Posts Tagged TV and film reviews UK

Culture Vulture — Week of 15–21 November 2025

November 13, 2025 at 3:17 pm · Filed under Apple TV, Culture Vulture, Film & DVD Reviews, TV Shows ·Tagged , , , , , , ,

A graphic design featuring the bold text 'CULTURE VULTURE' at the top, an image of a soaring bird in the center, and a colored banner at the bottom with 'COUNTER CULTURE' and the dates '15–21 November 2025'. The background showcases a blue sky and mountainous landscape.

This week’s Culture Vulture edition refuses the bland and predictable — we’re navigating through bold cinema, music-and-memory documentaries, cultural undercurrents and streaming drop-ins that matter. We open with three standout picks, our 🌟 Highlights: the audacious, unsettling high-concept of Infinity Pool; the quietly devastating sci-fi of Moon; and the extraordinary true-crime saga King of Lies. These selections don’t just entertain—they pry open corners of cultural life worth inspecting. As always, this guide is incisive, principled, slightly contrarian—and always about more than just what’s on.

Across the week you’ll find emotional archaeology (The Piano), post-industrial journeys (Compartment No. 6), teenage nostalgia (Byker Grove), and the seismic interplay of sport, power and deception.

Saturday 15th November 2025

  • Compartment No. 6 — BBC Two, 1:00 AM (2021)
  • Simple Minds: Everything Is Possible — BBC Two, 10:00 PM
  • Infinity Pool — Film4, 11:35 PM (2023)

Infinity Pool

Brandon Cronenberg’s Infinity Pool is a seismic voice in the body-horror genre, turning lives of privilege into zones of existential horror and moral collapse. We follow a couple on a luxury retreat where rules don’t apply and consequences are optional—until they’re not.
Alexander Skarsgård plays James, a writer whose obscurity has bred a hunger for recognition; Mia Goth as the seductive shape-shifter embodies the corrupt magnet of power. Their dynamic is a slow burn that detonates.
The film’s world is elegant but toxic: a country built on “tourist justice” where only the rich can transgress without penalty. Cronenberg uses it to comment on modern inequality and the commodification of danger.
The writing asks: if we removed consequence from human action, who would we become? The film doesn’t give answers—it prolongedly drags us into the reflection.
In the final act, Infinity Pool becomes ritual, punishment, carnival and nightmare stone-cold merged. It lingers precisely because the image of self-unravelled ambition is one we recognise too well.

Compartment No. 6

This film by Juho Kuosmanen adapts Rosa Liksom’s novella into a train-bound journey from Moscow to Murmansk, focusing on Laura (Finnish student) and Lyokha (Russian miner). (Wikipedia)
At first their relationship is antagonistic, steeped in cultural and personal difference—but the film refuses a romantic payoff and instead gives us something more fragile: unexpected companionship in a harsh landscape.
Visually, the long stretches of Arctic terrain, the rattling train, the small gestures – hair in the wind, sharing vodka, near-silences—bring out the emotional geography of loneliness and transient connection.
What moves it into a deeper realm is its refusal of easy redemption: they don’t “solve” themselves, but by the end the journey has shifted them both.
Compartment No. 6 is gentle in its ambition yet powerful in its quiet honesty—a film about being changed rather than saved.

Simple Minds: Everything Is Possible

This documentary traces the evolution of Simple Minds from gritty Glasgow origins to international anthems. The film places their music, movement and reinvention front and centre, but doesn’t shy from the unseen costs: creative tension, shifting band-line-ups, the collision of authenticity and stadium ambition.
Interviews with Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill emphasise that reinvention was a necessity: to stay alive in a changing world, the band kept evolving. The Glasgow roots—street culture, optimism, ambition—remain visible, anchoring the story.
In the end, the documentary becomes less about nostalgia for the past and more a reflection on endurance: how a band keeps believing music might open doors, even when doors seem to shut.

Sunday 16th November 2025

  • The Horse Whisperer — Great TV, 5:30 PM (1998)
  • King of Lies — Sky Documentaries, 8:00 PM
  • Jools’ New Orleans Jukebox — BBC Four, 9:30 PM
  • The Untouchables — BBC Two, 10:00 PM (1987)
  • Ad Astra — Channel 4, 11:00 PM (2019)
  • ’71 — Channel 4, 1:15 AM (2014)

King of Lies

Sky Documentaries’ King of Lies is a riveting dissection of ambition, spectacle and ruin. It chronicles how Russell King took control of one of football’s oldest clubs—Notts County—with promises of wealth and renewal, and how that promise exploded into debt, delusion and scandal.
The film paints King not simply as a villain, but as a consummate performer: charming, obsessive, and dangerous. He highlights how in modern sport the veneer of ‘transformational investor’ often masks something far darker.
Ultimately, the documentary asks what football fans, clubs and communities lose when they hand the keys to ambition without accountability. It’s a cautionary tale of the intersection between identity, money and hope.

