Sirens to Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning: the week in rave reviews
Netflix; full series available now
Summed up in a sentence Two sisters get tangled up with a super-rich culty villain in a hugely addictive drama whose stellar cast includes Julianne Moore, Meghann Fahy and Milly Alcock.What our reviewer said 'Without ever losing its wit or bounce, Sirens becomes a study in family, class and all sorts of other power struggles, the endless possibilities for good and ill that wealth brings, and the legacies of childhood trauma. … You can see why it attracted actors of such high calibre.' Lucy Mangan
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Channel 5; available now
Summed up in a sentence A hugely fun reboot of a much-loved 00s life-swapping reality show – starting with a plummy London estate agent passing himself off as a Bolton butcher.What our reviewer said 'Such a solid idea that it still has plenty of the old charm left to spare. In fact, it may work even better now, in the fractious 2020s, than it did in the optimistic glow of the early 00s.' Rebecca Nicholson
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ITV1; full series on ITVX now
Summed up in a sentence Rose Ayling-Ellis is a deaf canteen worker at a police station, pulled into an investigation when official lip readers aren't available to decipher surveillance footage.
What our reviewer said 'There are plentiful details, grace notes really, that evoke the reality of life as a deaf person. It all gives a freshness, as well as an edifying aspect, to the underlying conventions. You can watch and learn – or at least newly appreciate an underacknowledged world – without being shortchanged on your entertainment at all. That's quite a triumph.' Lucy Mangan
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Disney+; full series available nowSummed up in a sentence The Tooch goes on a giant love fest around his ancestral homeland – and as much of its cuisine as he can feasibly eat in five episodes of TV.
What our reviewer said 'Tucci and his Tucciness work their magic yet again, even if it is mainly by pointing a camera at Italy, letting Italians speak for themselves and their priorities shine through. Tutta bella.' Lucy Mangan
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Further reading 'It's all I think about': Stanley Tucci on love, grief and pasta
Apple TV+; available now
Summed up in a sentence: A swashbuckling period drama about Napoleon's maverick pastry chef – whose adopted sister was killed by the military leader.
What our reviewer said 'It is about as understated as a 12-course tasting menu. But as it scoffs and seduces its way through the Napoleonic era, it's hard not to fall for the extravagant charms of the Bake Off: Extra Spice.' Rebecca Nicholson
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In cinemas now
Summed up in a sentence Tom Cruise's eighth and last M: adventure, as his maverick agent Ethan Hunt takes on the ultimate in AI evil.
Our reviewer said: 'It is a wildly silly, wildly entertaining adventure which periodically gives us a greatest-hits flashback montage of the other seven films in the M:I canon – but we still get a brand new, box-fresh Tom-sprinting-along-the-street scene, without which it wouldn't be M:I.' Peter BradshawRead the full reviewFurther reading Show me the tummy! Tom Cruise doesn't need sleep, help or clothes in Mission: Impossible
In cinemas now
Summed up in a sentence Sombre but impressive Taiwanese feature debut about exploited migrant care workers, their patients and gangmasters.
Our reviewer said: 'It evokes an almost Zen state of suffering and sadness – a feeling that penetrates the film's fabric like months of steady rain in a rural landscape.' Peter Bradshaw
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In cinemas now
Summed up in a sentence Documentary about Werner Herzog's operatic adventure filming Fitzcarraldo in the Peruvian jungle, a compelling portrait of an artist obsessed.
Our reviewer said 'Amazingly, Herzog always looks in pretty good shape, considering what he's gone through, and put others through. His burden of dreams is borne with some style.' Peter Bradshaw
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Further reading 'I am not that much in pursuit of happiness': Werner Herzog on beer, yoga and what he would ask God
In cinemas now
Summed up in a sentence Kate Winslet's daughter Mia Threapleton makes a breakthrough big-screen turn in Wes Anderson's enjoyable yet airless ensemble romp.
Our reviewer said: 'It rattles amiably along in that savant-child style that Anderson has made his own, but is in danger of becoming a mannerism. It is always entertaining, and delivered with the usual conviction and force but with less of the romantic extravagance than we've seen before.' Peter Bradshaw
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Rent or buy on multiple platforms
Summed up in a sentence Building-block game franchise spin-off with full-throttle star turns from Jack Black and Jennifer Coolidge.
Our reviewer said 'This comedy-fantasy takes aspects of the Minecraft world and uses them as building blocks in a rollicking adventure suitable for almost all ages, giving Jack Black and Jason Momoa carte blanche to wild out and be deeply silly. Your affection for and/or tolerance of this latter prospect will dictate to a large extent your enjoyment of this film.' Catherine Bray
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Reviewed by Farrah Jarral
In a sentence: Salvos of hope from one of the world's best known activist-authors.
