Pick of the week
The Horror of Dolores Roach
“I’m just like you, if everything went wrong.” The key to this darkly comic thriller is that, whatever depths she plumbs, Dolores Roach (Justina Machado) remains relatable. Based on a hit podcast – and with a self-referential framing device in which the “real” Dolores infiltrates the dressing room of an actor playing her in a Broadway play inspired by the pod – Dolores is a Downtown New York woman imprisoned for 16 years after a drug-driven betrayal, then released into a gentrified city. All she has are her “magic hands” (she became a masseuse in prison), her survival instincts and, as we soon learn, a flexible moral code when it comes to using those hands for nefarious ends.
Prime Video, from Friday 7 July
***
The Effects of Lying
A bleak, fraught, dysfunctional family drama starring Ace Bhatti as Naveen, an ineffectual and slightly melancholic husband and father who is just about holding it together in London suburbia. Until suddenly, he isn’t – his wife is sleeping with his brother, his troubled daughter is struggling with an eating disorder and his dad is threatening to jump from the roof of his care home. Over the course of one day, Naveen’s family falls apart as decades of secrets and lies are revealed. But will they be able to pick up the pieces afterwards? It’s an intense watch, brought to life by a fine cast.
ITVX, from Thursday 6 July
***
Unknown: The Lost Pyramid
“The past is sleeping in the darkness, waiting to be found.” But who will find it? There’s a touch of competitive Egyptology in this new documentary which sees doctors Zahi Hawass and Mostafa Waziri race to find a lost pyramid in a necropolis near Cairo. As you may have gathered, the tone is quite different to more traditional archaeological documentaries – there’s almost as much emphasis on the respective quests of the two modern-day rivals as there is on the ancient find. But the story at the heart of the film is still fascinating.
Netflix, from Monday 3 July
***
The Watchful Eye
The dodgy nanny trope is a well-worn one but this drama offers a compelling spin. Mariel Molino is Elena Santos, a young woman who moves in with a wealthy family in Manhattan but finds that her new job isn’t quite what it seems. Santos, however, is a pleasingly ambiguous character so sympathies are frequently up for grabs. The building that her employers live in is full of dangerous secrets and labyrinthine politics but there’s a strong sense that Santos has secrets and an agenda of her own. Molino’s enigmatic performance confidently anchors the mystery.
Disney+, from Wednesday 5 July
***
Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire
A new anthology of 10 animated films telling stories from African countries including Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, Egypt, South Africa and Nigeria. The styles vary wildly – from hyperreal Afrofuturism to sci-fi fantasy to more traditional cartoon modes. And there’s a variety of tones, too, as tales of mythology and ancestry jostle for space with more straight-ahead comedy. But overall, there’s a sense of representation and diversity; and also a feeling of new ground being broken. A huge voice cast is led by Black Panther: Wakanda Forever alumna Florence Kasumba.
Disney+, from Wednesday 5 July
***
A Thin Line
Might this be the first post-Just Stop Oil streaming drama? This German series starring Saskia Rosendahl and Hanna Hilsdorf centres on a pair of sisters up to their necks in environmental activism. When Anna is arrested and imprisoned after hacking into government computers, her sister Benni goes on the run and becomes involved in much more radical activities, including planning a terrorist attack. But can the authorities use Anna to get to Benni? Might the sisters’ previous closeness be turned against them? It’s never subtle, but not without intrigue.
Paramount+, from Thursday 6 July
***
Fatal Seduction
Steamy business from South Africa in this new mystery thriller. Married professor Nandi (Kgomotso Christopher) goes for a weekend break with her troubled friend Brenda (Lunathi Mampofu). But she gets more than she bargained for when she catches a glimpse of Prince Grootboom’s hunk Jacob on the beach and decides on a touch of holiday romance. Cue an escalating series of events beginning with a one-night stand and culminating in betrayal and murder. Can Nandi trust the people closest to her? Overripe, soapy, mildly ridiculous melodrama.
Netflix, from Friday 7 July
