From The Death of Bunny Monroe to Bad Guys: For Good: The Week in Rave Reviews | culture

television

If you only watch one, do it…

Death of Bunny Monroe

Now and heaven

Summarize in a sentence A tender, sombre adaptation of Nick Cave’s novel about a deeply unsettling father-son road trip, featuring a wonderful turn from Matt Smith.
What our reviewer said “As a study in masculinity, in men who hand misery to men, and deepening like a southern coastal cliff as Bunny and his son head toward doom, it is as timely — for all, sadly, the book was written more than a decade ago — as it is illuminating.” Lucy Mangan

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Further reading ‘Matt Smith is so hot that he’s a problem’: inside the TV version of Nick Cave’s disturbing, sex-filled novel

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Black swan

BBC iPlayer

Summarize in a sentence The documentary that shook Denmark – a mob lawyer turns whistleblower exposes a devastating string of corruption.
What our reviewer said “It would be an exaggeration to say that Black Swan had an impact on Danish viewers. Half of Danes had watched it when it was broadcast in 2024, and it led to a series of police investigations, as well as a tightening of laws regarding money laundering and gang activities.” Hannah J. Davis

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Further reading The True Scandinavian Film: How a Film Director and a Corrupt Lawyer Shattered Denmark’s Self-Image

Turner: Secret Sketchbooks

BBC iPlayer

Summarize in a sentence A glimpse into the 37,000 little-known sketches left by J.M.W. Turner, featuring some surprisingly notable talking heads.
What our reviewer said “Will a previously uninitiated viewer now be more likely to attend a Turner exhibition? Yes. Can existing Turner experts sharpen their knowledge? Yes. Mission accomplished.” Jack Seale

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Further reading Why is JMW Turner still Britain’s best-selling artist, 250 years on?

Father issues

BBC iPlayer

Summarize in a sentence Amy Lou Wood and David Morrissey’s Stockport father-daughter comedy has been a hit with a fun-filled second series.
What our reviewer said “Not only did he find his feet, he warmed his knees so deep, and if we could throw one more tortured language into the ball pit – he hit the ground running.” Sarah Dempster

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Manosphere men

BBC iPlayer

Summarize in a sentence A terrifying and heartbreaking look into the lives of young men who have fallen victim to hate messages from misogynistic influencers.
What our reviewer said “A thoughtful, gentle and terrifying watch.” Lucy Mangan

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Further reading Why the Manosphere Clicks on Youth: A Deep Visual Look

film

If you only watch one, do it…

Ice tower

In cinemas now

Summarize in a sentence Marion Cotillard stars as a film actress who stars in a production of The Snow Queen in Lucille Hadzihalilovic’s fairy tale death wish.
What our reviewer said “It’s a mesmerizing melodrama, mixing sensuality and reeling anxiety, balancing on the precipice of disaster.” Peter Bradshaw

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Further reading Marion Cotillard at 50: The actor’s 20 best films – ranked!

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Evil: for good

In cinemas now

Summarize in a sentence Part Two of the Oz Prequel with Cynthia Erivo leading a stellar cast in a masterful conclusion to the hit musical’s origin story.
What our reviewer said “The star among equals is Cynthia Erivo, who brings her black belt screen presence to the role of Elphaba, revealing a newfound vulnerability and maturity.” Peter Bradshaw

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Further reading Jon M. Chu on Wicked: For Good, Ariana Grande – and living the American dream

Fuyumi or Morti!

In cinemas now

Summarize in a sentence A darkly comic reconstruction of arrogant Italian fascist Gabriele D’Annunzio’s takeover of the Croatian coastal town once called Fuemi.
What our reviewer said “This riveting documentary by Croatian director Igor Bežinović is part comic opera and part chilling treatise from the past…and in effect a proto-fascist passport to Pimlico.” Peter Bradshaw

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certificate

In cinemas now

Summarize in a sentence A devastating expose of the brutal Magdalene apocalypses of the Irish Church, as a young human rights lawyer joins survivors and activists in the fight for truth and accountability.
What our reviewer said “The film ends with triumphant euphoria, with a lunch in Dublin for the survivors, feted like celebrities by crowds outside cheering, waving banners, and celebrating their bravery; it left me in floods of tears.” Cath Clarke

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Streaming now

Zaragoza manuscript

Streaming on Klassiki from November 20th

Summarize in a sentence An old Polish costume comedy from Wojciech Has, set in 18th century Spain, where an officer cares through comic encounters and exciting episodes.
What our reviewer said “The thing to enjoy about The Zaragoza Manuscript is its lack of cynicism and self-consciousness; there is a kind of innocence and even refinement to the drama, even when it veers outrageously off the beaten track of traditional storytelling.” Peter Bradshaw

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books

If you only read one, do it.

