Latest news with #murdermystery
The Sun
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Win a copy of Can You Solve The Murder? by Antony Johnston in this week's Fabulous book competition
IF you love a murder mystery and grew up reading choose-your-own-adventure novels, then grab a copy of this brilliant book. Step into a detective's shoes when you arrive at Elysium wellness retreat to find the body of a local businessman – and a host of suspects and motives! 1 10 lucky Fabulous readers will win a copy of this new novel in this week's book competition. To win a copy, enter using the form below by 11:59pm on June 14, 2025. For full terms and conditions, click here.
The Guardian
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Wicked, Mountainhead and Nicolas Cage's Surfer: what's new to streaming in Australia in June
TV, Australia, 2025 – out 6 June I wasn't a big fan of Jane Harper's murder mystery The Survivors: the characters never engaged me and it seemed obsessed with bridging a gap between past and present. Plus, its central metaphor – about the ocean dredging up old secrets – felt rather laboured. So I'm hesitant, albeit curious, about Tony Ayres' Netflix adaptation, which will surely deploy flashbacks aplenty, like the two previous Harper adaptations: The Dry and its sequel. The setting is the fictitious Evelyn Bay, which is upended after a young woman is murdered on the beach. Charlie Vickers plays Kieran Elliott, who has recently returned to the town with his partner, Mia (Yerin Ha), and their baby, still feeling profound guilt over a terrible event that occurred 15 years ago. Could the two events be connected? Film, USA, 2024 – out 26 June The most audacious thing about Wicked is the framing of Elphaba Thropp. Turns out the so-called Wicked Witch of the West is actually a good person, her reputation cruelly sullied by Emerald City's propaganda machine. In director Jon M. Chu's glossy blockbuster, she is played by Cynthia Erivo, who of course belts out a show-stopping number about defying gravity. My favourite part is a daffy but good-natured, symbolism-heavy side plot, about animals being targeted by a government that wants to lock them up and remove their ability to speak. Film, Australia/US, 2018 – out 28 June Leigh Whannell's low-budget but very slick and polished sci-fi is a lean, mean, thrillingly executed revenge movie. Based in the not-too-distant future, the plot rockets to life when its mechanic protagonist, Grey (Logan Marshall-Green), is attacked by transhuman criminals, who kill his wife and turn him into a quadriplegic. An experimental procedure gives him back the use of his body, with the condition that he must share it with a computer. Frenetic, frame-flipping action scenes show the computer taking control and making mince meat of any fool who stands in Grey's way. But maybe the AI has its own agenda. Whannell strikes a cracking balance, combining midnight movie thrills and spills with juicy ideas. Honourable mentions: Rumours (film, 5 June), Tires season 2 (TV, 5 June), K.O. (film, 6 June), Titan: The Oceangate Disaster (TV, 11 June), Fubar season 2 (TV, 12 June), The Pope's Exorcist (film, 15 June), Squid Game: season 3 (TV, 27 June). Film, Australia/Ireland, 2025 – out 15 June Want to know what Wake in Fright would look like with Nicolas Cage taking the lead? The Surfer is the closest you'll come to finding out. Cage plays a well-off businessperson who, after many years abroad, returns to the small Australian coastal town he grew up in, determined to buy his old family home. When he arrives at the local beach, however, he's accosted by a gang of hoodlums who steal his surfboard and repeatedly bark their mantra: 'Don't live here, don't surf here.' All-out war erupts, triggering a downward spiral for the protagonist and a familiar treat for the audience: watching Nic Cage go nuts. Before you know it, he's babbling like a madman and drinking beer from puddles. Director Lorcan Finnegan maintains an ironic touch, cutting to shampoo commercial visions of sand and surf. But the tone is ferociously surreal. TV, UK, 2025 – out 4 June Near the beginning of creator Stephen Butchard's BBC crime series, Sean Bean's character, Ronnie Phelan, wonders whether his margins 'could be better' and issues his right hand man Michael (James Nelson-Joyce) the following directive: 'Same gear, better price.' Ronnie is a crime boss with an eye on retirement, wanting to boost his coffers before slipping off into the sunset with his wife (Julie Graham). This creates a succession struggle, the top contenders being Michael and Ronnie's eldest son Jamie (Jack McMullen). There's nothing wildly original about any of this, but, going by the first episode, it's diligently made, with strong performances and downcast