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5 hours ago
5
Pick of the Week
The Testaments
This expansion of the Handmaid’s Tale universe is adapted from Margaret Atwood’s 2019 follow-up to her epoch-defining 1985 novel. It’s set several years later, right in the heart of Gilead’s darkness – a preparatory school for elite future wives. Via tentative rebel student Agnes Mackenzie (played with stillness and depth by Chase Infiniti), we see the horrors and the hierarchies in action: the drama meticulously illustrates the ways disempowered people hoard what little agency they have. Agnes is initially at the top of the heap but when she’s given responsibility for enigmatic new girl Daisy, she starts to see Gilead for what it is. Claustrophobic and gripping.
Disney+, from Wednesday 8 April
Big Mistakes
Two hapless adult siblings, handling a difficult situation with a complete lack of basic common sense? Fans of Schitt’s Creek will find elements of the premise of this sitcom from Dan Levy (co-written with Rachel Sennott) familiar. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of goofy fish-out-of-water laughs. Levy is Nicky, a small-town pastor drawn into organised crime after his sister Morgan (Taylor Ortega) mindlessly swipes a bracelet. Soon, the pair owe favours to some distinctly sketchy people. It’s flimsy but quip-laden fun, powered by Levy and Ortega’s irresistible comic chemistry.
Netflix, from Thursday 9 April
Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord
Despite being literally chopped in half in an earlier generation of Star Wars narrative, an audacious retconning job has taken place and rogue Sith Lord Maul is back and planning to rebuild his crime syndicate on a planet far, far away from the empire. But a double-bladed lightsaber won’t be enough on its own – for this job, he’ll need an accomplice. Enter a disillusioned young Jedi Padawan who might just be the apprentice of his dreams. The animation of this series is impressive, as is the voice cast which includes Wagner Moura and Richard Ayoade.
Disney+, from Monday 6 April
Untold: Chess Mates
“I’ll have to live with the fact that in every single conversation I have about chess, we’ll eventually discuss anal beads.” It’s quite a burden but then Hans Niemann’s story is jaw-dropping from the get-go. This film hears from both Niemann and his nemesis Magnus Carlsen as it explores one of the strangest (and, let’s be honest, funniest) scandals to rock chess. When Niemann beat Carlsen in 2022, was he receiving prompts via a very unorthodox source? This doesn’t quite get to the bottom of the story but it’s a quirky portrait of an odd, obsessive world.
Netflix, from Tuesday 7 April
The Boys
As it reaches its final season, this superhero satire is becoming an ever more on-the-nose reflection of modern America. As we return, the power of Homelander (Antony Starr) is total. Accordingly, in a turn of events that would ideally feel less familiar than it currently does, his pettiness, narcissism and cruelty is accelerating. Worse still, he has his eye on an immortality serum. Clearly someone needs to intervene but, inevitably, Butcher and his erstwhile gang have multiple, self-inflicted problems of their own. As ever, a winning mixture of dry humour and big ideas.
Prime Video, from Wednesday 8 April
Trust Me: The False Prophet
“I’m the richest man on Earth. Because the Heavenly Father blessed me with these girls.” Most sex offenders are cagey but Samuel Bateman didn’t take particular care to hide his predilection for young girls. Claiming to be a prophet, he presided with apparent impunity over an offshoot of the similarly toxic Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Justice came in the shape of Dr Christine Marie who, along with her husband, intended to make a more sympathetic film about the group but ended up infiltrating them and bringing Bateman to justice.
Netflix, from Wednesday 8 April
Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair
Twenty years have passed and Malcolm is doing fine. He’s got a girlfriend and a daughter upon whom he dotes. Crucially, he’s severed all contact with his hilariously impossible birth family. However, when Hal and Lois request, nay demand, Malcolm’s presence at a wedding anniversary party, he is forced to embrace the chaos once again. Will things be easier in adulthood? Where would be the fun in that? With most of the main cast returning (led by Frankie Muniz in the lead), this feels like a worthwhile reunion; a real labour of love.
Disney+, from Friday 10 April
