A VARIETY of new movies and shows are premiering this week as a number of fan-favourite series like Outer Banks return to the screen.
The Sun’s TV Mag has rounded up the best of the best for the next seven days.
NETFLIX
Starting 5 – Available from Wednesday
Basketball documentary Starting 5 is coming to Netflix[/caption]
While basketball isn’t as big a deal on this side of the Atlantic as it is in the States, the success of documentary series The Last Dance – about Michael Jordan and the all-conquering Chicago Bulls during their 90s heyday – proved that an inspiring story catches the imagination, whatever the sport.
In Starting 5 there are five inspiring stories to get caught up in, with the 10-part fly-on-the-wall series following five of the biggest stars of the NBA – LeBron James, Jimmy Butler, Anthony Edwards, Domantas Sabonis and Jayson Tatum – during the 2023-24 season.
Capturing the intensity of their lives both on and off court, it’s an unfiltered and fascinating look at the realities of being a top sportsperson.
Outer Banks – Available from Thursday
Hit show Outer Banks is returning for its fourth season[/caption]
You didn’t think The Pogues finally finding the gold at El Dorado would be the end of their adventuring days, did you?
As season four of the action-packed, fantastical teen drama begins, we find the treasure-hunting gang – John B, Sarah, Kiara, JJ, Pope and Cleo – back home, trying to live a normal life and make a success of their bait-and-tackle shop.
But with money suddenly an issue, they agree to take up Wes Genrette’s challenge to find the treasure of legendary pirate Blackbeard. Of course, it isn’t long before they realise that it’s going to be a tough ask, with dangerous enemies prepared to stop at nothing to get there before them.
The first five episodes drop this week, with the second half of the season landing on 7 November.
Tomb Raider: The Legend Of Lara Croft – Available from Thursday
Fan favourite Lara Croft returns in animated form[/caption]
A quarter of a century after Lara Croft first tomb-raided her way into our lives, the action-hero archaeologist is back in an eight-part animated series which – gaming fans will be interested to hear – picks up after the events of the Survivor video-game trilogy.
When a thief with a surprising personal connection steals a dangerous and powerful Chinese artefact from Croft Manor, Lara (voiced by Hayley Atwell) sets off in hot pursuit.
Before long, though, it becomes clear that this will be a perilous and spectacular adventure, and one that makes Lara question what kind of hero she wants to be.
Lonely Planet – Available from Friday
Laura Dern and Liam Hemsworth team up in Lonely Planet[/caption]
With the nights beginning to draw in and a distinct chill in the air, it’s the perfect time to get wrapped up in this warm and intoxicating romantic drama starring Laura Dern and Liam Hemsworth.
When reclusive novelist Katherine (Laura) packs her bags and heads to Morocco to attend a retreat, she’s hoping to solve a frustrating case of writer’s block.
She certainly doesn’t expect to meet the handsome, younger Owen (Liam), or strike up an instant bond with him.
Before long, their new friendship blossoms into something more, and sparks begin to fly in the Moroccan sunshine.
Buoyed by a believable chemistry between the two leads, and a beautiful north-African backdrop, it’s a lovely, escapist treat.
In Her Place – Available from Friday
Drama In Her Place tells a story in Chile during 1955[/caption]
Based on notorious real events, this gripping drama – directed by Oscar nominee Maite Alberdi – transports us to Chile in 1955.
When a popular writer, María Carolina Geel (Francisca Lewin), shoots dead her lover in a hotel in Santiago, with no obvious motive for the killing, the incident captivates Mercedes (Elisa Zulueta), the shy secretary of the judge in charge of the case.
And after visiting Geel’s apartment and immersing herself in the writer’s ideas, Mercedes starts to question her own life, her identity and the role of women in Chilean society. An emotionally complex but compelling film.
Uprising – Available from Friday
Historical epic Uprising features “stunning action scenes”[/caption]
Find the biggest TV you can to watch this spectacular and searing historical epic from South Korea.
Written by Park Chan-wook – the man behind cult classic Oldboy – Uprising tells the story of two old friends torn apart by war and social convention.
As children, Cheon Yeong (Gang Dong-won), a slave with incredible fighting skills, and Jong-ryeo (Park Jeong-min), the son of the highest military official in the kingdom, were friends.
However, with the aftermath of war and civil unrest bringing chaos to the country, the two meet again, this time on opposing sides of the dramatic conflict.
Prepare to be swept up by some visually stunning action scenes and full-blooded performances.
PARAMOUNT+
Curfew – Available from Thursday
Curfew’s cast includes Anita Dobson, Lucy Benjamin and Alexandra Burke[/caption]
Imagine an alternate version of the present day in which a law has been passed that means all men must be tagged and stay inside their homes between the hours of 7pm and 7am, in order to keep women safe.