vibes. Film, Australia, 2025 – out 15 June 'At our beach, at our magic beach … ' If you're a parent there's a good chance those words have been emblazoned on to your psyche, thanks to the gorgeous writing and illustrations of Alison Lester. Separated into 10 chapters, each inspired by different pages and animated in a different style, Robert Connolly's adaptation – as I wrote in my review – is 'a beautifully imperfect production, shirking the straight lines, smooth curves and spit-polished surfaces so ubiquitous in mainstream kids' movies'. Honourable mentions: The Last Man on Earth seasons 1-4 (TV, 4 June), Coming 2 America (film, 7 June), Magic Mike (film, 8 June), Marie Antoinette (film, 15 June), The Kids Are Alright (film, 25 June). TV, Denmark/France/Sweden/Czech Republic/Belgium/Norway/Germany, 2024 – out 20 June This is the first TV series from director Thomas Vinterberg, whose previous film Another Round was a sharp, entertaining, and very boozy tale of a group of school teachers who attempt to remain neither sober nor drunk. The subject is grimmer this time around: Families Like Ours is set in a climate-devastated future where Denmark is evacuated due to rising sea levels. Property becomes worthless and much of the population become refugees. In the words of the Guardian's Lucy Mangan, 'Vinterberg takes what most of us treat as an existential threat, a problem too huge and frightening to think about, and puts it into a more manageable frame.' TV, Australia, 2025 – out 19 June Packaged in the form of six 10-minute episodes – though I recommend watching them all in one sitting – Moonbird is set on a remote Tasmanian island, exploring the relationship between a father (Kyle Morrison) who's teaching his son (Lennox Monaghan) about the Aboriginal tradition of muttonbirding, which involves the harvesting of mutton bird chicks. There are tensions: the boy says he doesn't 'believe in murdering innocent sea birds' while Dad insists that 'this is your culture'. The story is modest but hits its emotional beats, and the location is immersively captured by director, co-creator and co-writer Nathan Maynard. Honourable mentions: Two Hands (film, 1 June), The Last Samurai (film, 1 June), The Long Kiss Goodnight (film, 1 June), Paperback Hero (film, 6 June), La Storia (TV, 12 June), Lord of the Flies (film, 13 June), Black Daisies (TV, 26 June), Iris (TV, 26 June), Constantine (film, 27 June), Midsommar (film, 28 June), My Name Is Gulpilil (film, 30 June). TV, UK, 2025 – out 3 June How 'bout some good old-fashioned dinosaurs? The original Walking with Dinosaurs series premiered in 1999, generating big ratings. But, uh-oh, the remake didn't impress the Guardian's Jack Seale, who described it as nothing more than 'a decent dino documentary' that 'feels cheap and tired'. Sounds like (apologies) a dinosnore! Honourable mentions: Police Rescue (TV, 1 June), Guy Montgomery's Guy Mont Spelling Bee season two (TV, 4 June), Bay of Fires season 2 (TV, 15 June), Little Disasters season 1 (TV, 15 June), Jane Austen: Rise of a Genius (TV, 16 June), Prime Suspect (TV, 29 June), The Gulf seasons 1-2 (TV, 20 June). Film, US, 2024 – out 3 June Nicole Kidman delivers one of her best and bravest performances in years as Romy Mathis, a robotics company CEO who engages in a very steamy and kinky affair with Samuel (Harris Dickinson), a much younger intern. As their relationship intensifies, one can sense things probably aren't going to end well, with plenty of intense 'no, don't do it!' moments. Kidman is unsettlingly good at layering a character turned on by danger and risk. Honourable mentions: Mr Robot seasons 1-4 (TV, 1 June), Deep Cover (film, 12 June), Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (film, 1 June), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (film, 1 June), The Twisters (film, 4 June), Ready Player One (film, 17 June), We Were Liars (TV, 18 June), Promising Young Woman (film, 19 June), Countdown (TV, 25 June), Heretic (film, 26 June), The Hunger Games (film, 30 June). Film, US, 2025 – out 1 June Four ultra-wealthy tech bros gather for a poker weekend in the mountains in the film directorial debut of Succession creator Jesse Armstrong. As they're there – gasbassing about apps, deals, and the need for 'digital milkshakes' and 'robot handjobs' – the wider world descends into chaos, largely due to technology their companies have rolled out. This is strikingly sharp and timely satire, with smugly entertaining performances from Steve Carell, Cory Michael Smith, Ramy Youssef and Jason Schwartzman. Film, US, 2025 – date TBC The sensationally popular Minecraft movie doesn't do a great job introducing its world to people, like me, who are largely ignorant of it, beyond some basic information and an appreciation of that