TV ON DEMAND NETFLIX
STRANGER THINGS NEW SERIES BEGINS
In the 1980s, there was a run of movies that were about children but not solely aimed at them — they weren’t childish films. E.T., Stand By Me and The Goonies are three examples, and Stranger Things (above) has become a hit for Netflix by taking a similar approach. It’s even set in that decade, and weaves a heady story of small-town children pulled into a big world of sinister experiments, alternate dimensions and supernatural powers. For the viewer it’s a thrilling and occasionally terrifying ride packed with witty pop culture references, and which has the immersive feel of a book — episodes are even called ‘chapters’. This Friday brings the first nine chapters of the penultimate series, in which the friends are separated and navigating high school, just as another threat waits in the wings. The second half follows on 1
July. From Friday
PARANOID
GRIPPING WHODUNNIT
First shown on UTV in 2016, this mystery from the production team behind Happy Valley ladles on the intrigue right from the start, when a brutal murder takes place in a children’s playground. The unfolding story aims higher than the average whodunnit, and involves a New Age cafe owner (Lesley Sharp), a troubled detective Bobby Day (Robert Glenister) and plenty of turns we won’t reveal — but one of them leads to Germany.
GIRI/HAJI
CULTURE CLASH THRILLER
When detective Kenzo Mori (Takehiro Hira, below, with Aoi Okuyama as Taki) is sent from Japan to London to hunt down his destructive brother Yuto, who is suspected of murdering the nephew of a yakuza crimelord, he gets embroiled in a murky world. Look out for Kelly Macdonald as the case evolves.
DARK MONEY THE PITFALLS OF STARDOM
Young actor Isaac (Max Fincham) is sexually abused while filming in Hollywood. When he returns, his mum and dad realise something is wrong, and the boy has proof of this abuse on his phone. But when they come up against the smiling faces of Hollywood lawyers, things get much worse.