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Amazon Prime's ‘amazing' new crime thriller jumps to top of streaming charts

Amazon Prime's ‘amazing' new crime thriller jumps to top of streaming charts

Metro4 days ago
The Assassin, which was released on Amazon Prime Video last month, has leapt to the top of the platform's streaming charts.
The action thriller stars Keeley Hawes as titular assassin Julie, who reunites with her estranged son (Edward, played by Freddie Highmore) after he tracks her down with questions about her past.
The pair soon become entangled in a high-octane, high-stakes conspiracy when her past catches up with her.
With a huge target on their backs, mother and son are forced to go on the run, in an ambitious plot Metro's own Sabrina Barr describes as 'Mamma Mia combined with Taken.'
Released on July 25, the series earned rave reviews for its 'entertaining action' and shocking twists.
This has helped The Assassin to fend off heavy hitters like Clarkson's Farm, The Summer I Turned Pretty and Neighbours in the battle of the UK streaming charts.
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As per a report by Flixpatrol, The Assassin has become the most streamed piece of entertainment on Amazon Prime, beating 2023's Barbie and the Eddie Murphy vehicle The Pickup on its journey to supremacy.
The Assassin is currently sitting at a 92% 'Fresh' rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, with Empire Magazine praising its 'cutthroat action' and 'cutting' dynamic between its stars.
Elsewhere, The Guardian described it as 'so much fun,' while The Telegraph called it 'Mamma Mia! with a sniper rifle.'
While the audience score is more divided at 38%, those who enjoyed the show have responded well to its dark sense of humour and explosive action.
'Super fun. If you liked the tourist you'll like this series. Dark quirky humour with lots of action. This isn't for everyone you'll need to be able to think on your feet to enjoy the ride!' wrote Rotten Tomatoes user Kay M.
'This was fun, exciting and thrilling. I wished it lasted longer,' said Yeremiah A.
Sas B chimed in: 'I loved this – the acting is amazing, the characters and situations fairly hilarious.. it's a dark comedy! More please!'
Speaking on the blend of comedy and action, Freddie told Metro: '[The humour's] not too broad or too silly, but it complements the seriousness of it and gives it a bit of texture and nuance, and also keeps it quite real,' Freddie outlines.
'The characters are all accessible and approachable and definitely make mistakes. Even with Keeley's character, who's incredibly accomplished at what she does, the show doesn't try to make her impossibly perfect.
'I think a part of that is the sense of humour and that British dose of self-deprecation.'
Meanwhile, Line of Duty and Finding Alice star Keeley has weighed in on her turn as the titular assassin, describing herself as 'basically the new Tom Cruise.' More Trending
Reacting to the description of her character as a 'perimenopausal James Bond' she told The Observer: 'When I saw that line in the script, I howled with laughter. You even glimpse her popping HRT pills. I don't think I've ever seen that in a drama before.
Going into the specifics of her action hero training she revealed: 'I had weapons training. There's a scene where I assemble a sniper rifle in a slick way. It's worryingly easy, actually. Even if you put the components of a rifle in front of me now, a year later, I could probably do it quite quickly. It's a bit like riding a bike.'
View More »
The Assassin is now available to watch on Prime Video in the UK & Ireland.
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If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you.
MORE: All 6 episodes of 'spectacular' British thriller shoot up Netflix top 10
MORE: Jeremy Clarkson reveals Diddly Squat Farm has suffered another 'disastrous' blow
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We tried every item from Lidl's bakery — 39p item with 'no faults' was the best
We tried every item from Lidl's bakery — 39p item with 'no faults' was the best

