2020

In the Know

Cinema 

Following up God's Own Country, writer/director Francis Lee speculates on the possible relationship between 19th-century palaeontologist Mary Anning (Kate Winslet) and Charlotte Murchison (Saoirse Ronan)

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Netflix 

The Culture Whisper team has picked its favourite comedies now available to stream. From Fleabag to Parks and Recreation, this hilarious selection will keep you smiling through lockdown

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Cinema 

In the long-awaited follow-up to 2017's Wonder Woman, Patty Jenkins directs the 80s-inspired sequel. Gal Gadot, Chris Pine and Kristen Wiig star.

In the Know

Netflix 

Bridgerton was one of Netflix's most successful releases in 2020, but is it really worth watching? Our TV Editor Euan Franklin breaks down the reasons why it is

Essential

Best of 

Culture Whisper's Editor in Chief reflects on the year we leave behind

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TV 

It's a confusing, upsetting, and beautiful conclusion to His Dark Materials series two. Mrs Coulter (Ruth Wilson) is catching up to Lyra (Dafne Keen) and Will (Amir Wilson)

In the Know

Netflix 

Our TV / Cinema Editor Euan Franklin chooses his favourite films of the year: from the chilling Saint Maud to Charlie Kaufman's latest brain-scratcher I'm Thinking of Ending Things

Essential

Visual Arts 

From

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Netflix 

From the trials of being a female celebrity in I Hate Suzie to Michaela Coel's revolutionary comedy-drama I May Destroy You, 2020 has been awash with incredible TV

Essential

Beauty 

From hi-tech skin perfecters to DIY haircare, here are the best beauty products of 2020 that you may have missed

In the Know

Netflix 

Featuring Chadwick Boseman's final performance, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom – based on the August Wilson play – follows a 1920s blues band recording their next album. Viola Davis also stars

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Gigs 

David Byrne of Talking Heads returns to the stage, in this Spike Lee-directed film version of his Broadway show American Utopia

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Netflix 

From the return of The Vicar of Dibley with Dawn French to the new 70s serial killer drama The Serpent with Jenna Coleman, here's the best of Christmas TV 2020

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TV 

In the penultimate episode, Lyra (Dafne Keen) and Will (Amir Wilson) get closer and Mrs Coulter (Ruth Wilson) ventures into Cittàgazze

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TV 

In the final film in Steve McQueen's Small Axe anthology, 12-year-old Kingsley (Kenyah Sandy) is taken out of school for being 'educationally subnormal'. But something else is afoot…

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Netflix 

From Home Alone to It's A Wonderful Life, Netflix, Disney Plus and Amazon Prime are full of Christmas treats. Have yourself a Merry little Christmas with our top picks

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TV 

In this anthology series from Widows director Steve McQueen, Small Axe tells five stories set within London's West Indian community. John Boyega and Letitia Wright star

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Cinema 

In this curiously subverted crime drama, Rachel Brosnahan stars as Jean, wife to a criminal who's betrayed his partners. Jean goes on the run, hiding from possible killers

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Musicals 

Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman and James Corden star in Ryan Murphy's latest project The Prom, based on the Broadway musical

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TV 

Mrs Coulter (Ruth Wilson) steps into a new world, and Will (Amir Wilson) and Lyra (Dafne Keen) plan to steal back the alethiometer from Lord Boreal (Ariyon Bakare)

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TV 

The penultimate film in Steve McQueen's Small Axe anthology examines the early life of novelist Alex Wheatle (Sheyi Cole), looking at his time in Brixton shortly before the 1981 Uprising

Book Now

Immersive 

The swinging romance of summer 1963 gears up to get London audiences dancing in July 2021

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Cinema 

Viggo Mortensen's filmmaking debut examines a conservative father (Lance Henriksen) living with dementia and his liberal son (Mortensen) trying to care for him

Oscars nominee

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Netflix 

David Fincher's 11th feature film follows the story of understated Hollywood screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz (Gary Oldman) as he pens the script for Citizen Kane

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Netflix 

From David Fincher's examination of Citizen Kane in Mank to a final farewell to Chadwick Boseman in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Netflix in December is both cold and colourful

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TV 

His Dark Materials is back on form in episode four, in which Andrew Scott and Phoebe Waller-Bridge make their long expected appearances. As does the subtle knife…

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TV 

In the third Small Axe film from Steve McQueen, John Boyega stars as Leroy Logan, a black officer in the 80s who wanted to eliminate racism in the police

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Cinema 

Culture Whisper chats with writer/director Helena Coan about her new documentary film Audrey, focusing on the classic Hollywood actor Audrey Hepburn

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Cinema 

Abby (Kristen Stewart) decides to stay with her girlfriend Harper's (Mackenzie Davis) family over the holidays, but Harper hasn't told them she's gay...

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Cinema 

The new film from Brandon Cronenberg, David Cronenberg's son, follows an assassin with the ability to change bodies to facilitate untraceable murder. Sean Bean and Christopher Abbott star

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TV 

Lyra (Dafne Keen) is on the run again, Will (Amir Wilson) continues to have contorted dreams, and Lee Scoresby (Lin-Manuel Miranda) has a chat with Mrs Coulter (Ruth Wilson)

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TV 

Luca Guadagnino returns to Northern Italy for his new coming-of-age drama series, following 14-year-old Fraser (Jack Dylan Grazer) as he wanders a US military base in Veneto