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Lonely lives, falling between the gaps, are at the heart of this 1935 psychological thriller by Rodney Ackland, adapted from Hugh Walpole's novel. It's an atmospheric period piece, but isn't entirely a stretch to reflect on our own concerns about solitude in an ageing population.The three ladies in an English cathedral town are without partners, families or much of an income. They eke out their genteel poverty in a rickety boarding house. They weren't raised to work; Miss Beringer, in desperate need of a job, can only imagine becoming a paid companion or, possibly, flower arranging.In Brigid Larmour's finely etched production, irritable passions ferment beneath the frowsty knits and beads. The characters are prey to spite and greed, nerves and night terrors. Voices are tremulous; eyes glance at a fearful future.Beringer is the new lodger: Catherine Cusack, whittled by anxiety, timidly nibbles on a scallop-edged biscuit. She is welcomed by Julia Watson's Mrs Amorest, flustered but keeping up appearances. Down to her last £10, she writes into the void to a long-absent son.The third lady is Agatha. Fruitily overblown in the novel, that's how Edith Evans played her in 1935. Abigail Thaw makes her disconcertingly eccentric: forbidding in jet black, she mocks and snaps at quivering Miss Beringer. She covets Beringer's one cherished possession – a translucent chunk of amber from a beloved female friend.It's a play of cross-hatched conversations and melodramatic plotting. Larmour's design team help turn the screw: the dank-toned house and clothes in tones of moth and cobweb, a bitter wind blowing.Ackland's plays about rackety lives are increasingly revived. He, Walpole and John Gielgud, the play's original director, were all queer artists, and it's tempting to imagine them drawn to these lives on the margins of British society. Though these ladies don't so much rage against the dying of the light as wait, fearfully, to be snuffed out.

Brazilian filmmaker presents an unconventional erotic thriller that suspends realism to maintain eroticism throughout, culminating in a startling and absurd finale. The film, 'Night Stage', revolves around Matias, a young actor in a physical theatre company, who becomes entangled in a secret affair with Rafael, a closeted politician on the verge of becoming mayor.Matias and Rafael develop a fetish for public sex, driven by the thrill of almost being discovered. This addiction to furtive encounters leads to a series of events with violent and fatal consequences, triggered by an arbitrary connection between Rafael and the director of a TV show featuring Matias's friend and fellow actor, Fabio.The film's portrayal of public sex as a metaphor for the complex dynamics of gay men navigating societal pressures and self-acceptance is noteworthy. However, 'Night Stage' primarily focuses on presenting public sex as a source of eroticism and social significance. The movie's climax is characterized by crazily climactic and borderline-absurd moments, emphasizing the sex-fantasy aspect.'Night Stage' is set to release in UK and Irish cinemas on April 3 and will be available on digital platforms from May 11.

Actor Paul Dano is inviting fans to ask him questions in a special Guardian reader interview. This comes after a recent controversy sparked by Quentin Tarantino's comments on Dano's acting abilities, calling him 'weak sauce'. Tarantino's remarks, made on a podcast last year, led to a strong reaction from the film community, with George Clooney, Toni Collette, Ben Stiller, and Daniel Day-Lewis coming to Dano's defense. Dano has had a successful career with notable roles in films such as There Will Be Blood, Love & Mercy, 12 Years a Slave, and Prisoners. His versatility as an actor has been praised, particularly his ability to portray complex characters with a likable yet quietly unnerving quality. Dano is also set to appear in the upcoming political thriller The Wizard of the Kremlin, where he plays a young artist in 90s Russia who becomes an influential government official. The film, starring Jude Law as a young Vladimir Putin, is set to release in UK and Irish cinemas on April 17. Interested fans can post their questions for Dano by 6pm GMT on April 2, and his answers will be published shortly after.

The Netflix series Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen has been making waves with its chilling storyline and terrifying plot twists. The show follows Rachel, a young woman who embarks on a night drive to meet her fiancé's parents for the first time, only to find herself entangled in a web of horror and suspense.The series, created by Haley Z Boston and produced by the Duffer Brothers, masterfully crafts an atmosphere of tension and fear, leaving viewers on the edge of their seats. The reviewer praises Camila Morrone's performance as Rachel, describing her as having an 'irreducible strength and spirit' that adds credibility to the show.The show's exploration of themes such as marriage, family, and the blurring of reality and horror is both thought-provoking and unsettling. The reviewer notes that the series' underlying terror is rooted in the message: 'What does marriage really mean? Do we ever really know someone?' These questions are woven throughout the narrative, making the show a psychological thriller as much as a horror series.The cast, including Adam DiMarco and Jennifer Jason Leigh, delivers solid performances that add to the show's eerie atmosphere. The reviewer's verdict is that 'Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen' is a must-watch for horror fans, but be prepared to sleep with the lights on.