Metro

timean hour ago

  • Metro

We tried every item from Lidl's bakery — 39p item with 'no faults' was the best

Greggs might have the monopoly on sausage rolls in the UK, but when it comes to cheese twists, brownies and pizza slices, there's another place people head to. Lidl's in store bakeries are the unlikely favourite of many Brits, who can't get enough of the low prices and large array of pastries, cakes and savoury items. Don't believe me? The retailer has been crowned the UK's favourite supermarket bakery for two years running and they sell 122 All Butter Croissants every single minute. The permanent selection of baked goods includes 41 different items, and they regularly add limited-edition treats to the range. But which items are actually worth buying? Metro decided to find out by trying every item from Lidl's bakery – and we've ranked them all. Below are our completely honest reviews, from the best of the bunch, to the ones we wouldn't buy again. We scored each item out of five and have grouped all the ones with the same scores together, going from highest to lowest score, but in no particular order. You can't go wrong with Lidl's chocolate doughnut. It's a perfect afternoon sweet treat and not overly-indulgent. It's an underrated classic and far better than the supermarket's other doughnut options (looking at you Pink Iced Ring Doughnut). I honestly can't fault it. Score: 5/5 Reviewed by Jessica Hamilton, lifestyle reporter Lidl's cheese twist is particularly good – and did I mention it only costs 99p!? The pastry strikes just the right balance between flaky and buttery, with a sharp mature cheddar filling that cuts through the richness. The only issue is I could inhale a dozen without thinking, but that's a 'me problem' Score: 5/5 Reviewed by Jessica Lindsay, assistant lifestyle editor Rich, fudgy and super gooey, this ultimate chocolate brownie is basically a chocolate lover's dream. Full of deep cocoa flavour with that perfect dense, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Score: 5/5 Reviewed by Anushka Suharu, audience growth editor Being a Northerner I know a thing or two about Yum Yums – they were the 'go-to' treat when you did something good, and I was always good! I have to say without question this was the best Yum Yum I've tried, the addition of the melted toffee in the middle has turned a once tasty treat into an absolute taste sensation. Everyone needs to try this, it was delicious! Score: 5/5 Reviewed by Ryan Buczman, international sales manager Like heaven in one bite… if you have an ultra sweet tooth it's totally delicious however could not finish a whole one. Score: 5/5 Reviewed by Eve Cranston, metro partnerships team Very good – the type of loaf that you buy 'for the weekend' and then find yourself having eaten it all just with butter by Saturday morning. Seeds give it a hint of healthy respectability. Score: 4.5/5 Reviewed by Ross McCafferty, deputy opinion editor Pretzel is salty and chewy, but not too tough even after sitting around for a while. There's a lovely colour to the bake and it tastes wonderful with some cream cheese. Overall, I'm a big fan it looks visually appealing and I would buy it again. Score 4.5/5 Reviewed by Courtney Pochin, specialist food writer The perfect size for a small lunch or snack where each bite provides a delicious flavour-bomb of generous globs of cheese on a pesto-slathered base. The bread is mostly fluffy but after I popped it in the microwave for 20 seconds, the dough around the cheese went a little soggy. I would have liked a little more tomato for taste. Score: 4.5/5 Reviewed by Mel Evans, partnerships and projects editor Crusty on top, nice and soft on the bottom. Not the biggest roll, would be disappointing if I only had one as a sandwich for lunch, but if it was being served in a bread basket, I'd be very happy with it. Score: 4/5 Reviewed by Courtney Pochin, specialist food writer This tastes great. It's got the right amount of chocolate filling inside and it's even better when paired with a cup of tea. Score: 4/5 Reviewed by