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DARK WINDS: SEASON ONE Starring: Zahn McClarnon, Kiowa Gordon, Jessica Matten, Deanna Allison, Rainn Wilson, Elva Guerra, Jeremiah Bitsui, Eugene Brave Rock, and Noah Emmerich Creator: Graham Roland QUENTIN Dark Winds is not without its bright spots. Zahn McClarnon and Kiowa Gordon are great as a pair of Navajo sheriffs forced into a reluctant partnership, and the cinematography should be recognized amongst the best on television. However, the central mystery is sorely lacking. Things that should be major plot points come across as afterthoughts to the show’s Native American setting, almost like the producers were so caught up in making an authentic Navajo-centric experience that they forgot to flesh out the actual story. I commend the effort to feature such an underrepresented community with total reverence, but it doesn’t make for a compelling drama.

WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS: SEASON FOUR Starring: Kayvan Novak, Matt Berry, Natasia Demetriou, Harvey Guillén, and Mark Proksch Creator: Jemaine Clement QUENTIN While still enjoyable in the general sense, What We Do in the Shadows ’ fourth season might be the series’ weakest outing yet. Nothing about it is bad, per se, but this season chooses to focus on the show’s two least interesting characters. Too much time is dedicated to Baby Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) and Nadja’s (Natasia Demetriou) Vampire Night Club, which sideline Nandor’s (Kayvan Novak) hilarious djinn shenanigans while also leaving Laszlo (Matt Berry) and Guillermo (Harvey Guillén) severely underused. That said, Episode Eight (“Go Flip Yourself”) is a brilliant parody of home improvement shows and one of the best episodes of the show’s entire run.

SWARM Starring: Dominique Fishback Creators: Donald Glover and Janine Nabers JOSEPH Up until the final episode, Swarm had my full attention because it is a spot-on critique and representation of toxic fandom and internet culture. I cannot praise Dominique Fishback’s performance enough, and she is both entertaining and terrifying the whole way through. However, all the goodwill I had for Swarm fell apart in the final moments as this seemingly bold and profound show limps its way across the finish line. The showrunners claim they were striving for ambiguity, but truthfully, it feels like they were afraid to make a truly bold statement. QUENTIN Despite Donald Glover’s involvement, flashes of brilliance, and surreal vibes reminiscent of Atlanta , Swarm isn’t as strong as the sum of its parts. Truthfully, it’s almost too ambitious, and since it’s based on multiple true stories combined to make a composite character in Dre (Dominique Fishback), it feels very disjointed. Also…and this isn’t Fishback’s fault…but Dre, who says very little while carrying a mostly deadpan expression, is simply too dull to root for as an anti-hero or to recoil from as a villain. Lastly, the ending undercuts the messaging about toxic fandom. Still, it generally held my interest, though I wouldn’t exactly recommend it. PAIGE How do I put this? …Swarm is a very odd show, and not the good kind of odd. This series takes some bold and heightened swings on toxic fandom that, personally, don’t stick the landing. Our lead, Dominique Fishback, gives a tremendous performance, but other than that, the series really has nothing else going for it. It’s honestly kind of cringe worthy and a bloody bore. As huge a fan I am of the creator, Donald Glover, I'm sad to say his work on this series goes off the rails, crashes, and burns.

COWBOY CARTEL Creators: Dan Johnstone and Castor Fernandez QUENTIN Though at least one episode too long and short on colorful characters, Apple TV+’s Cowboy Cartel is a solid watch for anyone interested in horse racing or documentaries on criminal investigations into drug trafficking and Mexican cartels. I admit, as a Louisville native who grew up around The Kentucky Derby and a person who used to work in counternarcotics, this series features several things that appeal to my personal interests, so it’s possible I got more out of it than most others will. Nevertheless, it’s a relatively short four-hour docuseries that both engages and educates. That’s a decent win if you ask me.

