There was much anticipation amongst fans for the release of this brutal epilogue to the series. However, many were disappointed with the outcome. I had only watched two seasons, but references were made enough in the dialogue for the scenarios of the past to be understood. Set during WWII, it follows an older, haunted Tommy Shelby returning to a bombed-out Birmingham to battle new, dark threats, balancing intense family drama with violence at the fore and grime and gore aplenty. There is an excellent ensemble cast.

I wasn’t too keen on yet another art heist/forgery premise, but this crime thriller was set with a nostalgic look at late-1970s Rome, which was where it was at going by all the shenanigans taking place. It is somewhat fragmented in that there are so many dodgy people involved one gets lost as to who is aligned with who and who’s next for the chop, and then there’s the political thread, which may be confusing if you’re not up on your Italian factions. Pietro Castellitto gives a charming performance as Toni, who constantly jumps from one dangerous situation to another, seemingly without thought and taking his friends along with him. It is said to be based on real events.

There are a few anomalies with this crime drama, but it’s got an interesting plot for the most part. The story follows best friends Bodil and Isabel, apparently happily married, who sneak off for secret affairs using each other as an alibi. But when Isabel is killed when they were supposed to have been together, Bodil gets caught up in her own web of lies. There’s a touch of the, “hang on a minute, that wouldn’t happen”, about this one, but it did keep my attention, which is no mean feat. The location was quite attractive, being in South Holland, which is in the West of Netherlands.

In a lighter mood, there’s nothing like the dysfunctional family plot to provide entertainment. Jason Bateman and Adam Driver certainly do that in this comedy, aided by Jane Fonda and Tiny Fey. The chaos begins when four dysfunctional siblings are forced to sit Shiva for their father. Deeply buried emotions and grudges bubble to the surface, erupting at inopportune moments. It’s not brilliant in that Home for the Holidays vein, but it does get you laughing as the kids are still competing against each other even though they are supposed to be adults. Jane Fonda is wonderful as their voluptuous mum.

Here it’s 19-year-old Percy’s parents who are a tad dysfunctional. Elevated by a hilarious performance from Jennifer Lawrence as Maddie, the premise is a little unusual when a 32-year-old woman is hired by wealthy parents to “date” their awkward son. The dynamic between Maddie and Percy is fractious at first, but they begin to have a rapport of sorts. It’s an enjoyable, quite amusing comedy.

This is a Rob Reiner film I was unaware of. He gave us so much fun in his films. He will be missed. Adjectives thrown around for this comedy drama are charming, nostalgic, coming-of-age etc. and it is all of those. It follows two neighbours, Juli and Bryce, from second grade to junior high, telling their first-love story through different perspectives. It is set in the 1960s and focuses on being non-judgemental, kind to those around you and all that. Yes, it’s one of those feel-good, heartwarming tales. RIP Rob Reiner.

This is a gem I somehow overlooked. It is poignant in that it is Sophia Loren’s final film, directed by her son Edoardo Ponti. She plays Madame Rosa, a Holocaust survivor who forms an unlikely bond with a young Senegalese orphan. It’s a tender exploration of how Rosa eventually wins over the floundering Momo, who’s lived on the streets and fended for himself. The film covers age, loss, loneliness, respect and everything in between. A beautiful, sensitive story.

I was brought up by my kids on the Red Hot Chili Peppers music. It rang through our house before school, after school and times in between. This a candid documentary focusing on the band’s formative years and the tragic story of founding guitarist Hillel Slovak, featuring emotional chats with Anthony Kiedis and Flea. I loved the archive footage of the boys before fame swept them up. Without Hillel, the Chili Peppers may never have happened.

I have some knowledge of the usual facts about Einstein, but this docudrama gave me a new insight. It explores Albert Einstein’s exile from Nazi Germany to England and his conflict over influencing the creation of atomic weapons. There are reenactments using Einstein’s own words and amazing archival footage of that time.

Staying with WWII, this story is based on the international bestseller by Robert Harris. It is Autumn 1938 and Europe stands on the brink of war. Adolf Hitler is preparing to invade Czechoslovakia and Neville Chamberlain’s government desperately seeks a peaceful solution. With the pressure building, Hugh Legat, British civil servant, and Paul von Hartmann, German diplomat, travel to Munich for the emergency Conference. As negotiations begin, the two old friends find themselves at the centre of a web of political subterfuge and very real danger. A suspenseful drama, that holds the attention.