The Horse Whisperer

Robert Redford’s pastoral drama follows trauma, reconnection and trust. After a tragic accident, a teenage girl and her horse are scarred; Redford’s character, Tom Booker, enters as a guide for healing. The film uses Montana’s landscapes—the skies, the snow, the wide plains—as emotional reflections of inner turmoil.
Scarlett Johansson brings subtle strength to her role as the teenager whose accident changes everything, while Kristin Scott Thomas and Redford balance vulnerability, protectiveness and complexity. Their interactions skip easy sentimentality and lean into moral nuance.
In the end, The Horse Whisperer suggests that healing isn’t about erasing the past but learning to live with its imprint. It’s a film attuned to the quiet work of recovery.

Jools’ New Orleans Jukebox

Jools Holland’s journey into New Orleans is warm, unpretentious and musically rich. The film avoids performing the city; instead, it immerses itself in local culture, letting streets, clubs and musicians tell their own story.
What stands out are the performances—raw, stripped-back, alive. The documentary avoids slick production gloss and lets you feel the sweat, the rhythm, the legacy of a city where music is survival, identity and resistance.
The result is a love-letter to New Orleans that is serious about joy. It reminds us that music is always entwined with place, history and endurance.

The Untouchables

Brian De Palma’s 1987 gangster epic remains a master-class in style and moral clarity. Kevin Costner plays Eliot Ness, Sean Connery delivers his iconic cameo, and the film moves with operatic verve—fedoras, shadows, moral absolutes, and yet a modern emotional core.
The Odessa Steps-inspired sequence at Union Station is cinema-text in itself; the Prohibition-era setting combined with Morricone’s score lends a mythic heft. But the film also hinges on Ness’s moral weight: that one man can attempt to hold the line when the system is rotted.
In the end, The Untouchables presents justice not as pristine, but as perilous work. It’s a caution: the hero cannot simply fight corruption—he must survive it.

Ad Astra

James Gray’s 2019 space odyssey takes the blockbuster template and infuses it with quiet, haunting interiority. Brad Pitt as Roy McBride drifts into space physically and emotionally, searching for his father—and in the process confronting the void within.
The visuals are hypnotic: moonscapes, neon redouts, silent corridors of ships. Yet the human core remains. Pitt’s performance is controlled, disciplined—and slowly undone. The emotional weight comes from what he’s missing rather than what he’s doing.
Ad Astra ends not with victory but with reflection, a whisper rather than a roar. It invites you to look into the cold and ask what you’re tethered to—and whether you can ever return.

’71

Yann Demange’s debut feature plunges us into Troubles-era Belfast, following a young British soldier accidentally abandoned in enemy territory. The tension is razor-sharp; survival is all.
Jack O’Connell carries the film with raw urgency. The city is depicted as labyrinthine, untrustworthy, full of shifting allegiances and betrayal. The camera stays tight, the stakes never drop.
But the film’s deeper power lies in its refusal of heroes. Everyone is compromised; escape is temporary. ’71 is an unflinching look at the cost of conflict—and the fragility of innocence in its face.

Monday 17th November 2025

  • Once Upon a Time in Space (Episode 4 of 4: Friends Forever) — BBC Two, 9:00 PM
  • Vespa — Film4, 9:00 PM (2022)
  • Men of the Manosphere — BBC Three, 10:00 PM
  • Arena: The Last Soviet Citizen — BBC Four, 10:00 PM
  • Hazardous History with Henry Winkler — Sky History, 10:00 PM
  • Underground — BBC Four, 11:20 PM

Vespa

Alice Rohrwacher’s Vespa is a neon-soaked exploration of youth, dislocation and identity. A young courier hurtles through a cityscape that feels electric and estranged, delivering packages by scooter and inhaling a lifestyle that flickers between freedom and chaos.
The aesthetic is bold—city lights, traffic, motion as metaphor. Rohrwacher uses movement not just as backdrop but as structure: the courier’s journey mirrors his internal drift.
The performances are raw and restless. The protagonist’s crisis is generational: unsteady jobs, distorted dreams, belonging that feels elusive.
Themes of migration, marginalisation and the brittle resilience of hope run throughout. The courier exists within a system that spins him along but doesn’t support him.
Ultimately, Vespa asks: what happens when you drive fast but have nowhere you truly belong? The ride becomes the question.

