Conversations With a Killer: The Son of Sam Tapes — Netflix
Netflix’s true-crime documentary series, which relies on chilling recordings of serial killers in their own words, delves into the twisted nightmares of David Berkowitz, the man who conducted a series of killings in New York between 1975 and 1977. He was dubbed the Son of Sam and cast a cloud of terror and paranoia over the city.
Unlike previous serial killers featured in the series, Berkowitz is still alive, though the recordings that provide the meat of the three-episode series were all made almost half a century ago after his capture in 1977. Padded out with interviews with former police officers, journalists and victims, the show paints a picture of Berkowitz’s life, chilling transformation and the increasingly desperate attempts of the city’s law enforcement agencies to catch him.
Dexter: Original Sin — Showmax
In the almost two decades since Michael C Hall first portrayed Dexter Morgan, the Miami police forensics expert and righteous serial killer who preys on other killers, the show has remained popular, long after its initial conclusion in 2013. The Dexter universe has recently grown to include revivals of its protagonist’s journey and this origins story, which stars Patrick Gibson as young Dexter and Christian Slater as his foster father and cop, Harry, who attempts to teach his son a code to enable him to keep his “dark passenger” in moral check.
Chief of War — Apple TV+
Jason Momoa writes, produces and stars in this long-gestating passion project that offers a Hawaiian-language and -cast perspective on how the various island kingdoms were unified into a single kingdom. Momoa plays Kaʻiana, a disillusioned but celebrated warrior who is lured back into the fold by his former king under the guise of helping to fulfil a prophecy. Instead he finds himself betrayed and morally stained by his participation in the violent subjugation of the mad king’s rivals. After ending up on a colonial ship bound for faraway lands, Kaʻiana must fight to make his way home and help save his people.
Yacht Rock: A Documentary — Showmax
The term “yacht rock” was coined by a group of online comedians in the early 2000s to describe smooth California music made by Steely Dan, The Doobie Brothers, Toto, Kenny Loggins and other artists in the 1970s. Since then it has, much to the irritation of some of its leading practitioners and the amusement of others, stuck in the consciousness of both fans and detractors. This documentary traces the organogram of the popular genre and pays tribute to its often-overlooked musical innovation and long-lasting legacy.
Toxic — Mubi.com
Lithuanian director Saule Bliuvaite’s 2024 feature debut is set in the harsh world of modelling, focusing on the relationship between two teenage girls who experience the judgment of the fashion world as they struggle to achieve their dreams of escaping from poverty.
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