An interesting week of releases. In the UK the launch of ITVX, which is ITV's effort to try and embrace digital as fully as possible with premium drama titles and an online-first strategy, means there's several premium UK titles this week. A Spy Among Friends with Guy Pearce and Damian Lewis has caught my attention, but I can easily see a lot of viewers drawn to The Confession of Frannie Langton. My understanding is it is a bit sexy.
Apple TV+ are pushing boundaries as it asks the question: Will audiences voluntarily submit themselves to Emancipation, a slave drama, with all the distractions that the lounge room offers? Oh, and then there's the Will Smith of it all.
And a quiet heads-up to fans of Japanese director Takeshi Miike - he has directed the very under-the-radar Disney+ series Connect.
returning:
His Dark Materials (s03), Little America (s02), Doom Patrol (s04), South Side (s03), How To Ruin Christmas (s03)
new:
Connect - Disney+
Stars: Jung Hae-in, Kym Hye-jun
A man is kidnapped and one of his eyes removed by a gang of organ hunters; his eyes was transplanted into body of a serial killer; the unwilling donor now has terrible visions as he witnesses terrifying attacks on the residents of Seoul.
George & Tammy - Showtime (US) | Paramount+ (International)
Stars: Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain, Walton Goggins
A chronicle of the country music power couple, Tammy Wynette and George Jones, whose complicated-but-enduring relationship inspired some of the most iconic music of all time.
Tell Me Everything - ITVX
Stars: Eden H Davies
Following 16-year-old Jonny, who struggles with his mental health after a tragic event.
The Confessions of Frannie Langton - ITVX
Stars: Karla-Simone Spence, Sophie Cookson
Based on Sara Collins' 2019 murder mystery, this Georgian drama follows a young Jamaican woman accused of murdering her masters in London.
A Spy Among Friends - ITVX
Stars: Damian lewis, Guy Pearce
In England in 1963, Nicholas Elliott works for MI6 as an intelligence officer but is left in turmoil when he learns his close friend and colleague, Kim Philby, had been secretly working as a double agent for the KGB, defecting to the Soviet Union.
movies:
Night at The Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again - Disney+
Nick Daley hesitates becoming a museum nightwatchman and Kahmunrah returns to conquer the world.
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio - Netflix
Stars: Gregory Mann, Finn Wolfhard, Ewan McGregor
A father's wish magically brings a wooden boy to life in Italy, giving him a chance to care for the child.
Emancipation - Apple TV+
Stars: Will Smith, Ben Foster, Charmaine Bingwa
Peter, a slave, flees a plantation in Louisiana after he was whipped within an inch of his life. He has to outwit cold-blooded hunters and the unforgiving swamps of Louisiana on a torturous journey north.
Smiley - Netflix
Stars: Miki Esparbé, Carlos Cuevas, Brian McGovern
Two men and their friends in Barcelona navigate hesitations, hangups and missed connections as they search for true love
That's it for this week. I'll be back next week with more.