Once Upon a Time in Space

This concluding episode (Friends Forever) completes a series tracing the Soviet space programme and its human stakes. Rather than focusing on rockets, it focuses on the people—engineers, cosmonauts, families left behind after the USSR collapsed.
What resonates is the human cost of ambition. These are not just stories of technological triumph; they are stories of loneliness, dislocation and faith in systems that vanish.
The episode closes the narrative with grace, reminding us that the journey of space exploration is as much inward as it is outward.

Men of the Manosphere

This documentary plumbs the internet’s “manosphere,” a space populated by influencers, reactionary communities and young men seeking identity. It avoids easy condemnation and instead asks why so many feel compelled to join one.
The greatest strength is its focus on the algorithms, the platforms and the emotional vulnerability that gets channelled into polarised online tribes. It’s not just about ideology—it’s about connection, dislocation, and digital desperation.
In the end, the film doesn’t tell us how to “solve” the problem—but it shows us what it looks like when connection becomes radicalised. A necessary watch for these times.

Arena: The Last Soviet Citizen

Sergei Krikalev, the cosmonaut who became a symbol of the Soviet Union’s collapse. In 1991, Krikalev was orbiting Earth aboard the Mir space station when the USSR dissolved beneath him. He had launched as a Soviet citizen but returned months later to a country that no longer existed, landing in newly independent Kazakhstan as a citizen of Russia.

The film uses archival footage, interviews, and reflective narration to capture the poignancy of Krikalev’s situation. His story is not framed as one of heroism alone, but as a meditation on loyalty, dislocation, and the human cost of political upheaval.

Rather than focusing on Cold War battles, the documentary highlights the strangeness of witnessing the end of an ideology from orbit. Krikalev’s endurance in space becomes a metaphor for those who served a system that vanished, raising the haunting question: when the state disappears, what remains of the people who believed in it?

Hazardous History with Henry Winkler

Winkler explores the risky, reckless, and often bizarre practices of the past — from perilous playgrounds to dangerous products, stunts, and travel mishaps. His style blends humour and curiosity, making serious historical risks engaging and accessible.

Underground

A look at 150 years of the London Tube system, this documentary traces how tunnels beneath the city became arteries of movement, class, wartime refuge and social change.
What stands out is how infrastructure becomes story: the Tube isn’t just engineering—it is metropolitan myth, covering ordinary lives, extraordinary leaps and the rhythms of a city.
It’s both nostalgic and forward-looking: an homage to what we rely on, often take for granted, and seldom examine.

Tuesday 18th November 2025

  • The Piano — BBC Two, 12:00 AM (1993)

The Piano

Jane Campion’s The Piano remains a towering, elemental work of cinema. Set in nineteenth-century New Zealand, it tells of Ada McGrath (mute since childhood) sent to a remote settlement, her daughter Flora and her piano forming the emotional and symbolic centre of the film. (Wikipedia)
Holly Hunter’s performance is fearless—she doesn’t speak a word, yet her presence commands the screen, her piano playing the voice she does not have. Sam Neill and Harvey Keitel fill out the emotional terrain with intensity and menace.
Campion’s direction transforms landscapes—mud, sea, forest—into inner states. Music and silence merge: Michael Nyman’s score threads through Ada’s internal world.
The film refuses easy romance. It confronts desire, power, voice, agency: who owns language, and who is voiceless? Campion’s gaze is both poetic and unflinching.
In the end, The Piano invites you to listen—not just for the notes, but for the silence that structures them.

Wednesday 19th November 2025

  • Two Way Stretch — Film4, 11:00 AM (1960)
  • Moon — Film4, 9:00 PM (2009)

Two Way Stretch

A breezy British comedy with Peter Sellers in top form, plotting the absurd heist of returning to prison to pull off a robbery. It’s delightfully old-school: witty, charming and unapologetically of its era.
The charm lies in the cast—Sellers, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Lionel Jeffries—each with distinct stylised delivery. The humour relies on character more than gags.
Though light in tone, the film subtly comments on authority and social order: criminals who hate prisons enough to break in rather than out. Vintage, warm and still entertaining.

Moon

Duncan Jones’ Moon is a near-perfect example of sci-fi stripped to essence: isolated lunar worker, corporate overlord, identity unravelled. Sam Rockwell is brilliant as the man who finds himself at endpoint of technology and humanity.
The film’s design is sparse, mechanised yet lived-in. It evokes the classic era but asks immediate questions: what if your job is your life—and your life is owned by the corporation?
The twist is handled with subtle emotional weight rather than spectacle. Moon doesn’t shout; it whispers—and in the whisper you hear the void.

