Movies

Watching a period drama is one of my favourite kinds of TV viewing, especially while the nights still draw in early - and the weather is chilly or wet. It seems like really watchable period dramas are few and far between, though, so I was excited to find one I’d not yet seen - and have now binge-watched two series.It seems I’m not alone in being a huge fan of Netflix drama, The Law According to Lidia Poët, as the series has a 100% audience score on trusty Rotten Tomatoes. Season 1 was so addictive and Season 2, equally impressive, it’s the costumes, the characters, the story (based on truth), along with the stunning Italian scenes that make this drama so good. Yes, you need subtitles (unless you are Italian or fluent in the beautiful language), but I love picking up a few new words in a...

Netflix has unveiled the official release date for its upcoming true crime documentary, The Investigation of Lucy Letby, which features never-before-seen footage.The Netflix documentary shines a light on the case of Lucy Letby, who was convicted of the murder of seven babies as well as the attempted murder of seven more.Unheard insider accounts from those closest to the case reveal "harrowing and divisive" details, with insight from the detectives who built the case, the families seeking answers, the hospital consultants who initially raised the alarm, and lawyers and medical experts who question the evidence.The Investigation of Lucy Letby airs on Netflix on February 4, and a trailer has already been released, which shows never-before-seen footage of Letby's arrest as she is heard tell...

Our Kind of Traitor stars Ewan McGregor (Image: undefined)A 'dramatic and intense' spy thriller featuring a stellar cast airs on Film4 tonight, and it's 'worth watching' according to cinema enthusiasts.Our Kind of Traitor, released in 2016, is a spy thriller adapted from John le Carré's novel of the same name.The film takes audiences on a twisting and turning thriller where a British couple, academic Perry (Ewan McGregor) and barrister Gail (Naomie Harris), become embroiled in a Russian mafia defection.Whilst holidaying in Morocco, they befriend Dima (Stellan Skarsgård), a charismatic money launderer for the Russian Mafia, but when Dima requests his assistance to broker a deal with MI6, Perry finds himself suddenly plunged into the perilous world of international espionage.Other John le...

Winona Ryder and Daniel Day-Lewis star in the epic (Image: GETTY) This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more A period drama film, hailed as a masterpiece by audiences who have urged others to watch the piece, is now streaming on Prime Video. This comes after others have waxed lyrical about a period crime drama, an adaptation from a “superb” author and a show described as Netflix’s finest offering. One 10/10 review of the movie read: “One of the finest plays in history is turned into a cinematic masterpiece.” They added that the film, titled The Crucible, had an “absolutely brilliant and cathartically heartbreaking performance” from one the lead stars. They also went on to add how the star “delivers one of the finest e...

Still from Hamburger Hill (1987) (Image: Paramount Pictures)A lesser-known Vietnam War film that fans hail as "more realistic" than classics like Platoon and Full Metal Jacket is streaming free in the UK. Hamburger Hill (1987) is set during real-life battle of the same name, and follows an American military assault in May 1969 by the the US army's 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry, 101st Airborne.The action takes place on Hill 937, a ridge of the Dong Ap Bia mountain in central Vietnam, which became a brutal battleground amid a 10-day fight between American forces and the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN). The war epic stars Michael Boatman, Dylan McDermott, Courtney B. Vance, Steven Weber, Tim Quill, and Don Cheadle, in an early breakout role. READ MORE: ‘Masterpiece’ war film that’s Robert...

An "instant classic" horror movie that one viewer hailed as "possibly the scariest film I have ever seen", is streaming now in the UK. Mama (2013) follows the story of two young girls who disappear into a forest after their dad has a violent breakdown. The pair then live for years in a remote cabin, watched over by a mysterious entity called "Mama".Eventually, their uncle tracks his nieces down, and takes them back to his home to raise them with his girlfriend. But Mama isn't ready to let them go. The film stars Jessica Chastain, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Megan Charpentier, Isabelle Nélisse, Daniel Kash, and Javier Botet. It was directed and co-written by Andy Muschietti and based on his short film Mamá, released in 2008. The short film was championed by renowned filmmaker Guillermo del To...

A 'heartbreaking' documentary examining the consequences of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan following two decades of conflict is now streaming on BBC iPlayer.Escape from Kabul, released in 2022 and helmed by director Jamie Roberts, is an HBO documentary that chronicles the turbulent 18-day US troop evacuation from Afghanistan in 2021.The film features exclusive footage and testimony from US Marines, Taliban commanders and Afghan civilians, capturing the frantic and high-stakes mission to evacuate more than 124,000 people from Kabul airport amid the swift Taliban seizure of the capital.Representing the largest airlift in modern US history, the documentary also includes harrowing accounts from Afghan citizens desperately trying to escape.Their stories detail the struggle to reach the a...

The film has a perfect rating (Image: undefined)The Western classic 'Fort Apache', featuring Hollywood legends Henry Fonda and John Wayne, has garnered a flawless rating from viewers and is now available on BBC iPlayer.Released in 1948, 'Fort Apache' chronicles the journey of obstinate Civil War hero Lieutenant Colonel Owen Thursday (Henry Fonda) and his daughter Philadelphia (Shirley Temple) as they settle in Arizona.The Colonel's new assignment at Fort Apache outpost is fraught with tension as he butts heads with pragmatic Captain Kirby York (John Wayne), amidst conflicts with local Native Americans.This film marks the beginning of director John Ford's esteemed 'Cavalry Trilogy', followed by 'She Wore a Yellow Ribbon' in 1949 and 'Rio Grande' in 1950.Boasting a stellar cast, 'Fort Apa...

A jaw-dropping action movie sequel led by an A-list Hollywood star is finally available to stream at no extra cost to Paramount+ subscribers.Potentially the last-ever film in one of the most iconic big screen movie franchises of all time, the long-awaited sequel stunned countless viewers in cinemas last year.After nearly a year’s wait, Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, starring Tom Cruise’s final outing as reckless IMF agent Ethan Hunt, has finally been added to Paramount+ as of Sunday, 1st February.A direct sequel to the seventh film in the series, Dead Reckoning, this gripping spy thriller sees Ethan once again teaming up with Grace (played by Hayley Atwell), Benji (Simon Pegg), Luther (Ving Rhames) and several more to save the world from Gabriel Martinelli (Esai Morales) and...

Priscilla holds a successful 84 percent on Rotten Tomatoes (Image: Getty)A drama written, directed, and produced by Sofia Coppola, has been branded her ‘best film’ yet – and is now available to watch for free on BBC iPlayer. The American biographical drama film stars Hollywood heartthrob, Jacob Elordi, and Golden Globe nominated actress, Cailee Spaeny.Priscilla, first released in 2023, aired on BBC2 at the start of January 2026 and is now available and is still listed as ‘Available for 1 month’ on BBC iPlayer. The docudrama follows the complicated life story of Priscilla Presley, wife of the infamous ‘King of Rock and Roll’, Elvis Presley. The drama explores the couple’s notoriously difficult relationship and is based on Priscilla Presley’s 1985 memoir, Elvis and Me. Read more: 'Powerf...