Solana Delazar, commercial team Beautifully sweet and chewy on the inside, with a crunchy, flaky shell on the outside. It tasted fresh but would benefit from being warmed up. Score: 4/5 Reviewed by Ben Nachman, sales team If I were rating this as part of a technical challenge on the Great British Bake Off, it would probably be a bit of a fail – the blueberries have all sunk to the bottom and whoever made it hasn't been very generous with the blueberry jam filling. However, we're not on Bake Off, so I'll let those things slide. The muffin itself is super soft, but the crumble topping adds a nice contrasting texture, and the whole thing is just on the right side of being too sweet. Paired with a cup of strong coffee, this would be a delightful breakfast or mid-morning treat. Score: 4/5 Reviewed by Courtney Pochin, specialist food writer The bloomer is big, easy to slice, and light but not crumbly – meaning it'll be the perfect addition to a weekend fry-up. I can already tell this sourdough is going to become a firm staple in our house, especially on Saturday mornings, served warm from the oven. Score: 4/5 Reviewed by Chris Buswell, commercial video lead I really liked the texture, it has a good crunch when you bite into it – it's crusty, but not too crusty. The seeds go all the way through the bread and it's got a nice flavour. This would be top notch served warm with butter. Score: 4/5 Reviewed by Kristina Beanland, lifestyle editor If you are going into Lidl expecting the best pizza of your life then don't. But, if you are looking for an affordable, pizza option for a snack or lunch then it is brilliant. The veg toppings taste fresh, the dough is soft (which some may dislike) but gives it a nice bread-y texture which is filling and delicious. The only real complaint is the lack of a true pizza feel, but for something tasty and cheap then you really can't go wrong! Score: 4/5 Reviewed by Tom Brown, head of platforms, social and communities Chewy with a little crumble around the edge, super chocolatey with crunchy milk and white chocolate chips. Quite decadent but perhaps a little too rich if you've not got a massive sweet tooth. Score: 4/5 Reviewed by Mel Evans, partnerships and projects editor A soft and squidgy bun, exactly as it should be. Good icing to bun to raisin ratio – not quite as good as one you would get from an independent bakery but a very enjoyable afternoon treat nonetheless. Score: 4/5 Reviewed by Ella Serer, commercial team Looks like something you'd buy from your local bakery or cafe and it tastes pretty darn good too. Had this been garlic bread, it would have achieved full marks. Score: 4/5 Reviewed by Courtney Pochin, specialist food writer Has flavour, does the job and overall enjoyed it however base felt slightly too soft is my only critique but I have and would buy it again! Score: 4/5 Reviewed by Tilly Preece, sales team Not overly exciting as far as bread rolls go, but it's a perfectly solid option for a little sandwich – like a jambon beurre, or if you wanted a roll to go with a meal. It's pretty tough and crusty though, so I imagine you'd want to add lots of butter. Score: 3.5/5 Reviewed by Courtney Pochin, specialist food writer Pastry could have done with being a little more flaky, slightly on the stodgy side however there was a nice buttery taste and a generous amount of chocolate filling, overall tasty! Score: 3.5/5 Reviewed by Carlos Nelmes, commercial travel manager Honestly, if you gave me this and told me it came from Gail's, I wouldn't bat an eyelid. It's got a decent amount of flavour and it's a fraction of the price, so that's a win. Score: 3.5/5 Reviewed by Kristina Beanland, lifestyle editor Not quite like the ones you get in Portugal, but if the pastry was a bit crispier and there was a bit more flavour through the custard it would have been spot on. Score: 3.5/5 Reviewed by Jack Moore, commercial team Very Krispy Kreme vibes, a good classic filled doughnut but, and I can't quite believe I'm saying this, there was almost too much filling, which made it a bit too rich for