Sequel stuck in third gear

Fast & Furious 8 (12)

Fast 8 falls short of the previous flick’s bombastic brilliance as the story collapses under the weight of its own ambition.

Turning Vin Diesel bad was intriguing, but he’s badly missed on the light side of the fence. Thankfully Dwayne Johnson’s Hobbs is back in the spotlight and the action gets dialled up to jaw-dropping levels.

Fargo Season 3 (15)

There seems to still be plenty of life left in this loose TV adaptation of the Coen brothers’ movie.

Another talented cast is led by an entertaining Ewan Mcgregor playing twin brothers.

The off-kilter humour and darkness of the previous two seasons is still prevalent throughout too.

Bates Motel Season 5 (15)

TV’S take on Norman Bates comes to a close with a dramatic, and surprisingly unpredictable, final season.

The show’s makers do a good job of twisting expectations on where the story is heading, although it does leave Rihanna’s much-touted role as Marion Crane feeling mighty redundant.

Bates Motel’s strength has always been the dynamic between Freddie Highmore’s Norman and Vera Farmiga’s Norma, and it’s a double act of the highest quality not even death can get in the way of.

All of the main characters get a satisfying farewell and the show benefits from mapping out its fiveseason arc from the start as there is no frustrating cliffhanger brought on by a cancellation to be found here.