THE SANDMAN: SEASON ONE Starring: Tom Sturridge, Gwendoline Christie, Boyd Holbrook, Vivienne Acheampong, Vanesu Samunyai, Jenna Coleman, David Thewlis, Joely Richardson, Patton Oswalt, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, and Stephen Fry Creators: Neil Gaiman, David S. Goyer, and Allan Heinberg AMARÚ The Sandman is a beautiful dream that feels like it was directed by The Wachowskis. While they didn’t have a hand in it, their works clearly influenced this adaptation of one of DC’s most otherworldly comics. Each episode is fluid and grandiose, simultaneously featuring spectacular successes and disjointed missteps. As a whole, the season feels like two separate shows with out-of-order episodes and disorienting tonal shifts, but its second half finds more focus to build a world worth exploring. The Sandman is a puzzle that doesn’t start coming together until the last piece is placed, and I want to continue piecing it together. QUENTIN It’s tough to review The Sandman in ~100 words because my opinion of it is as all over the place as the series itself. So much of it is terrible, yet I still want more. Explaining those contradicting views won’t be easy, but here goes… It’s an all-around disjointed mess that favors world building over character development, the CGI is laughably bad, and there is almost no narrative cohesion until the final episodes. That said, two quasi-bottle episodes are tremendous, Boyd Holbrook is outstanding as The Corinthian, and the mythology it is establishing is extremely engrossing. You’ll probably have to try this one for yourself.

ALIEN: EARTH: SEASON ONE Starring: Sydney Chandler, Timothy Olyphant, Alex Lawther, Samuel Blenkin, Essie Davis, Adarsh Gourav, Kit Young, David Rysdahl, Babou Ceesay, Jonathan Ajayi, Erana James, Lily Newmark, Diêm Camille, and Adrian Edmondson Creator: Noah Hawley QUENTIN In case you have the same fear I did — that Alien: Earth would only tease the xenomorphs until the finale — fear not! The titular aliens (and other related creatures) show up in the premiere and make regular and frightening appearances throughout the entire series. On top of that, the biggest compliment I can give is that Earth is very much in line with Ridley Scott’s classic in horror tone, terrific imagery, and compelling characters (Episode Five, especially). Although the plot is sprawling, featuring a lot of moving parts and very dense, slow-burn storytelling that can occasionally lead to pacing issues, every franchise fan should be thrilled. PAIGE Creator Noah Hawley does a wonderful job of skillfully crafting a series that fits right in and expands Ridley Scott’s Alien franchise. Though there are some wonky CGI moments and pacing issues, when the show uses practical effects and leans into its themes, it thrives. Alien: Earth combines heady sci-fi ideas with thought-provoking topics that feel so relevant and topical to today’s real world. Packed with strong performances from its ensemble and unique comparisons and references to Peter Pan’s “Neverland,” this series certainly proves that this franchise still has something worth bursting out of the chest for. ROBERT When you hear that an established movie IP is being translated to TV, you get nervous. How will that look on the small screen? Well, if you have Noah Hawley at the helm, it works out fantastically. Alien: Earth further expands the lore of the Alien universe by showing creatures beyond the Xenomorphs and fleshing out how long Weyland/Yutani has been trying to monopolize the bioweapon market. Centering the story around corporate jockeying and espionage is timely and thought-provoking, but to have the type of scaled action revolving around it is truly special. While a slow burn, it emanates bright.

THE MORNING SHOW: SEASON THREE Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass, Jon Hamm, Greta Lee, Julianna Margulies, Nestor Carbonell, Karen Pittman, Nicole Beharie, and Holland Taylor Creator: Jay Carson QUENTIN Although The Morning Show hasn’t changed all that much over the course of its three seasons, I think it has just run out of narrative steam for me. I found it extremely difficult to be interested in any of the way-too-many characters, even if the performances themselves are solid across the board. It just tries to tackle too many hot-button issues at once, even featuring COVID and January 6th, neither of which I need to see more of in late 2023. Add in a few too many soapy elements, and The Morning Show has become something I may cancel from my watchlist. NICK The Morning Show had a great two-year run, but its newest offering feels a little lost. With the conclusion of the Mitch Kessler (Steve Carell) storyline last season, there was no clear path forward, and this season reflects that. Yes, Jennifer Aniston continues to thrive as Alex Levy while Jon Hamm is a solid addition, but it just doesn’t work as well. Everything feels watered down, including Billy Crudup's Cory Ellison, who was a highlight of the previous seasons. With no clear party to root for and haphazard storylines throughout, this series must bring more to the table to justify a fourth season.