one. Score: 3.5/5 Reviewed by Ross McCaffery, deputy opinions editor Rich cinnamon flavour which is good and the bun is light and moist, but gets a bit sticky while eating. Missing icing on top which is a shame. Good portion though. Score: 3/5 Reviewed by Klein Chen, marketing executive A focaccia that isn't hot and fresh out of the oven is a bit of a hard sell, but this one still tasted good and was nicely soft. Can't really see where you might use it though, it's a little too garlicky for a snack on the go, and you'd feel a bit short changed getting served it with some pasta. Score: 3/5 Reviewed by Ross McCafferty, deputy opinion editor As far as pain aux raisins go, this one is mediocre at best. Like Lidl's pain au chocolat, the pastry is squishy and floppy, but there are lots of raisins inside, so that's a plus if you love those. Score: 3/5 Reviewed by Courtney Pochin, specialist food writer It's hard to get too excited about a plain baguette, but for the price this is a decent option. It looked slightly anaemic and didn't have the crispy crust you might expect from a classic French bread baton. That said, I was impressed by how fresh it still tasted after a day in my breadbin – a solid choice for lunchtime sandwiches. Score: 3/5 Reviewed by Jessica Lindsay, assistant lifestyle editor Like many of the other pastries, this croissant looks very pale, is rather floppy and a bit doughy. There's not a consistent amount of frangipane all the way through, just a big lump in the middle. But it's got a strong almond taste. It's nice but not a high quality croissant. Score: 3/5 Reviewed by Courtney Pochin, specialist food writer If you want the saltiness and firmness of a pretzel, but the texture and shape of a bread roll, look no further than the pretzel roll. The whole thing is topped with cheese, so there's a lot going on and while it tastes perfectly acceptable, the fusion of ingredients perhaps gives the bread somewhat of an identity crisis – I didn't know whether to toast it or dive straight in. Score: 3/5 Reviewed by James Besanvalle, assistant opinion editor As far as sweet treats go, I consider maple and pecan plaits to be an elite flavour combo. However, Lidl's take was lacklustre and leaves you with a dry and sticky mouth. The filling is smooth and strong but the pastry is soft and stodgy, not crisp and crumbly as you would like. The pecans are a nice addition but unfortunately don't do much for the overall result. Score: 3/5 Reviewed by Maria Astardjieva, deputy head of SEO This is essentially a vehicle for fillings. Stuff it with molten cheese, some kind of sauce and meat and you'd have yourself a good panini. Not exciting on its own, rather bland and spongy, but who is just eating a panini like that anyway? Score: 3/5 Reviewed by Courtney Pochin, specialist food writer There is nothing worse than a hard cookie – and thankfully, this is not that. In fact, it might be too chewy. I reckon this is 5/5 when it comes out the oven but loses its moisture quickly. Luckily for us, tea exists, and this was back up to a 5/5 once I'd given it a quick dunk. Score: 3/5 Reviewed by Jess Austin, first-person and opinion editor It would be 2/5 but it gets an extra point for looking like the Simpson's donut. It didn't really blow me away, the dough was chewy but was overall a bit bland. Still a nice afternoon sweet treat nonetheless. Score: 3/5 Reviewed by Jess Hamilton, lifestyle reporter Anyone who knows me will know that I LOVE a cookie, especially a white chocolate one, so I was pretty excited to try this one. It was soft and chewy in the middle, looked a little under baked (which I like) and had lots of chocolate chips on top. I loved the texture but it's not as good as an M&S cookie. There's a slightly weird flavour to the cookie itself, it almost tastes like gingerbread. Score: 3/5 Reviewed by Courtney Pochin, specialist food writer This doughnut has a lot going for it. It's the perfect collapse-in-the-mouth texture, it's got a deliciously powdery outside that has you licking your fingers after, it's got a good dough-to-jam