Our reviewer said 'Hope is no casual platitude here. Nor is it merely a more pleasant state of mind than despair. Rather, Solnit sees it as a more accurate mindset, since nobody is an oracle, and history is full of surprises.'
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Further reading 'Protest shapes the world': Rebecca Solnit on the fight back against Trump
Reviewed by Steven Poole
In a sentence: What if AI is just another tech bubble?
Our reviewer said 'Large language models like ChatGPT essentially work like fancy autocomplete and routinely make up citations to nonexistent sources.'
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Reviewed by Suzanne Joinson
In a sentence: A mother's reflections after the suicide of her two sons.
Our reviewer said 'Things in Nature Merely Grow is by necessity profoundly sad, but in the act of sharing details of the 'abyss' she now inhabits, Li has created something both inclusive and humane.'
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Reviewed by Xan Brooks
In a sentence: A dazzling near-future fable about refugees with cameos from Spinoza, Hannah Arendt and the Chinese poet Du Fu.
Our reviewer said 'This rich and beautiful novel is serious but playful; a study of limbo and stasis that nonetheless speaks of great movement and change.'
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Reviewed by PD Smith
In a sentence: This uplifting 2018 memoir, about a couple who embark on a long coastal walk after becoming homeless, has been made into a film starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs.
Our reviewer said 'Their journey is filled with as many ups and downs as the undulating cliff-edge route. Yet the freedom of wild camping, swimming in the moonlit sea and surviving on fudge and pasties allows them to come to terms with their situation and learn to hope again.'
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Further reading 'Nature was my safe place': Raynor Winn on homelessness and setting off on a 630-mile walk
Out now
Summed up in a sentence Pop's great retro-futurists return for their first album in 15 years, and while they pick up where they left off, these new songs are more timely than ever.What our reviewer said 'Offers a very strong example of Stereolab doing what they do … For all Sadier's cool detachment, there's a warmth and brightness to the sound and the yé-yé and easy listening-derived melodies.' Alexis Petridis
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Out now
Summed up in a sentence Scottish folk musician Josie Vallely set off on horseback across Argyll to collect the region's folk songs – and created an album full of fiddles, Gaelic sean-nós singing, and canntaireachd (the vocal mimicry of pipe music).
What our reviewer said: 'Quinie's unfiltered, ripe singing voice resonates like a siren … Alive with ideas, this record holds the past like a cauldron, broiling bewitchingly.' Jude Rogers
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Out now
Summed up in a sentence The rock veterans' first LP in almost a decade was made amid two members being treated for cancer – and it's a spirited effort with an experimental mindset.What our reviewer said 'Songs hurtle through electronic rock, ska, dub and even tinkling pianos as moods shift from urgent to ethereal … The album's sense of emotional investment and creative rejuvenation reaches a sublime apex with the closing track, Meltdown.' Dave Simpson
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Out now
Summed up in a sentence Yunchan Lim fronts the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Marin Alsop, in this rendition that won Lim, then just 18 years old, the 2022 Van Cliburn piano competition.What our reviewer said 'He is the real thing, a once-in-a-generation talent … What is immediately striking is the sheer confidence and poise of everything he does, and the overriding sense that there is never any doubt about the direction in which this majestic concerto should be taken.' Andrew Clements
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OVO Hydro, Glasgow
Summed up in a sentence The pop legend brings her Tension world tour to the UK, complete with radical reimaginings of her back catalogue that take in house, techno, and – on Confide in Me – a doom metal vibe.What our reviewer said 'At the show's end, Kylie seems endearingly overwhelmed by the raucous audience response, but this belies supreme confidence: she knows she doesn't need extraneous bells and whistles to carry this bravura show.' Claire Biddles
Read the full review
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Daily Mail
19 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Nicola Peltz insists she's 'grateful to have beautiful people around her' as Brooklyn Beckham's family feud intensifies
Nicola Peltz insisted she's 'grateful to have beautiful people around her' in a gushing Instagram post on Thursday. The actress, 30, appeared in high-spirits in the snap as she was surrounded by her 'team' amid the ongoing drama with husband Brooklyn Beckham's family. She wrote: 'I love my team so much. I'm so grateful to have such beautiful people around me'. David Beckham, 50, and wife Victoria, 51, have become estranged from eldest child Brooklyn, 26, whose heiress wife has been blamed for the rift in the once tight-knit family. The Beckhams have largely remained silent in public about the rift, but they are said to fear that Brooklyn is falling increasingly under the control of Nicola. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the Brooklyn recently said he is excited to build his own family with wife Nicola, as tensions continue to simmer between him and his parents. During a PDA-packed video shared released by Glamour Magazine, the eldest son of Victoria and David gushes multiple times that he can see kids in his future, and that Nicola will be an 'amazing' mother. Taking on the magazine's Friend Test, the pair are tasked with looking into each other's eyes for two minutes and revealing what they see. Romantic Brooklyn immediately gushes: 'I see us when we have our kids,' as Nicola adds: 'I see the future father of my kids.' 'The most important thing someone can do in their life is find that person for life because they'll really change everything and they'll make everything better,' Brooklyn later adds. And revealing what he has learned from his four year relationship with Nicola, Brooklyn honed in on his wife's nurturing nature. 'We have four dogs and the way she treats them, I feel like you're gonna be the most amazing mum with our kids,' he told her. As for Nicola she was keen to highlight her husband's 'pure, good intentions.' 'I like when you say be happy and follow your heart or go with your gut because sometimes I feel like your head is overthinking and your heart is super emotional but I feel like your gut is just that intuition that you just go with,' the US actress mused. In the magazine interview with Glamour Germany, conducted in April, the couple opened up about outside interference in their marriage and hinted at worsening relations with the Beckham clan, as they instead focused on the advice they'd received from Nicola's billionaire parents, Nelson and Claudia Peltz. While Brooklyn appeared to be deliberately omitting mention of his family, as he shared a different meaning behind the name of his hot sauce, Cloud 23. The aspiring chef's representative told last week how the number 23 was a 'warm nod' to David, who wore number 23 while playing for Real Madrid and LA Galaxy, inspired by NBA legend Michael Jordan, in a touching move that appeared to be an olive branch to his father. However, in the new interview, Brooklyn failed to mention his father, simply stating: 'The 23 stands for our engagement date and my age back then.' Elsewhere in the interview, he and Nicola also seemed to hint at interference in their relationship and the ongoing reports of the family feud. When asked how they 'protect' their relationship in the spotlight, Brooklyn stated: 'Ignore the noise. Keep your head down, work hard, be kind. People are always going to talk. What matters is that we're happy together.' While Brooklyn was present at the Victoria's 50th, both he and his wife failed to make an appearance at her 51st. And while his younger brothers Romeo and Cruz took to social media to pay their birthday tributes to their parents, on both occasions Brooklyn stayed silent. Brooklyn appeared to nail his loyalties to the mast when he posted an image on Instagram of himself and Nicola riding a motorbike, writing: 'My whole world x I will love you forever x I always choose you baby x you're the most amazing person I know xx me and you forever baby.'
The Sun
25 minutes ago
- The Sun
Once-thriving Debenhams store loved in the 90s to be transformed into cinema, gym & hundreds of homes
A DEBENHAMS that was once a bustling shopping hub is set to be transformed into a co-living space. The former store is set to be demolished and replaced by a ten-storey block with a cinema, gym and podcast studio. 2 Similar to student halls, the plan submitted to Chelmsford City Council envisages 181 single-occupancy rooms. If approved, each room will have a bed, kitchenette and an ensuite bathroom. They will also have a wardrobe, desk and storage. The communal spaces will contain facilities like a lounge, co-working space, event space, a gym, cinema and podcast studio. The shared areas will be available to the public on an invite-only basis. The vision for the development is to provide young professionals with affordable living spaces. Co-living housing is a new concept that is defined by a large-scale purpose-built shared accommodation. In cities, there has been a rise in single people and couples living in warehouses and large disused buildings for cheap rent. Savills have said that co-living schemes are a way to tackle the cripling housing crisis by "offering shared affordable, high quality accommodation, predominantly for 18 to 40-year-olds, with fully furnished private living units, communal areas and often flexible working space'. A planning statement said: 'The site sits in a primary location within the Chelmsford City Centre, opposite the River Chelmer and within walking distance to Chelmsford High Street, and to both Chelmsford train station and bus station. It was formerly in use as the servicing block to the adjacent Debenhams department store. "However, it is now redundant with limited scope for it to be brought back into use for retail servicing. "On this basis, it presents as a highly sustainable brownfield site with substantial scope to enhance and contribute towards the wider strategic goals of Chelmsford." This comes after another former Debenhams was given a new lease of life as an entertainment venue. After the business went into administration in 2020, hundreds of the huge department stores were left empty on UK high streets. Now, one of the abandoned stores has been completely transformed into the ultimate entertainment space. The Debenhams in Midsummer Place, Milton Keynes has been revamped by entertainment company Lane 7. The 40,000 square foot space has been kitted out with a bowling alley, roller skating rink, golf simulators, bumper cars, pool tables and a gaming experience. Lane 7's Luke Harvey said: "The culture of what people want from their nights out has changed a lot recently, the shift from being a drinking culture has stopped a little bit, especially