Drama

Essential

Netflix 

From the frank boldness of Mums Make Porn to the awaited UK premiere of Ryan Murphy's Pose, there are plenty of gems this week on TV

Tried and Tested

Cinema 

In Ben is Back, Julia Roberts plays Holly Burns, mother to recovering drug addict Ben (Lucas Hedges). But after coming home for Christmas, Ben's dark past catches up with him

Tried and Tested

Cinema 

Nordic folklore is combined with grisly crimes in a Swedish genre-bender Border, based on the writings of John Ajvide Lindqvist

Tried and Tested

Cinema 

From influential director Asghar Farhadi and starring Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem, Everybody Knows is a fine-tuned family drama that sometimes falls flat

In the Know

TV 

In the Cleaning Up finale, Sam (Sheridan Smith) is losing control and her persona 'Nancy' starts to evaporate. Her plans fall apart, but she's not giving up

In the Know

TV 

In Pure episode 2, Marnie (Charly Clive) still struggles with her sexually intrusive OCD, but tries to find herself through Charlie (Joe Cole), a recovering porn addict

In the Know

TV 

In Cleaning Up episode five, Sam (Sheridan Smith) starts to enjoy her persona 'Nancy' a little too much – which may prove to be her downfall

In the Know

TV 

In True Detective episode 5, 1990 Wayne (Mahershala Ali) is getting closer to finding the truth and so is 2015 Wayne. The latter seeks an old friend for help

Essential

TV 

In Pure, Channel 4's new sex-infused comedy-drama, Marnie (Charly Clive) suffers an especially intrusive form of OCD. She hops on a coach to London in the hope of finding answers

In the Know

TV 

In Cleaning Up episode 4, Sam (Sheridan Smith) has to delve into her conning talents to support her new alter-ego. But now, there's a greater risk of 'Nancy' being revealed

Essential

TV 

In True Detective episode four, the season reaches its halfway point and Wayne (Mahershala Ali) is close to finding answers

In the Know

TV 

In episode three of ITV's Sheridan Smith drama Cleaning Up, Sam is moving deeper into the world of insider trading – even creating a fake persona to get ahead

In the Know

TV 

In episode 3 of True Detective, the Purcell case is reopened in 1990 – causing Detective Roland (Stephen Dorff) to seek out Wayne (Mahershala Ali)

In the Know

TV 

Episode 2 of ITV's new Sheridan Smith drama Cleaning Up raises the stakes and Sam's life starts to crumble. She needs to get better, otherwise she'll lose everything

Essential

TV 

In True Detective season 3, Mahershala Ali plays Wayne, a retired detective with dementia. He has to explore his fading memories to solve a case that's burdened him since 1980

Preview

TV 

Part comedy, part social drama, part heist thriller. Sheridan Smith stars in this new, genre-clashing ITV series Cleaning Up

In The Know

TV 

Cleaning Up, the upcoming comedy-drama from ITV, looks like a fun but emotional journey into insider trading. We attended a Q&A for the show with Sheridan Smith and others

Essential

Best of 

From the final season of Game of Thrones to the long anticipated second season of Big Little Lies, 2019 is a year packed with excellent television

Essential

Theatre 

After a seven-year break from A Midsummer Night's Dream, Regent's Park bring back the magical Open Air production

We love

Cinema 

Innocence and experience jostle in Shoplifters, a beautiful, alchemical family drama from Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda who snapped up the Palme d'Or at Cannes

We love

Cinema 

A directorial debut from actor Paul Dano and starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Carey Mulligan, Wildlife is a stripped-back drama about being reckless in your quietest moments

Essential

TV 

From the producers of The Night Manager, a new le Carré series storms onto the BBC: The Little Drummer Girl

We love

Cinema 

A revenge story of cosmic proportions from visionary director Panos Cosmatos featuring a career-defining performance from Nicolas Cage, Mandy has us holding on to our seat

Tried and Tested

Cinema 

Bradley Cooper directs and stars alongside Lady Gaga for the fourth iteration of this story – but everything about A Star Is Born still feels alive and essential

Tried and Tested

Cinema 

Gaspar Noé returns with Climax, another piece of provocation, blending sex, drugs and faux-philosophical musings

Book Now

Theatre 

A fresh new interpretation of the legendary collection of tales

Book Now

Theatre 

Vinay Patel's love story spans seven decades and three continents in An Adventure at Bush Theatre

Tried and Tested

Cinema 

The latest film from UK-based Polish director Paweł Pawlikowski, Cold War is a chilling black-and-white melodic odyssey through Communist Europe, Paris and beyond

In the Know

Best of 

Bigger hair, bigger outfits, bigger stakes: the gritty porn drama The Deuce from creator of The Wire returns

Tried and Tested

Cinema 

Henry Cavill, Angela Bassett and Vanessa Kirby join Tom Cruise for Mission: Impossible — Fallout, the stunning sixth instalment of the action film series

Tried and Tested

Cinema 

In Hotel Artemis, Jodie Foster tops off a cast including Sofia Boutella and Sterling K. Brown in a dark yet lighthearted film set in a deeply criminal future L.A.

Tried and Tested

Cinema 

Swelling with small screen British talent, Swimming with Men sees Rob Brydon fight his mid-life crisis by joining an all-male synchronised swimming team