Reviews

Spaceship Earth doesn’t quite take off

It’s 1991 in the semi-arid climate of Oracle, Arizona. Eight “Biospherians” begin a two year long expedition into the possibilities of maintaining life in an entirely closed ecological system

Wasp Network is a solid Cuban political spy thriller

This film on Netflix tells a little known story of US state-sponsored terror without romanticising Cuba’s Castro government

Judy and Punch—an ambitious, slightly clunky dark comedy

This strange drama turns the story of Punch and Judy into a tale of revenge against an abusive husband

Check their privilege—the lives of Monaco’s super rich

For decades, crooks and con artists—with and without titles—have been drawn to Monaco because of its famous casino and willingness to ignore banking regulations

Sitting In Limbo shows the banal horror behind Windrush

Anthony, although he doesn’t know it yet, is slap bang in the middle of the Windrush scandal

Intense and powerful new album from Run the Jewels

Hip Hop duo Run the Jewels released their new album early, with proceeds going to help defend arrested protesters

History show that’s full of facts but not much else

29 May 2020
The premise of Netflix’s History 101—a series of bitesize history documentaries—seems ambitious

Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always—a powerful and necessary film about abortion access

29 May 2020
Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always is about a teenager struggling to get support as she seeks an abortion. It’s an important watch

Far-fetched series Inhuman Resources shows up a brutal corporate culture

22 May 2020
This new Netflix show stars Eric Cantona as a man fallen on hard times given a second chance. But its outlandish plot fails to score

A chance to see some Japanese classics

15 May 2020
The BFI’s Japan 2020 film festival launched on Monday of last week

Deerhoof’s new album is a return to experimental roots

15 May 2020
Future Teenage Cave Artists is a tilt back to the earlier work of this veteran indie band

Why are we addicted to fossil fuels? Michael Moore’s new film doesn’t have the answer

06 May 2020
New film Planet of the Humans could damage the environmental movement

The Midnight Gospel is a spectacular—if weird—cult cartoon

01 May 2020
Psychedelia is back with a 21st century twist in this animated chat show

Moffie—an unsettling film about gay repression under apartheid

01 May 2020
Moffie, a new film released to Curzon Home Cinema, is about two soldiers in apartheid South Africa struggling with their sexuality

Shabazz Palaces’ new album breaks Hip Hop conventions

24 April 2020
The Don of Diamond Dreams is far from cliche pop rap. It’s experimental, cathartic and interesting—but doesn’t always make sense

Homeland Holidays—an idealised slice of working class life in the 1930s

17 April 2020
Homeland Holidays is a short film from 1937 on resorts owned by the Workers Travel Association

The Platform—a violent and pessimistic film about human nature

17 April 2020
Are people too selfish to prevent others from starving to death? That’s the central question of theThe Platform

Heaven to a Tortured Mind is a genre-crossing album to get lost in

09 April 2020
This is Yves Tumor’s fourth full-length release, and it’s as elusive and mysterious as ever.

Devs is a sci-fi thriller that asks ambitious questions

09 April 2020
This major series, new to the BBC, treads some familiar ground—but it’s a good mix of standard sci-fi with a cultish, religious theme

Fun night of poetry direct to your living room with Hollie McNish

27 March 2020
Poet and spoken word artist Hollie McNish has had to postpone her spring tour. Luckily, she is performing three gigs from her living room.