Pick of the week
Gladiator II
Considering the success of the original, it’s a surprise it has taken 24 years for Ridley Scott to return to the Colosseum. But there’s still a lot of familiarity in his ancient Roman sequel – from returning characters to elaborate fight scenes and animal antics. Paul Mescal stars as Lucius, the son of Russell Crowe’s Maximus, who is living a quiet life in north Africa until an invading Roman army take him into slavery. From there, it’s a short hop to becoming a gladiator and reviving his father’s rebel stance, while his owner, Macrinus (a lip-smacking Denzel Washington), plots to overthrow the unstable twin emperors. Mescal is more of a brooder than Crowe, which lends the film an elegaic, end-of-an-era feel.
Monday 12 May, Paramount+
