Pick of the week
Constellation
This narratively tricksy, visually spectacular space thriller is a nerve-racking, head-spinning affair. Noomi Rapace is Jo, an astronaut battling first to save her stricken vessel and then to hang on to her sanity. It starts with what appears to be the aftermath of Jo’s space trauma, as she and her daughter Alice struggle with what may or may not be an allegorical scenario of isolation back on Earth. But there are multiple timelines and perspectives – soon it’s back to space where a terrifying malfunction compromises Jo’s mission and forces an impossible dilemma. It’s complex and ambiguous but never compromises the heart of the story – the emotional and psychological distance between Jo and her daughter.
Apple TV+, from Wednesday 21 February
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New Model Agency
Zebedee Talent isn’t your average modelling agency. As this series shows, it seeks to challenge the norms of the fashion industry with its uncompromising approach to diversity, by welcoming wheelchair users, trans and non-binary people, and people with disabilities. Zebedee’s roster of talent includes models such as Jasroop Singh, who has the skin condition vitiligo, and Ellie Goldstein, who has Down’s syndrome. It follows Zebedee as their models strut their stuff on various catwalks and prepare, like the rest of the modelling industry, for London fashion week.
Channel 4, from Monday 19 February
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Life Uncovered
Journalist Ben Zand immerses himself, like some youthful, culture war-era Louis Theroux, in various unconventional worlds. He meets biohackers looking for eternal life, “transmaxxers” (men embracing female identities for the sake of practicality rather than existential need) and, perhaps most notably, online provocateur Oli London who transitioned to a female, Korean identity and is now transitioning back to a white, English male. With soul-destroying predictability, London is now lauding Donald Trump and railing against “wokeness”.
Channel 4, from Tuesday 20 February
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Star Wars: The Bad Batch
After season two’s cliffhanger ending (female clone Omega remains in the clutches of the Empire), there’s clearly unfinished business as this lively spin-off to the animated Clone Wars series begins its final season. A rescue mission is on the way and mutated stormtroopers Clone Force 99 are preparing for battle. But what does Omega know about the shocking details of the Emperor’s cloning programme? This is yet more lovingly assembled world-building – and with this particular branch of the Star Wars universe running down the clock, expect an explosive climax.
Disney+, from Wednesday 21 February
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Can I Tell You a Secret?
The downsides of social media should be clear enough to us all by now. This grimly gripping documentary series, based on investigations by the Guardian’s Sirin Kale, makes a good case for ditching the smartphone altogether. Over many years and on multiple platforms, Matthew Hardy stole identities and insinuated his way into the lives of numerous women. Several of his victims recall the trauma – there was physical fear, but arguably even worse were the lost relationships and the diminishing of trust in people. A cautionary tale, well told.
Netflix, from Wednesday 21 February
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Avatar: The Last Airbender
A live-action version of the beloved animation series that embodies both the advantages and pitfalls of format switching. This version is visually striking: its renderings of the fantasy aspects of the story – the bending of the four elements, the quest of young Aang (the titular avatar played by Gordon Cormier) to save the world from the predatory Fire Nation – are nicely realised. But might it have lost a little of the original’s essence? There have been mutterings about the retooling of certain characters, most notably the maternal role of Katara. Probably, the key to enjoyment will be taking this adaptation on its own terms.
Netflix, from Thursday 22 February
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Jenny Slate: Seasoned Professional
You may recognise the versatile and prolific comic Jenny Slate from her parts in Girls and Parks and Recreation, her long-running voice turn in Bob’s Burgers or her regular spot on Saturday Night Live. This is her second full-length standup special. Here, she turns her sardonic attention to everything from the physical side-effects of motherhood to the sheer horror of being asked to get on a bike during a romantic weekend in Amsterdam (“How dare you assume that someone would do sports with you in another country?”).
Prime Video, from Friday 23 February