That’s the intriguing – and enjoyably controversial – backdrop to this genuinely compelling thriller starring Sarah Parish, Mandip Gill, Mitchell Robertson, Alexandra Burke, Lucy Benjamin and Anita Dobson.
For months, the system works perfectly, until one night a woman is found brutally murdered – a crime that hardened police detective Pamela Green (Sarah) believes could only have been committed by a man.
With all the evidence pointing to the contrary, Pamela – whose own young daughter was murdered three years earlier – must trust her gut to solve the killing.
Dark, daring and thought-provoking, this is a drama that’s guaranteed to get people both watching and talking.
APPLE TV+
Disclaimer – Available from Friday
With a trio of Oscar winners involved, thriller Disclaimer has a lot of prestige behind it[/caption]
Between them, Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline and director Alfonso Cuaron have eight Oscars, so you know you’re in for a treat when tuning into the trio’s new psychological thriller.
Based on the novel of the same name, this seven-part drama tells the story of Catherine (Cate), an acclaimed, crusading journalist who’s spent her career exposing other people’s wrongdoings.
The tables are turned one day when she receives a new novel from an unknown writer and realises that she is the main character, and that the book reveals all her darkest secrets.
With the past threatening to destroy her comfortable present life with her husband Robert (Sacha Baron Cohen) and their son, Catherine desperately tries to discover the author’s identity.
Also starring Lesley Manville and Louis Partridge, the atmospheric, London-set series starts with a double bill and the remaining five episodes follow weekly.
The Last Of The Sea Women – Available from Friday
Last of the Sea Women is aiming to inspire a new generation[/caption]
They’re some of the most extraordinary grandmothers you’re ever likely to meet.
For hundreds of years, the haenyeo divers of South Korea’s Jeju Island have made a living from heading to the ocean floor, without oxygen, to collect seafood to eat and sell.
However, this remarkable tradition is dying out and these days most haenyeo are well over 60 years old.
This documentary meets these inspiring, hardworking and, often, hilarious women who are ready to give everything to protect the ocean and their way of life.
Following them as they attempt to inspire a new generation, it’s a heart-warming portrait of friendship and perseverance.
DISNEY+
La Maquina – Available from Wednesday
Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal take centre stage in La Maquina[/caption]
Mexican acting royalty Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna reunite for a gripping six-part drama that’s sure to prove a knockout.
Boxer Esteban (Gael) is in danger of becoming washed-up, with his career on the ropes and almost out for the count.
His manager and best friend, cosmetic-surgery obsessed Andy (Diego), is determined to catapult him back to the big time.
However, the comeback takes a potentially deadly twist when a powerful organisation tells Andy that Esteban needs to lose the fight – or face the consequences.
With a family to support and protect, will Esteban go along with their demands?
PRIME VIDEO
Killer Cakes
Scream actor Matthew Lillard hosts a baking show with a twist[/caption]
Bake Off fans, look away now.
If you prefer your baking shows light, fluffy and deliciously wholesome, you’ll scream in horror at this competitive two-parter.
Timed to coincide with Halloween, this (fake) blood-splattered series – hosted by Scream actor Matthew Lillard – challenges brilliant bakers to create some truly terrifying and gory cakes that should be as scary as they are delicious.
“Contestants will work with the best horror special effects artists in Hollywood to unleash their twisted imaginations and create cakes so disgusting, so disturbing and so realistic, it’s the stuff of nightmares,” says the promotional material.
Citadel: Diana – Available from Thursday
Futuristic thriller Citadel: Diana is coming to Prime Video[/caption]
Fans of hit spy action series Citadel, strap yourselves in because here comes the glamorous and nail-biting Italian spin-off.
Citadel: Diana is set in Milan in the year 2030, eight years after global spy agency Citadel was destroyed by the ruthless enemy syndicate Manticore.
Since then, undercover Citadel agent Diana Cavalieri (Matilda De Angelis) has been left stranded as a mole inside the Manticore organisation, unable to escape.
Eventually, an opportunity to get out arrives, but it will require the resourceful Diana to trust an unlikely ally – Edo (Lorenzo Cervasio), the son of the boss of Manticore’s Italian branch.
Adrenaline-fuelled spy thrills.
VIAPLAY
Under The Radar: Secrets Of A Swedish Serial Killer – Available from Monday
True crime docuseries covering a number of unsolved murders[/caption]
A true-crime docuseries quite unlike any you’ll have seen before, this follows the investigations of documentary maker and journalist John Mork.
He sets out to uncover the truth about a number of unsolved murders after receiving the sheet music to a song written by notorious Swedish serial killer Peter Mangs.
In that song, Mangs seemingly confesses to a double homicide in Florida, and provides cryptic clues that will help crack the case wide open – if John can solve those clues.
With the help of musicians and a former Secret Service operative turned detective, John begins an unusual quest for justice.