MOBLAND: SEASON ONE Starring: Tom Hardy, Pierce Brosnan, Helen Mirren, Paddy Considine, Joanne Froggatt, Lara Pulver, Anson Boon, Jasmine Jobson, Mandeep Dhillon, Daniel Betts, Geoff Bell, Janet McTeer, Toby Jones, and Jordi Mollà Creator: Ronan Bennett QUENTIN If you didn’t know, MobLand was originally conceived as a spinoff to Ray Donovan before being retooled into its own thing. Thankfully, despite seeing the Donovan DNA throughout, not to mention shades of Gangs of London , this is just a damn good show. Granted, a surly Tom Hardy, ruthless Pierce Brosnan, devious Helen Mirren, and director Guy Ritchie go a long way to elevate fairly standard mob fare, but this one also has the benefit of sharp writing, gritty style, brutal violence, tense moments, and dark humor. Also, you’ll be seeing a lot of people next Tuesday, especially Eddie (Anson Boon), if you catch my meaning. AMARÚ MobLand is as entertaining as a British crime drama from Guy Ritchie, starring Pierce Brosnan, Helen Mirren, Paddy Considine, and Tom Hardy, sounds like it would be. It reaches Power - and Game of Thrones -levels of twisty turny, but there’s a clear difference with this family mob story: it’s fucking hilarious. Watching an unhinged Brosnan and Mirren alongside Hardy's personification of the quintessential never-shaken fix-it man you don’t fuck with – not to mention Considine continuing his more-than-solid run of roles made for genuine belly laughs – through a string of jaw-dropping reveals and crazy violent blowups… yeah, I’d definitely like some more, please. ROBERT Dark, absurdist humor through twisted, British gang violence is what Guy Ritchie does, and his schtick fits well for prestige TV, as seen with MobLand . The juxtaposition of the cool, collected machinations of Tom Hardy’s Harry as fixer and the raw, animalistic jawing of both Pierce Brosnan’s Conrad and Helen Mirren’s Maeve as mob royalty is captivating. Everything is slick but grimy, like you can see the muck and mud trying to swallow the fiefdom as built by the Harrigan family in real time. If you are in the mood for blokes getting nicked before their teapots are wiped and getting stuffed in boots, this is a show for you.

DARK SIDE OF THE RING: SEASON FOUR Starring: Chris Jericho Creators: Evan Husney and Jason Eisener NICK Now in its fourth season, Dark Side of the Ring is - for my money - the best docuseries running. Vice acknowledged this by expanding into other "Dark Sides," but without the passion that creators Jason Eisener and Evan Husney have for pro-wrestling, they just lack something. Although this season may be its weakest, it's clear the well hasn't run dry as each Dark Side episode is engaging. *Stefon voice* This season has everything: sex, drugs, clowns, grave robbing, contract disputes, murder confessions, car crashes, and Bam Bam Bigelow. I can't stress this enough... DON'T BYPASS THIS SERIES BECAUSE YOU AREN'T A WRESTLING FAN. QUENTIN It’s hard for me to review episodic anthologies because I tend to say the same thing over and over, “some episodes were good, some were bad.” That said, as a guy who was a diehard wrestling fan in the 80s and 90s (R.I.P. Razor Ramon), Dark Side of the Ring knows the way to Q’s heart, using nostalgia to teach him something. And even for those who don’t have the foundational knowledge of, say, The Rockers, the episode “The World According to Marty Jannetty” is just wild. After four seasons, this series continues to provide behind-the-scenes history as colorful as the personalities in the squared circle.

