. With understated but powerful performances, the film reflects on the psychological cost of prolonged conflict. Themes of duty, trauma, and leadership emerge through moments of moral ambiguity and sacrifice. The Cruel Sea is not just a tale of naval endurance. It is a study of the fragility of conscience amid the dehumanising effects of war.

The Lady Vanishes (1938)
BBC Two, 12:30
Alfred Hitchcock’s early masterpiece weaves political paranoia with biting social commentary. During a European train journey, an elderly woman disappears. A young traveller suspects foul play. She then finds herself gaslit by those around her. Beyond its engaging mystery, the film critiques British complacency in the face of rising fascism in Europe. The ‘vanishing lady’ becomes a metaphor for ignored truths and selective blindness. With sharp wit and moral tension, Hitchcock reveals how fear can shape perception. Denial influences geopolitical fate too.

Boiling Point (2021)
Channel 4, 22:55
Filmed in an uninterrupted single take. Boiling Point immerses viewers in the unrelenting chaos of a high-end London kitchen. It exposes the precariousness and fragility of modern working lives. At its heart, the film is a searing dissection of labour, race, class, and power dynamics. It portrays the hospitality industry as a microcosm of larger societal struggles.

Stephen Graham delivers a powerful performance as the beleaguered head chef. He leads an ensemble cast. The cast reflects the intersectionality of identities in a multicultural, hierarchical workplace. The hierarchical structure of the kitchen serves as an allegory for the broader class system. Authority figures wield power. Workers bear the brunt of stress, exploitation, and alienation. The tensions simmer beneath the surface. Conflicts between front-of-house and kitchen staff, and between chefs and management, mirror societal divisions. These divisions may occur along lines of socioeconomic class or race.

Social and racial inequalities become palpable throughout the story. Characters from marginalized backgrounds face the physical and emotional toll of their work. They also face the added burden of systemic discrimination. The film critiques these overlapping oppressions. They often stay unseen. The industry masks them with a facade of polished professionalism and customer service.

Boiling Point delves into the consequences of capitalism’s relentless drive for productivity and perfection. The demanding pace of the kitchen, coupled with the lack of meaningful support for workers, epitomizes burnout culture. Employees are pushed to their limits in the pursuit of profit, their humanity often sacrificed for efficiency. This pressure cooker environment symbolizes the broader exploitation of labour under neoliberal systems. Workers are treated as expendable resources in these systems.

The film forces viewers to confront uncomfortable truths about the hospitality industry’s darker sides. Addiction, harassment, and mental health crises are woven into the narrative. It raises important questions about individual responsibility versus systemic change. Should we blame toxic managers? Or does the culture of overwork demand a complete rethinking of workplace norms? The ethical ambiguities extend to the audience as well. They must grapple with their own complicity as consumers in sustaining these exploitative systems.

The use of real-time storytelling heightens the film’s intensity, allowing no reprieve from the mounting stress and emotional turmoil. This relentless pacing mirrors the lived experiences of service workers. For them, every shift can feel like a desperate fight for survival. It is both a tribute to their resilience and a critique of the industries that place profit above human dignity.

Boiling Point is not just a film about a kitchen. It serves as a lens. Through this lens, we can examine the fractures in our own societies. The film turns the kitchen into a microcosmic symbol of modern precarity. It transcends its setting and offers a bold, quietly radical statement on the urgent need for systemic change. It’s a work of social realism. It leaves audiences with a potent blend of empathy, outrage, and reflection.

Monday 7th April 2025

Donnie Brasco (1997)
Great Movies, 21:00
Mike Newell’s mob drama is a haunting portrayal of blurred identities and ethical compromise. It is based on a true story. The film follows undercover FBI agent Joe Pistone (Johnny Depp). He infiltrates the mafia under the alias Donnie Brasco. What begins as professional deception gradually turns into emotional entanglement, particularly with Al Pacino’s aging hitman, Lefty. The film explores the corrosive effects of undercover work, raising questions about loyalty, masculinity, and the emotional cost of policing. It’s a compelling reflection on how institutions shape—and sometimes erode—the identities of those who serve them.

Tuesday 8th April 2025

Are You Autistic?
Channel 5, 19:00
This thoughtful documentary explores the lived experiences of autistic individuals in the UK. It challenges outdated stereotypes. Combining personal testimonies, expert analysis, and social critique, it provides an inclusive platform for neurodiverse voices. The programme raises questions about diagnosis disparities, especially among women. It also highlights issues for people of colour. It unpacks how structural biases affect access to support. The documentary does not portray autism as something to be ‘solved.’ Instead, it views neurodiversity as an essential aspect of the human spectrum. It advocates for dignity, autonomy, and systemic change.

