Pick of the week
Manhunt
“He plays supporting roles,” explains a presidential aide about actor – and future killer – John Wilkes Booth, “but audiences mostly know him for his stunts.” Booth’s 1865 theatre assassination of President Abraham Lincoln was a stunt to top them all: as an actor, he was largely outshone by his brother and father. No matter, as Booth (Anthony Boyle) puts it in this drama, “Tomorrow, I’m going to be more famous than anyone in my family.” We begin with the killing itself and Booth’s leg-breaking escape via the stage. Tobias Menzies plays Edwin Stanton, the man tasked with capturing Booth. It’s a lavish and self-consciously prestige period drama – a little dense at times but a gripping telling of a wild story.
Apple TV+, from Friday
***
The Dry
There’s a perfect balance of pathos and black comedy in the second series of this drama, starring Roisin Gallagher as an alcoholic returning to her family in Dublin. Shiv’s sobriety is contagious – her mum Bernie is now also going to AA meetings (“Who isn’t, these days?”). But there are consequences when Bernie’s boyfriend declares the house booze-free. With several keen imbibers still on the premises, this simply drives the problem underground. It’s a smart study in resolve and fragility, making the point that quitting drinking means finally addressing the reasons you drank to excess in the first place.
ITVX, from Thursday
***
Bandidos
There are Indiana Jones vibes in this Mexican heist drama about a gang of misfits (aren’t they always?) venturing into a long-sunken Spanish galleon to retrieve Mayan treasure. After an ancient map comes into the possession of Miguel (Alfonso Dosal) and Lilí (Ester Exposito), they assemble a team of treasure hunters. But it turns out that they aren’t the only group of miscreants seeking this holy grail – and they certainly aren’t the most well-funded or organised. It’s a pretty generic affair but barrels along with plenty of irreverent energy.
Netflix, from Wednesday
***
Invincible
The second series of this adult animation continues after a frustrating hiatus, and Mark is still struggling to come to terms with his involvement in the family business. His father, Omni-Man, is the most powerful superhero on the planet – but that doesn’t mean he can rely on the cooperation of his son, as Mark continues to discover the less heroic aspects of his dad’s past. “We go around saving lives,” says Mark, “while ruining them at the same time.” This time, another threat to Earth demands the family’s attention – but does duty to family take precedence?
Prime Video, from Thursday
***
The Bloody Hundredth
If the drama Masters of the Air has left you hungry for information about the real-life exploits of the 100th Bomb Group in the second world war, this documentary (narrated by Tom Hanks and executive produced by Hanks, Gary Goetzman and Steven Spielberg) has you covered. The Bloody Hundredth were so named because of the almost suicidal riskiness of the missions they routinely attempted. As both the drama and this documentary confirms, this tended to attract unusual characters to the unit. Several veterans are still around to tell their stories.
Apple TV+, from Friday
***
Chicken Nugget
Whether you regard the premise of this Korean comedy as pointlessly zany or hilariously surreal is a matter of personal taste. But it’s surely impossible to deny that a show in which, for no apparent reason, a woman is turned into a chicken nugget is at the very least intriguing. What ensues is the father and boyfriend of Min-ah (Kim You-jung) going on a quest to reverse this curse before something even more terrible (like the nugget being eaten) takes place. The show leans in to its absurdity, acknowledging straight away that nothing about this makes any sense.
Netflix, from Friday
***
The Outreau Case: A French Nightmare
A French miscarriage of justice – which started small but ended up having huge ramifications – is explored in this new documentary series. Initially, the case centred on accusations of paedophilia within a single family in the town of Outreau. But, as investigations proceeded, more of the town’s residents became implicated. However, French law struggled to balance the rights of the accusers and accused and the whole affair spiralled into a test case for the French justice system itself. The series hears from several of the people involved and expert legal analysts, too.
Netflix, from Friday