blocky aesthetic. But I got the sense this was deliberate; one, as they say, for the fans – and by god there are lots of them. The story revolves around a bunch of people who are pulled into the 'Overworld' via a magical portal. The film is immensely boosted by Jack Black and Jason Momoa's highly entertaining performances – particularly the latter, who's dressed in an outrageously great pink leather jacket. Honourable mentions: The Mortician (TV, 2 June), The Expendables 1-3 (film, 14 June), Sherri Papini: Caught in the Lie (TV, 20 June), John Wick (film, 21 June), The Matrix (film, 21 June), The Matrix Reloaded (film, 21 June), The Matrix Revolutions (film, 21 June), Enigma (film, 25 June), My Mom Jayne (film, 28 June), When No One Sees Us (TV, 30 June). Film, UK, 2025 – out 8 June David Attenborough sure has a great work ethic – especially for someone who's almost 100. The new documentary from the legendary presenter and biologist is a deeply alarming assessment of the health of the world's oceans, which are in serious trouble due to overfishing. The film (co-directed by Colin Butfield, Toby Nowlan and Keith Scholey) carefully establishes that ocean life lives in a delicate balance, before examining the sheer ruination of the seas: a terribly sad state of affairs. The last act, as is common in activist documentaries, is more optimistic, offering some potential solutions. It's nicely shot and, of course, beautifully narrated by Atto. Honourable mentions: Mission: Impossible 1-6 (film, 1 June), Predator: Killer of Killers (film, 6 June), The Incredible Hulk (film, 20 June), Ironheart (TV, 25 June), The Bear season 4 (TV, 26 June). TV, US, 2025 – out 4 June Will Apple's new comedy-drama do for golf what Ted Lasso did for baseball? Probably not. But its appeal extends far beyond those who love whacking balls across well-maintained lawns. In large part because of Owen Wilson, who's just so damn likable as Pryce Cahill, a former professional golfer with a chequered relationship to the sport. He's convinced that a young talent (Peter Dager) can crack the big time, taking the (initially reluctant) kid under his wing. All of this fits comfortably within a familiar sports narrative format, at least going by the first two episodes. There's not the faintest desire to risk or innovate. But it's pleasant, moreish viewing. Honourable mentions: Echo Valley (film, 13 June), Smoke (film, 27 June).
The Review Geek
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Review Geek
Has The Better Sister been renewed for Season 2? Here's what we know:
Summary The Better Sister is the latest Amazon Prime Video Original. This murder mystery has everything from family drama and betrayals to sloppy investigations and shocking confessions. Amazon Prime Video determines whether to renew a show based on various factors such as completion rate, viewership numbers, production costs, and more. As of now, there's no news regarding the renewal of The Better Sister, but we look at the possibility of a Season 2. The Better Sister is another exciting Amazon Prime Video Original that graced our screens in May 2025. With complex themes of estrangement, mental health, domestic abuse and corruption, it's for those who are fans of thriller dramas. The 8-episode show stars Jessica Biel, Elizabeth Banks, Corey Stoll, Kim Dickens, Maxwell Acee Donovan and more. Based on the book of the same name by Alafair Burke, it is directed by Craig Gillespie who is known for I, Tonya and Cruella. With bittersweet moments and plot twists, the season finale will have viewers on the edge of their seats. If you've watched the first season and want to know if there will be a second, this article has all the details you're looking for. Here's everything we know: What is The Better Sister Season 1 about? The Better Sister Season 1 begins with the murder of Adam Macintosh, a rich and successful lawyer and husband to the equally successful editor-in-chief, Chloe Taylor. Chloe has the perfect life, is part of the upper echelons of New York City's richest and is known for her brand of honesty and sincerity. That is till Adam is murdered and her son, Ethan is targeted as the prime suspect. To make matters worse, the cops end up calling Chloe's white trash of a sister and addict, Nicky Macintosh, who is bitter that her sister stole her life. Not only is Nicky Adam's ex-wife, she is also Ethan's biological mother. As a high-profile case, Chloe's messy past is suddenly thrust under the spotlight, affecting her brand and her reputation. And with Detective Nancy Guidry hellbent on arresting Ethan, the estranged sisters must put aside their differences and work together to save their son and find Adam's real killer. We have extensive coverage of The Better Sister Season 1 on the site, including