The best
“Amandaland”Amanda is back—as pretentious, dishonest and delusional as ever in the second season of this sitcom. Her pitiable attempts to make it as an influencer are extremely entertaining, thanks to the sharp script.
“Babies”This show is heart-wrenching and beautifully acted. It explores how isolating infertility can be and reveals the cold and unsympathetic manner that couples encounter from doctors as they navigate the medical system.
“The Boroughs”A widower discovers that otherworldly creatures are stealing precious years from the residents of a retirement community. The most unsettling thing about this series is not supernatural: it is the normal, natural process of ageing.
“The Christophers” The greedy children of Julian Sklar (Sir Ian McKellan), an artist, want to forge the last series of his renowned paintings and sell them for a fortune. For all its talk of fakes, this film—about ageing, inheritance and artistic taste—is a real masterpiece.
“Dreams”A wealthy female philanthropist (Jessica Chastain) has a secret affair with a young ballet dancer from Mexico, who crosses the border illegally to be with her in San Francisco. This film is a taut, chilling morality tale about passion and power.
“Half Man”Niall and Ruben grow up together and develop an intense and twisted sort of brotherhood. This series is a nerve-shredding exploration of obsession, masculinity and trauma from Richard Gadd, the creator of “Baby Reindeer”.
“Henry David Thoreau”This three-part documentary from Ken Burns explores why the American naturalist is so alluring today. In an era when many are searching for meaning, Thoreau’s life and writing offer succour.
“I Swear”A biopic that is funny and full of heart. Robert Aramayo deservedly won awards for his performance as John Davidson, a Scottish campaigner who was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome as a boy.
“Kokuho”This historical drama about kabuki, traditional Japanese theatre, has the compressed intensity of a story told in verse. Lush and painstakingly shot, the film follows the orphaned son of a gangster in his effort to become an actor.
“Legends” In the early 1990s Britain was losing its war on drugs, so the government turned to an unusual bunch of fighters: civil servants. This is a thrilling and pacy series about little-known British heroes.
“Love Story”This controversial hit series imagines what happened beyond the public eye, as John F. Kennedy junior, America’s most eligible bachelor, wooed an elegant outsider before their deaths in a plane crash in 1999. A doomed fairy tale that is enthralling to watch.
“No Other Choice” After a year of humiliating unemployment, a middle-aged man hits on a plan: he will murder everyone who is qualified for the job he is applying for. Ingenious, grisly fun, this film is the best South Korean satire since the Oscar-winning “Parasite”.
“The Pitt”This popular medical drama about an overworked, underfunded emergency room in Pittsburgh celebrates not brilliance or glory, but the simple act of being dedicated to your job. The show may remind older viewers of “ER”, but it is grittier and more addictive than its long-running predecessor.
“Ponies”The KGB surveils any Americans of any influence in Moscow. But Bea and Twila, as women, are classified as “persons of no interest”. Thanks to a cold-war setting and ample skulduggery, this satirical comedy series is a lot of fun.
“Project Hail Mary”This film is both a science-fiction caper and a buddy comedy about an astronaut and an alien. Though the film is too long, it stands out for its cinematography and droll script; Ryan Gosling is brilliant in the lead role.
“The Sheep Detectives”This charming family-friendly film is a love letter to farm animals and golden-age murder mysteries. The script delivers both big laughs and unexpectedly moving moments, as it explores loss and memory.
“The Stranger”A sumptuous and rich adaptation of Albert Camus’s classic existential novel. This black-and-white film boasts beautiful cinematography, but also captures the ennui and despair of the book.
And the worst
To save you time, we wasted ours
“The Bride!”In this frightfully bad film, a dead woman is reanimated to marry a lonely monster. The movie mixes too many genres, from sci-fi and Gothic noir to “Bonnie and Clyde”-style capers. This remake of a film from 1935 never fully comes to life.
“Imperfect Women”This show is like buttered popcorn: bingeable but unsatisfying. Its big ideas—of how well you know your partner and what women hide from their closest friends—are handled simplistically.
“Ladies First”A man whacks his head and wakes up in a world where gender roles are flipped. This over-the-top film offers endless scenes of men being sexually harassed and getting cosmetic surgery, while women eat burgers and pass wind.
“Michael” This nauseating biopic is a sanitised and sanctified version of Michael Jackson’s life story. For a movie about an oddball megastar who befriended a chimpanzee, much of it is also surprisingly dull.
“The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” This video-game-inspired film is already the year’s highest-grossing movie worldwide. It is also a gross misuse of your time. The plotless film carries you on a hallucinogenic and frenetic journey that only nostalgic gamers will enjoy.
“Wuthering Heights”Emerald Fennell turns a haunting tale of class, obsession and revenge into a bodice-ripper. She rounds off the sharpest edges of the story and focuses on the erotic awakening of Cathy and Heathcliff.
“Your Friends & Neighbours”Coop (Jon Hamm), a financier-turned-thief, does not know when to quit stealing from his neighbours. The writers of this show also don’t know when to quit. The new season has all the flaws of the first, plus another: redundancy.
All shows and films were released in America or Britain in 2026 and are available to watch in cinemas or on streaming platforms.