Pick of the week
Bargain
This visceral Korean horror thriller starts dark and only gets darker. The story begins with Joo Young (Jeon Jong-seo) in a hotel room, negotiating with a man who has offered $1,000 to take her virginity. But is Joo Young all she seems? She leaves her predatory punter in the shower and moves to another room, full of women posting selfies online, seemingly as bait. Then it’s time for business – suddenly, Joo Young is an auctioneer and completely in control. The man is now strapped to a gurney and his organs are for sale to the highest bidder. Bargain reveals itself a layer at a time, like a Russian doll of horror. Before long, the hotel itself starts shaking and things get wilder still. Quite a ride.
Paramount+, from Thursday 5 October
***
Dear Mama
Tupac Shakur is one of hip-hop’s great enigmas: a gifted performer who started off as a conscious, even polemical rapper before succumbing to the false empowerment of money and murderous beefs. This ambiguity, and his tragically early death, explains why his story has proved irresistible to documentary-makers. Dear Mama is one of the best attempts, partly because director Allen Hughes knew Tupac personally, but mainly because the narrative is framed as a homage to the influence of Tupac’s mother, Black Panther activist Afeni Shakur. On the face of it, she was unsuccessful – but was his reality even survivable?
Disney+, from Sunday 1 October
***
Strip
According to this documentary series, there are 20,000 women working as strippers in Las Vegas. It’s a competitive world – “You’ve got to be a shark,” says one woman, “and I’m a great white.” For all of the slo-mo shots of cascading dollar bills, nothing about this lifestyle seems remotely glamorous or desirable; there’s precious little camaraderie between the women and the job itself is clearly hard work. So while the voiceover might claim that “in this town, stripping ain’t a last resort”, Strip does a good, if possibly inadvertent, job of making it look as if it should be.
Paramount+, from Sunday 1 October
***
Beckham
The build-up to last year’s World Cup – during which he was taken to task for his involvement with the Qatari regime – was David Beckham’s first serious reputational hiccup since 1998. This four-parter is the authorised version of his story, so expect a high-access version of his previous ups and downs: the sublime skill, the red card against Argentina, the falling out with Alex Ferguson and, of course, the celebrity marriage. Alongside interviews with Beckham, there are contributions from Ferguson, Gary Neville and Posh Spice herself.
Netflix, from Wednesday 4 October
***
Lupin
Omar Sy’s impossibly charismatic gentleman thief Assane Diop returns for a welcome third season. After causing his family nothing but trouble in previous seasons, he’s in hiding. However, he can’t stay away for long – when he returns to Paris, he comes bearing a wild plan involving the theft of a priceless pearl. As ever, the appeal of Lupin lies in Sy’s performance as a man driven by two opposing forces: love and ego. His emotional vulnerability undercuts his criminal expertise perfectly, making him both infuriating and impossible not to like.
Netflix, from Thursday 5 October
***
Loki
Tom Hiddleston’s time-slipping, multiverse-hopping god is back. As we return, he’s at the Time Variance Authority, working with Owen Wilson’s Mobius M Mobius (who can’t remember ever meeting him previously, so goodness knows which timeline we’re in now). Loki and Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) have semi-reconciled. He’s almost fitting in. And yet, as Loki explores friendship, he realises more than ever that he’ll always be an outcast. A certain playfulness in the writing and Hiddleston’s dashing bewilderment in the lead keep the show engaging.
Disney+, from Friday 6 October
***
Desperately Seeking Soulmate
This three-part series investigates a particularly unusual online cult – the Twin Flames Universe – which claims to be able to match each member to their soulmate. Testimony from members describes an organisation that encourages relentless pursuit of ex-partners and attempts to influence members’ sexual orientation and gender identities. At the heart of the universe are Jeff and Shaleia Divine who have built their influence (and business) and offer a startling insight into the construction of the virtual communities so many people now inhabit.
Prime Video, from Friday 6 October
