BOX SETS AND ON DEMAND

The Act (Amazon Prime, available now)

When she made her debut in 1987’s A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, the thought of Patricia Arquette one day winning an Oscar was a bit of a stretch. However, after years of propping up offerings like Lost Highway and Stigmata, she struck gold with Richard Linklater’s acclaimed project Boyhood. Ms Arquette is also on good form in this drama, which tells a strangerthan-fiction true crime story involving Gypsy Blanchard, a girl who grew up believing she was sick with cancer, and subsequently tries to escape her overprotective, abusive mother (Arquette). With a great cast including Joey King, Calum Worthy, Chloe Sevigny and AnnaSophia Robb (star of Sex and the City prequel saga The Carrie Diaries), this may be your new favourite binge watch.

Hometown (BBC3, from Wed, 10am)

Mohammed Yassar Yaqub was shot dead by police on an M62 slip road on a wet January evening in 2017. His death sparked protests on the streets of West Yorkshire, and a ‘Justice 4 Yassar’ campaign was created. In this film, award-winning journalist Mobeen Azhar returns to his hometown of Huddersfield to delve deeper into the death. In a case that involves rumours of drug empires; money-laundering and high performance cars, Mobeen soon realises there is a far bigger story. With violence on the streets and locals that are terrified to talk, Mobeen tries to find out where the truth lies in a quest that involves him facing some ugly truths about his community and hometown.

Beats (Netflix, from Wed)

You could be forgiven for feeling confused over a couple of films called Beats at the moment. This is not the namesake Scottish comedy drama which opened in assorted UK cinemas a few weeks ago. Instead, it’s a US project of a similar length. Khalil Everage, last seen in

Karate Kid-inspired series Cobra Kai, stars in a comingof-age drama about a reclusive teenage musical prodigy. He becomes friends with a down-on-his-luck high school security guard (Anthony Anderson), and together they try and overcome their demons and make their mark on the city’s music scene. Helmed by Chris Robinson, this features a fine script by Miles Orion Feldsott (who also worked on the series Deadly Class), and features good support from the likes of Paul Walter Hauser and Uzo Aduba.

The Edge of Democracy (Netflix, from Wed)

Politicians making rude and controversial comments are all too prevalent around the world. However, as they generate such dramatic fireworks, there’s little wonder documentary makers are queuing up to point their lens as such incendiary folks. This film is a case in point, and has generated a lot of buzz at the Sundance Film Festival (always a good test for a worthy documentary). It focuses on one of the most dramatic periods in Brazilian history, and examines how the country went from a stable democracy to the beginnings of a right-wing authoritarian regime. Combining access to leaders past and present, including Presidents Dilma Rousseff and Lula da Silva, director Petra Costa witnesses their rise and fall, and surveys the collateral damage.