ratio. What it does not have, however, is depth of flavour. I like my doughnut fillings with a bit of kick – a nice tart jam – and this jam was just nice, no tart. I'm not averse to a seed in my jam either, but alas this filling was smooth and sweet, depriving Lidl of the perfect score. Score: 3/5 Reviewed by Jess Austin, first-person and opinion editor Lidl's croissant is a cult bakery item, but if I'm being honest I'm struggling to see why it's so popular. I love Lidl, but this just didn't hit the mark. When I buy a croissant, I expect layers of fabulously flaky pastry – I'm looking for lovely lamination, but I can't find it anywhere here. The pastry looked a little dry (although I'm pleased to say it didn't taste that way). It wasn't overtly bad, but a bit bland and stodgy, with only a slight sweetness to it. Score: 2.5/5 Reviewed by Courtney Pochin, specialist food writer The colour of the pastry is waaaaay too light, it looks like it needs to go back in the oven and it feels like it too – it's very soft and floppy. But there's a good amount of chocolate inside. I wouldn't want to start my day with one of these, but it would satisfy a hunger craving in a pinch. Score: 2.5/5 Reviewed by Courtney Pochin, specialist food writer The crust on this is nice, very satisfying to cut a slice, or tear into it if you just can't wait. But the bread itself has little flavour, which is rather disappointing. Score: 2/5 Reviewed by Kristina Beanland, lifestyle editor This chocolate muffin is moist and has a nice texture with tasty chocolate chips BUT the gooey centre is thin and metallic and the sponge is pretty bland. It's not a terrible choice if you're in a pinch, but there are definitely supermarkets that offer more decadent, tastier versions of this treat. Score: 2/5 Reviewed by Laura Harman, senior entertainment reporter This roll ticks every box, except for one and sadly, it's the most important one it misses the mark with. More Trending Floury on the outside and fluffy in the middle, this bread stayed soft and fresh for ages, but it doesn't taste as good as it looks. Ultimately it's bland and boring. Score: 2/5 Reviewed by Courtney Pochin, specialist food writer During Metro's taste test, we were also lucky enough to try a few limited-edition items from Lidl bakery. These aren't currently available to buy at the supermarket, but there's always a chance they could return to shelves at some point in the future… (although, Lidl makes no promises about this). Either way, here's a look at our top picks to keep an eye out for in case they ever do make another appearance. A good doughnut needs no ceremony. This one had sugar, fat, and the courage to be both milk and white chocolate. The white chocolate was soft and the milk chocolate was delicious. I bit in and god help me, it was good. Score: 4.5/5 Reviewed by Thomas Rawe, Metro account manager Lidl's Birthday Cake Bun combines all the best elements of a doughnut (pink icing and sprinkles) with a scroll-like bun (jam-filled and soft in the middle). Sure, it's sweet – but who really wants a birthday cake that's not? The only thing that could improve this would be for the softness to extend throughout the whole bun. Supremely satisfying. Score: 4/5 Reviewed by James Besanvalle, assistant opinion editor A well executed take on the classic school cake. Sponge was moist and full of flavour but the icing was a tad too thick to truly compare. Score: 4/5 Reviewed by Alex Goldsmith, head of social video While these aren't currently available, Lidl's limited-edition offering right now features a Cookies and Cream Doughnut, Tiramisu Loaf and a Pain Suisse. Yum! Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@ View More » MORE: All the places you can get free food on A-level results day — from Nando's to Bill's MORE: All the places you can get free food on A-level results day — from Nando's to Bill's MORE: Aldi reveals the quietest time to do your supermarket shop over summer Your free newsletter guide to the best London has on offer, from drinks deals to restaurant reviews.

