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Amadeus review: classical music is Bach and better than ever in Sky’s retelling of a tumultuous composer rivalry
3:01 am | December 15, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Entertainment Gadgets Streaming | Comments: Off

A few days before I started watching Amadeus, an influx of young people flooded my TikTok For You Page, playing various Bach pieces on different orchestral instruments while remixing each song with modern music. It was all thanks to a passing trend, but it did briefly make me wonder if classical musical was making a resurgence in digital pop culture.

If those same kids watch the new five-episode Sky TV series, I think they'd be astounded. Amadeus goes far beyond a musical education for the uninitiated, delving further into the supposed rivalry between composers Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri than previous accounts, including Miloš Forman's 1984 film.

Summing this rivalry up in one word would be easy: unhinged. The pair go far beyond the stereotypical boundaries of 'frenemies,' leaving their desperate acts of reconciliation until it's too late. I would never have paired Will Sharpe (Mozart) and Paul Bettany (Salieri) up to portray this, but their chemistry is undeniable.

What's more difficult to explain are the complexities behind this rivalry. To me, the duo's battles put me in mind of a 1700s version of Peggy Mitchell and Pat Butcher, from UK soap opera Eastenders. I'm in danger of losing non-UK readers at this point, but theirs was a connection that spanned decades, ranging from heartfelt consolation to vindictive plotting and literal fist fights. You never knew where you stood with them, and that was a big part of what made them so watchable.

It's not the best analogy I've ever come up with, but the atmosphere of palpable tension punctuated with violent outbursts means you never fully catch your breath. But, while Amadeus is narratively sound, it's visually questionable.

Sky has saved its best show of 2025 until last with Amadeus

If you look at the YouTube comments on the above video, fans of the 1979 stage play by Peter Shaffer, which he adapted for the subsequent movie, aren't pleased that the same tale is about to be retold. However, while it sometimes feels like we can hardly move for TV and film adaptations that cover familiar ground while not bringing much that's new to the party, I don't think Amadeus can be tarnished with the same brush.

Even if both those earlier versions had been flawless (and the three-hour long film is far from structurally sound, in my opinion), another adaptation would be worthwhile if it added a fresh perspective. Luckily for us, that's exactly what Amadeus does.

Without giving too much away, in addition to the story itself the TV series features Shaffer's own journey to writing his play, with the final scene of episode 5 breaking the fourth wall in a way I'm not sure I've ever seen attempted in television. Sky's creative risk-taking has flown under the radar, and the rest of the series is just as ambitious.

Sharpe effortlessly captures Mozart's supposed fiery temperament, and it's the foundation for the rest of the story's chaos. No one episode can contain the multitudes of emotions on show, with either Mozart of Salieri (or sometimes both) crumbling, celebrating, or threatening to jump out of a window (that's our unintentionally hilarious opening, so keep your eye out).

Amadeus throws everything and the kitchen sink at its storytelling, and the charged atmosphere is almost a character in itself.

Some of our cast have 'iPhone face', and that's a problem

Paul Bettany as Antonio Salieri

Paul Bettany as Antonio Salieri in Amadeus. (Image credit: Sky)

As for the actual characters, both Sharpe and Bettany give the performance of their careers. I do wonder whether Bettany is going extra hard to distance himself from upcoming Marvel series VisionQuest, but perhaps that's just me being a franchise cynic.

Gabrielle Creevy (Constanze Mozart) also hits the right note (sorry) as the long-suffering go-between for the musical rivals, but there's something about the cast that bothers me. To me, the younger members (and by that, I mean under the age of about 40) look as though they have 'iPhone face'. What I mean by this is that, looking at them, you can escape the sense that they've seen an iPhone in their lifetime.

The makeup and costumes in Amadeus are beautiful, but they don't hide the fact that some of the cast just feel too modern. Even so, Sharpe particularly surprised me with his raucous, obscene and ridiculously arrogant take on Mozart.

The five-episode run does suffer from the classic issue of narrative lag between episodes 3 and 4, but when everything else has such a frenetic energy to it, this isn't hard to overlook. This of course includes the music, which Sharpe learned to play (rather than just flailing his hands about while the camera is carefully positioned to conceal that fact that he's not really playing).

As captivating as the scandal, drama and intricacies of Viennese society in the 18th century are, it all comes back to the music. It helps us to understand the world, Mozart and Salieri's struggles and ourselves in the process, and it's pushed me to make some conscious additions to my usual Spotify playlists. Their work is what both tortured composers ultimately wanted to be remembered for, and Amadeus certainly does them justice.

Stream Amadeus from December 21 in the UK using the below deals. Streaming platforms and release dates for other regions are yet to be confirmed.

