MAKING THE CUT

We’ve scanned the zeitgeist for what to read, watch, wear and drink now.

Movie

Oscar winner Olivia Colman (The Favourite) stars opposite Colin Firth as an emotionally isolated woman working in a movie theatre on the south coast of England in Empire of Light, a paean to the power of cinema. Written and directed by awards darling Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Revolutionary Road), this latest effort offers hope that one’s existential dread and loneliness can be eased in a darkened hall, with nothing but the golden light of the movie projector for company. In cinemas 2 March.

Streaming

Television’s most dysfunctional, high-powered family is back for a fourth season of Succession (right), in which their ambitious machinations appear inversely proportional to commonsense – and decency. Will any of the Roy children (or in-laws) overthrow patriarch Logan Roy (Brian Cox) and pry his billion-dollar media kingdom from his cold, dead-looking hands? They’ll certainly go down trying. Screening weekly on Binge from 27 March.

Podcast

TV journalist Anderson Cooper’s popular podcast, All There Is, offers advice and community for anyone wrestling with grief. When he was 10, Cooper lost his father and a decade later, his brother died at 23. But it was packing up the apartment of his mother, heiress Gloria Vanderbilt, after her death that prompted him to start the podcast. Each episode is an exploration, sometimes with a famous poet, actor or artist, of how to move through loss.

Style

Stripes have been on fashion’s backburner for more than a few seasons but all that changed in January when Valentino sent big, bold black-and-pink-striped gowns down the runway. Faithfull the Brand followed suit with its yellow-striped collection in February. Meanwhile, Australian label Ilio Nema has opted for multi-coloured “caravan” striping on cute little robes (left, $675; ilionema.com).

Beauty

Two game changers have just entered the hair domain. First, the wearable, bluetooth-enabled CurrentBody Skin LED Hair Regrowth Device ($1159; currentbody.com.au) uses medical-grade light to suspend hair loss and stimulate natural regrowth over four months of continual use, according to the company. And GHD has released its latest cult product, the Duet Style hot air styler (top, $595; ghdhair.com/au), which styles hair while it’s still wet – effectively cutting out the need for a blow dryer – without damaging your locks.

Book

New York-based cook and writer Alison Roman (the best-selling author of Nothing Fancy, a book of easy recipes to impress your friends) is now turning her capable hands to desserts with her new book, Sweet Enough (left). Packed full of laid-back recipes for delicious third courses, including salted lemon pie and caramelised maple tart, it’s available in bookstores next month or you can pre-order your copy now.