Thursday 20th November 2025

  • All the King’s Men — Film4, 2:35 PM (1949)

All the King’s Men

Based on Robert Penn Warren’s novel, this 1949 film charts the rise and ruin of populist politician Willie Stark. The relevance today is uncanny: power, charisma, corruption.
Broderick Crawford’s performance is ferocious. As Stark transforms from idealist to demagogue, the film captures the seductive dynamic of politics and the wreckage that often follows.
Shot in sharp black-and-white, it feels partly noir, partly political tragedy. It reminds us that the corrupt and the idealist often start in the same place—but the path diverges.
The film remains a searing study of ambition and compromise. Watch it not as a period piece, but as a mirror.

Friday 21st November 2025

  • Ex Machina — Film4, 9:00 PM (2014)
  • Deliverance — BBC Two, 11:00 PM (1972)
  • Men — Film4, 11:10 PM (2022)

Ex Machina

Alex Garland’s Ex Machina is perhaps the smartest mainstream thriller of recent years, interrogating consciousness, power and humanity through the prism of artificial intelligence. Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander and Oscar Isaac form a tense triad of creator, creation and tester.
The setting is a sleek modernist estate—cold, austere and human-empty. Spaces become labs of deception, reflection and control.
Vikander’s Ava is chilling and mesmerising; she displays curiosity, vulnerability and calculation in equal measure. The film asks: what does “I feel” actually mean—and who gets to decide?
Garland interrogates tech-culture, narcissism and the cult of genius through quiet tension rather than fire-and-brimstone.
The final act lands like a moral guillotine: the viewer is left with more questions than comfort.

Deliverance

John Boorman’s Deliverance remains a muscular, terrifying exploration of masculinity, nature and survival. Four city men go on a canoe trip—and find themselves in a wilderness that doesn’t care.
Jon Voight and Burt Reynolds lead a cast that knows the stakes aren’t just physical—they’re existential. The movie uses the Georgia wilds and the river as metaphors for the inhuman.
The film refused to cosy its horrors; it asked what happens when civilisation’s surface is stripped away. You emerge changed.
The river becomes memory, trauma and myth. The film lingers in your body.
A brutal, unforgettable ride.

Men

Alex Garland returns with Men, a bold horror film probing grief, gender and the uncanny. Jessie Buckley anchors the film with vulnerability and strength as she enters a village of men who look alike—and whose behaviour shifts from welcoming to menacing.
The horror is bodily, psychological and symbolic. Rory Kinnear’s multiple roles unsettle not just within the narrative but in your perception of identity.
The film uses the rural English landscape as a hall of mirrors: familiar, peaceful, and deeply wrong. Trauma, guilt and echoing male violence are central themes.
Men doesn’t give answers; it unsettles them. You leave with the image of the village house, the identical men, and the question of whether escape is ever fully possible.

Streaming Choices

Train Dreams — Netflix, from Friday 21st November

This adaptation of Denise Johnson’s novella charts half a century in the US Northwest: railroads, logging, migration, quiet desperation and changing landscapes. It’s a meditation on time and solitude.
The narrative’s strength lies in how landscapes and memories intersect: remote towns, fading rail lines, the dust of industry. Johnson’s original text used brevity and reflection; the film honours that, using long takes and silence to evoke the passage of generations.
Key characters emerge not as heroes but as witnesses: to machines, to forests, to loss. Their gestures carry weight precisely because they are small. The adaptation reminds us that American myth often comes with weathered boots and scars, not just triumph.
Production values feel measured: the cinematography catches both vastness and erosion. The soundtrack holds moments of quiet drifting, underscoring the film’s sense of waiting and endurance.
In its final act, Train Dreams asks: what remains when everything you built moves on without you? It’s not a film about leaving footprints—it’s about whether the ground remembers you.

The Family Plan 2 — Apple TV, from Friday 21st November

Apple TV’s The Family Plan 2 continues the hit family‑action franchise, this time raising the stakes with a global chase, unexpected alliances, and the weight of legacy.

Mark Wahlberg reprises his role as Dan Morgan, the suburban dad with a hidden past, while Michelle Monaghan returns as Jessica Morgan, anchoring the emotional core of the story. Their children, played by Zoe Colletti and Van Crosby, are once again central to the family dynamic, navigating hidden histories and the tension between chaos and connection. New cast additions include Kit Harington, bringing intensity to the sequel’s expanded international plot, alongside Reda Elazouar and Sanjeev Bhaskar in supporting roles.

