Vladimir — Netflix
Rachel Weisz and Leo Woodall star in creator Julia May Jonas’ series adaptation of her novel about the desire of an older, popular but unhappy English professor and her younger colleague at a scandal-ridden college. With her marriage, career and creative ambitions in a deep funk, anti-heroine “M” begins to question her life choices as her increasingly dark desires move from fantasy to possible reality, threatening to free her from the restrictions of her life and upend everything she’s believed in and built for herself. Darkly comic, it is held together by Weisz’s obvious enjoyment in her portrayal of M as a very unreliable narrator of her own life.
Zootopia 2 – Disney Plus
Funny, pacey, smart and carrying a timely message about power and societal trust, the sequel to Disney’s 2016 animated buddy comedy about a bunny cop and a con artist fox offers plenty of laughs and family fun for viewers of all ages.
Dynasty: The Murdochs — Netflix
The long-running real-life drama that inspired Succession — the battle behind the scenes between members of media magnate Rupert Murdoch’s family for the succession of his empire — now gets its own four-part docuseries.
Directed by Oscar-nominated documentarian Liz Garbus, the series traces Murdoch’s rise to global media dominance from his roots in Australia to his consolidation of his empire through the acquisition of UK tabloids and the creation of Fox News before looking at the gob-smacking lengths to which Murdoch’s family have gone to smear each other in the fight for control of the empire’s legacy. Though it features no interviews with Murdoch or his family, Garbus makes thorough use of the many journalists who have followed Murdoch’s rise and of former employees of his many news titles.
The Perfect Candidate — Mubi.com
Saudi Arabia’s first female film director, Haifaa Al-Mansour, takes on the patriarchal repression of her homeland in this second feature from 2019. When a doctor is denied permission to travel to Dubai for a conference without the approval of a male guardian, she asks a politically connected male cousin for assistance, only to find herself accidentally registering as a candidate for municipal elections. Realising that she may be able to turn this mistake to her advantage, she decides to use the election as a way to campaign for small but vital improvements to the lives of the residents of her small town.
Melania — Prime Video
After all the hype and controversy, Jeff Bezos’ expensive suck-up to US President Donald Trump is now available to stream. Director Brett Ratner — accused of sexual misconduct by numerous women but never charged — follows Melania Trump during the 20 days leading up to her husband’s second inauguration. Discussions about renovations to the White House bowling alley and Camp David, and the gold excesses of the inauguration celebrations at Mar-A-Lago, shed little light on Melania’s life and personality. Watch if you think you can bear the high-gloss, no-substance flash of the production.
