Warning: these limited series will have you hooked …
Unlocked: A Jail Experiment
On Netflix: If you’re in the mood for a docu-series then Unlocked will transport you into the lives and psychological happenings of the inmates at this unnamed Arkansas detention facility. It follows a radical social experiment, implemented by the sheriff at the facility, to grant these men who are incarcerated more agency. While usually the men would be locked in cells for 23 hours of the day and released for one, they will now be ‘unlocked’ so-to-speak and allowed roam the compound for 24 hours of the day. The insights of the men make you raise questions of community, good will, sharing, understanding and free will. Fascinating – one to watch this weekend. Photograph via Netflix.
Baby Reindeer
On Netflix: Written, created and starring Scottish comedian Richard Gadd, Baby Reindeer will take you on the wildest journey – and make you feel every uncomfortable emotion. This limited series defines the phrase ‘stranger than fiction’ and completely immerses you into the world of Richard Gadd when he first arrived to London. Starring as himself, Gadd plays Donny, a 20-something-year-old who has come to London to start his stand-up comic career. Only, it is not going very well. While working in a pub, he meets Martha. He feels sorry for her as she sits solemnly at the bar. He gives her a cup of tea on the house. The rest is chaos. An incredible portrayal of Gadd’s personal experience of stalking, abuse, self-actualisation and love at this time, with seriously harrowing moments – trigger warnings included – while simultaneously having this dark-comedic lightness. An incredibly engaging watch, on Netflix now. Photograph courtesy of Netflix.
Ripley
On Netflix: Based on Patricia Highsmith’s 1955 crime novel The Talented Mr Ripley, and following on from the 1999 film (starring Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jude Law) this stylish story gets a new lease of life as Irish actor Andrew Scott takes on the lead role. Scott plays a grifter named Ripley, who while living in New York (during the 1960s) is hired by a wealthy man to begin a complex life of deceit, fraud and murder. Most of us think we know what happens next, but the Netflix series promises an impressive fresh take on this story. Also starring the great talents of Dakota Fanning and Johnny Flynn, these eight episodes will keep you on the edge of your seat – the whole time. Photograph via Netflix.
The Regime
On Sky Atlantic: Kate Winslet plays a power-mad politician in The Regime. She is the Chancellor of an unnamed Central European nation that is unravelling behind the palace walls. With Kate Winslet in control (with some Hugh Grant in there too) we know this will be epic. Photograph via Sky Atlantic.
Sugar
On Apple TV+: Irish acting legend Colin Farrell stars in Sugar, a new mini-series following the story of John Sugar, a private detective who is investigating the mysterious disappearance of a legendary Hollywood producer’s beloved granddaughter in modern-day Los Angeles. The show is bound to be slick and exciting, and we can’t wait to watch Colin Farell in this detective role – it is a new look for him. The star-studded cast also includes Kirby, Amy Ryan, James Cromwell, Anna Gunn and Breaking Bad’s Anna Gunn. Photograph via Apple TV+.
Death and Other Deaths
On Disney+: For fans of Knives Out, here is a series to scratch that murder-mystery itch. Starring Violette Beane and Homeland’s Mandy Patinkin, plus a great ensemble cast for the polarising characters that often crop up in these murder mysteries, the series follows Imogene Scott (Beane) who finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time – on a Mediterranean cruise no less. A murder occurs, and Imogene must partner up with a man she despises; Rufus Cotesworth (Patinkin), the world’s greatest detective, to prove her innocence. Photograph via Disney+.