The film’s action design is inventive, leaning into globe‑trotting sequences, unconventional hideouts, and gadgetry that feels plausible rather than cartoonish. Director Simon Cellan Jones and writer David Coggeshall ensure the tone remains fun but urgent, with set‑pieces that are sharper and more ambitious than the original.

At its heart, The Family Plan 2 is still about family bonds—fathers, daughters, and the choices between connection and chaos. The sequel is self‑aware, nodding to the franchise’s legacy while delivering fresh spectacle.

Byker Grove — ITVX, all 18 series from Sunday 16th November

The full archive of Byker Grove, the Newcastle-based teen drama that ran for eighteen series, lands on ITVX on 16th November. (ITVX) It’s a rare streaming event: every episode available in one go.
For British television culture, Byker Grove represents a transitional moment: post-Children’s BBC, pre-digital-stream era, the show addressed issues like drug abuse, sexuality, belonging and identity with a frankness unusual for its time. It launched the careers of major names but remains under-examined in scholarship.
Streaming the full run invites revisiting not only nostalgia but cultural memory: what young people watched, how regional identity mattered, the ways drama for teens anticipated adult concerns.
For new viewers, it offers a time-capsule of late-80s/90s youth Britain; for older viewers, a chance to trace how storylines and characters evolved over nearly two decades.
In its completeness, the archive drop is an invitation: binge-responsibly, but with awareness. Byker Grove is surprisingly relevant—and streaming it all at once offers the chance to see continuity, change and cultural shift in motion.

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Culture Vulture 1st–7th November 2025

November 1, 2025 at 6:33 am · Filed under Culture Vulture, Film & DVD Reviews, TV Shows ·Tagged , , ,

A majestic bird of prey soaring against a blue sky, with the text 'CULTURE VULTURE' prominently displayed above and a colorful logo for 'COUNTER CULTURE' below.

Curated by Patrick Harrington

This week’s cultural landscape is a rich tapestry of sonic retrospectives, historical reckonings, and spectral orchestration. From Bowie’s theatrical command to the raw chaos of punk, from the haunted harmonies of Halloween classics to the quiet dignity of post-war exile, each programme invites us to reflect on legacy, reinvention, and the emotional resonance of performance. Whether you’re drawn to the intimacy of memoir, the grandeur of empire, or the eerie elegance of orchestral storytelling, there’s something here to stir your sensibilities and sharpen your perspective.

📅 Saturday, 1st November

David Bowie: Serious Moonlight — Sky Arts, 7:00 PM
Filmed during his 1983 world tour, this concert captures Bowie at the height of his Let’s Dance era — elegant, commanding, and utterly magnetic. The staging is theatrical yet intimate, with Bowie’s charisma anchoring every frame. It’s a portrait of an artist in full control, blending pop spectacle with emotional nuance.
The setlist is a masterclass in reinvention, with classics reinterpreted through the lens of a performer who understands the power of transformation. From “Modern Love” to “China Girl,” each track is delivered with precision and flair, underscoring Bowie’s ability to make the familiar feel fresh.
This isn’t just a concert — it’s a cultural moment. Bowie’s Serious Moonlight tour marked a turning point in his career, bridging the avant-garde with mainstream appeal. For fans and newcomers alike, it’s a must-watch celebration of artistry, identity, and enduring relevance.

Top of the Pops 2: Girl Groups — BBC Four, 8:20 PM
This nostalgic compilation showcases some of the most iconic all-girl groups to have graced the Top of the Pops stage. From The Supremes’ polished Motown harmonies to the Spice Girls’ unapologetic sass, it’s a celebration of female pop power across generations.
The performances are more than just musical — they’re cultural artefacts. Each act reflects its era’s fashion, politics, and emotional tone, offering a window into how girl groups have shaped and mirrored societal change.
Whether you’re reliving your youth or discovering these acts anew, the programme delivers joy, attitude, and a reminder that harmony and spectacle can coexist beautifully.

Girl Bands Forever (Parts 1 & 2) — BBC Four, 9:20 PM & 10:20 PM
This two-part documentary traces the evolution of girl bands from 60s Motown to 2000s pop reinvention. Part one explores the rise of empowerment through music, with interviews and archival footage that contextualise the soundtracks of youth.
Part two shifts focus to the late 90s and early 2000s, when groups like All Saints, Girls Aloud, and Destiny’s Child redefined what female stardom could look and sound like. The narrative is lively, insightful, and emotionally resonant.
Together, the series offers a layered look at how girl bands have navigated fame, identity, and industry pressures — and why their legacy continues to inspire.

