Forget all the talk of ‘Plan B’ here’s ‘Plan A’
Autumn has officially arrived and everything is soggy and rubbish. Don’t panic though, it just means you can stay inside and binge-watch all the best new telly and movies.
Plus, as we edge closer to Christmas, there’s an abundance of unmissable content to wrap your eyes around. Whether accessible via the warm embrace of a cinema or the well-worn butt-groove in your sofa, the dregs of 2021 are jam-packed with quality entertainment.
So here’s our picks…
Movies
Dune – Out now
Seemingly unstoppable twenty-something Timothée Chalamet continues his domination of the big screen in the latest adaptation of American author Frank Herbert’s sprawling sand epic. Here, he swaps gritty dramas for otherworldly adventure as a young heir responsible for protecting the most valuable and sought-after substance in the galaxy. No biggie then? With visionary director, Denis Villeneuve, at the helm (the same filmmaker that made eyes-pop with 2017’s stunning space sequel Blade Runner 2049) creating practical sets and immersive worlds the likes of which we haven’t seen in a long while – Dune looks set to blow minds when it makes its IMAX debut. Definitely worth leaving the house for.
Read our Dune review here.
The French Dispatch – Released October 22
We just can’t escape him, can we? Turns out, when Chalamet isn’t searching for spice in Dune, he’s helping American auteur Wes Anderson craft artsy, perfectly-framed shots. In the Rushmore and Fantastic Mr Fox director’s latest, he rounds up his usual crew – Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Anjelica Huston, Adrian Brody – and pairs them with some exciting Anderson newcomers like Christoph Waltz, Liev Schreiber, and Westworld’s Jeffrey Wright to tell another typically twee tale set in the publishing world in a small French village. As a filmmaker that often divides opinion, audiences will either absolutely love The French Dispatch or resoundly hate it. Either way, it’s still one of 2021’s biggest releases.
Eternals – Released November 5
Now the Avengers have successfully ‘unclicked’ Thanos’s universe-destroying Infinity Stone snap, Marvel is moving onto a whole new phase with a batch of entirely new heroes. Directed and co-written by Nomadland’s Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao, this film will introduce us to an immortal alien race that has secretly lived amongst us for the past 7,000 years, protecting humanity from trouble. We’re not *quite* sure where they were when all hell broke loose in Infinity War or End Game – but here, they’ll be going up against their evil counterparts the Celestials. Marvels’ 26th canon feature also promises to be its most inclusive too, featuring the movie studio’s first depiction of a gay superhero.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife – Released November 19
Who you gonna call? A new batch of heroes, apparently. Inheriting the beloved franchise from his father Ivan, director Jason Reitman joins the family business to continue the Ghostbusters story whilst passing the proton pack to a new generation of ghost-hunters. Shot in secret back in October 2019, Afterlife has been delayed a number of times since its planned July 2020 release date. Cheers, pandemic. With original busters Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd), Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson), and yes – even Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) – returning to their slime-covered jumpsuits, Reitman Jr looks set to present a new story that’s full of haunts and unexpected heart. Set your PKE meter to ‘feels’.
Spiderman: No Way Home – Released December 17
As Marvel’s time with their current rendition of the plucky web-slinger starts to run out, the studio is throwing everything at the wall to blend their Peter Parker with the mirror universe created by character rights-holders, Sony. The behind-the-scenes jargon regarding Spidey’s ownership is a bit of a tangled web, but all we’re bothered about is what his next adventure entails – and if rumours are to be believed, it’ll be one heck of a final bow. After tampering with the multiverse with Dr Strange, Tom Holland’s Parker unwittingly opens up doorways to parallel timelines, complete with parallel Spideys. Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin and Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock have already been teased – but will we see the return of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s web-heads? Time will tell…
The Matrix Resurrections – Released December 22
A cryptic teaser featuring Neo (referred to by his in-Matrix name Mr Anderson) oblivious to his chosen-one alter-ego set the internet alight with fan theories about what direction this long-awaited fourth instalment of the Matrix franchise might take. Writer/director Lana Wachowski has had 18 years to think up a continuation of the story that came to define noughties cinema with its slick style and groundbreaking special effects. While plot points remain tightly under wraps, we do know that Neo’s other half, Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), will make an appearance alongside a slightly younger Morpheus (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II). We’d also bet good money on there being plenty of bullets and black leather duster jackets.
Telly
Succession – Currently airing
What Game of Thrones did for swords and dragons, Succession does for boring office politics and inventive swear words. Produced by Anchorman director Adam McKay and written by Peep Show’s Jesse Armstrong, this whip-smart and nail-chomping family drama manages to take a relatively mundane subject matter and make it more addictive than Pringles. It follows the Roys, a one per cent-er family ruled by ruthless patriarch Logan (Brian Cox). When their grip on the super-wealthy lifestyle they all love so dearly starts to slip, sharks soon start to circle and a scapegoat is needed. The result? All out chaos – and plenty of unexpected turns – as the family turns against itself. Season two left us with one hell of a cliffhanger – and we can’t wait to see what comes next.
