Five (more) things to watch this weekend
Sidney (Apple TV +)
When he died earlier this year, actor Sidney Poitier left behind a remarkable and groundbreaking legacy, not only as the first black man to win a best actor Oscar in 1964 for his work in ‘Lilies of the Field’, but also for his lifelong dedication to civil rights and equal treatment for actors of colour in Hollywood. Here in all its undeniably moving sweep is his life story — from his poor upbringing in rural Bahamas to his journey to the US and his humble beginnings in the theatre before becoming the face of a new, defiant and dignified black representation on screen. It’s all told with much deserved admiration and respect by some of the biggest names in African American entertainment including Oprah Winfrey, Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry and Spike Lee.
Anthony (Britbox)
In 2005 black teenager Anthony Walker was murdered by two white men after an unprovoked and clearly racially motivated attack in a Liverpool park. Writer Jimmy McGovern takes the unusual but imaginative and deeply emotionally effective step of imagining what Walker’s life might have been if he hadn’t been killed. The result is a smart, provocative and troubling examination of racism and its consequences that offers a heartbreaking vision of what normal life for anyone, regardless of their race, could and should be. It also won a best supporting actress Bafta award for Rakie Ayola’s devastatingly moving portrayal of Anthony’s mother Gee Walker.
Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
(Netflix)
Ryan Murphy teams up with his longtime favoured acting collaborator Evan Peters to bring the chilling and decidedly uncomfortable story of notorious Wisconsin serial killer and flesh-eater Jeffrey Dahmer to baroquely grotesque dramatic life. Told through the eyes of Dahmer’s many victims, it’ sa depressing story of the darkest recesses of human nature and an inept law enforcement department who could’ve stopped him much earlier than they did, if only they’d been willing to listen and read the signs.
The Grand Tour: A Scandi Flick (Prime Video)
There’s perhaps no better way to signal a return to postpandemic normal than to let loose the lads and their cars on the picturesque, seemingly unspoilt landscape of the Arctic Circle in winter. This time Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond get back to doing what they know best by apparently deciding to road test some rally cars. But this is the Grand Tour, and so there are sure to be a few surprises, plenty of juvenile pranks and a lot of grumpy cold men moaning along the way.
The Real Bling Ring (Netflix)
The early 2000s was a time for the exploits of the “Bling Ring”, burglars who made a name for themselves by targeting the homes and possessions of highlevel, tabloid-favoured celebrities such as Paris Hilton. Their brazen crimes and misdemeanours were the subject of a long form magazine article and a Sofia Coppola directed film dramatisation. Now they’re appearing in person and on camera in this three-part docuseries to tell their side of the story.