Scott of the Antarctic (1948) — BBC Two, 9:45 AM
This classic retelling of Captain Scott’s doomed expedition is both stark and stirring. The cinematography captures the icy desolation with haunting beauty, while the performances evoke quiet heroism.
It’s a film that balances national pride with tragic inevitability. Scott’s journey is framed not just as exploration, but as existential reckoning — a meditation on ambition, endurance, and the limits of human will.
For viewers seeking historical drama with emotional depth, this remains a benchmark. It’s not just about the cold — it’s about the cost.

Jane Eyre (2011) — BBC Two, 2:50 PM
Cary Fukunaga’s adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s novel is atmospheric and emotionally taut. Mia Wasikowska’s Jane is quietly fierce, while Michael Fassbender’s Rochester simmers with complexity.
The film leans into gothic aesthetics — candlelit corridors, windswept moors — but never loses sight of the emotional core. Jane’s journey from repression to self-possession is rendered with care and clarity.
This version honours the novel’s spirit while offering fresh cinematic texture. It’s a love story, yes — but also a tale of resilience, autonomy, and moral courage.

M3GAN (2022) — Film4, 9:00 PM
A techno-horror romp that blends satire with scares, M3GAN explores the dangers of AI parenting through a doll that’s too smart for comfort. The premise is absurdly plausible, and the execution is slick.
The film plays with genre conventions — part Chucky, part Black Mirror — but adds emotional weight through its child protagonist and themes of grief. It’s horror with heart, and a dash of camp.
Whether you’re in it for the thrills or the commentary, M3GAN delivers. It’s a cautionary tale for the digital age, wrapped in glossy terror.

Out of Sight (1998) — Great! TV, 9:00 PM
Steven Soderbergh’s stylish crime caper pairs George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez in a dance of attraction and deception. The chemistry is electric, the dialogue sharp.
The film’s nonlinear structure adds intrigue, while the soundtrack and cinematography ooze cool. It’s pulp elevated to art, with emotional undertones that linger.
Out of Sight is more than a heist — it’s a meditation on longing, timing, and the spaces between right and wrong.

Trainspotting (1996) — Channel 4, 11:20 PM
Danny Boyle’s adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s novel remains a visceral punch to the gut. The performances are raw, the visuals kinetic, and the soundtrack iconic.
It’s a film that doesn’t flinch — from addiction to alienation, it captures the chaos of youth with brutal honesty. Yet it’s also darkly funny, deeply human.
Trainspotting is a cultural landmark. It’s not just about heroin — it’s about escape, identity, and the fragile hope of change.

📅 Sunday, 2nd November

Inside Classical: Halloween Spooktacular — BBC Four, 8:00 PM
The BBC National Orchestra of Wales conjures a spellbinding concert of eerie classics. Saint-Saëns’ “Danse Macabre” and Mussorgsky’s “Night on Bald Mountain” set the tone for a night of spectral elegance.
The staging is playful yet haunting, with lighting and visuals enhancing the mood. It’s a celebration of classical music’s ability to evoke fear, wonder, and delight.
Perfect for Halloween weekend, this concert reminds us that the macabre can be beautiful — and that orchestras can still thrill.

Wellington v. Napoleon: Aftermath of Waterloo — PBS America, 8:40 PM
This historical documentary explores the divergent paths of two titans after their fateful clash. Wellington’s rise and Napoleon’s exile are contrasted with nuance and insight.
The programme delves into legacy — how victory and defeat shape memory, myth, and national identity. It’s history with emotional weight.
For those interested in post-war psychology and imperial consequence, this is essential viewing. It’s not just about battles — it’s about what comes after.

Whisky Galore! (1949) — BBC Two, 12:40 PM
This Ealing comedy classic is a charming tale of islanders defying authority to salvage whisky from a shipwreck. The humour is gentle, the spirit rebellious.
It’s a film that celebrates community, cunning, and the joy of shared mischief. The performances are warm, the pacing brisk.
Whisky Galore! is a reminder that resistance can be playful — and that sometimes, the best stories come in a bottle.

The Remains of the Day (1993) — BBC Two, 10:45 PM
Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson deliver masterful performances in this adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel. It’s a study in repression, regret, and missed chances.
The film’s quiet elegance mirrors its protagonist’s emotional restraint. Every gesture, glance, and silence speaks volumes.
It’s a heartbreaking meditation on duty, dignity, and the cost of emotional self-denial. A masterpiece of subtlety.

