Play Dirty — Prime Video
Shane Black returns to the brand of fast-paced, banter-filled, buddy action comedy caper he’s made so much his own since he moved from writing to writing and directing in 2005 with Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Here he teams up with Mark Wahlberg, LaKeith Stanfield and Rosa Salazar for a high-jinks heist caper in which a highly skilled and successful crew find themselves up against the New York mob when a once-in-a-lifetime job falls in their laps. The old-school thrills and well-chosen cast provide a thoroughly enjoyable two hours of silly fun.
Don’t Let Them Shoot the Kite — Mubi.com
It’s 1980, and five-year-old Baris (Ozan Bilen) finds himself on a not-so-pleasant adventure when he’s sent to a women’s prison with his mother, Fatma (Füsun Demirel), who’s sentenced to serve time for drug smuggling by the newly installed military government after the chaotic events of Turkey’s coup. His mother has little time for her son, so Baris finds himself wandering the prison grounds looking for amusement and company. He finds a more special friendship than he could have imagined in Inci (Nür Surer), a political prisoner who finds new meaning in her maternal relationship with her new young, lonely friend. Carried by a still-impressive performance from Bilen, who was only five at the time, director Tunç Basaran’s moving coming-of-age-too-quickly classic finds new and vibrant life in this restored version.
The Man In My Basement — Disney Plus
Adapted from his own novel by Walter Mosley and directed by British-Sudanese theatre director Nadia Latif, this chilling chamber piece unravels deep-rooted knots of race, power and violence in America through its Stephen King-style premise. Corey Hawkins plays down-on-his-luck Charles Blakey, who is about to see the bank foreclose on his family’s ancestral home, when a mysterious businessman, Anniston Bennet (Willem Dafoe), knocks on his door and makes him a deal that’s too good to be true and gradually reveals itself to be a Faustian bargain.
The Lost Bus — Apple TV+
This collar-grabbing true-story drama from Paul Greengrass, who made his name in films like Bloody Sunday and United 93, is set in the terrifying flames of the 2018 California wildfires. Matthew McConaughey stars as Kevin McKay, a struggling single father and school bus driver in the town of Paradise who finds himself thrown together with local schoolteacher Mary (America Ferrera) and her young charges in a race for their lives against the out-of-control winds and hungry inferno.
All of You — Apple TV+
Brett Goldstein writes and stars opposite Imogen Poots in this very human romance drama that’s a strong showcase for its stars. In a near-future world, best friends Simon and Laura harbour undeclared love for each other despite the results of a supposedly foolproof test, which matches one of them up with a different perfect soul mate.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.