Sky 'Essential TV' package: from £15 per month at Sky
This is the cheapest Sky TV package available. It includes a Sky Stream device as well as access to 'Sky Atlantic', which airs Sky and HBO Originals through the Sky Stream streaming service, Netflix (its 'Standard with ads' tier), Discovery+ and over 100 free to air channels, such as BBC, ITV and Channel 4. This price is for a 24 month rolling contract but you can get it for £18 on a 31 day rolling contract too. Just note that the price will convert to £21 a month after the 24 months. View Deal

Sky 'Ultimate TV' package: from £22 per month at Sky
While it's a bit more expensive, you definitely get a lot more content for the extra £7 compared to the 'Essential TV' package. On top of 'Sky Atlantic', Netflix and Discovery+, Sky Stream and 90 free to air channels, this deal throws in 35 extra channels, such as 'Sky Comedy', 'Sky Crime', National Geographic and MTV. This monthly fee is for a 24 month rolling contract that will go up to £35 a month after the period, but you can also get it for £25 on a 31 day rolling contract. View Deal

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Goodbye June review: New Netflix movie is a near flawless directorial debut for Kate Winslet — but you’ll cry your eyes out
8:00 pm | December 11, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Netflix Streaming | Comments: Off

Is Goodbye June a Christmas movie, or a movie that simply has Christmas in it? I'm not sure – but what I do know is that you won't stream a more tragically beautiful film this festive season.

It's quite a choice to drop a film that follows a dying woman's last days on Christmas Eve, but I can see why Netflix made the decision. If anything, the timing drives home the importance of hugging your loved ones that bit tighter, and never missing the chance to tell someone you love them.

In a nutshell, mom and grandmother June's (Helen Mirren) cancer has spread, sending her to hospital for what she and her family know will be the last few days of her life. Doting son Connor (Johnny Flynn) and his sisters, highly-strung Julia (Kate Winslet, who also makes her directorial debut), internally angry Molly (Andrea Riseborough) and flighty expat Helen (Toni Colette) spend as much time as they can by their mothers' bedside.

Along with June's ailing husband Bernie (Timothy Spall), the quartet's job is to give June the best send-off possible, despite a myriad of issues and long-held grudges making emotions run even higher than you’d expect in such a scenario.

Reading those last two paragraphs may well have put you in mind of your own family, whether it’s particular people or a similar situation – and that's one of the great strengths of Goodbye June. Our cast might be A-list, but here they're grounded, and their relatability helps to deliver what at times feels more like a fly-on-the-wall documentary than a drama.

The movie is something of a family affair off-screen as well as on, and some more cynical critics might be tempted to brand it as a ‘nepo baby’ creation (Winslet stars and directs and her son Joe Anders writes the script). I actually think their family ties are a huge advantage here... and thank God Winslet is now trying her (very successful) hand at directing.

Watching Goodbye June is like looking into my own past – and you might feel that way too

One of the biggest compliments you can give an actor is that they fully inhabit a role they take on. We’re not watching Helen Mirren play a dying grandmother here, we’re watching June dying.

When I look at June, I see my own grandmother, who died two years ago in similar circumstances, surrounded by her family. Every detail takes me back there, from her haircut and cardigan down to the pearl necklace and the gold ring she can no longer wear.

In a way, I'm projecting here, as I didn't get to be there for my grandmother's final moments – the peace June and her family ultimately find is something I hope my own family did too. But there's something universally relatable in June's situation.

"Masterclass Mirren" (as I'm now calling her) delivers a performance up there with The Queen – so it was a shock to learn from Winslet's press tour that she'd initially refused the role, explaining she never plays characters with dementia or cancer. I'm so glad she broke her own rule for Winslet, and I really think they've created something incredibly special.

There's a scene in Goodbye June where June is left alone in hospital to sleep, and she turns to the window and finally allows herself to shed a few tears after putting on a brave face for everyone else. Mirren conveys vulnerability and traumatic catharsis utterly convincingly, in a scene that will resonate with any woman who has ever lain awake crying in the small hours because life has gotten too much (which is probably all of us).

It's the little details – the family bickering, the gentle ribbing, the chaos of bringing up children, and the occasionally overwhelming reality of simply existing – that make Goodbye June feel so well-rounded, even if I can never watch it over Christmas again.

Whoever thought of Toni Colette for this movie needs a raise

The cast of Goodbye June

This lot could be a real-life family. (Image credit: Netflix)

What might surprise you given the movie’s synopsis is how tenderly funny Goodbye June is. Even in the darkest of moments, there’s laughter, most often courtesy of Spall and Riseborough.

The film’s casting is inspired across the board. Mirren is an obvious score, and Spall isn't far behind her. If Winslet and Riseborough did a 23 and Me ancestry test and found out they were related, I wouldn't be surprised – Julia and Molly are the most convincingly fractious of siblings, and you’ll absolutely believe that their grudges really are decades old.

For me though, it's Colette as Helen who is the most inspired inclusion. She has the least amount of screentime, and casting an Aussie as Winslet's sister can't have been a subconscious choice (no matter how good Colette is at accents). When her character is revealed as a chakra-aligned free spirit who has emigrated to Florida to expand her practice, it all makes perfect sense.

