This week's cultural landscape is dominated by two powerful narratives: one exploring profound grief with compassion, and another provoking intense debate with its raw psychological themes. From television dramas to cinematic controversies, the Guardian's highest-rated reviews highlight works that resonate deeply with audiences and critics alike.
Television: A Masterpiece of Emotional Depth
If you only watch one television program this week, make it Babies on BBC One and iPlayer. This exquisite new drama from Stefan Golaszewski stars Paapa Essiedu and Siobhán Cullen in a story focused on life after baby loss. Described by reviewer Sarah Dempster as "unsettling, compassionate, funny, moving, wildly unpredictable and beautifully acted," the series has been hailed as something very special indeed.
Golaszewski's creation delves into the terror and cruelty of miscarriage with remarkable sensitivity, creating a viewing experience that is both challenging and profoundly human. The series represents a significant achievement in television drama, balancing difficult subject matter with moments of unexpected humor and genuine emotional resonance.
Additional Television Highlights
The week's television offerings extend beyond this central drama with several noteworthy productions:
- Dear Killer Nannies on Disney+ presents Pablo Escobar's son telling his traumatic coming-of-age story in what reviewer Micha Frazer-Caroll describes as "a surprisingly emotionally-literate story about adultification, loss of innocence, masculinity and trauma." While containing expected action sequences, the drama's most powerful moments are its quieter, bloodless gut-punches.
- Harry Clark Goes to Rome on iPlayer and BBC One follows The Traitors winner as he reconnects with his faith on a moving pilgrimage to the Vatican. Reviewer Lucy Mangan notes that the documentary's most compelling aspect is Clark's relationship with his mother, which tugs powerfully on the heartstrings.
- A Woman of Substance on Channel 5 features Brenda Blethyn in a fabulous wig for this soapy remake of Barbara Taylor Bradford's 1979 revenge tale. Mangan describes it as "Dallas in Yorkshire" - three-star television but four-star nonsense and delight that works brilliantly as a nostalgia piece.
Film: Controversy and Psychological Exploration
In cinemas, the must-see film is The Drama, Norwegian director Kristoffer Borgli's controversial wedding film starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson. The story centers on a woman's confession on the eve of her nuptials that causes uproar, offering what reviewer Peter Bradshaw calls "a provocation, a jeu d'ésprit of outrage, a psychological meltdown that is more astutely articulated than in many another more solemnly intended film."
The film has generated significant backlash over its central twist while delivering exactly what its title promises - intense dramatic confrontation that hits raw nerves.
Additional Film Highlights
Cinema offerings this week provide diverse experiences:
- Kim Novak's Vertigo presents an intensely personal interview with the 92-year-old Hollywood star about her time working for Alfred Hitchcock. Bradshaw notes Novak's commentary on how Hollywood imposes male views on women's appearance and behavior - a trope she famously embodied in Vertigo.
- D Is for Distance documents Chris Petit and Emma Matthews' fight to obtain medical cannabis for their son Louis' epileptic seizures when the NHS refuses to supply it. The film creatively negotiates this family agony while relating Louis' story to broader personal histories.
- Fuze features Theo James and Aaron Taylor-Johnson facing off in a London heist centered around a massive, ticking bomb on a building site. While watchable and location-diverse, the film stretches credulity almost to breaking point according to reviewers.
Streaming, Books, and Music
The cultural offerings extend across multiple platforms and formats. On Shudder, Deathstalker provides an enjoyable revisit of 80s Roger Corman swords-and-sorcery silliness with inventive creature design and goopy practical effects. Reviewer Catherine Bray finds wondrous pleasure in the ludicrous nomenclature that appeals to one's inner child.
In literature, Transcription by Ben Lerner stands out as an outstanding exploration of technology, memory, modernity and family inheritance. Reviewer Sukhdev Sandhu notes that despite its intellectual riffs, the book becomes most gripping when addressing the seemingly simple issue of how to get a teenage girl to eat.
The musical highlight is Sunn O))): Sunn O))), where the doomy duo strip back their sound to tectonic guitars and feedback, conjuring an immersive, strangely euphoric listening experience. Alexis Petridis describes how ambient additions create a more welcoming sonic landscape that highlights the music's oddly euphoric effect.
Stage Production
At London's Linbury theatre until April 6, The Turn of the Screw presents Natalie Abrahami and Michael Levine's imaginative production of the Britten opera. Performed in absolute blackout, this brilliantly creepy and insightful production forces audience attention on the words while creating an unsettling experience as singers move through darkness, impossible to pin down according to reviewer Erica Jeal.
This week's cultural reviews collectively demonstrate the power of art to explore difficult human experiences - from the profound grief of baby loss to psychological confrontations that challenge societal norms. Each work, whether on screen, page, or stage, offers unique insights into the human condition while providing exceptional artistic experiences worthy of critical acclaim and audience engagement.
