Watch it or dodge it

What the critics are saying about the latest releases…

Shadow and Bone Genre: Fantasy drama Season: 1 Episodes: 8 Runs: 45-58min

ORPHANED SOLDIER ALINA (Jessie Mei Li) discovers she has special powers that could liberate her homeland of Ravka in this epic fantasy series based on the bestselling books by Leigh Bardugo. ‘A magical, thrilling adventure,’ enthused one critic, while another called it: ‘Perfectly competent, enjoyable stuff, but not quite the next Game of Thrones.’

Stowaway

Genre: Sci-fi Runs: 117min

‘A DEEPLY COMPELLING space drama,’ is how one critic has described this thriller, starring Toni Collette and Anna Kendrick, about three astronauts on a mission to Mars who find a stowaway on board and realise that there is not enough oxygen on the ship for all four of them. Other reviewers have been similarly impressed. ‘A devastating dilemma drives this tense sci-fi,’ ‘An emotional thrill ride in space,’ and, ‘A suspenseful survivalist drama wellplotted to sweaty-palmed effect,’ have been among the favourable comments.