Helen is the ideal counterweight to her sisters, and provides some measure of solace to lonesome brother Connor. And, by way of a B-plot involving her, Goodbye June also examines late-in-life pregnancy, effortlessly threading back into the idea of June's memory living on.

Anders' script is thoroughly convincing and sharply observed, which is particularly impressive given his relative youthfulness. You can take your pick from any of Goodbye June’s cast and identify exactly which one you'd be, thanks to his expertly drawn character portraits. That said, there’s perhaps a little bit of all of them in us – we feel represented in Julia's overwhelming sense of responsibility, Helen's growing and all-consuming sense of fear, Connor's alienation, or Molly's frustration with the world around her.

Visually, there's definitely a Netflix-specific feel to the movie that's becoming increasingly noticeable across the platform's content. In the context of a Christmas movie, I think it works, akin to a really sad version of The Holiday. But Winslet's vision as a director lifts the movie above the everyday; as much as I hated being told that actors make the best writers and directors while doing my master's degree (I'm not an actor, and I’m sure non-actors in the industry are tired of hearing it too), she makes a convincing case for the notion.

At this point it probably goes without saying that you need to steel yourself to watch Goodbye June, but you’ll be richly rewarded in return.

To witness people enduring great pain, even if those people are fictional characters, asks us to reflect on what truly matters in life, and it can be a deeply affecting – and yes, consoling – experience.

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The Abandons review: New Netflix western is no Yellowstone, but Gillian Anderson shines
11:01 am | December 4, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Netflix Streaming | Comments: Off

Who knew Taylor Sheridan's titan reign at Paramount was going to be such a disaster for Netflix? Well, just about everybody – and the new western series The Abandons completely proves that.

Let's set the scene. Instead of the usual Kevin Costner-style male dominated environment, two matriarchs rule this version of the Wild West. Wealthy tyrant Constance Van Ness (Gillian Anderson) rules the town of Angel's Ridge with an iron fist, determined to control every last inch of it.

Unfortunately for her, poor rancher Fiona (Lena Headey) is a woman who stands her ground. She's fighting to keep her found family's ranch in their hands, resulting in a fatal clash between the two women. Or a 'mother-off', as the kids on TikTok might say.

It sounds like an almighty spectacle, and in some respects it is. The action is big scale on a big budget, the ensemble is fully invested and the production of all seven episodes is absolutely outstanding.

But then there's the overarching storyline, and the overall effect. When you're releasing a western series in the 21st century, it will naturally be compared to 'Sheridanverse' juggernauts like Yellowstone, Landman and 1923. If you watch them all and remember The Abandons, I'd be very surprised.

The Abandons is cursed by an environment way out of Netflix's control

If any main streamer or broadcaster releases a western these days, we're watching it with intense scrutiny. A decade ago, nobody would have batted an eyelid, but the genre has been single-handedly resurrected by Sheridan and Paramount's partnership. As he continues to churn out smash hit shows, that doesn't really leave room for anyone else.

For Netflix, this means that any content that isn't an automatic smash hit is likely to be forgotten, and I think The Abandons falls into this category. It's had more success with new western-romance shows like Ransom Canyon, and I think if the streamer wants to be an industry leader in the genre, that's where it should direct its efforts.

This makes it sound like The Abandons is absolutely dreadful, and it's anything but. However, it doesn't stray to far from "fine". Every element of its composition is solid and delivers what it needs to, but exceptional? Memorable? I'm not so sure about that.

Part of the problem is due to how the overarching storyline unfolds. In episode 1, we're thrown into a myriad of plots that aren't properly explained – and I don't mean that we should naturally be kept in suspense, like a murder mystery.

As an example, Fiona comes from Ireland and has managed to congregate a found family on the Abandons ranch over the course of a few years. How she got to the US, and how they all found each other, becomes convoluted too quickly.

I'm all for a bit of "show don't tell," but I need enough of an understanding to full sink my teeth into the western illusion. Instead, I'm flailing around like a bystander caught in the middle of a gunslinging duel. This effect continues over the series, and that's not amazing incentive to keep on binging.

Gillian Anderson and Lena Headey mother the house down

Constance Van Ness and her sons ride horses into town

This image alone got me to tune in. (Image credit: Netflix)

However, it's not all doom and gloom – let's do my favorite thing in the world and talk about Gillian Anderson. I don't think this is her best role of the year (that would be in Trespasses on Channel 4 in the UK), but she never turns out a bad performance. Obviously, because she's Gillian Anderson.

Constance Van Ness is everything you want in an archetypal villain, and remains calculated, cold and cruel in every decision she makes. She's quite literally on her high horse here, metaphorically (and sometimes physically) kicking every person and mutt who dares to get in her way. For a Gillian Anderson fan, it's everything that you could possibly want, and I see new YouTube fan edits in her future.

