Crime 101 for the Little Prophets: Week of Enthusiastic Reviews | culture

television

If you only watch one, do it…

Minor Prophets

BBC iPlayer

Summarize in a sentence Mackenzie Crook follows up Detectorists with a brilliant slice of gentle, supernatural-themed comedy about a man’s attempts to find out what happened to his girlfriend who disappeared seven years ago.
What our reviewer said “Little Prophets is pure, unadulterated fun.” Jack Seale

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Further reading “Watching The Office Lately, My Heart Just Sank” – Mackenzie Crook on Comedy, Cruelty, and Being TV Royalty

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How to get to Paradise from Belfast

Netflix

Summarize in a sentence A frenetic, clever and mysterious murder from Derry Girls’ Lisa McGee – complete with a thrilling performance from Saoirse-Monica Jackson.
What our reviewer said “How to Get to Heaven has all the verve, intensity, and desolation dancing above the immaculate plot you find in McGee’s masterpiece.” Lucy Mangan

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Further reading “It’s trash, women’s team!” Derry Girl Lisa McGee in her hilarious new mystery thriller

Maybe she was gone…

Waiting to go out

BBC iPlayer

Summarize in a sentence Dennis Kelly’s brilliant drama about a prison teacher is a brilliant mixture of exquisite lightness and crushing heaviness.
What our reviewer said “A poignant and poignant study in vulnerability and acceptance.” Phil Harrison

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film

If you only watch one, do it…

Crime 101

In cinemas now

Summarize in a sentence Chris Hemsworth stars in Michael Mann’s story of a master thief tracked by an honest Los Angeles cop, based on Don Winslow’s novel.
What our reviewer said “Bart Layton applies his pedal to the metal for an entertaining, highly stylish, high-stakes armed heist thriller about a highly controlled, extremely cool, extremely polite thief who is naturally looking for ‘easy money’ for one last juicy job.” Peter Bradshaw

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Further reading ‘Playing God has become a safety net’: Chris Hemsworth talks Thor, money and his fears

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It’s never over, Jeff Buckley

In cinemas now

Summarize in a sentence Amy Berg’s documentary delves into the 1990s singer-songwriter’s early life and untimely death, with extensive contributions from his mother and girlfriends.
What our reviewer said “His high-spirited mother was the great love of his life in many ways – but it was singing at his father’s memorial service that wowed the congregation and launched Jeff’s career; he was a remarkable singer with a range and precision inspired by Nina Simone and Judy Garland.” Peter Bradshaw

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Further reading TikTok fame has given Jeff Buckley his first top 100 hit in the US 29 years after his death

President’s cake

In cinemas now

Summarize in a sentence A revealing story about nine-year-old Lamia, who is required by her school to bake a cake for Saddam Hussein’s birthday, and who meets a series of colorful characters while shopping for permitted ingredients.
What our reviewer said Lamia sets out for the city with her grandmother Bibi (Wahid Thabet Khouribat) on a desperate shopping trip, bringing with her her pet rooster, Hindi, who gives a wonderfully animalistic performance and whose unpredictable yelping clearly forced the actors to improvise lines around him. Peter Bradshaw

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Further reading “Yes, They’ll Execute a Child”: A film about a girl who has to bake a birthday cake for Saddam Hussein

Little Emily

In cinemas now

Summarize in a sentence Based on a novella by Belgian author Amelie Nothomb, this film follows a young girl who wakes up from a coma and begins to bond with others after her grandmother intervenes.
What our reviewer said “The animation itself is a very charming mix of European and Japanese styles, and there is a lovely final sequence, when Amelie looks back to her younger self in various scenes around the idyllic house and garden.” Peter Bradshaw

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Streaming now

Eternity

Apple TV

Summarize in a sentence Elizabeth Olsen must choose who to spend eternity with in a high-concept love triangle comedy, starring Miles Teller and directed by David Frane.
What our reviewer said “It’s a big movie, full of big ideas and big emotional twists that shake the audience, and Frayn often excels at such a huge stretching of the canvas. He has a light touch that makes his movie dance with speed and grace.” Benjamin Lee

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Further reading Elizabeth Olsen believes she will die old and alone in a foggy English seaside town. Here are her options

books

If you only read one, do it.

