The Pitt to Two Prosecutors: the week in rave reviews
Why it matters: This week's top picks offer a compelling mix of drama, horror, and social commentary, promising gripping viewing.
- The Pitt is hailed as a gory, gripping medical drama that surpasses expectations, with reviewer Lucy Mangan specifically praising Noah Wyle's foundational performance.
- Boom Box: Beats and Betrayal exposes a shocking tale of police entrapment in north London, raising ethical questions about manipulation, according to Hannah J Davies.
- Bait is a smart meta-comedy where Riz Ahmed uses a James Bond audition to explore Muslim British identity and social media chaos, with Ellen E Jones noting its emotional authenticity despite the silly fun.
- Something Very Bad is Going to Happen by the Duffer Brothers is a terrifying cabin-in-the-woods horror with an unsettling underlying message, leaving Lucy Mangan "hysterical" and sleepless.
- LS Lowry: The Unheard Tapes is a revelatory dramatization starring Sir Ian McKellen, whose portrayal of the reclusive painter is described by Chitra Ramaswamy as a "bleak and beautiful northern wonder."
- Two Prosecutors is a haunting film by Sergei Loznitsa, based on a suppressed gulag story, which Peter Bradshaw describes as radiating an "icy chill of fear and justified paranoia."
This week's top reviews highlight a diverse array of gripping dramas and insightful comedies, with "The Pitt" lauded as a medical drama that lives up to its hype, while "Two Prosecutors" offers a chilling historical parable. Critics praise the depth of character exploration, from Noah Wyle's anchoring performance in "The Pitt" to Riz Ahmed's nuanced portrayal of Muslim British identity in "Bait," and Sir Ian McKellen's transformative role in "LS Lowry: The Unheard Tapes."
