THE HOT LIST
GREAT THINGS TO WATCH AND STREAM
ICY THRILLER
THE VALHALLA MURDERS BBC Four, Saturday, November 21, 9pm
■ AFTER excellent Danish thriller DNA, here comes another prime slice of Nordic Noir that’s already had a showing on Netflix. At the centre of this dark Icelandic series is ambitious detective Kata (Nina Filippusdottir), who hopes solving the gruesome murder of a former drug dealer will further her career ambitions. However, as the investigation delves deeper it becomes apparent that Iceland’s first serial killer is at large and she teams up with police profiler Arna (Bjorn Thors) to try to track the culprit down.
INSIDE STORY
BARACK OBAMA TALKS TO DAVID OLUSOGA BBC iPlayer
■ FIRST shown on BBC One on Wednesday, British historian David Olusoga interviews former US President Barack Obama about his new memoir, A Promised Land, and talks to him about the problems that divide the United States. Obama talks about his belief in American ideals, what he thinks of the Trump era and what life was like in the White House for him and his family. With all eyes on US politics as President Trump refuses to concede his election defeat to Joe Biden, Obama’s insider knowledge and experience will provide a calm anaylsis of where America is at in 2020.
LEGEND RETURNS
THE LIFE AHEAD Netflix
■ SCREEN legend Sophia Loren makes her movie comeback in this drama directed by her son, Edoardo Ponti, based on the novel The Life Before Us, previously filmed as Madame Rosa in 1977. Loren plays a holocaust survivor in an Italian seaside town who takes in an orphaned street kid after he robs her. After their initial wariness, they come to understand what each other has been through and form a bond. Loren’s powerful, sensitive performance is being tipped for an Oscar nomination and, if so, she would be the oldest-ever Academy Award nominee at 86.
NEW TALENT
LYNN + LUCY BBC Two, Saturday, November 21, 10.55pm
■ BBC Two is screening a series of modern British films on Saturday nights in conjunction with the BFI, showcasing some of the best rising talent in the UK film industry. Director Fyzal Boulifa’s Lynn + Lucy is a striking debut film about two women from the new town of Harlow who have both become mothers, but Lucy (Nichola Burley) is unwilling to give up her independence. A shocking tragedy severely tests their friendship to its limits in this moving drama in the British realist tradition. From this New Films From New Voices season, there are acclaimed films such as Apostasy, Make Up and Perfect 10 available to watch on BBC iPlayer and Monsoon, One Man And His Shoes and Dirty God still to be shown on coming Saturday nights.
LUNAR MISSION
OVER THE MOON Netflix
■ DISNEY, Pixar and Studio Ghibli may be the marquee names in animation but this beautiful and engaging film from Netflix shows the streaming service can compete with the established big-hitters. At the annual Moon Festival, Fei Fei is entranced by the legend of a Moon Goddess and decides, in the wake of her mother dying, that she’ll build a rocket to the moon to prove the existence of the deity. Thus begins a magical journey that takes Fei Fei to some unexpected places and makes her confront some hard truths. Colourful, energetic and packed with songs, this joint US-Chinese production has enough in it to entertain children and adults alike.