John Updike: A Life in Letters

Reviewed by John Banville

Summarize in a sentence An intimate look at a giant of American literature.
What our reviewer said “There are constant animosities — Gore Vidal is a thorn Updike has never been able to pry from his side — but his fondness far outweighs his dislike.”

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Joe Sacco’s Past and Future Riots

Reviewed by Adam Rutherford

Summarize in a sentence A wonderful visual report from a Palestine writer.
What our reviewer said “Vox Pop music permeates the narrative, a reminder of the subjective experience of people on the street, in the thick of the action.”

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Jeeves again by different authors

Reviewed by Rahul Raina

Summarize in a sentence New stories about the duo of Alfred Jeeves and Bertie Wooster, celebrity lovers including Roddy Doyle and Frank Skinner.
What our reviewer said “The stories clearly come from a place of love and respect and, additionally, on the 50th anniversary of Wodehouse’s death, a keen appreciation of the commercial opportunity. Jeeves (Wooster) would agree.”

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The novel The Wax Child by Olga Raven, translated by Martin Aitken

Reviewed by Aida Edmariam

Summarize in a sentence An intensely poetic tale of the witch trials in seventeenth-century Denmark from the author of The Staff Book.
What our reviewer said “At its best, The Wax Child is poignant, beautiful, frightening, and profound.”

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Maybe she was gone…

Transgressions by Louise Kennedy

Reviewed by Kevin Bauer

Summarize in a sentence In Belfast, a young Catholic woman and an older married Protestant fall in love during the Troubles in this brilliant debut, now made into a popular TV series.
What our reviewer said “Transgressions is a novel of a quality rare in fiction at any time: a sense of absolute conviction. It is a story told with such compelling attention to the fabric of its world that every page feels like a moral and intellectual event.”

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Further reading Trespasses TV Series Review – An intoxicating, exciting and heartbreaking love story

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Albums

If you only listen to one, do it…

Vikingur Olafsson: Action 109

Out now

Summarize in a sentence The Icelandic pianist’s rendition of Beethoven’s Op 109 is considered one of the most beautiful poems on record.
What our reviewer said “Traditionalists may shy away, but for those willing to go along with him, Olafsson opens transcendent vistas on a brave new world.” Clive Paget

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Oneohtrix Point Never: Tranquilizer

Out now

Summarize in a sentence A new album Kaleidoscope has been produced by electronic artist Daniel Lopatin Using a cache of Y2K CD templates salvaged from the ends of the Internet.
What our reviewer said “Despite its title, Tranquilizer never feels particularly flat. Rather, it lulls the listener into a false sense of security with the familiarity of its sounds, then throws you for a loop.” Alexis Petridis

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De La Soul: Cabin in the Sky

Out now

Summarize in a sentence The first release since the death of the rap group’s founding member is about the afterlife, but it doesn’t abandon their always sunny sound.
What our reviewer said “Cabin in the Sky is warm and rich in Vitamin D, a tonic for the colder months.” Shad D’Souza

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Further reading De La Soul on Sadness and Gorillaz and never gives up

Discount: Cancel acceleration

Out now

Summarize in a sentence The producer’s second album forces the listener to focus on the strangeness of every moment in the world of sound surrounding them.
What our reviewer said “In Desaceleradas, Beatrice performs a remarkable feat, showing how slowness and precision can contain as much dread and discomfort as chaos of noise.” Amar Kalia

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Now on tour…

Lord

RDS Simmonscourt, Dublin, 22 November, then on tour

Summarize in a sentence The New Zealand pop singer, who has been confirmed to headline next year’s All Points East festival in London, delivers a show with shades of Stop Make Sense and moments of communal intimacy.
What our reviewer said “Everything about the current ultrasound tour is viscerally kinetic, as if someone pressed a DVD in the early 2000s.” Amelia Ferron

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Further reading From Fleece to A-lister: How pop stars found the joy of fame again