📅 Monday, 3rd November

Disclosure: Are Refugees Welcome Here — BBC One, 8:00 PM
Mark Daly’s investigation into Britain’s refugee rhetoric is both timely and sobering. The documentary explores the tension between political messaging and lived experience, revealing the complexities of integration and community response.
Through interviews with residents, refugees, and policymakers, the programme paints a nuanced picture of compassion and controversy. It doesn’t shy away from discomfort, instead leaning into the contradictions that define modern Britain.
This is journalism with emotional intelligence — a call to look beyond headlines and into the hearts of those affected. It’s not just about policy; it’s about people.

Once Upon a Time in Space (2 of 4) — BBC Two, 9:00 PM
The second instalment of this space history series charts Russia’s post-Soviet journey in the cosmos. With archival footage and expert commentary, it captures a nation reinventing its ambitions amid political upheaval.
The narrative is one of resilience — how scientific vision persisted despite economic collapse and shifting ideologies. It’s a story of engineers, astronauts, and dreamers refusing to let go of the stars.
For viewers fascinated by space and geopolitics, this episode offers both technical insight and emotional depth. It’s about more than rockets — it’s about legacy and hope.

Starman (1984) — Film4, 6:45 PM
John Carpenter’s sci-fi romance is a gentle departure from his horror roots. Jeff Bridges plays an alien who learns humanity through love, delivering a performance that’s both otherworldly and tender.
The film explores grief, connection, and the beauty of vulnerability. Its pacing is deliberate, its tone melancholic, and its message quietly profound.
Starman reminds us that empathy transcends species — and that sometimes, the most alien thing is human emotion.

Letters to Brezhnev (1985) — BBC Two, 11:05 PM
Set in Thatcher-era Liverpool, this romantic drama follows two young women who fall for Soviet sailors. It’s gritty, poetic, and politically charged.
The film captures working-class life with authenticity, blending humour and longing in equal measure. The love story is both escapist and grounded, offering a glimpse into Cold War-era yearning.
Letters to Brezhnev is a gem of British cinema — intimate, idealistic, and defiantly hopeful.

📅 Tuesday, 4th November

In My Own Words: Val McDermid — BBC One, 10:40 PM
Crime writer Val McDermid reflects on her life, influences, and the power of storytelling. From her Fife childhood to global acclaim, she speaks with candour and clarity.
The documentary explores themes of feminism, identity, and the Scottish literary voice. McDermid’s reflections are sharp, warm, and deeply personal.
It’s a portrait of an artist who has shaped genre fiction while challenging societal norms. Essential viewing for readers, writers, and anyone who values narrative truth.

Late Night with the Devil (2023) — Film4, 11:00 PM
This horror-thriller unfolds during a live 1970s talk show, where supernatural chaos erupts on air. The concept is bold, the execution chilling.
The film blends found footage with period aesthetics, creating a claustrophobic atmosphere of dread. It’s a commentary on media, spectacle, and the thin line between entertainment and exploitation.
Late Night with the Devil is inventive and unnerving — a fresh take on horror that lingers long after the credits roll.

📅 Wednesday, 5th November

Lucy Worsley Investigates: The Gunpowder Plot — BBC Two
Lucy Worsley re-examines Britain’s most infamous conspiracy with forensic precision. Was Guy Fawkes the mastermind or the fall guy? The evidence is compelling, the storytelling sharp.
The programme blends historical analysis with dramatic reconstruction, offering fresh perspectives on a well-worn tale. Worsley’s approach is rigorous yet accessible.
Perfect for Bonfire Night, this documentary invites viewers to question received wisdom and consider the politics of memory.

Bob Trevino Likes It (2024) — Film4, 10:50 PM
This indie drama explores identity and connection through a quirky online friendship. It’s heartfelt, offbeat, and quietly profound.
The performances are understated, the dialogue authentic. The film navigates loneliness and belonging with humour and grace.
Bob Trevino Likes It is a reminder that meaning can be found in unexpected places — and that digital bonds can be deeply human.

Bad Lieutenant (1992) — Legend, 1:05 AM
Abel Ferrara’s gritty character study follows a corrupt cop spiralling into despair. Harvey Keitel delivers a fearless performance, raw and unflinching.
The film is bleak, brutal, and morally complex. It doesn’t offer redemption — only reckoning.
Bad Lieutenant is not for the faint-hearted, but for those seeking cinematic intensity, it’s unforgettable.

📅 Thursday, 6th November

I Was a Teenage Sex Pistol — Sky Arts, 9:00 PM
This documentary revisits the birth of punk through the lens of the Sex Pistols. Rare footage and candid interviews capture the chaos, energy, and cultural shockwaves of the late ’70s.
It’s a story of rebellion — against music norms, societal expectations, and political complacency. The film honours punk’s raw spirit without romanticising its excesses.
For fans and cultural historians alike, this is essential viewing. Punk wasn’t just noise — it was a movement.

