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EXPATS

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Although the critics weren’t impressed, I found this to be well worth viewing. Set against the vibrant and tumultuous tapestry of 2014 Hong Kong, Expats centres on three American women, Margaret, Hilary, and Mercy, whose lives intersect after a sudden family tragedy. The series interrogates privilege and explores what happens when the line between victimhood and culpability becomes blurred. I was absorbed and engaged throughout the whole series. Plus, it was interesting to see a story set in Hong Kong that didn’t involve martial arts ad infinitum.

DIRECTOR:

LULU WANG

CAST

NICOLE KIDMAN, SARAYU BLUE, JI-YOUNG YOO, BRIAN TEE, JACK HUSTON, JACK HUSTON, AMELYN PARDENILLA

RICHES

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This drama is about families and how they can pop up when you least expect it and cause havoc for everyone. The story tells of Stephen Richards who has built a cosmetics empire, but when he suffers a stroke, his family’s secrets and lies rise to the surface and the future of his multi-million-pound company is at stake. The secrets exposed certainly get everyone in a dither. Worth a look because it’s different to other series around at the moment.

DIRECTOR:

DARCIA MARTIN, SEBASTIAN THIEL, ABBY AJAYI

CAST

DEBORAH AYORINDE, SARAH NILES, CJ BECKFORD, ADEYINKA AKINRINADE, HERMIONE NORRIS, HUGH QUARSHIE

THE FALL

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Having only watched the first season of this excellent series, I decided to binge watch three seasons in one weekend. Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan star in this psychological thriller that examines the lives of two hunters. One is a serial killer who stalks his victims in and around Belfast and the other is a talented Detective Superintendent from the MET who is brought in to catch him. Fantastic viewing with an excellent ensemble cast.

DIRECTOR:

ALLAN CUBITT, JAKOB VERBRUGGEN

CAST

GILLIAN ANDERSON, JAMIE DORNAN, JOHN LYNCH, AISLING FRANCIOSI, NIAMH MCGRADY, STUART GRAHAM

DANCING ON THE GRAVE

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This is a confronting documentary from India. The murder committed is difficult to take in. The spine-chilling circumstances surrounding the demise of Shakereh Khaleeli in the early 90s in Bangalore are explored in depth by her family, police and media. In May 1994, after a sting operation, the police of Karnataka uncovered the skeletal remains of Shakereh’s body buried deep in the courtyard of her own house. Shakereh’s murder was considered one of the most heinous crimes of Indian criminal history, deeply affecting the nation.

DIRECTOR:

PATRICK GRAHAM

MR. & MRS. SMITH

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Although I didn’t watch the 2005 film of the same name, I thought this may be worth a look. The ensemble cast attached also upped the ante. The series tells of two strangers who land jobs with a spy agency that offers them a life of espionage, wealth, and travel. The catch: new identities in an arranged marriage. There is a lot of love and humour in this story, which I didn’t expect. And a bit of trivia for this one is that John Smith’s mother is played by Donald Glover’s actual mother, Beverly Glover. An entertaining drama action series created by Donald Glover, who also stars.

DIRECTOR:

KARENA EVANS, HIRO MURAI, AMY SEIMETZ, DONALD GLOVER

CAST

DONALD GLOVER, MAYA ERSKINE, PAUL DANO, PARKER POSEY, BEVERLY GLOVER, WAGNER MOURA, RON PERLMAN

RED QUEEN

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The rapport between Vicky Luengo and Hovik Keuchkerian as Atonia and Jon in this excellent Spanish series is what makes it a joy to view. Adapted from Juan Gomez-Jurado’s novel this is a tense thriller, which had me enthralled from the beginning. With an IQ of 242, Antonia Scott is officially the smartest person on Earth. Her intelligence earned her the chance to become the “Red Queen” of a secret and experimental police project across Europe, but what seemed like a gift turned into a curse, and she ended up losing everything. When the son of a powerful banker is found grotesquely murdered, and the heiress of the richest man in Spain is kidnapped, the Red Queen joins forces with Jon Gutiérrez, a temperamental but kind-hearted Basque police officer who lives with his mother Maritxu, wonderfully portrayed by Karmele Larrinaga. A thriller in every sense of the word. I sat up all night to watch every episode and it was worth it!

DIRECTOR:

KOLDO SERRA, JULIAN DE TAVIRA

CAST

VICKY LUENGO, HOVIK KEUCHKERIAN, CELIA FREIJEIRO, NACHO FRESNEDA, ANDREA TREPAT, KARMELE LARRINAGA

WEDDING.CON

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In India women are under extreme pressure to marry. If you’re single you are not caring for your parents and family. As a result, many women seek husbands online, to their detriment. Many are scammed and have no recourse as they are looked on by police and those in authority as being stupid for allowing themselves to get into this situation. It is extremely demoralising. In this documentary five women seeking marriage get exploited by conmen posing as grooms online, losing money and getting emotionally manipulated. Such a confronting exploration, showing the sexism which is prevalent in Indian society.

DIRECTOR:

TANUJA CHANDRA

POACHER

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What a gem this series is from India, based on true events and filmed in real-life settings in Kerala and New Delhi. The extensive forest scenes were shot in the forests of Kuttumpuzha in Kerala. As you can imagine, due to the subject matter, it is heartbreaking at times, but there is a positive outcome eventually. The story begins when a guilt-stricken man stumbles into a Forest Department outpost, confessing to the murder of elephants. His admission sets off a gripping crime drama, uncovering the devastating effects of illegal poaching activities and the elaborate web of cover-ups by the very people tasked to protect wildlife. Under constant threat, a scattered group of officers, NGO workers, and volunteers chase leads and untangle threads in their search for justice. As a result, no targeted poaching for ivory has been reported since 2015. An excellent docu-drama, created and directed by Richie Mehta, which should be watched by lovers of elephants and their preservation.

DIRECTOR:

RICHIE MEHTA

CAST

NIMISHA SAJAYAN, ROSHAN MATHEW, DIBYENDU BHATTACHARYA, ANKITH MADHAV, KANI KUSRUTI, DENZIL SMITH, SANOOP DINESH

BROADCHURCH

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WHY SHOULD YOU WATCH?

Even if one knows the outcome of this excellent series, which has a talented UK cast lead by David Tennant and Olivia Colman, it’s still worth a revisit. There are three seasons to keep you riveted for a whole weekend. Just to watch David run through his repertoire of facial expressions is enough to keep one interested. A seemingly calm and friendly seaside town, with picturesque cliffs looking out over the ocean, becomes wrapped in secrets when the death of an 11-year-old boy sparks an unwanted media frenzy. As the town’s locals start to open up about what they do and don’t know, it falls upon the police to catch the supposed killer. The conclusion shatters friendships, marriages and families.

DIRECTOR:

JAMES STRONG, PAUL ANDREW WILLIAMS, EUROS LYN

CAST

DAVID TENNANT, OLIVIA COLMAN, JODIE WHITTAKER, ANDREW BUCHAN, MATTHEW GRAVELLE, PAULINE QUIRK, JOE SIMS