Pick of the week
Renegade Nell
A wildly enjoyable period romp written by Sally Wainwright and starring Derry Girl Louisa Harland as Nell Jackson, a young widow, forced into the life of a highway robber. The drama is chock-full of hilarious, absurd and gloriously choreographed fight scenes – during which it becomes clear that Nell has periodically occurring superpowers. But there’s more to this than simple highway hijinks. There’s also a potent class war subtext: Nell’s misfortune is the result of her blamelessly making an enemy of villainous, unaccountable toffs. Harland is excellent, and the supporting cast includes Craig Parkinson, Adrian Lester and a miniaturised Nick Mohammed as a helpful sprite. Great fun.
Disney+, from Friday 29 March
***
A Gentleman in Moscow
“Life for you and your kind is over in Moscow,” says Communist party apparatchik Osip. “You must never leave this hotel.” Ewan McGregor is Count Alexander Rostov, sentenced to an initially very bearable form of imprisonment after the 1917 Russian Revolution and embarking on a life of dining, idle gossip with fellow guests and twirling his magnificent moustache. However, the turmoil of early 20th-century Russia eventually arrives at Rostov’s door. Adapted from a novel by Amor Towles, the drama can feel a little ponderous but evokes the era’s atmosphere of embattled gentility very nicely.
Paramount+, from Friday 29 March
***
Tig Notaro: Hello Again
Very few standups are as good at mining the horrors of life for comedy as Tig Notaro. She’s had plenty of practice – 2013’s Live, for example, saw her grappling with a diagnosis of breast cancer. Happily, she’s in remission now, so this new set has a lighter feel. Directed by her wife Stephanie Allynne, Hello Again concentrates on everyday life’s quirks and oddities, filtered through Notaro’s abstracted, mildly surreal sensibility. Expect digressive tales about life-changing text messages and unfortunate encounters with Hollywood heavyweights.
Prime Video, from Tuesday 26 March
***
The Believers
If all else fails, a religious scam is always a possible last resort. This dark Thai drama follows three ruthless criminals who are faced with financial disaster when their startup crashes and burns. However, they soon land upon a new plan, built on the generously funded but somewhat loosely regulated system of donations to Buddhist temples. The key to any successful criminal enterprise, though, is knowing when (and how) to get out – and before long, the trio have bitten off more than they can chew. An interesting premise, energetically realised.
Netflix, from Wednesday 27 March
***
American Rust: Broken Justice
The American dream continues to look a little ragged as this cop drama adapted from Philipp Meyer’s novel returns. Jeff Daniels stars as Del Harris, a police chief with a good heart but a chequered past. This time, Harris and Grace (Maura Tierney) attempt to put their lives back on track after the traumatic events of season one. But a series of seemingly unrelated murders (spoiler: they’ll almost certainly turn out to be very related indeed) threaten their equilibrium. It’s fairly generic stuff but the beat-down small-town US setting is oddly seductive.
Prime Video, from Thursday 28 March
***
Madu
A remarkable film about a real-life Billy Elliot, this documentary follows Nigerian Anthony Madu, who discovered ballet at the age of five and turned out to be prodigiously gifted. At 12, Anthony was accepted into Elmhurst Ballet School in Birmingham – a big deal for a young man who had never left Lagos. It’s a sweet and uplifting tale of risk and fulfilment, but not without difficulties. Anthony struggles with homesickness and there are serious physical challenges involved in a career in dance. Will Anthony’s body allow him to live his dreams?
Disney+, from Friday 29 March
***
Is It Cake?
Logically, it shouldn’t have made it past the elevator pitch. And yet, this wonderfully daft baking contest is now in its third series. That’s partly due to the decoration skills on display, which remain genius level – but it’s mainly down to the hilariously wild excitement that can be engendered by a well-disguised cake. As ever, there’s money at stake but the real prize is seeing impressively committed host Mikey Day screaming “What are you hiding?” at a lavishly sculpted octopus or fire hydrant or pair of thigh-length leather boots. Which may or may not be cake.
Netflix, from Friday 29 March
• This article was amended on 25 March 2024 because an earlier version gave the release date for A Gentleman in Moscow as 26 March, whereas it is 29 March.