Taskmaster – Currently airing
Sometimes the simplest things are the most enjoyable – and that’s certainly the case for Taskmaster. Currently a third of the way through its 12th series, it’s a show that pits a handful of (usually useless) comedians through a range of different challenges – and it’s pure mindless fun. Tasks range from the deceptively simple to the downright bizarre – and with each comedian thinking up a different way of tackling them in order to score big from their impossible-to-please point-disher-outer Greg Davies (and his sidekick little Alex Horne) – it often veers into unexpectedly hilarious territory. The current series still has a few episodes left but once you’re done, go back and watch the rest. You won’t be disappointed.
Curb Your Enthusiasm – Returns October 24
If ever there was someone who was more than ready for a bit of social distancing – it’s Larry David. The last time we saw the socially destructive Seinfeld co-creator, he’d lost a bet with a coffee salesman after opening up a ‘Spite Store’ next door to the coffee man’s popular cafe. The loss meant that David now had to endure living next door to a ‘Spite House’ from the very coffee merchant he failed to beat. Since then, a lot has happened – but we’re willing to bet that David is one of the few people who have remained unphased and unchanged in the wake of a global pandemic. How sure are we? Pretty, pretty, pretty sure.
Stath Lets Flats – Returns October 26
Don’t be fooled by the weird title, Stath Let’s Flats is one of the best comedies of recent years. Set in the surprisingly hilarious world of letting agencies and the dodgy apartments they often have to flog, it sees comedian Jamie Demetriou star as the eponymous Stath – a English-Cypriot guy who – despite having the best possible intentions – is generally just a bit rubbish at everything. Demetriou – who created the show and stars in it alongside his real-life sister Natasia (who you might recognise from the equally fun What We Do In The Shadows) – delivers the perfect balance of heart and odd-ball hilarity throughout. It quickly became one of the most quotable new shows going – and its long-awaited third series looks set to serve up more of the same.
Dexter: New Blood – Airs November 9
People had strong opinions on Dexter’s grand finale back in 2013 – and whether you loved it or thought it deserved to be sent to its namesake’s plastic-covered kill room – this new follow-up series aims to rewrite history. After the world collapsed in on serial-killer-with-a-conscience Dexter Morgan, he swiftly swapped his balmy Miami beach killing ground for a frosty rural retreat – and this is exactly where we find him in New Blood; the show’s unofficial ninth series. From the looks of it, he’s trying hard to put his murdering days behind him but when a new danger emerges and threatens both his secrecy and the lives of his newfound friends, his bloodthirsty ‘Dark Passenger’ is forced to make one final appearance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9H1uSS_zkk
Dopesick – Starts November 12
There’s addictive telly and then there’s telly about addiction. Dopesick is the latter – and it’s a series you won’t forget in a hurry. Penned by Empire’s Danny Strong and starring screen great Michael Keaton, it tells the unfortunately true and relentlessly brutal story of the ongoing opioid epidemic that has ravaged communities and homes across the United States. In it, we meet people from all sides of the equation: The sinister family developing this new drug in order to hold onto their wealth, the grinning salespeople conned into singing its praises, the small-town labourers who’s tough jobs often end in injury, and the local doctors who want nothing more than to ease their pain. Based on Beth Macy’s book of the same name, it’s a troubling and haunting series – but one that demands to be seen.
Hawkeye – Starts November 24
So far, Marvel’s small-screen output has been rather patchy. For every ‘Agatha All Along’ Wandavision earworm, there’s been some pretty forgettable therapy sessions from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. However, with the November release of the long-delayed Hawkeye series, it looks like we’ll be getting a hero tale with a little festive punch – perfect for leading us into the most wonderful time of the year. Jeremy Renner is back behind the bow as Clint Barton A.K.A the Avengers’ sharp-shooter Hawkeye who – after being forced to confront the chaos he caused during his stint as Ronan during Infinity War’s snap-period – runs into a potential prodigy played by Hailee Steinfeld. That’s two Hawkeyes for the price of one Disney+ subscription – all wrapped up in a seasonal bow.
The Book of Boba Fett – Starts December 29
Speaking of Disney+ – the House of Mouse also has the perfect escape for that weird, Quality Street-filled no-man’s-land between Christmas and New Year. Teased at the tail end of The Mandalorian’s excellent second series, The Book of Boba Fett puts everyone’s favourite bounty hunter (and Sarlacc snack) front and centre – giving him his own series and pitting him against the baddest villains Tatooine’s dodgy underworld has to offer. Expect gritty characters (both figuratively and literally – it’s a sand planet, after all) and plenty of references to the franchise’s extensive media-spanning lore, as Fett attempts to reclaim a crime syndicate that has long been under Hutt rule. Aliens, guns, maybe even an appearance from Baby Yoda – what more could you ask for this Christmas?
Related links:
- Dune is the best fantasy film since The Lord of the Rings
- Johnny Depp says he wants to play Captain Jack Sparrow forever
- Sir Michael Caine says work offers have ‘dried up’