I love how awful My Oxford Year is
I love how awful My Oxford Year is

Spectator

time5 hours ago

  • Spectator

I love how awful My Oxford Year is

The punters are saying My Oxford Year is a disaster. 'Predictable, uninspiring and laughable,' complains some meanie on Rotten Tomatoes. But they're missing the point. My Oxford Year may be a work of accidental genius, but it's a work of genius nonetheless. You will squirm, you will laugh derisively, you will cringe. By the end, though, you will be forced to admit that you secretly enjoyed every moment, for this is the very examplar of a so-bad-it's-good masterpiece. You know it's going to be awful from the very first frame: a still representing the bookshelf of our handsome, clever and poor heroine Anna De La Vega (Sofia Carson) who has come up to Oxford to spend a year doing an MA in Victorian poetry prior to taking up a job at Goldman Sachs. It includes three copies of Dover Beach & Other Poems; two Great Gatsbys; two Mansfield Parks. Yup, they couldn't be bothered to get even that detail right. Luckily, it seems that despite being a driven, brilliant high-achiever, Anna isn't really here to study. No, what she wants is romance. And who better to provide it than the handsome guy with that oh-so-cute way of biting his lower lip whom she first encounters when he splashes her with his sky-blue E-type, then meets again shortly afterwards in the chippy, whose Dick Van Dyke-style proprietor affords much opportunity for hilarious linguistic confusion. By amazing coincidence, lip-biter Jamie Davenport (Corey Mylchreest) happens to be teaching her poetry course because, besides being incredibly rich and the son of a lord with a vast estate, he is also a postgrad with the finest mind of his generation. Not that we see much evidence of this in his seminars, which eschew close textual analysis in favour of insights such as 'Poetry can be taught. But really it should be tried' and 'Allow it to change your life!' These moony-eyed aperçus are directed shamelessly and solely at Anna, but instead of being appalled and asking for their money back, all the 15 or so NPCs at the MA seminar seem to find the flirtation charming and not at all an abuse of privilege or a waste of their course fee. Later, in the pub, Anna encounters the racism with which this mystifyingly unwoke version of Oxford is rife. Someone whose advances she rebuffs clocks her as 'Mexican' (but how? She looks and speaks like an upper-class American) and accuses her of having only got on the course as part of a diversity quota. To cheer her up, Jamie takes her to a kebab van, a gastronomic experience she finds so idyllic that when she later meets an oarsman who doesn't share her enthusiasm for grey-brown mechanically recovered rodent meat wrapped in cardboard and slimed with chilli, she identifies him instantly as a ignorant snob who doesn't even know the kebab man's first name. See what fun it is? It's like a Richard Curtis movie, but shorn of all the smugness, the emetic Blairite politics and any pretensions to be anything other than a compendium of clichés. Everything is here: the Boat Race that everyone from Oxford and Cambridge attends; the glamorous white tie Commem Ball; the montage illustrative of the developing relationship; the cheeky, outrageous gay friend; the will-they-won't-they couple who get it together right at the end just in time to cheer us up when we're feeling a bit sad that one of our protagonists is dying. Sorry for that spoiler, but come on, you can hardly not have expected it. With a generic, bitter-sweet romcom like this, of course they're going to have to wheel out the cancer plot-device to undercut all that weapons-grade saccharine with a properly teary ending. And I respect them for it. This film is tripe and it knows it's tripe. It's so bad, it makes Bridgerton look like Tarkovsky. If only more screen products were quite this endearingly frank. For more off-kilter summer merriment, I'd quite recommend another Netflix series Mandala Murders. It's about a pair of detectives – Rea Thomas (Vaani Kapoor) and Vikram Singh (Vaibhav Raj Gupta) – in the fictional town of Charandaspur in Uttar Pradesh, on the trail of whoever has been committing a series of grisly ritual murders possibly involving supernatural forces. I'm not suggesting that it's significantly better quality than My Oxford Year, but because it is made and set in India you really don't care. Whenever you tire of the confusing plot and endless flashbacks, you can distract yourself with thoughts like 'Oo, that bright painted room would make a nice boutique hotel interior' and 'Omg, he actually dived into the Ganges. I hope he got danger money for that scene' and 'That roadside chapati snack looks delicious.' Or is it just me who does that?

'Alien: Earth is the best the franchise has been in years - but it has one glaring issue'
'Alien: Earth is the best the franchise has been in years - but it has one glaring issue'

Daily Mirror

time8 hours ago

  • Daily Mirror

'Alien: Earth is the best the franchise has been in years - but it has one glaring issue'