for 18-24 year olds. "People want a little more from their nights out; they don't necessarily want to go to a nightclub anymore. "They want something fun and something they can do with a range of different friends and families." Since opening in March, the venue has seen about 2,300 visitors on its busiest days which are usually Friday nights and evenings. The entertainment company has taken over the ground floor, while Sports Direct occupies the upper floors. Although shoppers can still buy from Debenhams online, all of its 124 beloved high street stores closed down because of falling profits and rising debt. The financial problems were triggered by a combination of consumers moving online, as well as Covid lockdowns which stalled profits. Across the country, councils and developers have been repurposing former Debenhams stores. One in Northampton was demolished and replaced by student housing in October 2024, a fate that will follow for the two other stores left in the city. 2
Daily Mail
26 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
I'LL SHOW YOU! New Rangers boss Russell Martin says he's been proving critics wrong throughout his career
Russell Martin has vowed to win over his critics after being unveiled as Rangers ' new head coach. The 39-year-old was paraded at Ibrox yesterday after signing a three-year deal to spearhead the revolution under the club's new American owners. The former Scotland and Norwich City defender, who had a brief loan stint at Rangers in 2018, has previously managed MK Dons, Swansea and Southampton. But his appointment has been met with some disapproval and anger among the fanbase, with many supporters questioning his credentials for the job. Asked if he is confident he can silence the critics, Martin replied: 'Yeah, I have to be. I think I have a lot to prove. I have done it my whole career. 'My whole career has been based on proving people wrong, really. At every level, I got questioned. 'I got to the Premier League as a player. I wasn't convinced that I could do it, but I managed to establish myself there for a little while. 'I ended up playing four or five seasons there, played international football, which I'm incredibly proud of. 'So, it's the same again as a manager, I have to prove people wrong at every opportunity.' Out of work since leaving Southampton last December, Martin was described as the standout candidate by Rangers chief executive Patrick Stewart in what became a lengthy recruitment process. The club had also held talks with Steven Gerrard and Davide Ancelotti, but it was Martin's vision, experience, and style of play that elevated him above the other contenders. 'There's always some names in football management that are always a bit more exciting than others, of course,' said Martin, when asked about his rivals for the job. 'I feel after five-and-a-half-years of being a manager, being a coach, being a leader in an environment, I love doing it. 'I'm going to be all in here with my energy, and my love for it, and passion, and hopefully that will reflect on the pitch and people will see that, and at some point they'll enjoy it. 'And hopefully, like I said, hopefully they just want to win, and if our team is winning, I'm sure they'll be happy. 'I don't think I've been the number one choice [among fans] at any club I've been at. But by the time we've left every club I've been at, I felt a real connection with the supporters. 'I am excited to be here and I want to build a Rangers team who the fans can identify with and are excited to watch.' The former centre-back, who won 29 caps between 2011 and 2017, revealed that he had knocked back a few jobs since leaving Southampton six months ago. He had been strongly linked with a move to Leicester City but made it clear to the Rangers hierarchy right from the outset that he wanted the job at Ibrox. Asked what success will look like moving forward, he explained: 'I think it's to win trophies. 'It's to build a culture at the training ground here that we are proud of, and that people can feel when they come into the building, and that the ownership want to feel when they come into the building. 'An environment of hard work, of honesty, of openness inside and outside of the building and to see a team that doesn't look different every week, that is always trying to improve and develop in our own way. 'Rather than focusing on the opposition too much or what other people are doing, we're going to do it our way and we're all going to be fully on the same page. 'I think the alignment and what I've felt over the last few weeks in the process is the most important part for me. The 39-year-old familiarises himself with the home dugout as he is introduced at Ibrox 'I think we're all on the same journey. We want to be successful and, ultimately at Rangers, that means to win trophies. 'We have to improve the team on the pitch, improve the environment on the pitch as much as we possibly can. Because there are already some brilliant people at the football club. 'Some of them I know and worked with here and I've spoken to over the last couple of days who I'm really excited to work with again, to see and link up with again. 'So to keep building on that and to bring our own twist on it and to win. I always want my teams to be aggressive, with and without the ball, and to be dominant.' The Rangers squad are currently on holiday and are not due back for pre-season until June 23. Martin will work alongside new sporting director Kevin Thelwell over the coming weeks to formulate plans around recruitment. It was also confirmed yesterday that Matt Gill, one of his long-time lieutenants, will come in as assistant manager, while Rhys Owen will join as a fitness and performance coach.