Gordon Brown by James McIntyre

Reviewed by Jonathan Friedland

Summarize in a sentence A timely reappraisal of the last Labor Prime Minister.
What our reviewer said “The hard truth is that Brown’s record of achievement is enormous – and rare. This makes him one of the towering figures of modern British history.”

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Super Nintendo by Keza McDonald

Reviewed by Stephen Paul

Summarize in a sentence The Guardian’s games reporter’s entertaining look at a benign digital giant.
What our reviewer said McDonald argues that Nintendo’s “game maker philosophy” is an antidote to the increasingly painful role technology plays in all of our lives.

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Further reading How Pokémon went from moral panic to unified global hit

Your Life Without Me by James Meek

Reviewed by Zane Brooks

Summarize in a sentence A plot to bomb St Paul’s Cathedral is seen through the lens of family tragedy in this new novel from the Booker Prize longlisted author of The Popular Law of Love.
What our reviewer said “For all its subtle plotting and flashes of rebellion, Your Life Without Me works best as a compelling and compassionate portrait of an English family in flux.”

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Good People by Patmina Thabet

Reviewed by Lucy Atkins

Summarize in a sentence After an Afghan-American teenager drowns in a canal while driving the family car, the community turns detective, prosecuting a grieving family.
What our reviewer said “Good People is a clear-eyed portrait of the immigrant community in the modern United States, a dissection of toxic gossip, and a commentary on broader societal divisions. Most of all, it is terribly addictive.”

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Maybe she was gone…

For the Comfort of Our Minds and Bodies by Harriet Armstrong

Reviewed by Good Cook

Summarize in a sentence Longlisted for the first time for this year’s Dylan Thomas Prize, this black comedy is a smart and funny examination of first love.
What our reviewer said “At times the novel is unbearably intense, like experiencing the essence of obsession as we experience it every moment – ​​which doesn’t mean it’s not very funny, too.”

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Albums

If you only listen to one, do it…

Hemlock Springs: The Apple Tree Under the Sea

Out now

Summarize in a sentence On her debut, the Chappelle Rowan-backed singer-songwriter doubles down on the wonky charm that made her go viral on TikTok.
What our reviewer said “Springs’ approach is engagingly assured: This is what I want to do, this is who I am, take it or leave it.” Alexis Petridis

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Intercontemporain Band: Unsuk Chin

Out now

Summarize in a sentence Berlin-based composer Chen’s complex music is skillfully performed in this disc featuring three of her orchestral works.
What our reviewer said “Under the confident direction of conductor Pierre Bleuz, the 19-instrument ensemble highlights Chen’s complex, free-flowing score with solid technique and a certain amount of skill.” Clive Paget

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Converge: Love is not enough

Out now

Summarize in a sentence The metalcore veterans’ fury remains fresh and furious on their tenth album.
What our reviewer said “Converge has a seemingly endless well of inspiration. Masters of metalcore from 2001 and 2026 alike.” Matt Mills

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Joshua Chokemia Crampton: Anata

He releases

Summarize in a sentence Aymara musicians draw inspiration from Andean traditions, resulting in a moody sonic meditation with woozy melodies and pockets of warmth.
What our reviewer said “Even at their loudest and most distorted levels, the tracks conjure a feeling of melancholy, which is only intensified upon repeated listening.” net bugle

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Now on tour…

Florence + The Machine

UK tour until 20 February

Summarize in a sentence The singer-songwriter is backed by folk-horror revues delivered by a petticoat-clad choir, but she’s perfectly capable of mesmerizing an audience with her soaring voice alone.
What our reviewer said “Watching her dominate this arena during the first of two sold-out shows in Glasgow in honor of sixth album Everybody Scream, it’s hard to imagine Welch being afraid of anything.” Katie Hawthorne

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