The Alien franchise returns to its roots with a gruesome new prequel set two years before the original film, but it doesn't quite surpass the 1979 classic Alien: Earth has finally arrived with two episodes dropping this week on Disney+ - FX on Hulu if you're in the States - and countless fans of the franchise will be eager to find out how it stands up to the rest of the franchise. ‌ Boasting incredible production values, an incredible cast of established stars and newcomers, and Fargo showrunner Noah Hawley leading the charge, everything is in place for the new prequel to become a monster success. ‌ Personally, I'm a huge fan of the Alien franchise, having watched the first two films multiple times, even once getting the chance to see Ridley Scott's 1979 masterpiece that started it all on the big screen. ‌ I even enjoy the much-maligned prequel Prometheus, which I've watched maybe five times - that's how much I love this gooey, grotesque and mystifying sci-fi epic. Fellow Alien aficionados will be pleased to know that the critical response to the new series has been stellar so far, currently scoring 93 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. I'm pretty much in agreement with the consensus - the first six episodes of the eight-part season I was able to watch are as propulsive and gory as any Alien instalment should be, while veering off into some eerie new directions I wasn't expecting that have the makings of a stunning finale and, hopefully, multiple future outings. However, there's just one niggling problem I'm having with the series so far that I'm praying gets fixed by the finale, or else is tackled in a potential second season. The iconic body horror saga has already had its fair share of ups and downs over the years, the first wobble occurring with the divisive Alien 3 in 1992, which was packed with interesting ideas and launched the career of auteur filmmaker David Fincher but was overall a bit of a mess. ‌ This was followed by the increasingly woeful Alien: Resurrection and the two barely connected Alien vs. Predator films before Scott himself returned to the franchise for the divisive prequels Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. Both underrated, in my opinion, though again a little too overstuffed with existential ramblings and diversions from the original series that put off most casual audiences. ‌ Then came last year's Alien: Romulus, a sort of greatest hits of the Alien franchise which got things back on track but was ultimately far too beholden to Scott's masterpiece to offer anything fresh and exciting. With Hawley's take on the franchise, you still get the mash-up of all the best the franchise has to offer, though with far less of Romulus's nostalgic pandering and far more courage to remix and reinvent Alien's most recognisable iconography. Much like the original film, which is still the benchmark for the franchise, Earth is more concerned with ethical conundrums and biological dread than cheap kills. The grisly horror is still here in spades, but, after a cataclysmic opening two-parter, the pacing slows just enough to let Hawley's skin-crawling exploration of biology and human psychology breathe. ‌ Taking the series' familiar themes of artificial intelligence one step further by questioning the legitimacy of transferring human consciousness, exemplified by Sydney Chandler's literally child-like 'Wendy', this is far more compelling than Romulus' heroic android Andy (played by David Jonsson), who was largely present to tell bad jokes and recycle old one-liners. ‌ But fans are also coming for the 'Alien' itself, the iconic Xenomorph that has haunted spaceships for over four decades. And it's my regret to inform you that this is the show's biggest downfall. Although the creature is as terrifying as ever, thankfully brought to life primarily with a practical costume and in-camera trickery, its role in the first season has been somewhat muted and it doesn't quite feel like the unstoppable force from previous entries. Here, the Xenomorphs can be incapacitated more easily than ever before, by both humans and synthetics, rendering them some of the least threatening foes in the franchise yet. To counter this, a number of brand new lifeforms never seen before in the Alien universe have been introduced, but these are also a little hit-or-miss. In contrast to the Xenomorph, they're disappointingly reliant on CGI and their own methods of tearing humans apart from the inside aren't nearly as memorable as the now iconic facehugger-to-chestburster lifecycle that has since become ubiquitous. ‌ Hopefully Hawley has something up his sleeve to remedy this but, until we get to see those final two episodes, so far Alien: Earth is still a fantastic watch, even if it's lacking a little bite. Alien: Earth continues Wednesdays on Disney+. For a limited time only, witness the first stage of the life cycle of the Xenomorph up close with a thrilling new display at London's Natural History Museum. Visitors can touch real pieces of the solar system at the Museum's blockbuster exhibition, Space: Could Life Exist Beyond Earth?, and discover more about one of pop culture's most iconic and frightening creatures just by the entrance until Friday, 22nd August.

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