So, the lockdown continues and as we head into another weekend, we’ll all be reaching for our remotes to seek out something new to watch to pass the time as we’re stuck indoors. With so much on offer, with varying quality, we decided to package together a list of some of our hot picks, straying from the already known gems as much as possible. Here are ten movies and streaming essentials we think you should put before your eyes this weekend.
Greenland – available on Prime Video
We haven’t posted an official review of this one on the site, but I did manage to view Greenland last weekend and pump it through my soundbar to get the maximum effect – or as best a cinema experience as possible. Originally intended for the big screen, Greenland revolves around Gerard Butler’s structural engineer John Garrity who must protect his family from a massive 9 mile-wide comet that is about to hit the Earth and end mankind. Overblown disaster epic it might sound like, but there’s more to Greenland than first meets the eye. There are no comic book heroics from the Butler character, the narrative more grounded focusing on the everyday man who must do everything within his gift to get his family to safety. I really enjoyed this film, and while it may sound like the last thing we need right now, it is quite the opposite.
Marcella – Seasons one and two on Netflix, season three on ITV Player. Also on Brit Box.
Here’s a TV series that bypassed my eyes when it first hit screens nearly five years ago. Led by the brilliant Anna Friel, Marcella revolves around Central London police detective Marcella Backland (Friel) who returns to the force after leaving to look after her two young children. Going through a heavy separation from husband Jason (Nicolas Pinnock), Marcella finds herself investigating a series of grisly murders under boss Rav (a brilliant Ray Panthaki). Each season focuses on a different story, though Marcella’s personal stories continue through each of them. A fantastic piece of drama reportedly inspired by Scandi crime thrillers – and it shows. Add in supporting performances from the likes of Keith Allen, Nigel Planer, Florence Pugh, and in season three, which I’m still two episodes from finishing, Hugo Speer. If you like your crime thrillers, it doesn’t get better than this.
The Serpent – BBC iPlayer
This one is literally just about to complete its run in the prime time 9 pm Sunday slot on BBC One but all episodes are available (at the time of writing) to catch up with on iPlayer. Based on true events, The Serpent tells the story of Charles Sobhraj (a superb Tahar Rahim), a serial killer who preyed upon back-packers in India, Thailand, and Nepal in the mid to late 1970s. Each episode draws you more and more into this unbelievable story where Sobhraj becomes Interpol’s most wanted man, suspected of the murders of 20 back-packers across multiple countries. Rahim is joined by the likes of Jenna Coleman, who plays Sobhraj’s girlfriend Marie-Andree Leclerc, and the excellent Billy Howle as Herman Knippenberg, the junior diplomat at the Dutch embassy who is unrelenting in his pursuit of the killer(s). The physical home release of The Serpent is also planned for later this month, and the digital download option is also available now.
You’ll have to purchase this one on any one of the major digital retailers but the price of admission is worth it. Muscle is a film we first saw at the Tallinn Black Nights film festival back in 2019, but it was only released on digital at the tail end of last year. It has just arrived on the physical formats so we thought we’d give it a mention as it was absolutely of of our favourite films from last year. Muscle stars Cavan Clerkin as Simon, a call centre worker who is having a tough time at home and at work. To blow off some steam, he signs up to a gym where he meets Craig Fairbrass’ Terry, an overpowering ‘instructor’ who latches onto Simon and offers to show him the ropes (and weights). Over the course of the following months, Terry trains Simon while, at the same time, gradually moving more and more into his personal life. A powerful film from filmmaker Gerard Johnson, Muscle is not an easy watch, but a memorable one.
News Of The World – Netflix
If you’re looking for something slightly different, then how about this latest offering from filmmaker Paul Greengrass who reunites with his Captain Phillips lead Tom Hanks. News Of The World is a period piece set in Texas just after the end of the civil war. Hanks is another captain, Jefferson Kyle Kidd, who travels from town to town ready news articles from around the world to those who are willing to pay a small fee. When he crosses paths with a 10-year-old girl on his travels, he agrees to take her across the unpredictable terrain to reunite her with her aunt and uncle. Despite coming from Greengrass, who is know for his fast-paced material – particularly in his Bourne movies, News Of The World is more of a slow burn. That said, there are some weighty, intense sequences scattered throughout to keep those looking for edge of your seat drama, as well as a fulfilling ending to satisfy most fans of Hanks and the genre.
