Streaming with Scott Ellis: What to watch this week
Looking for something to watch this week?
Check out some of 3AW Afternoons TV guru Scott Ellis’ recommendations:
Best of the bunch is the Blackbird, on Apple TV+ right now, an edge-of-the-seat drama based on the true story of American drug dealer James Keene who was sentenced to ten years in jail but given an offer – go into a maximum security jail and befriend a suspected serial killer to get a confession and you can go free. What happened is a riveting, terrifying look inside both jail, the mind of a murderer and the questionable American justice system. Edgerton is simply incredible and a world away from the Elton John role in Rocketman that made him a star. Does he get the confession or was the alleged killer innocent all along? That would be a spoiler SO DON’T GOOGLE IT!
And out next Tuesday on Disney+ and brilliant is the spy/action series The Old Man which completely turns the traditional tropes on their head. Jeff Bridges plays a retired assassin/spy who is happily enjoying his life in his 70s when his past comes back to haunt him… but what those hunting him don’t realise is there’s a very good reason this guy’s still alive – he is utterly lethal, even still. If they come after him, he’s ready.
Great viewing and very eye-opening is the documentary Web of Make Believe on Netflix at the moment that shows the dark side of the web’s anonymity, outlining everything from “swatting” where people call armed SWAT teams on anyone who annoys them online to the criminals and conmen who use the web to trick people into handing over money and information that can be used to ruin their lives and empty their bank accounts.
I have to mention this, but be warned, Nude Tuesday on Stan will not be for everyone. The idea here is a film has been made, it’s about a couple spending a week at a couples retreat where all sorts of weird things like tantric dance classes, laughter workshops etcetera take place to try to bring them together. HOWEVER… the whole film is acted out by performers speaking absolute gibberish and the narrative is supplied by subtitles that have been completely made up by guest comedians or actors. There’s three versions, which means you can watch this three times and get a completely different story each time, but check out the Aussie version from Celia Pacquola and Ronny Cheng for some very unexpected laughs. It’s surreal.
Premiering on Binge next Tuesday is the long-awaited season four of What We Do In The Shadows, about four vampires sharing a house in New York and trying desperately to navigate the complexities of immortal life with being awful flatmates. It’s very funny.
A bit niche, but I love this stuff — Foxtel on Demand has The Bridges That Built London, which looks at the history of some of London’s most important bridges… including (of course) London Bridge and suddenly I know why the fact “London Bridge is falling down” had anything to do with “my fair lady”. A great story of corruption that shows how rorting of government funds is a very old pastime.