TVON DEMAND

NETFLIX, BRITBOX, STARZ, DISNEY & PARAMOUNT

MOVIE COLLECTION

BRITBOX FILMS

The streaming service continues to add some impressive movies to its roster. Heading our way this week are the Tony Wilson biopic 24 Hour Party People, George Clooney’s Michael Clayton, featuring Tilda Swinton in an Oscar-winning role, and Steve McQueen’s devastating debut, Hunger. Look out, too, for Ken Loach’s 2004 drama Ae Fond Kiss (with Eva Birthistle and Atta Yaqub, above) and a Danny Boyle double – 127 Hours and Slumdog Millionaire. From Thursday

THE GIRL FROM PLAINVILLE

STARZPLAY CRIME DRAMA

An eight-part crime drama based on real events. It opens with an exchange of slightly weird text messages between teenager Conrad (Colton Ryan) and his girlfriend Michelle (Elle Fanning). When Conrad kills himself in his truck in a car park, Michelle’s tears seem fake. And there are other things that don’t add up. In fact, the more we see of Michelle, the odder she seems. This is a well-made show with some terrific performances, but it’s difficult to forget that it’s relatively recent tragedy repackaged as entertainment. From Sunday

HAPPENING MUBI FILM

This powerful French film could hardly be more timely, given the abortion bans introduced in America. Anne (Anamaria Vartolomei), a promising student, finds she is pregnant after a fling. She doesn’t want to derail her career before it has even begun but it’s the 1960s and abortion is illegal. Eventually, she realises she has to take matters into her own hands. Vartolomei is excellent, and director Audrey Diwan is another name to watch. From Thursday

FLEE

DISNEY+ DOCUMENTARY

Danish director Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s animated film has received universal praise since its premiere at last year’s Sundance Film Festival, and even received three Oscar nominations. It tells the moving story of Rasmussen’s friend, Amin Nawabi, who discusses the terrifying details of his escape from Afghanistan for the first time. From Friday

FILM PERSUASION NETFLIX FILM

Jane Austen’s Persuasion has been thoroughly Fleabagged, and when the trailer was released it was monstered on social media by Austen fans who were hoping for an adaptation faithful to the text rather than an updated, fourth wall-breaking version with contemporary dialogue. But the fact that Austen’s work is still so beloved suggests that this latest adaptation is more than robust enough to withstand a little tinkering. Fifty Shades Of Grey’s Dakota Johnson (near right) is Anne Elliot, a shy woman still living at home and regarded as being on the shelf at the grand old age of 27. She has always regretted turning down the proposal of the handsome Captain Wentworth (Cosmo Jarvis) years earlier. Then he re-enters her life… Co-stars Richard E. Grant. (See review, Page 66.) From Friday

VICTORIA’S SECRET: ANGELS & DEMONS

PARAMOUNT+ DOCUSERIES

This three-part series tells the story of the lingerie franchise from mail-order brand to global giant. For almost 40 years, Victoria’s Secret defined our definition of sex and beauty with images of Angels (such as Bella Hadid, right) splashed across its catalogues and on catwalks. But the dream imploded amid allegations of harassment, workplace toxicity and its CEO Les Wexner’s involvement with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

From Friday

TRUE THINGS SKY & MUBI FILM

Ruth Wilson (above) plays Kate, a nice but mixed-up woman who meets a handsome good-for-nothing at the benefits office where she reluctantly works. Blond – played by Strike star Tom Burke channelling mid-career Simon Le Bon – might as well have ‘Bad Lad’ tattooed on his forehead. But

Kate is bored, there’s an instant attraction and soon they’re off for sandwiches, skinny-dipping and a lot of sex. Available now

RESIDENT EVIL NETFLIX HORROR

It’s 2036 and Jade (Ella Balinska) is holed up in post-apocalyptic London, monitoring a zombie pack to see if it shows any sign of developing a leadership structure or higher brain function. Unfortunately for her, zombies aren’t the only hazard she has to deal with. This is yet another horroraction drama ‘inspired by’ the video-game series but it’s actually pretty good – like The Walking Dead revived by a triple espresso. From Thursday

BIRDS OF PREY AMAZON FILM

The eighth instalment in the DC Extended Universe is also a spin-off from 2016’s Suicide Squad. Margot Robbie (left) reprises her role as Harley Quinn, who joins a band of all-female super-powered individuals after splitting from the Joker. The group must bring down Gotham’s crime boss while rescuing a friend. Available now

KAMP KORAL: SPONGEBOB’S UNDER YEARS

PARAMOUNT+ ANIMATION The first-ever SpongeBob Squarepants spin-off is a prequel to our surreal hero’s usual zany adventures, in which a ten-yearold SpongeBob and his pals enjoy getting up to all sorts of mischief at summer camp. From Monday

THE NORTHMAN SKY/AMAZON FILM

As a boy, Amleth (Alexander Skarsgard) fled an attack on his Viking village by the murderous uncle who killed his father and kidnapped his mother. Now an adult, he’s after vengeance. Bjork has a cameo as a sinister ‘seeress’, and Nicole Kidman, Anya Taylor-Joy and Claes Bang also star in Robin Eggers’s exuberantly violent action film. Available now

JAMES MAY:

OUR MAN IN ITALY

AMAZON TRAVELOGUE

Following the success of Our

Man In Japan, Cap’n Slow (left) is hitting the road again, this time to tour one of his favourite countries, Italy. Among the stops are Palermo and the Dolomites, and along the way he’ll be attempting to launch his own invention – a full-English pizza. We’re betting the locals are less than impressed. From Friday