Of course, Lena Headey isn't far behind Anderson. Fiona is as tenacious as she is decisive, almost single-handedly driving the plot forward with dangerous inciting incidents and turning points. At the same time, she's guarded and elusive, and the urge to learn more about her becomes overbearing. Scenes between the two are actually few and far between, but when they happen, they're golden.

Obviously, anything these two are in automatically holds more weight, but to say the good in The Abandons rests solely on their shoulders isn't fair. Their ensemble cast is strong, and the ranch, Angel's Ridge and the natural countryside beauty are almost all characters in their own right.

I don't think the new Netflix western will be the most satisfying TV binge this December, but you won't be wasting your time by watching, either. It's certainly a budget version of a Taylor Sheridan show (metaphorically speaking, not in production value), but if you're a fan of our leading ladies, The Abandons is a slam dunk.

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Can’t wait for Virgin River season 7? Watch new Netflix Christmas movie My Secret Santa – you won’t be disappointed
11:01 am | December 3, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Netflix Streaming | Comments: Off

I'll tell you what wasn't on my Christmas list to Santa this year – unironically enjoying (nay, loving) a Netflix festive film. I've watched a lot of bad ones in this job, but My Secret Santa is undoubtedly the best of the sappy genre.

In a nutshell, it's Mrs. Doubtfire if Robin Williams decided to be a Santa drag king instead of a sassy Scottish pensioner. Instead of a man desperately trying to win his estranged wife back, single mom Taylor (Alexandra Breckenridge) needs fast cash to send her daughter to an elite snowboarding resort.

By being employed there, she'd get a staff discount, but the only opening is for a seasonal Father Christmas. Bing bang boom... she gets the job in a full Santa makeover.

Of course, romance is in the air too. Matthew (Ryan Eggold) recognizes former singer Taylor in a record store, and just so happens to be the new general manager at the resort – you can already guess how it's going to end just by reading this synopsis.

Whichever Netflix casting agent had the foresight to merge Virgin River and New Amsterdam's leading actors together deserves a massive festive bonus, in my eyes. Together Breckenridge and Eggold deliver a genuinely well-crafted tale that perfectly slots into the cozy sub-genre they've both whittled into shape over the years.

If anything, it almost makes up for the fact we're not getting Virgin River season 7 this month (if you squint hard enough, I'm sure Eggold would look enough like Martin Henderson).

My Secret Santa cements Alexandra Breckenridge as the Queen of Netflix

If you suggest I'm solely writing this review as an excuse to write a love letter to Breckenridge's work and further my cause to try and interview her in 2026, I don't know what you're talking about.

She carries My Secret Santa squarely on her shoulders, and she completely pulls off what is, rationally speaking, a completely implausible story. This is the kind of tale she was born to tell, and the movie's happy-go-lucky vibes underpinned by more authentic real-world problems suits her warm and engaging personality incredibly well.

In essence, I don't actually care about Taylor's character arc or her capers while wearing the baggy pants of Father Christmas – I'm just always buying what Breckenridge is selling. It's impossible to not be entranced by her screentime, exuding natural charm in everything she does. You want to be her, you want to be best friends with her... even when she's pretending to be an old man.

As far as Christmas movies go, this one is pretty original

Matthew and

I don't think Alexandra Breckenridge has ever looked better. (Image credit: Netflix)

The biggest compliment I can give My Secret Santa is that it feels current without trying too hard. There are no shudder-worthy TikTok jokes, no trends being jumped on, and nobody trying too hard to fit into a mould that isn't inherently them. Yes, the ending is undoubtedly cringe, but it's in keeping with the spirit of Christmas movies.

Tia Mowry isn't a natural fit as a villain, and there's no huge stakes aside from Taylor's daughter not being able to snowboard. However, we're here to get invested into a romantic connection, not be plunged into terror. Obviously, it's all a bit naff (lacking in taste and style, for my non-Brits), but that comes with the territory.

I can't believe I'm writing this, but I'm already contemplating watching My Secret Santa again (which is essentially the equivalent of pigs flying). I got so much joy, warmth and feel-good vibes from Netflix's latest festive offering, and that's how you know it's a job done well.

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Spartacus: House of Ashur review – all shock and no substance in this Starz legacy sequel
5:00 pm | December 1, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Entertainment Gadgets Streaming | Comments: Off

I can only think of one time in my life where I've felt so sick watching something I've had to turn off my TV (Raw, the body horror movie by Julia Ducournau). Now, there's a second entry in that list – the new Starz show Spartacus: House of Ashur.

Think Gladiator if Ridley Scott didn't have to adhere to cinema age rating criteria. Blood is well and truly spilled in this version of Ancient Rome, and it's enough to make even the most hardened of horror fans turn green.

Having said that, the legacy sequel (Spartacus originally ran on the network from 2010-2013) is only a horror in how it's delivered. Starz has gone heavy on the spectacle here, and all the gory action distracts us from the fact there's not much that's noteworthy under the show's surface.

