From an apocalyptic series to a revealing celebrity documentary, we’re hunkering down at home with this assortment of TV shows, films and more.
The Last of Us (Neon)
“I can’t get enough of this show. An adaptation of a video game and incredibly done, this dystopian drama has me watching through my fingers, laughing out loud, and ugly crying. While the premise isn’t particularly groundbreaking — most people are zombies, due to a parasitic fungus, society collapsed, etc — the execution is incredibly nuanced and deftly handled, and the performances, particularly leads Bella Ramey (pictured) and Pedro Pascal, are thoroughly real and sensitive and, believe it or not, rather funny; especially when you need it.” — Emma Gleason, commercial editor
La Pointe Courte (Mubi)
“I’m making the most of my Mubi subscription — the streaming service that focuses on classic and independent films — many of which never make it to the big screen here in New Zealand, unless with an international film festival. I’ve been exploring the works of Agnes Varda including La Pointe Courte, which Varda wrote and directed in 1955 when she was just 26.” — Amanda Linnell, editor
Funny Woman (Neon)
“From Fever Pitch to About a Boy, the work of British author Nick Hornby has been a constant throughout my life, so I was pleasantly surprised to discover a television adaptation of his 2014 novel Funny Girl (revised for now as Funny Woman) during an aimless search on Cyclone Gabrielle weekend. It’s the sort of watch I was looking for — funny, colourful, not depressing. Who wouldn’t want to escape 2023 and be right in the epicentre of swinging 60s London for a moment? Gemma Arterton as Barbara Parker, the Lucille Ball-loving beauty queen from Blackpool is a standout as is Rupert Everett who plays her eccentric agent Brian Debenham.” — Dan Ahwa, creative and fashion director
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Advertise with NZME.Pamela, a Love Story (Netflix)
“Something gets me when a celebrity bares all and tells the world their innermost personal thoughts and feelings. Usually, someone whom the world has blackmarked or put into a corner. My heartstrings were really tugging throughout this raw and telling documentary, surprisingly championed by her eldest son Brandon. A deep dive into her childhood, marriages and stage life told a story I was not familiar with, a young, naive girl who pretty much accidentally fell into a life she thought she wanted. A story about how thin the line between permission and privacy was only 27 years ago. It’s a must-watch.” — Annabel Dickson, fashion assistant
Fleishman is in Trouble (Disney+)
“Based on the best-selling 2019 novel by Taffy Brodesser-Akner, this series stars Claire Danes and Jesse Eisenberg as a recently divorced couple in the midst of their own existential crises. Its storytelling is both mundane and dramatic and offers an insightful look at parenthood and motherhood, mental health, social constructs and the fragility of relationships.” — Lucy Slight, beauty editor