Jack the Ripper: Written in Blood
Sky History, 21:00
This crime documentary revisits the infamous Whitechapel murders. It does so through a literary lens. It explores how the Ripper case influenced writers. It also examines the impact on the true crime genre. It reflects on Victorian anxieties about gender, urbanisation, and the ‘unknown other.’ The programme critiques our cultural obsession with violent men by framing the investigation around narrative and myth. It also critiques the commodification of female suffering. It subtly asks whether retelling these crimes can illuminate justice—or perpetuate a morbid fascination that overshadows the victims.

Lord of War (2005)
Legend, 21:00
Andrew Niccol’s scathing satire tracks the rise and fall of an international arms dealer (Nicolas Cage). It shows how he exploits conflict for profit. With dark wit and razor-sharp commentary, the film dismantles the moral justifications of the global arms trade. It offers a critique of state complicity, global inequality, and the hypocrisy of Western interventionism. Cage’s charismatic yet hollow anti-hero becomes a symbol of late-stage capitalism, where war is commodified and ethics are expendable. The result is a film that’s as provocative as it is politically urgent.

Glass (2019)
Film4, 22:50
M. Night Shyamalan’s psychological thriller blends superhero mythos with questions of institutional power and personal identity. Three individuals, each with extraordinary abilities, are confined to a psychiatric facility. The film critiques how society labels those who deviate from the norm. It also examines how society suppresses them. Beneath its genre stylings is a meditation on belief, stigma, and the mechanisms of control. Glass asks if embracing difference is an act of rebellion or if it’s a delusion. It questions whether ‘truth’ is defined by those who hold power.

Wednesday 9th April 2025

The Secret Genius of Modern Life (2/5)
BBC Two, 20:00
This engaging tech documentary series continues with its second episode. It unpacks the complex systems behind everyday innovations. Host Hannah Fry brings a socially conscious lens to the tools and technologies that quietly shape our lives. Episode two dissects a seemingly mundane object to reveal global networks of data, infrastructure, and corporate power. With clarity and charm, Fry makes the invisible visible. She demonstrates how our modern conveniences are embedded in wider narratives of surveillance, labour, and control.

Stillwater (2021)
Film4, 21:00
A subtle, character-driven thriller, Stillwater follows an American father (Matt Damon). He travels to France to help his daughter. She is imprisoned for a murder she claims she didn’t commit. What begins as a story of rescue. It evolves into a meditation on cultural difference. It also explores personal redemption and the limitations of good intentions. The film critiques American exceptionalism and explores the quiet complexities of guilt, justice, and reconciliation across borders. Damon’s restrained performance adds depth to a man struggling to do right in a world he barely understands.

Thursday 10th April 2025

Ron’s Gone Wrong (2021)
Film4, 11:00
In this animated sci-fi comedy, a misfit boy befriends a malfunctioning robot. This friendship sparks a heartfelt journey through the digital age’s pitfalls and promises. Underneath the humour and charm lies a sharp critique of tech monopolies, data harvesting, and algorithmic conformity. The film champions human connection over curated perfection, subtly encouraging young audiences to question the values of online life. Ron’s Gone Wrong succeeds not just as family entertainment, but as a parable about friendship, autonomy, and resisting manufactured identities.

Heavens Above! (1963)
Talking Pictures, 11:20
Peter Sellers stars in this satirical comedy as a well-meaning clergyman. He tries to put Christian ethics into practice. This causes horror to the British establishment. What unfolds is a sharp, occasionally surreal takedown of class privilege, institutional hypocrisy, and the commodification of charity. The film explores what happens when ideals clash with entrenched power, and whether genuine compassion can survive a capitalist system. It remains a timely reminder of how radical kindness can be in a world bent on maintaining hierarchy.

Radical (2023)
Film4, 23:40
Based on a true story, Radical portrays a teacher’s transformative impact. The setting is a classroom in one of Mexico’s most under-resourced schools. The film resists sentimentalism, instead presenting a grounded narrative about the liberating potential of education. It explores structural inequality, youth aspiration, and the quiet heroism of educators in forgotten places. With nuance, Radical reminds viewers that change often begins not with grand gestures. It begins with everyday courage and belief in human potential.

