TV
Black Mirror (available 21 October)
Charlie Brooker’s sinister dystopian anthology show makes its big-money move to Netflix – and according to first-look reviews, it’s a marvel: as dark as ever but more cinematic, more complex and with even bigger stars.
Luke Cage (available now)
Marvel heads across 110th Street into Harlem, where Luke Cage – TV’s first black superhero – soon finds out he’s bulletproof and gets to work stopping local criminals. A cool blend of comic-book humour and crime drama that’s also packed with R&B stars, from Faith Evans to Raphael Saadiq.
Designated Survivor (new episodes available every Wednesday)
Kiefer Sutherland is back! In this fun, high-energy thriller, he plays Tom Kirkman, a politician who’s fallen out of favour with Washington. That is, until Capitol Hill explodes, killing everyone inside, and he becomes the new President (like a 21st-century King Ralph). Kiefer may not be in CTU any more, but he’s on fine form.
Poldark (series one available 26 October)
If you haven’t yet become a signed-up ‘Darker, it’s high time you ventured down to Cornwall to partake in this lush period drama full of love triangles, mining and Aidan Turner scything.
Films
The 13th (available 7 October)
Ava DuVernay’s no-nonsense documentary about racism and the law is a brutal, vital wakeup call for America.
Mascots (available 13 October)
The latest mockumentary from Christopher Guest, who made Best in Show and A Mighty Wind, is about a group of 20 minor-league sports mascots who are competing for the coveted Fluffy award.
Justin Timberlake and the Tennessee Kids (available 12 October)
Acclaimed music documentary-maker Jonathan Demme (who also brought us Silence of the Lambs) goes behind-the-scenes at the final dates of JT’s world tour, at which he brings sexy back to Las Vegas.
Into the Inferno (available 28 October)
In Werner Herzog’s latest documentary, he’s exploring volcanoes up-close. A humbling, mesmerising work from a man with a clear passion for lakes of fire.
