Shardlake
Disney+
If you're tossing up between a detective mystery and a historical drama, look no further than Shardlake - it combines the two! The four-episode series, adapted from a popular book series, is set during the English Reformation period (the mid-1500s), and sees lawyer Matthew Shardlake (Arthur Hughes) sent to a monastery in Scarnsea to investigate the death of a visiting commissioner. Shardlake, who is often underestimated for his physical disability, is determined to reach the truth of the matter, even though he was instructed by King's man Thomas Cromwell (Sean Bean in a glorified cameo) to find any reason to shut the monastery down. It's clear once Shardlake arrives, with charismatic offsider John Barak (a thoroughly enjoyable Anthony Boyle) in tow, that there are plenty of secrets buried at St Donatus, and the longer they're in town, the more bodies start dropping. At just four episodes, the series cracks along at great pace, and Hughes delivers a memorable and enjoyable performance. The mystery will keep you guessing.
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Unfrosted
Netflix
Seinfeld is one of the best sitcoms ever produced, there's no denying it. But what worked in an episodic format with hilarious and beloved characters in the '90s does not work in a feature film overloaded with unimpressive cameos in 2024. Jerry Seinfeld is writer, director and star of Unfrosted, a film that purports to tell the story of how American snack Pop Tarts came to be, but it just a reason to stitch together a series of jokes that barely qualify for a chuckle. The film treats the creation of the breakfast alternative as a parallel to the moon landings and the space race. It's ultimately soulless and feels like an overgrown Saturday Night Live sketch (and not even a good one). The supporting cast includes Melissa McCarthy, Amy Schumer, Max Greenfield, Hugh Grant, Jim Gaffigan, Christian Slater and more.
Maxton Hall: The World Between Us
Prime Video
In the vein of Gossip Girl and Elite comes Maxton Hall: The World Between Us, a German high school drama series adapted from a YA book series. Despite the horrendous English dubbing, the series has that classic high school drama feel about it, with scholarship student Ruby (Harriet Herbig-Matten) trying to make her way through the prestigious school populated by the entitled children of the rich and influential as smoothly as possible. This plan flies out the window when she sees something she shouldn't have and, you guessed it, she's now in the orbit of the most popular boy in school, James Beaufort (Damian Hardung). It's an enemies-to-lovers situation that is sure to capture the interest of fans of the genre.
The Veil
Disney+
Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid's Tale) leads this cat-and-mouse-y, globetrotting thriller which sees enigmatic spy-type 'Imogen' (Moss with a relatively decent British accent) arrive at a remote refugee camp on the border of Turkey and Syria to evacuate a woman who is under threat from the other refugees who believe she is a high-level ISIS operative. Imogen, working with a French intelligence agency, must determine if the woman is the 'Genie of Raqqa' or simply a naive Frenchwoman who was radicalised, while steering clear of those who would kill her. Also stars Josh Charles and Aussie Dan Wyllie.
A Man in Full
Netflix
Jeff Daniels plays Trump-esque real estate mogul Charlie Croker who, shortly after his 60th birthday, faces off with a bank manager (played by Bill Camp) who is coming calling for the almost billion dollars worth of debt Croker owes. The series is adapted from a novel by Tom Wolfe, created by prolific legal drama producer David E Kelley (Big Little Lies) and partly directed by Oscar winner Regina King (Shirley) - yet despite this, it's a rather unpleasant watch. It's supposed to satirise Trump-like figures, but it just comes off glibly. Also stars Lucy Liu and Diane Lane.