There are a few new breakout stars as our returning cast members (Nick E. Tarabay as Ashur, mainly) slip back into their roles like no time has passed. But is this enough to save a show that's reliant on tricks and showmanship?

In a word, no... or at least, not for me. I often found myself wanting to fast-forward through any scenes that didn't have a sword being plunged into somebody's stomach, and I cringed at the gratuitous sex and assault scenes that I knew a historical drama just couldn't resist including.

Shock-factor isn't always an indicator of something good, no matter how entertaining the moment itself is. In fact, I'd probably enjoy episodes more as bitesize bites on TikTok.

Lift the lid on Spartacus: House of Ashur and you'll start to see the problems

Even the above trailer has had to be heavily redacted so it can actually be posted on YouTube. The gore and guts are easily Spartacus: House of Ashur's big selling point, and this means returning fans will definitely not be disappointed.

There are certainly some astonishing and creative maiming, even if the VFX don't always make them look believable. Without giving anything away, my favorite (if that's the right thing to call it) is at the end of episode 2, where Achillia (Tenika Davis) finally gets her own back on the male gladiators who have been expectedly sexist.

Here's the first big dichotomy. The sequel introduces a female gladiator to its ranks as the big 'we have can diverse casting just as effective as Bridgerton's' moment. It's actually a historically accurate decision, but more importantly, it's effective.

Davis is easily the best part of Spartacus: House of Ashur, running literal rings around her co-stars. She's clearly put in a lot of hours of training, and Achillia's attitude to Ancient Rome isn't just refreshing, but a necessary palate cleanser. Claudia Black's Cossutia isn't too far behind, effortlessly swinging from wife to warrior.

As for the rest of the show's female characters, there's a lot left to be desired. It's almost a given that a historical drama will falter to showing degradation unnecessarily because, a) it actually happened and, b) it's an easy way to create on-screen tension.

But wouldn't it be a novel idea to be as forward-thinking narratively as shows are in their casting? Rewrite history for the right reasons, people!

As for the rest, it's all convoluted

Achillia leads a group of male gladiators

Tenika Davis' Achillia is one to watch. (Image credit: Starz)

But let's move onto the meat of the show, as it very much were. Aside from Ashur and right-hand man Korris (Graham McTavish), our men are not as interesting once they've put down their spears and shields. A good 90% of their time is taken up with combat training, so anything else we see (e.g. emotional narrative) is incredibly heavy-handed.

Outside of the impactful fighting, nothing else really lands. There's no point in time that I'm concerned with finding out what happens next, or wondering whether the overall storyline is going to take me somewhere else. Instead, I'm wondering who will have blood gushing out of their legs next.

Still, there are small wins. Episode 1 kicks us off with a surprise Lucy Lawless cameo and Ashur keeps a firm hand on the tiller as the new Dominius. But as I've hammered home by now, we're essentially sitting ringside for a 10-episode long fight we can just about stomach.

Nuance, meaning and complexity? Not present here. Full-throttle entertainment, gore and fighting to the death? Amped up to the max. Whether that's a good or bad thing remains to be seen.

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Wicked: For Good turns the musical’s sobering second half into the most unmissable movie of 2025
8:00 pm | November 18, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Entertainment Gadgets Streaming | Tags: | Comments: Off

At the end of my Wicked: For Good screening, when the lights came up, there was hardly any mascara left on everyones' eyelashes. The second half of director Jon M. Chu's Oztastic vision is an emotional rollercoaster in entirely new ways, and for me, it's completely defied expectations (see what I did there?).

The second half of the movie-musical was always going to be the more difficult half to adapt. All of the joyous narrative and dance numbers have been and gone in Wicked, with the storyline turning much darker as Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) is officially dubbed The Wicked Witch of the West.

If you've seen the stage show, you'll know what I mean... but if you've read the book, the original Wicked story was even more macabre. With each adaptation, the Wicked ending has become more palatable and optimistic, and Chu's take on Elphaba and Glinda's (Ariana Grande) farewell is the most light-hearted yet (thanks to a few new changes).

For Wicked: For Good, this means packing an emotional punch so strong that you forget green witches and flying monkeys aren't actually real life. Erivo and Grande are completely invested in delivering the best ending to the tale they love so much, and that only adds to the overall polish of the movie's epic scale.

There is no way I thought the second half would be as good as the first, and now I completely stand corrected. It's Erivo's musical performances that take things to the next level the most, and it's clear we're watching a once-in-a-generation star do what she does best

Wicked: For Good packs the emotional punch the first movie skimmed over

As we pick up the story in the second half, Madame Morrible's (Michelle Yeoh) PR campaign on creating The Wicked Witch of the West has worked wonders, and the whole of Oz is in fear. Elphaba continues to battle for animals and Ozians to live in peace while being persecuted at every turn.

