EVERY GOOD narrative requires conflict. Our recommendations this week have plenty of it, from clashes in country clubs to strife in suburbia and small-town rivalries. In some cases the conflict is solved with a frank conversation; in others the feud culminates in a fight. Our list also reveals one box-office hit to avoid: the appalling film features a battle better suited to video-game consoles than the silver screen.
“Beef” (on Netflix)The second season of this deliciously vituperative anthology revolves around an elite country club. (Photograph: Netflix)
“Beef” (on Netflix)The second season of this deliciously vituperative anthology revolves around an elite country club. One night the beleaguered general manager, Josh (Oscar Isaac), heads home and has a frenzied argument with his wife. Their screaming and shoving is witnessed, and filmed, by a pair of young employees, who take the opportunity to blackmail their boss. The plotting is not as sharp as in the previous season—too many subplots draw time and attention from the central feud—but “Beef” boasts some excellent performances. Carey Mulligan (pictured top), in particular, is a delight to watch as Josh’s sarcastic, frustrated wife.
“The ’Burbs” (on Sky One, NOW and Peacock)In this series, as in so many others, the pleasant suburbs harbour dark secrets. Like the film from 1989 on which it is based, “The ’Burbs” skilfully blends comedy and horror, as neighbours band together to snoop on a newcomer who has moved into a dilapidated house. The show deals with questions of parental anxiety, race and belonging. Keke Palmer, magnificent as ever, stars.
“Normal” (in cinemas in America and from May 15th in Britain)There is nothing normal about the fictional town of Normal, Minnesota. Ulysses (Bob Odenkirk, above) quickly learns that when he becomes the interim sheriff. After a few days on the job, the local bank is robbed and his deputies open fire on him instead of the thieves. Ulysses discovers a vault filled with gold and a conspiracy involving the yakuza, a Japanese mafia. This film is darkly funny and delightfully shocking, even if some of the action scenes are too gory.
“Henry David Thoreau” (on PBS)This three-part documentary from Ken Burns argues that the American naturalist is relevant today. In an era when many are searching for meaning, often in nature, Thoreau’s life and writing can offer succour. Narrated by George Clooney with perspectives from a range of scholars and writers, this series is sometimes a slow burn. But the questions and experiences Thoreau confronted—from the toll of environmental destruction to the question of how to stand up to injustice or recover from personal loss—resonate.
And what not to watch:
“The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” (in cinemas worldwide)Released on April 1st, this video-game-inspired film is already the year’s highest-grossing movie in the West. It is also a gross misuse of your time. The plotless film carries you on a hallucinogenic and frenetic journey among plumber brothers, princesses, stars and mushrooms (above). If you want to know how Nintendo reimagines its games for the silver screen, watch “The Super Mario Bros Movie”, from 2023, instead. Or better yet, get out your Nintendo Switch or Wii console: you will have much more fun.
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