SCREENING GUIDE

THE ESSEX SERPENT Apple TV+

Claire Danes and Tom Hiddleston star in this Gothic drama miniseries based on the hugely successful and award-winning novel of the same name. Set in the Victorian era, it stars Danes as a recent widow who moves to Essex to investigate sightings of a mythical sea serpent. She finds an unlikely ally in Hiddleston’s local pastor. As the sightings take a more violent turn the community turns on the pair, alleging that their nosing around is attracting the creature’s wrath.

CHUCKY Neon

Picking up after the events of the last film, Cult of Chucky, the series follows a teen buying a Good Guy doll at a garage sale, not knowing the spirit of a serial killer possesses it. Soon enough, Chucky is back up to his murderous ways and terrorising the lad’s small town. The series also dives into Chucky’s backstory, showing the events that turned him from a regular kid into a wise-cracking killer. Critics have been impressed with one calling it “a warped, wise, funny and very droll series. It’s a rigorous reinvention”.

SENIOR YEAR Netflix

Star Rebel Wilson described her new comedy movie as “the wildly funny love child of Bring It On and Never Been Kissed”. For many that’s all they need to know, they’re in. But if you’re not a 90s kid then here’s some further info. Wilson plays a high school cheerleader who falls into a coma right before her big prom night. Awakening 20 years later, aged 37, and supremely annoyed about being robbed of her big night, she determines to return to high school, reclaim her popular girl status and fulfil her dream of becoming Prom Queen. The film promises some goofy and light-hearted fun, although expect a healthy dollop of raunch as it’s rocking an R rating. Genre fans will also want to keep an eye out for original 90s high school comedy queen, Alicia Silverstone.