From Last One Laughing to Dead Man's Wire: This Week's Top Culture Reviews
This week's cultural landscape offers a diverse array of entertainment, from the hilarious antics of comedians on Prime Video to the intense drama of a real-life hostage situation on the big screen. Based on the Guardian's highest-rated reviews, here are the standout picks across television, film, books, and music that are capturing audiences' attention.
Television Highlights
Last One Laughing UK on Prime Video marks the triumphant return of the unfailingly hilarious TV show where comedians strive to make each other laugh while maintaining a straight face. Reviewer Rachel Aroesti notes, "This series leaves me helpless with laughter at least once an episode." The show's blend of comedy and competition continues to delight viewers with its unpredictable humor.
Other notable TV picks include Inside the Rage Machine on BBC iPlayer, a startling documentary featuring whistleblowers from Meta and X who reveal the inner workings of social media giants. Lucy Mangan describes it as "quite something" for its exposé of corporate machinations. Meanwhile, The Plastic Detox on Netflix follows an epidemiologist's efforts to help couples conceive by reducing plastic exposure, raising troubling questions about modern lifestyles.
Boarders on BBC iPlayer concludes its final series with a sharp sendup of boarding school life, filled with sex, scandals, and exams. Micha Frazer-Carroll praises its realism, saying, "There is something about Boarders that feels very real." Additionally, The Fabulous Funeral Parlour on Channel 4 offers a camp and touching documentary about a glamorous funeral director shaking up the death industry.
Film Focus
Dead Man's Wire, now in cinemas, is Gus Van Sant's gripping take on the 1977 real-life events where an Indianapolis businessman held his mortgage broker hostage. Featuring stellar performances by Al Pacino, Colman Domingo, and Myha'la, the film delves into psychopathic nastiness with surreal and bizarre elements. Peter Bradshaw highlights how the actors "complicate the psychopathic nastiness of the affair, creating something surreal and bizarre and often hilarious."
Other film recommendations include La Grazia, Paolo Sorrentino's stylish film starring Toni Servillo as an Italian president reflecting on a career of empty rectitude. Bradshaw calls it "a stylish, soigné film, ruminative and enigmatic" with tremendous set-piece moments. Midwinter Break, directed by Polly Findlay and starring Lesley Manville and Ciarán Hinds, explores interpersonal and religious tumult in late middle age, with Manville delivering a particularly moving performance.
The Good Boy presents a Kubrickian absurdist nightmare about a couple retraining a delinquent teen, while The Killer, a rerelease of John Woo's 1989 Hong Kong action film, offers maximalist violence and surreal sentimentality with Chow Yun-fat in the lead role.
Literary and Musical Picks
In books, When the Forest Breathes by Suzanne Simard sets out a visionary future for ecology, with reviewer Mythili Rao noting the author's adventurous spirit in exploring forests and Indigenous practices. Solidarity by Rowan Williams examines the true meaning of standing by someone, emphasizing the emotional labor involved. The Delusions by Jenni Fagan is a cosmic satire targeting greed and digital culture, and The Infinity Machine by Sebastian Mallaby delves into the mind of AI wunderkind Demis Hassabis.
For music lovers, Underscores: U by April Grey pares back hyperpop electronics for a 90s pop-R&B inspired album, praised by Alexis Petridis for its effective take on the genre. Other albums include Heol Las by Huw Marc Bennett, which fuses traditional Glamorgan tunes with modern elements, and Through the Centuries – Songs of Madeleine Dring by Kitty Whately and Julius Drake, showcasing the fervent works of a British composer.
In live performances, Siegfried at the Royal Opera House in London presents Barrie Kosky's thoughtful production of the Ring cycle, described by Erica Jeal as "serious in its intent yet so deft in its touch." This week's culture reviews highlight a rich tapestry of entertainment, from laugh-out-loud comedy to profound dramas, ensuring there's something for every taste.