Meanwhile, Glinda and Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) are each secretly trying to help, despite putting on a front of being happy and in love. And the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum)? Well, he's just kicking about, harboring a bunch of talking animal prisoners in the tower.

It should go without saying, but you'll really need to watch Wicked first here – there's no recapping events, and the movie is really relying on your existing knowledge as the pace picks up. What is particularly worth pointing out is that the joy has gone from this part of the story, as Oz and Elphaba's life turns to chaos.

Emotionally, things don't let up much. Elphaba can't catch a break, the animals are terrified, Fiyero can't be with the woman he loves, Glinda realizes Fiyero never loved her and Boq (Ethan Slater) is trapped in Munchkinland by Nessarose (Marissa Bode) as she morphs into the Wicked Witch of the East.

While this might feel hard-going, it's actually the perfect accompanying film for Wicked's first half. Even a fictional land like Oz can't live in ignorant bliss forever, and if we want our big happy ever after, there has to be a huge emotional payoff.

Luckily for us, Erivo and Grande are the perfect pair to steer this ship.

Cynthia Erivo's performance of 'No Good Deed' is one for the ages

Glinda and Elphaba look at each other

Ariana Grande (Glinda) and Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba) in Wicked: For Good. (Image credit: Universal Pictures)

It was clear in the first movie that Grande and Erivo were made for each other as far as performance partnerships go, but I'm going to argue a potential hot take: Wicked: For Good is Erivo's film, not Grande's.

Obviously, this part of the story is much more focused on Elphaba anyway, but Erivo is running away with a performance that literally defies gravity. The pièce de résistance is her earth-shattering rendition of 'No Good Deed', which not only had the audience in fits of applause, but made me feel as though I was levitating while watching. I couldn't move or focus on anything aside from her astounding voice and emotional range.

That's not to say Grande has blended into the background, though. The pair's harmonies feel bound together by fate, and this makes their duet of 'For Good' the film's big tear-jerking moment as Glinda and Elphaba must say goodbye. We all saw this coming (even though it hurts every time), but don't worry too much – some small changes have been made for the better (e.g. Peter Dinklage's Doctor Dillamond has a much better fate).

While Yeoh and Goldblum are hitting the same show-stopping strides that we'd expect them to, Chu's direction won't be for everyone. Subjectively, I think he's remained incredibly consistent and portrayed Oz in exactly the way that we need to see it. On a broad visual scale, Wicked: For Good continues to be epic cinema with the most detailed scenes and sets, and even if you turned the sound off, you'd walk away from it totally satisfied.

The we've got the events of The Wizard of Oz running in tandem with Elphaba's own journey. Not only do I love how this reframes the original 1939 movie, but Chu has played it shrewd with how much he's chosen to hold back.

Dorothy is kept vague, while the Scarecrow and Tin Man are the most fleshed out for reasons that become clear throughout the movie (no spoilers here, don't worry). Colman Domingo voices our cowardly lion, but you'd never know it – not least because he has about two lines in the entire film. Clearly, these are not our stars of the show.

A week after watching it, I'm as enchanted as entranced by Wicked: For Good as I was while sitting wide-eyed in front of the screen. It's undoubtedly the most unmissable movie of 2025, and behind Avatar: Fire and Ash, it's easily the biggest spectacle of the year too.

The two-part franchise is ending on the biggest high possible, and I'm going to miss indulging in the sweetness and whimsy of the world Chu and his cast have made. Sure, there are minor pacing issues if you're really looking for them, and you're definitely not getting away without shedding a tear.

But, as the title suggests, you will truly be changed for good.

Stream Wicked now on Amazon Prime Video in the US and UK while you wait (and on Netflix in Australia). Not signed up? Use the deal below:

Prime Video: 30-day free trial

If you’re new to Amazon Prime, or you click the above link and see the option to 'Start your free 30-day trial', then you'll be able to become a temporary Amazon Prime member, which gives you access to Prime Video. Just be aware that the Prime Video free trial will mean you have to put up with ads. View Deal

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Wicked: For Good turns the musical’s sobering second half into the most unmissable movie of 2025
8:00 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Entertainment Gadgets Streaming | Tags: | Comments: Off

At the end of my Wicked: For Good screening, when the lights came up, there was hardly any mascara left on everyones' eyelashes. The second half of director Jon M. Chu's Oztastic vision is an emotional rollercoaster in entirely new ways, and for me, it's completely defied expectations (see what I did there?).

The second half of the movie-musical was always going to be the more difficult half to adapt. All of the joyous narrative and dance numbers have been and gone in Wicked, with the storyline turning much darker as Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) is officially dubbed The Wicked Witch of the West.

If you've seen the stage show, you'll know what I mean... but if you've read the book, the original Wicked story was even more macabre. With each adaptation, the Wicked ending has become more palatable and optimistic, and Chu's take on Elphaba and Glinda's (Ariana Grande) farewell is the most light-hearted yet (thanks to a few new changes).

