What To Watch This Week 29.09.25

Blue Lights, BBC

Back for its third season, Blue Lights drops us straight back into the high-stakes world of Belfast policing. Grace (Siân Brooke) and Stevie (Martin McCann) may finally be enjoying a rare moment of domestic bliss but anyone who’s followed this series knows happiness doesn’t tend to last long. Shane (Frank Blake) is now part of the fold, yet the team soon find themselves pulled into the murky depths of a drug network that stretches from gritty estates to glossy parties. 

Visit BBC.CO.UK

Chad Powers, Disney+

In this tongue-in-cheek American football drama, Glen Powell stars as Russ Holliday, a cocky quarterback whose glittering career implodes after a spectacular on-field blunder. With his reputation in tatters, he reinvents himself – thanks to his prosthetics whizz dad – as Chad Powers, a rookie hopeful trying out for the struggling South Georgia Catfish. It’s knowingly silly and yes, a touch far-fetched, but watching Russ shed his arrogance and fumble towards humility makes for a fun identity-swap comedy with heart.

Visit DISNEYPLUS.COM

Love Is Blind, Netflix

It’s the dating show that refuses to die – Love Is Blind is back for its ninth outing. This time, Denver plays host to a new crop of hopefuls willing to fall in love without ever setting eyes on each other until the engagement ring is on. The pods are ready, the champagne is chilled and the tears, tantrums and trainwreck proposals are inevitable. Cringe-inducing? Yes. Addictive? Absolutely. 

Visit NETFLIX.COM

Monster: The Ed Gein Story, Netflix

Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan continue their Monster anthology with one of America’s darkest figures: Ed Gein, the killer whose gruesome crimes inspired Psycho and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy) takes on the complex lead role, joined by Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird) as his domineering mother and Tom Hollander (Feud) as Alfred Hitchcock. Less a gore-fest and more an exploration of how Gein’s story fuelled both Hollywood and our obsession with true crime, expect unnerving performances, meticulous period detail and the kind of prestige storytelling that made The Menendez Brothers one of Netflix’s most talked-about shows in 2024.

Visit NETFLIX.COM 

A House Of Dynamite, Netflix

Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker) is back with her first film in over a decade – and the buzz from Venice suggests it was worth the wait. Idris Elba leads an all-star cast including Rebecca Ferguson (Dune) and Jared Harris (Chernobyl) in a political thriller that imagines a missile strike gone rogue and the fallout at the highest levels of government. Bigelow has always excelled at combining action with moral weight, and here she’s said to deliver both an adrenaline rush and a sharp interrogation of power. Slick, urgent and cinematic, this could easily become Netflix’s awards-season frontrunner.

Visit NETFLIX.COM 

The Lost Bus, Apple TV

Paul Greengrass (Captain Phillips) is a master of tense, real-life drama – and his latest film might be his most emotional yet. Matthew McConaughey stars as the bus driver forced to save 22 children and their teacher when California’s Camp Fire tore through Paradise in 2018. Alongside him, America Ferrera (Ugly Betty) plays the devoted teacher holding the group together. It’s a story of survival against impossible odds, shot with Greengrass’s trademark immediacy but also grounded in humanity and resilience.

Visit TV.APPLE.COM

Urchin

Actor-turned-director Harris Dickinson (Triangle of Sadness) makes a stunning debut with this raw portrait of life on the margins of London. Frank Dillane (Fear the Walking Dead) plays Mike, a man struggling with homelessness, addiction and the chance of redemption. Premiered at Cannes to rave reviews – Dillane even picked up Best Actor – the film has been praised for its unflinching realism and flashes of dreamlike beauty. With Claire Foy (The Crown) in support, Dickinson proves himself as a serious filmmaker to watch. 

Visit PICTUREHOUSES.COM 

Borderline, ITV

Set against the stark backdrop of the Irish border, Borderline introduces us to a duo who couldn’t be more different. Straight-laced officer Philip Boyd (Eoin Macken) is forced to team up with Aoife Regan (Amy De Bhrún), a sharp-tongued detective from the Republic with little patience for diplomacy. Their uneasy partnership is tested as a local murder spirals into something with far-reaching political consequences. 

Visit ITV.COM

Bardot, Channel 4

Few stars have retained as much allure as Brigitte Bardot, who stepped away from the spotlight in her 30s yet remains an enduring icon to this day. This new French drama reimagines her rise to fame, with Julia de Nunez delivering a magnetic performance as Bardot. Starting with her teenage magazine debut, the series charts her transformation into a screen siren and cultural phenomenon. 

Visit CHANNEL4.COM

The Smashing Machine

Dwayne Johnson sheds his blockbuster bravado for a career-defining turn in The Smashing Machine, Benny Safdie’s searing biopic of MMA fighter Mark Kerr. Charting Kerr’s brutal battles inside the ring and his turbulent personal life beyond it, the film delivers raw intensity without falling into glossy sports-movie tropes. Emily Blunt offers a heartbreaking performance as Kerr’s wife, while the supporting cast – including real-life fighters – add extra grit. Already lauded at Venice (where it picked up the Silver Lion), this is the role that could finally see Johnson crowned a serious actor.

Visit ODEON.CO.UK