Friday 11th April 2025

The Duchess
BBC One, 22:40
This period drama is inspired by the life of Georgiana Cavendish. It illuminates the constraints placed on aristocratic women in 18th-century England. Keira Knightley delivers a compelling performance as a woman whose public charm masks private anguish within a loveless political marriage. The film critiques patriarchal norms. It draws parallels to contemporary debates about agency, reputation, and the double standards applied to women in power. Visually sumptuous, it blends historical drama with feminist undercurrents.

Licorice Pizza (2021)
BBC Two, 23:05
Paul Thomas Anderson’s coming-of-age film captures 1970s California. It tells the story of the odd-couple friendship between a teenage boy and a 20-something woman. Beneath its nostalgia and loose plotting lies a sensitive meditation on youth, consent, and the elasticity of identity. The film’s quirky tone hides deeper thoughts on gender dynamics. It shows how personal growth can mirror broader social change. Its ambiguity invites reflection rather than judgement, asking viewers to sit with discomfort and charm in equal measure.

Mona Lisa (1986)
Film4, 23:20
Neil Jordan’s noir-inflected drama examines the underworld of 1980s London. It is seen through the eyes of an ex-con played by Bob Hoskins. He becomes a chauffeur for a high-class sex worker. As their relationship deepens, the film peels back layers of violence, exploitation, and longing. Mona Lisa confronts questions of power, class, and moral compromise, offering no easy redemption. With atmospheric direction and standout performances, it remains a searing character study. The film explores damaged souls who are seeking dignity in an indifferent world.

Shirley Bassey Night – Friday 11th April 2025
BBC Four, from 21:10:

Shirley Bassey at the BBC Volume 2
21:10
A glittering showcase of Bassey’s televised performances. This compilation celebrates her vocal dynamism and enduring appeal. Moving through decades of BBC archives, it reveals the evolution of her musical style. It also shows the cultural impact of her stage presence. In an industry often dismissive of women’s longevity, Bassey’s poise and power defy expectation.

Shirley Bassey at the Royal Albert Hall, 1974
22:40
She was captured at the height of her international fame. This performance is more than just a concert. It’s a statement of grandeur, identity, and artistic command. Her voice resonates not only through the hall, but also across generations as a symbol of resilience and star power.

Imagine – Dame Shirley Bassey: The Girl from Tiger Bay
23:25
This documentary explores the creation of Bassey’s 2009 album. The Performance was a significant project. It also provides a portrait of an artist who continually reinvents herself. Bassey started from working-class roots in Cardiff. She rose to international stardom. Her journey is extraordinary. It is also emblematic of wider struggles around race, gender, and belonging in British cultural life.

Dame Shirley Bassey: Electric Proms 2009
00:20 (Saturday)
This stylish live session showcases Bassey with a full orchestra. She performs both classics and new material. The Electric Proms highlight her versatility and continued relevance, defying the industry’s ageist expectations and celebrating her artistic evolution.

Shirley Bassey at the BBC
01:20 (Saturday)
This collection is retrospective and complements the earlier volume. This hour of classic BBC performances captures Bassey in a variety of moods. The performances span different eras. It’s a fitting close to the night—both nostalgic and empowering, reminding us why she remains a national icon.

and finally, Streaming Choices – from Friday 11th April 2025

The Gardener (Series, 6 episodes)
Netflix
This series is visually rich. It explores the quiet tension between nature and nurture. This exploration happens through the lens of six distinctive garden landscapes. Each episode subtly links the act of cultivation to wider social and psychological themes—grief, healing, resistance, and hope. The Gardener invites reflection on climate anxiety, care work, and the fragile beauty of ecosystems. It offers more than aesthetic pleasure. It’s a meditative, political act.

The Handmaid’s Tale (Seasons 1–5)
Channel 4 Streaming
This acclaimed series is based on Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel. It traces a totalitarian regime. In this regime, women’s rights have been stripped away. Across five seasons, it interrogates the intersections of gender, power, and resistance. What begins as an allegory becomes an evolving commentary on contemporary authoritarianism, reproductive justice, and the psychology of survival. The series is harrowing yet defiant—a warning and a rallying cry.

Walter Presents: Cold Summer (Season 1)
Channel 4 Streaming
This drama is set in the wake of the Balkan conflicts. It is a slow-burning story. It follows a former soldier navigating a fractured homeland. With stark cinematography and restrained performances, Cold Summer explores guilt, memory, and the search for redemption. It avoids sensationalism, focusing instead on the emotional and moral aftermath of war. The series invites viewers to witness the personal cost of history. It also shows the quiet strength needed to live in its shadow.