For Wicked: For Good, this means packing an emotional punch so strong that you forget green witches and flying monkeys aren't actually real life. Erivo and Grande are completely invested in delivering the best ending to the tale they love so much, and that only adds to the overall polish of the movie's epic scale.

There is no way I thought the second half would be as good as the first, and now I completely stand corrected. It's Erivo's musical performances that take things to the next level the most, and it's clear we're watching a once-in-a-generation star do what she does best

Wicked: For Good packs the emotional punch the first movie skimmed over

As we pick up the story in the second half, Madame Morrible's (Michelle Yeoh) PR campaign on creating The Wicked Witch of the West has worked wonders, and the whole of Oz is in fear. Elphaba continues to battle for animals and Ozians to live in peace while being persecuted at every turn.

Meanwhile, Glinda and Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) are each secretly trying to help, despite putting on a front of being happy and in love. And the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum)? Well, he's just kicking about, harboring a bunch of talking animal prisoners in the tower.

It should go without saying, but you'll really need to watch Wicked first here – there's no recapping events, and the movie is really relying on your existing knowledge as the pace picks up. What is particularly worth pointing out is that the joy has gone from this part of the story, as Oz and Elphaba's life turns to chaos.

Emotionally, things don't let up much. Elphaba can't catch a break, the animals are terrified, Fiyero can't be with the woman he loves, Glinda realizes Fiyero never loved her and Boq (Ethan Slater) is trapped in Munchkinland by Nessarose (Marissa Bode) as she morphs into the Wicked Witch of the East.

While this might feel hard-going, it's actually the perfect accompanying film for Wicked's first half. Even a fictional land like Oz can't live in ignorant bliss forever, and if we want our big happy ever after, there has to be a huge emotional payoff.

Luckily for us, Erivo and Grande are the perfect pair to steer this ship.

Cynthia Erivo's performance of 'No Good Deed' is one for the ages

Glinda and Elphaba look at each other

Ariana Grande (Glinda) and Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba) in Wicked: For Good. (Image credit: Universal Pictures)

It was clear in the first movie that Grande and Erivo were made for each other as far as performance partnerships go, but I'm going to argue a potential hot take: Wicked: For Good is Erivo's film, not Grande's.

Obviously, this part of the story is much more focused on Elphaba anyway, but Erivo is running away with a performance that literally defies gravity. The pièce de résistance is her earth-shattering rendition of 'No Good Deed', which not only had the audience in fits of applause, but made me feel as though I was levitating while watching. I couldn't move or focus on anything aside from her astounding voice and emotional range.

That's not to say Grande has blended into the background, though. The pair's harmonies feel bound together by fate, and this makes their duet of 'For Good' the film's big tear-jerking moment as Glinda and Elphaba must say goodbye. We all saw this coming (even though it hurts every time), but don't worry too much – some small changes have been made for the better (e.g. Peter Dinklage's Doctor Dillamond has a much better fate).

While Yeoh and Goldblum are hitting the same show-stopping strides that we'd expect them to, Chu's direction won't be for everyone. Subjectively, I think he's remained incredibly consistent and portrayed Oz in exactly the way that we need to see it. On a broad visual scale, Wicked: For Good continues to be epic cinema with the most detailed scenes and sets, and even if you turned the sound off, you'd walk away from it totally satisfied.

The we've got the events of The Wizard of Oz running in tandem with Elphaba's own journey. Not only do I love how this reframes the original 1939 movie, but Chu has played it shrewd with how much he's chosen to hold back.

Dorothy is kept vague, while the Scarecrow and Tin Man are the most fleshed out for reasons that become clear throughout the movie (no spoilers here, don't worry). Colman Domingo voices our cowardly lion, but you'd never know it – not least because he has about two lines in the entire film. Clearly, these are not our stars of the show.

A week after watching it, I'm as enchanted as entranced by Wicked: For Good as I was while sitting wide-eyed in front of the screen. It's undoubtedly the most unmissable movie of 2025, and behind Avatar: Fire and Ash, it's easily the biggest spectacle of the year too.

The two-part franchise is ending on the biggest high possible, and I'm going to miss indulging in the sweetness and whimsy of the world Chu and his cast have made. Sure, there are minor pacing issues if you're really looking for them, and you're definitely not getting away without shedding a tear.

But, as the title suggests, you will truly be changed for good.

Stream Wicked now on Amazon Prime Video in the US and UK while you wait (and on Netflix in Australia). Not signed up? Use the deal below:

Prime Video: 30-day free trial

If you’re new to Amazon Prime, or you click the above link and see the option to 'Start your free 30-day trial', then you'll be able to become a temporary Amazon Prime member, which gives you access to Prime Video. Just be aware that the Prime Video free trial will mean you have to put up with ads. View Deal

Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.

