This week's cultural landscape offers a thrilling mix of post-apocalyptic drama, literary revelations, and blockbuster documentaries. Leading the charge is the highly anticipated return of a video game adaptation, while a new book publication sheds light on a classic novel's origins.
Television Triumphs: From Wastelands to Eras Tours
The standout television event is the second season of Prime Video's "Fallout." The darkly comic post-apocalyptic series makes a triumphant return, drawing more directly from the beloved 2010 game Fallout: New Vegas. According to reviewer Graham Virtue, the new season remains packed with the show's signature blend of jokes, gore, and slapstick. This season also features notable guest appearances from stars including Justin Theroux, Kumail Nanjiani, and Macaulay Culkin.
For music fans, Disney+ presents "Taylor Swift: The End of an Era," a behind-the-scenes docuseries on her global Eras tour. The series reveals the impact of gigs cancelled due to an Islamic State terror plot and details how Swift reached out to families affected by the Southport attack. Laura Snapes notes the powerful footage of young fans dancing without inhibition, capturing the tour's emotional core.
A quieter gem you might have missed is BBC iPlayer's "Leonard and Hungry Paul," starring Alex Lawther and Jamie-Lee O'Donnell. This gentle comedy, as Sarah Dempster describes, celebrates life's understated pleasures and the simple joy of friendship.
Cinema and Literature: Documentaries and Literary Secrets
In cinemas, the must-watch film is the documentary "The Six Billion Dollar Man," which delves into the world of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Reviewer Xan Brooks highlights the disquieting CCTV footage of Assange trapped in the embassy, comparing his plight to a character in a political thriller.
For literary enthusiasts, the essential read is "William Golding: The Faber Letters." This new book unveils the great novelist's relationship with his editor, Charles Monteith. It reveals that Golding's masterpiece Lord of the Flies was almost published under the far less catchy title "Strangers from Within." Similarly, his novel The Spire was nearly called "An Erection at Barchester."
Other notable book releases include "Making Mary Poppins," a behind-the-scenes look at the classic film, and "The Divided Mind" by Edward Bullmore, a brilliant and readable history of psychiatric ideas praised for its flair and humour.
Streaming Highlights and Further Picks
On streaming platforms, Netflix offers the Korean apocalypse film "The Great Flood," where a mother and child are rescued from a catastrophic flood in Seoul, only for the story to swerve into sinister sci-fi territory. Director Kim Byung-woo's influences appear to range from Edge of Tomorrow to Christopher Nolan's Interstellar.
Also available on digital platforms is the sequel "Sisu: Road to Revenge," where a Finnish hero battles a Red Army butcher in Soviet-occupied homeland. The film is praised for its potent practical effects and defiant spirit.
In cinemas from Boxing Day, the suspense thriller "The Housemaid" stars Sydney Sweeney alongside Amanda Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar. Peter Bradshaw calls it an "innocent holiday treat" full of over-the-top acting and gaslighting tension.
For a dose of classic comedy, the new collection "Jeeves Again" features officially sanctioned new stories by writers including Dominic Sandbrook and Roddy Doyle, offering fresh adventures for P.G. Wodehouse's iconic characters.
