What To Watch This Week 28.05.24

Released in cinemas at the start of the year, but new to Prime this week, this sports drama based on the bestselling non-fiction novel by Daniel James Brown. Starring Callum Turner and Joel Edgerton, and directed by George Clooney, the film is centred around the 1936 University of Washington rowing team that competed for gold at the Summer Olympics in Berlin. The inspirational true story follows a group of underdogs at the height of the Great Depression as they are thrust into the spotlight and take on elite rivals from around the world.

Visit Amazon.com

The final four teams are on the last leg of the journey from Jakarta to Lombok. With 14,000km behind them – a distance spanning more than seven countries – minor mistakes can cost them valuable time and make all the difference between runners-up and winners. These final minutes are set to be a nailbiter. 

Visit BBC.co.uk

Benedict Cumberbatch stars in this strange and dark Netflix six-parter created by Bafta and Emmy winner Abi Morgan (The Hour, The Iron Lady, The Split). Set on the lawless streets of ’80s New York, the story follows Vincent, a desperate father and puppeteer who becomes convinced that he can reunite with Edgar, his missing son, with the help of his seven-foot-tall puppet. Battling sobriety and demons, both real and imagined, Vincent’s increasingly explosive behaviour and actions alienate him from his family and friends. 

Visit Netflix.com

Back for a second round is Nida Manzour’s riotous comedy about an all-female Muslim punk band. This season, the girls experience a growing fanbase off the back of a great tour, but the little profit they made isn’t enough to put a studio album together. If that wasn’t enough, the girls are also faced with more strife when a cool new band with the same USP enters the fray. The band toils with supporting the sisterhood and fighting tooth and claw for their spot in the limelight.

Visit Channel4.com

Directed by Joachim Rønning (Pirates Of The Caribbean) and written by Jeff Nathanson (Catch Me If You Can), Young Woman and the Sea stars Daisy Ridley (Star Wars, Ophelia) as Gertrude 'Trudy' Ederle, the first woman to swim the English Channel. In 1926, she swam 21 miles across the Channel to complete a feat previously only accomplished by men. Born to immigrant parents in NYC in 1905, she defied societal expectations with the support of her sister and trainers, overcoming immense challenges to achieve her historic feat and also win a gold medal at the 1924 Olympics. The supporting cast includes Stephen Graham, Kim Bodnia, Christopher Eccleston, Tilda Cobham-Hervey, and Glenn Fleshler.

Visit Picturehouses.com

Released as part of the Venice Film Festival, The Beast is a hybrid sci-fi romantic drama directed by Bertrand Bonello that’s now in cinemas. Loosely based on Henry James's The Beast in the Jungle novella, it stars Léa Seydoux (Spectre, Dune) and George MacKay (1917), with Guslagie Malanda and Dasha Nekrasova. In a future where emotions are dangerous, Gabrielle (Seydoux) uses a machine to cleanse her DNA and rid herself of strong feelings. Then she meets Louis and feels an inexplicable bond. 

Visit Picturehouses.com

Fan-favourite, The Outlaws is returning to TV screens this week with all episodes available on Prime Video. The comedy, created by off-beat comedian Stephen Merchant, sees Jessica Gunning (Baby Reindeer) supervising the ragtag gang as, inevitably, more trouble arises. 

Visit Amazon.com

Catch up on the critically acclaimed mini-series adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen's kaleidoscopic tale. This ambitious and stylish portrayal delves into themes of colonialism, war, and the struggle with identity. Follow The Captain, a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist spy, portrayed by Hoa Xuande, as he navigates life in a North Vietnamese re-education camp. The stellar cast includes Sandra Oh (Killing Eve) and Robert Downey Jr., who skilfully portrays multiple characters using elaborate three-inch prosthetics.

Visit Sky.com