Pick of the week
Love Con Revenge
You might recognise Cecilie Fjellhøy from Netflix’s 2022 documentary The Tinder Swindler – she was one of the victims of fraudster Simon Leviev. This series represents another related dispatch from the wild west of modern communication. Fjellhøy is turning detective, joining forces with formidable private investigator Brianne Joseph (“I’m like a pitbull: when I grab hold of something, I don’t let it go”) to unmask romantic scammers on behalf of men and women who have been duped. It is startling how widespread this kind of crime has become. Expect a mixture of assiduous online preparation and high-octane moments when scammers are physically confronted.
Netflix, from Friday 5 September
***
The Runarounds
Another entry into the patchy pantheon of bands who only really exist in the context of TV shows. This earnest YA drama tells the story of the Runarounds, a band who popped up in the third season of mystery series Outer Banks but now have an origin story of their own. They play a clean-cut brand of pop-rock but, like all semi-fictional bands, have a backstory full of strife. Frontman William is a true rock’n’roll believer – the band is his ride-or-die career option. Can he keep the dream alive in the face of self-doubt, disapproving parents and bandmates disappearing to university?
Prime Video, from Monday 1 September
***
Wednesday
Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) has a new spirit guide. But while the return of Gwendoline Christie’s Principal Weems is a fine act of fan service, it won’t be much fun for Wednesday. As the concluding four episodes of this wickedly enjoyable second season arrive, she has a lot on her plate. Worse still, most of it is her own fault – for a start, can she recapture Tyler before he endangers her family? This show is an absolute treat, imaginatively realised and swarming with witty, macabre detail. Plus, prepare for a new cast member who is guaranteed to send the Monsters absolutely Gaga.
Netflix, from Wednesday 3 September
***
A Remarkable Place to Die
Skippers Canyon in Queenstown, New Zealand might prosaically be described as an accident blackspot. But this dangerous stretch of road is at the heart of a sturdy if unremarkable cop drama. Anais Mallory (Chelsie Preston Crayford) is the gifted but mildly troubled detective at the heart of the action. She has returned to her small town, ostensibly to help her mother through a bereavement, but secretly to solve a mystery with a grievous personal loss at its core. Why do cars continue to plunge from the nearby cliff? Are these crashes really accidents?
U, from Wednesday 3 September
***
Omerta
This self-consciously weighty thriller (adapted from a novel by Ilkka Remes) capitalises on the often tricky geopolitical position of Finland – which is often regarded as a buffer state between Europe and Russia. On the country’s Independence Day, celebrations turn to terror as the Finnish president is taken hostage by apparent terrorists. But, as is usually the way, the stakes are even higher than they first appear as a plot unfolds that threatens the whole continent. Can hostage negotiator Max Tanner (Jasper Pääkkönen) save the day?
Channel 4, Friday 5 September
***
Road Trip: Shorts
These snappy and cheerfully inventive animations bring together characters from across the channel’s extensive cartoon portfolio. Running at about a minute each, they feature the likes of Kiff the mischievous squirrel and anxious teen Hailey Banks as they embark upon a variety of road trips. The format is basic but the subject matter is child’s-eye universal. From the excitement of ordering fast food to the nightmare of having to visit a historical museum instead of a waterpark, they’re full of recognisable childhood holiday experiences.
Disney+, from Friday 5 September
***
Queen Mantis
There is an awkward mother-son relationship in this Korean drama: Jeong I-sin was given the nickname Mantis after committing five brutal murders. Subsequently, she’s spent two decades in prison while her son, Cha Soo-yeol, has grown up to be very different. He is now a police officer who has disowned his mother and, somewhat inevitably, specialises in capturing serial killers. However, when a murder bears all the hallmarks of a Mantis copycat killing, he is forced to pay her a long-overdue visit. Absurdly contrived but good, gruesome fun.
Netflix, from Friday 5 September