Previous Next July 24, 2024 WRITTEN BY: KATIE The concept of class and status is ingrained in British culture in a unique way. It’s deep-rooted and a defining characteristic of Britain, evidenced in the prevalence of the monarchy, divisive class politics, and our penchant for regal period dramas. We also have a rich history of working-class narratives in film, though, with the emergence of the British New Wave in the 1950s bringing gritty realism and drawing attention to working-class stories. These films have influenced British cinema for decades, including filmmakers such as Ken Loach, Mike Leigh, Andrea Arnold, Shane Meadows, and Francis Lee. However, despite the rich, long history of working-class narratives in British cinema, the state of the industry today is reflective of the fact that people from these backgrounds are growing increasingly disenfranchised and denied opportunity. Let’s talk about why that may be and how bad the problem is... Working-class representation in the UK film and TV industries is its lowest level in a decade, with just 8.4% of creatives coming from working-class backgrounds, whilst over 60% are middle or upper-class. Nearly half of all BAFTA and British Oscar nominees in the last decade were privately educated, yet across the UK, only 5.9% of pupils attend private schools. This is one of the many issues impacting the creative sector in the UK, forming barriers to access for working-class creatives. Other hurdles include, but are not limited to, the lack of creative subjects in schools, the de-funding of the humanities in further education, the disappearance of financially accessible arts education, and people being priced out of areas of opportunity — most notably, London. All of this leads to an issue James McAvoy has raised, addressing it as “the class ceiling.” He called out the dominance of British actors working today who are from “specifically fee-paying, private, expensive schools” such as Harrow (graduates include Benedict Cumberbatch) and Eton (Old Etonians include Eddie Redmayne, Damian Lewis, Tom Hiddleston, and Hugh Laurie). He has also spoken about the lack of working-class kids pursuing careers in the arts as symptomatic of “something wrong with our education system.” I couldn’t agree with this more. Unequal access to subjects like Film, Media Studies, and Drama has had a huge impact on children's ability to access careers in the sector, which has a direct impact on shaping the future of the industry. It prevents those who are most equipped and affected by working-class stories from telling them, and in turn, the public from accessing authentic representation. When the majority of actors are from the same backgrounds and have attended the same schools, it also means success is more often than not reliant on people having an existing network of connections, which prevents others from alternative backgrounds from accessing the same opportunities. These privileged circles are only made smaller by the fact that many good opportunities are restricted to London, which, again, is only accessible for those with the money and support to afford extortionate rental prices and a ridiculously expensive cost of living. Furthermore, one of the most common routes into film or TV is unpaid (or very low-paid) internships that working-class people obviously cannot afford to take alongside the full-time jobs they must keep to afford to live. What’s more, these financial and social issues result in cultural barriers. Research has shown that in recent years, working-class arts students at top universities have faced bullying and harassment due to their accents and regional dialects because they are perceived as indicators of social status, which further dictates whether such individuals are "accepted as ‘one of us’ by those in their chosen industry." Yet, despite current issues of defunding and inaccessibility, so many modern British success stories have come from diverse, working-class backgrounds and have demonstrably benefited from access to both free and subsidised education. There are countless examples: Top Boy director Myriam Raja said film development projects such as Random Acts, which also produced one of Riz Ahmed’s early films, enabled her to get her foot in the door of the industry and “sustain a career.” Daniel Kaluuya heavily relied on free and low-cost arts and youth clubs across North London, and he believes they got him his first jobs, including appearing in and writing for Skins . Riz Ahmed, who has been very outspoken about the lack of diversity in the UK industry, wouldn't have been able to access the high-quality education he had without scholarships, diversity schemes, and other forms of financial support. All that is to say that, clearly, the British working class lacks authentic representation on screen at the moment. With this in mind, I’d like to highlight some films that are not only excellent but also, in my opinion, represent the working class and their life experiences in an authentic way, created by directors or starring actors from working-class backgrounds. FISH TANK (2009) Director Andrea Arnold was raised by a single mother on an Essex council estate (similar to Section 8 housing in America), and her social-realist drama Fish Tank follows young Mia (Katie Jarvis), who lives on a council estate with her single mother and younger sister. Filmed with a gritty, realistic approach and handheld camera, the film follows Mia as she spends her days getting in trouble, starting arguments, and drinking whatever booze she can find. The family is struggling, and social services is threatening to get involved. However, things start to change when Mia’s party-girl mother brings home a nice new boyfriend, played by Michael Fassbender, who immediately forms a bond with Mia. Fish Tank is emotionally devastating. It offers an honest, unflinching portrait of the lives of working-class people on housing estates, and how these pockets of society can be forgotten and neglected. The representation of the estate is also incredibly authentic, with characters who feel so real and so lived-in that it’s like I’ve seen them across the street before. Interestingly, Jarvis was just a year older than her character when the film was shot, she also comes from an Essex council estate, and was a first-time actor in the film, all of which lends itself to her character’s authenticity and powerful presence. BOILING POINT (2021) If you’re a fan of the stressful intensity and frantic energy in The Bear , then you’ll love Philip Barantini’s low-budget drama Boiling Point . Starring the great Stephen Graham as an overwhelmed and overwrought Head Chef, the film follows a chaotic kitchen amid a busy night of service where everything is going wrong. The film is fast-paced and follows many threads, giving the viewer a brief glimpse into the unique emotional, mental, and financial struggles of many members of the culinary workforce. It’s also shot in one single take, which is completely seamless and deeply engaging, drawing you further and further into the nail-biting drama whilst refusing to give you a moment to breathe. The fact that I didn’t even notice this approach until halfway through the film is a testament to just how well this creative choice works. Combined with the rest of the fantastic cast and an amazing sound design that recreates the cacophonous sounds of a busy kitchen, Boiling Point is a technically brilliant and ridiculously entertaining film. HOW TO HAVE SEX (2023) Molly Manning Walker’s debut feature, How to Have Sex , is an incredible coming-of-age drama that follows a group of school friends on a British rite of passage: the post-exam girls’ holiday. Tara (Mia McKenna-Bruce), Em (Enva Lewis), and Skye (Lara Peake) stay at a cheap hotel and hit the party strip in Crete, drinking a profuse number of fish-bowl cocktails with the goal of Tara losing her virginity at the forefront of their minds. The film navigates the intricacies of female friendship, peer pressure, and the fraught nature of consent in a world where women are discouraged from communicating their desires and thoughts. Although it can be uncomfortable, Walker thoughtfully and empathetically handles the trauma and nuances of sexual assault, utilising stark realism alongside dizzying club scenes to juxtapose the rowdy drunken nights with the sobering cold light of day. Walker has an amazing understanding of young, working-class culture, for better and for worse, demonstrated by authentic characters and relatable experiences. THE KITCHEN (2023) Daniel Kaluuya’s social-realist dystopian drama The Kitchen takes place in a neglected London housing estate, and it examines the worst-case scenario in terms of gentrification and the affordable housing crisis in a near-future Britain. The film highlights issues already present in the system, whilst also acting as a cautionary tale about the impact of austerity and the over-policing of disadvantaged communities. Co-directors Kaluuya and Kibwe Tavares have commented that the film is influenced by their experiences of mass gentrification and their wish to represent working-class black British culture on screen. Despite the building tension and volatile situation the protagonists are in, I love that the film also pays attention to the budding relationship between Izi (Kane Robinson) and Benji (Jedaiah Bannerman), who each give compelling performances that act as the heart of the film, drawing attention to the power of community. Much like many close-knit communities that exist in working-class Britain today, The Kitchen represents solidarity, humanity, and compassion. Plus, the world-building is fantastic, with a distinctive setting that juxtaposes against the expensive new builds just beyond the estate.