The Public Image is Rotten — Sky Arts, 10:30 PM
John Lydon’s post-Pistols project, Public Image Ltd, is dissected with depth and respect. The documentary explores the band’s experimental ethos and Lydon’s uncompromising vision.
Mixing art rock, dub, and disillusionment, PiL defied categorisation. The film captures their evolution, contradictions, and cultural impact.
It’s a portrait of artistic defiance — messy, magnetic, and fiercely original.

Syria After Assad — PBS America, 8:45 PM
A sobering look at the prospects for Syria in the wake of years of war. Analysts and eyewitnesses assess what the future might hold for a nation fractured by conflict and shaped by global power struggles.
The documentary balances geopolitical analysis with human stories, offering insight into the complexities of rebuilding and reconciliation.
Syria After Assad is essential viewing for those seeking to understand the long tail of war — and the fragile hope of peace.

The Mission (1986) — Film4, 12:30 AM
Roland Joffé’s epic drama explores colonialism, faith, and resistance in 18th-century South America. Jeremy Irons and Robert De Niro deliver powerful performances.
The cinematography is breathtaking, the score (by Ennio Morricone) transcendent. It’s a film that grapples with moral complexity and spiritual conviction.
The Mission is both beautiful and devastating — a cinematic meditation on sacrifice and sovereignty.

📅 Friday, 7th November

Empire with David Olusoga (1 of 4) — BBC Two, 9:00 PM
Historian David Olusoga traces the origins of the British Empire, beginning with Elizabeth I and the voyages that sparked global expansion.
The documentary is sharp, unflinching, and richly contextualised. Olusoga balances narrative clarity with critical insight, challenging imperial nostalgia.
It’s a vital reckoning with ambition, exploitation, and legacy — history told with integrity and urgency.

The Book of John Lydon — BBC Two, 10:30 PM
This reflective documentary explores the contradictions of punk icon John Lydon. From the fury of the Sex Pistols to the experimentation of PiL, Lydon remains provocative and principled.
The film delves into his art, attitude, and enduring relevance. It’s part biography, part cultural critique.
For those intrigued by punk’s evolution and Lydon’s singular voice, this is a compelling watch.

Went the Day Well? (1942) — Talking Pictures TV, 6:10 PM
This wartime thriller imagines a Nazi invasion of a British village. It’s tense, patriotic, and surprisingly subversive.
The film blends propaganda with genuine suspense, offering a snapshot of national anxiety and resilience.
Went the Day Well? is a historical curiosity with cinematic bite — a reminder of storytelling’s power in times of crisis.

Benediction (2021) — BBC One, 11:00 PM
Terence Davies’ biopic of poet Siegfried Sassoon is lyrical and melancholic. Jack Lowden delivers a nuanced performance, capturing Sassoon’s inner turmoil.
The film explores war, sexuality, and artistic legacy with sensitivity and grace. It’s visually elegant, emotionally resonant.
Benediction is a quiet triumph — a meditation on memory, identity, and the cost of truth.

🎬 Streaming Choices

Leanne Morgan: Unspeakable Things — Netflix, from Tuesday, 4th November
Southern charm meets stand-up candour in this comedy special. Morgan’s wit is warm, self-deprecating, and sharply observed.
She tackles motherhood, ageing, and relationships with humour that’s both relatable and refreshing.
For viewers seeking laughter with heart, this is a delightful escape.

The Real Hack — ITVX, from Sunday, 2nd November
This gripping documentary exposes the phone hacking scandal that rocked Rupert Murdoch’s media empire. It follows the trail of evidence uncovered by a small group of journalists and police officers, revealing one of the most consequential cover-ups in modern British media history.
Featuring exclusive interviews — some speaking publicly for the first time — the film traces how a single suspicious story led to a reckoning at the highest levels of power. It’s a companion piece to ITV’s drama The Hack, offering fresh updates and emotional insight into the scandal’s fallout.
The Real Hack is investigative journalism at its finest: bold, meticulous, and deeply human. It’s not about digital deception — it’s about truth, accountability, and the cost of silence.

Frankenstein — Netflix, from Friday, 7th November
This reimagining of Mary Shelley’s classic brings gothic horror into the modern age. With stylised visuals and psychological depth, it explores creation, rejection, and the monstrous within.
The film leans into atmosphere and ambiguity, offering a fresh take on familiar themes. It’s not just about science — it’s about solitude and the search for meaning.
Frankenstein remains a timeless tale, and this version invites new audiences to confront its enduring questions.

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