recaps for all episodes. You can find those HERE! Has The Better Sister Been Renewed for Season 2? At the time of writing, Amazon Prime Video hasn't renewed The Better Sister for a Season 2. Amazon tends to look at views and the drop-off rates before renewing or cancelling the show, along with the critical success. Some shows are instantly renewed like Reacher or Fallout while others take years such as THEM and Upload. Popular Amazon Prime Originals do get renewals most of the time but things look bleak for our 2025 show. The Better Sister has been labelled a limited series which means it will only have one season. What do we know about The Better Sister Season 2? Not much is known about The Better Sister Season 2 at the moment, given that it has not been greenlit. Not only is it a limited series, all of the plot points are wrapped up and most of the characters are given closure. There is no more source material to follow up on either. However, there is still the fact that Detective Nancy Guidry knows about Nicky which could always be explored. If the show does miraculously return, you can expect a season with approximately 8 episodes, each lasting around an hour. Nothing is confirmed yet, but we'll be sure to update this page as soon as any new information comes in. Would you like to see The Better Sister return for a second season? Or do you think the story has run its course? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Geek Tyrant
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Fun Trailer For Netflix Mystery Comedy THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB Starring Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan — GeekTyrant
Netflix has released a fun new trailer for their murder mystery comedy The Thursday Murder Club , featuring an all-star cast that includes Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, and Celia Imrie, as well as Naomi Ackie, Daniel Mays, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Tom Ellis, Jonathan Pryce, David Tennant, Paul Freeman, Geoff Bell, Richard E. Grant, and Ingrid Oliver. The film is directed by Chris Columbus ( Adventures in Babysitting , Home Alone & Home Alone 2 , Mrs. Doubtfire , Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone & Chamber of Secrets , Rent ). The screenplay is written by Katy Brand and Suzanne Heathcote, adapted from Richard Osman's book of the same name. The synopsis reads: 'Based on Richard Osman's bestselling novel of the same name, The Thursday Murder Club follows four irrepressible retirees - Elizabeth (Helen Mirren), Ron (Pierce Brosnan), Ibrahim (Ben Kingsley) and Joyce (Celia Imrie) - who spend their time solving cold case murders for fun. 'When an unexplained death occurs right on their own doorstep, their casual sleuthing takes a thrilling turn as they find themselves with a real whodunit on their hands. This looks like it will be a fun watch akin to Only Murders in the Building , with another really fun cast. Netflix will debut The Thursday Murder Club on August 28th, 2025. Check out the trailer below:
The Review Geek
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Review Geek
The Better Sister – Season 1 Episode 7 'Back from Red' Recap & Review
Episode 7 Episode 7 of The Better Sister begins with a flashback to the day before Chloe's event. Adam is tired of their celeb life and picks a fight over it. He pushes her and blames her for his anger. Ethan is talking to Nicky and sees everything. At present, Chloe tells Ethan that while she was angry, she didn't kill Adam. In the morning, Ethan is amused as Nicky and Chloe reminisce about their childhood. They had turned a prayer into a ghost story. For Chloe, the prayer would end in Wallace Lake while Nicky preferred Shadow Lake. The cops are back to square one as Jake has a strong alibi. The lieutenant insists that they need to find a killer as it is a high-profile case. Michelle hangs out with Jake and there are no hard feelings between them. They joke about how messy and dark white rich people are and she warns him to stay away from the Macintoshes. Chloe has come to apologise and she overhears. Once Michelle leaves, Jake looks defeated. He is upset that Chloe weaponised his feelings for her. It is confirmed that they didn't have an affair and the sex before the second hearing was the first time they did anything. He tells her to leave. On her way back, Chloe runs into Matt who reveals that he has been following her. He tells her to be careful about Olivero and she is weirded out by his obsession. The cops finally get a lead when Clark reveals that Arty was kicked out of the bar at 7 after a fight. A flashback shows Adam hiding at the bar instead of going to Chloe's party. He spots Arty and expects him joke about Chloe's controlling