Amazon Prime's latest action thriller, Pretty Lethal, brings a unique twist to the genre by featuring a group of young ballet dancers who use their skills to take down bad guys in Eastern Europe. The film, directed by Vicky Jewson, offers a fresh take on the action genre with its blend of ballet and combat. The story follows a group of American dancers, including Lana Condor, Maddie Ziegler, and Millicent Simmonds, who are on their way to a competition in Budapest when their bus breaks down in the middle of nowhere. They soon find themselves facing off against a group of ruthless henchmen, led by Uma Thurman's character, Devora. With a runtime of less than 90 minutes, Jewson keeps the action fast-paced and thrilling, making use of the dancers' skills to create a unique and entertaining fight choreography. While the script may feel a bit basic at times, the film's energy and tenacity make up for it. Pretty Lethal is not trying to be a high-brow film, but it does offer a refreshing change of pace from the usual nihilistic and smug action films. The young actors, including Condor, Ziegler, and Simmonds, deliver convincing performances as they learn to fight on the job. Uma Thurman, as the villain Devora, brings a level of hammy humor to the film, but her performance feels somewhat underutilized. Overall, Pretty Lethal is a fun and entertaining action thriller that is worth checking out.

The Belfast-set true-crime thriller 'No Ordinary Heist' is based on real-life events from 2004, but the film feels underpowered and apologetic, clumsily assembled and blandly directed by Colin McIvor. The two main male headliners, Eddie Marsan and Éanna Hardwicke, deliver fine performances, although Marsan's casting raises questions.Marsan does a good job nailing the Belfast accent, but his presence is recessive, making him an odd choice for the role of Richard Murray, an uptight bank manager. The bank robbers are fairly undifferentiated, apart from a skeevy character played by JB Moore. The film touches on the tension between past and future Northern Ireland, but this rich seam is not thoroughly mined.The film also explores a subplot about Murray being pressured by the bank's owners to make half the staff redundant, which is of particular interest to security chief Mags (Michelle Fairley). However, this strand is left hanging, wasting Fairley's talent. Ultimately, the film feels like the makers had neither the budget nor the vision to make the material sing, resulting in a most ordinary work.No Ordinary Heist is set to release in UK and Irish cinemas from 27 March.

The 2026 Bafta TV award nominations have been announced, with Adolescence, Jack Thorne's groundbreaking drama about a teen accused of murder, leading the pack with 11 nominations. The Netflix psychological crime drama, described by the Guardian as “the closest thing to TV perfection in decades,” has garnered significant attention, including the first Bafta TV performance nominations for supporting actor and actress awards for four of its stars: Ashley Walters, Christine Tremarco, Erin Doherty, and Owen Cooper.Created by Thorne and Stephen Graham, and directed by Philip Barantini, the drama was also nominated for Bafta’s Memorable Moment award for the scene where Jamie snaps at the psychologist. Jane Millichip, CEO of Bafta, praised the diversity and originality of British storytelling, highlighting 124 nominated programmes.First-time nominees include Ellis Howard (What It Feels Like for a Girl) and James Nelson-Joyce (This City is Ours) for best leading actor, as well as best leading actress nominee Narges Rashidi (Prisoner 951). Nine-year-old Rafael Mathé also received his first Bafta nod for best supporting actor in The Death of Bunny Munro, alongside Owen Cooper for Adolescence.A Thousand Blows, a historical drama series created by Steven Knight, received seven nominations, including drama series, leading actress, and costume design. Andor, a politically charged thriller, and Trespasses, an adaptation of Louise Kennedy’s novel, both received six nominations. The Celebrity Traitors received five nominations for presenter Claudia Winkleman and performances.The BBC received the most nominations for a broadcaster, with 73, followed by Netflix and Sky with 28 nominations and Channel 4 with 25. The 2026 TV Baftas will take place on Sunday, May 10, 2026, hosted by Greg Davies.

The film 'Empire of Lies' starts with a promising premise for a low-budget psychological thriller, set entirely in a field in Gloucestershire. The story revolves around Dave, a middle-aged man played by Joseph Millson, who lives in a caravan and keeps a gun in his kitchen cupboard. His life takes a dramatic turn when a young woman, claiming to be a YouTuber, enters his field with a camera.The woman, played by Natalie Spence, uncovers a dark past, revealing that Dave's climate-activist daughter has been murdered, with Dave as the prime suspect. The police lack evidence to charge him, but the media has vilified him. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Dave is a far-right conspiracist with extreme views on various topics, including Covid and dinosaurs.The film's tension builds as Dave shares his side of the story with the YouTuber, who initially appears earnest in her pursuit of truth. However, the script and direction struggle to maintain the high-wire act, making the twist ending feel somewhat unsatisfying. Despite solid performances from the actors, the film fails to generate enough genuine emotion or intrigue to keep viewers engaged.'Empire of Lies' is set to release in UK cinemas on March 27 and on digital platforms on April 13.