THE OLD MAN: SEASON TWO Starring: Jeff Bridges, John Lithgow, Alia Shawkat, and Amy Brenneman Creators: Jonathan E. Steinberg and Robert Levine QUENTIN After more than two years, The Old Man is back. Meh. Honestly, if not for the grumpy-old-men dynamic between Chase (Jeff Bridges) and Harper (John Lithgow), not to mention the performances (perhaps unsurprisingly, Bridges is the main draw for me), I might have checked out because the slow-moving and convoluted story just doesn’t grab me, nor am I truly invested in the characters’ fate or confrontation with past transgressions. That said, the plotline revolving around Alia Shawkat’s character is extremely compelling, but it’s little more than a MacGuffin to develop Chase and Harper. After all, the series is called The Old Man , not The Young Woman .

A TEACHER Starring: Nick Robinson, Kate Mara, Ashley Zukerman, Rya Kihlstedt, Shane Harper, Dylan Schmid, and Marielle Scott Creator: Hannah Fidell QUENTIN This miniseries isn't perfect and I could certainly nitpick it to death, but you know...? I kinda dug it. Its biggest fault is that it struggles to let Eric (Nick Robinson) be a vulnerable teenager, which means some of the intimate moments come across as... hot?...instead of off-putting. Don't get me wrong, Robinson is great, but he's too old and cocksure to make the character dynamics as sketchy as they always should be. Otherwise, it fades a bit in the third act and is probably best watched in a binge as the entire season is better than any single episode.