nature but it backfires. Arty is protective as he is aware of their shouting matches. He threatens Adam should he hurt Chloe and Clark kicks him out. Nancy heads to her psych eval and we learn of her trauma. She was after a trafficker and finally cornered him after a frustrating investigation. She attacked him instead of waiting for backup and almost died because of it. The therapist explains that she needs a support system that will understand her. Back at the NYC apartment, Arty is glad to see Ethan home. Chloe thanks him for looking out for the boy. She then checks Adam's computer and is annoyed to learn that Bill has deleted all files related to Gentry. Ethan decides to scatter Adam's ashes and gives a eulogy. Adam was an angry father and Ethan was quite scared of him. But he did love him. Nancy hounds Nicky next by showing up at the AA meeting. She nicks Nicky's cigarette for a DNA test but Nicky one-ups her. She ropes in Kevin and follows Nancy secretly. Meanwhile, Chloe tells Catherine that she is ready to come back to work. Catherine is sympathetic to Nicky's case. Chloe confesses that cutting off Nicky was practical but she regrets it. Catherine suggests writing a book about it to win over the board. And by giving the royalties to Nicky and letting her into their elite circle, Chloe can try and make it up to her. As for Nicky, she arrives at an assisted living facility where Nancy is visiting Eddy, a disabled man. She asks a nurse who reveals Nancy is responsible for Eddy's injuries and checks in on him at times. Back to Chloe, she meets Bill who insists on a fresh start. He assures that he didn't delete any files and warns her to stay away from the FBI. She doesn't buy his concern and he schemes with his assistant once she leaves. He is partially right as Agent Olivero shows up at Jake's. He has been blackmailing Adam and Jake into finding dirt on Gentry. Jake tries to refuse and Olivero roughs him up. Elsewhere, Nancy confronts Arty about his alibi and he claims that he has been having an affair. It checks out but what shocks her is when Arty reveals that Nicky is taking care of Adam's mother in Ohio. At the same time, Olivero meets Matt. Chloe gets the usual death threats and Nicky tries to lighten the mood. They are interrupted by Ethan who had put in a request for the files of the pool incident. The report claims Ethan was cold but he hadn't swallowed water. Nicky had a couple of pills and alcohol in her. Adam shared that Nicky was rambling the Wallace Lake prayer when he found her. The trio is shocked as this means Ethan didn't drown. And Chloe had told Adam about the Wallace Lake joke, he didn't know that Nicky had her Shadow Lake version. They realise that he lied. A flashback shows Nicky putting Ethan in a float and hanging about the house. Adam arrives and is upset that Ethan is floating alone in the pool. He roofies her lemonade and once she drinks it, she passes out in the pool. He calls the cops, claiming that his wife and son are drowning. At present, Chloe argues with Hallucination Adam who claims it was a matter of time before Nicky would have killed Ethan. He did it for his son. He also points out that Chloe's life would not be what it is had Nicky been in the picture. Chloe regrets the involuntary hold and cries. Nicky comforts her and reveals that she saw the files a few years ago. She was angry with Adam but knows Chloe was the better mother to Ethan. She was heartbroken when Adam ruined Chloe's life too. It is why she came back to protect her. Chloe is shocked by the confession and The Better Sister Episode 7 comes to a close. The Episode Review It looks like the Amazon Prime show has been sleeping for five episodes straight and now that the finish line is close, they are rushing to churn out their potential ideas into storylines. The Better Sister Episode 7 crams in several such plotlines like Arty's friendship with Chloe and Ethan, Nancy's trauma, Olivero's 'psycho' strategy, Jake's exploitation, Bill's shady behaviour which still has yet to reach a culmination point and Ethan's feelings about his father. We get that Adam's abusive and manipulative behaviour is the big reveal for the final conflict but the rest of the storylines could have easily been integrated from the beginning of the show. But in trying to keep up the suspense, the first six episodes resort to vague clues, suspicious behaviours and several red herrings which can end up boring viewers. These aspects are mostly fillers for when the episodes are not showcasing the sisters' estranged relationship. Had the writers paced out all the different subplots uniformly over the eight episodes, it could have made for a better thriller drama. Previous Episode Next Episode Expect A Full Season Write-Up When This Season Concludes!