Awful Christmas movies are my guilty pleasure, and new Netflix movie A Merry Little Ex-mas is gift-wrapped rubbish
11:01 am | November 12, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Netflix Streaming | Tags: | Comments: Off

Gone are the days of It's A Wonderful Life! and Miracle on 34th Street – it's a given that modern Christmas movies are unironically bad, and the new Netflix film A Merry Little Ex-mas is no exception.

This sounds like a dig, but I don't really mean it as one. Sure, I'd prefer to spend my time watching the best movies creators have to offer, but Christmas films in the 2000s play by their own rules. We're almost willing them to be awful, totally zoning out and thinking about absolutely nothing while we binge them in the cold winter months.

Starring Oliver Hudson and Alicia Silverstone as a couple who are trying to "consciously uncouple" (aka divorce) during the festive period, A Merry Little Ex-mas delivers the no-thoughts goods. It's the same way you have to occasionally read a rubbish book just to feel something again... there are no stakes and nothing important to note. Just you, a cosy blanket, and vibes.

Given I actually get paid to talk about film and TV for a living, and have to earn that responsibility, I need to dig a little deeper into A Merry Little Ex-mas via the standard industry criteria (e.g. saying "it's vibes" doesn't quite cut it). As you might expect, it doesn't score very highly in those areas.

A Merry Little Ex-mas has nuggets of gold amid its seasonal rubbish

First, let's set the scene. Kate (Silverstone) and Everett (Hudson) are getting divorced simply because they seem fatigued by each other. While the entire town knows about it, each is keeping a secret: Everett is dating someone new (Jameela Jamil), while Kate plans to move away to Boston after their youngest goes off to college.

Kate wants the family to have one last Christmas as a unit, adhering to all the traditions they've made over the years. As their secrets spill out, however, a normal Christmas is the last thing that Kate and Everett have, and it's incredibly clear that their feelings for each other haven't gone away either.

From my brief synopsis, you can probably work out exactly how A Merry Little Ex-mas ends, and I can basically guarantee that you are correct. This is one of the many problems the new movie has, if we're really scrutinizing it.

Not only can we see the conclusion coming with our eyes closed, but the overarching storyline and B-plots are all too ridiculous to believe. As an act of rebellion to try and make Everett jealous, Kate immediately dates a young guy called Chet (Pierson Fodé), who is the most stereotypical American muscle man you've ever seen.

The fact this chiseled dude just happens to be working at every business in town and on board with Kate's jealousy plan is as unbelievable as the fact Tess (Jamil) moved her luxurious life to suburban American for a man she's only know for just four weeks.

Every decision everybody makes is a questionable one, including the team's collective decision to make Harry Potter great again (you'll see what I mean, but really? In 2025?) There's nothing believable enough to sink your teeth into, you just have to go off of pure whimsy.

Our cast are putting in solid performances, but there's nothing remarkable. You'd think putting grown-up Cher Horowitz from Clueless and Sabrina the Teenage Witch (Melissa Joan Hart) in a film together as BFFs would be a slam dunk, but Joan Hart isn't included as much as she could be.

The cast of A Merry Little Ex-mas sit on the couch together

It's quite literally all smiles and rainbows. (Image credit: Netflix)

But that doesn't mean everything in A Merry Little Ex-mas should be written off. If you're a Hallmark fan, or live to consume rubbish, the new Netflix movie is literally made for you.

Every frame looks like the quintessential American holiday you want to immerse yourself in, both picture-perfect and wholesome at every turn. Add a level of 'hamming' to proceedings (by which I mean everything that happens borders on being camp) and you've the perfect cocktail of Sunday viewing.

There's also an incredible amount of representation that isn't made into an unnecessarily big deal. Kate has two dads, who own the local hardware store and are responsible for the biggest amount of laughs in this otherwise humorless film.

They shower her in nothing but love, and it's clear they've been an integral part of the grandchildren's childhoods too. It's a beautiful relationship to watch, and a timely reminder of how the 2020s blended family can be easily included onscreen.

My star of the show? Jameela Jamil. She's been so busy being brilliantly herself (her Substack is must-subscribe reading), that I think we've forgotten just how brilliant of an actress she is. Tess is the antithesis of who she really is, but you'd never be able to tell if you didn't know her. I'm aware that's how acting works, but you get my point.

Will I be rushing to press play on A Merry Little Ex-mas again? No, and I doubt I ever will. Was it a nice, mind-numbing way to spend a Sunday evening curled up in bed? You bet.

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The Seduction is the new HBO Max series you need to stream in November – and it’s as explicit as you’d expect
5:00 pm | November 10, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets HBO Max Streaming | Comments: Off

The best prequels are the ones that have clear ties to an existing world we know and love, but ultimately have a separate identity... and that's something the new HBO Max series The Seduction has achieved effortlessly.

Starring Diane Kruger, Anamaria Vartolomei, Lucas Bravo and Vincent Lacoste, we follow Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil's (Vartolomei) rise to power in the French cultural elite. If you think you've heard that name before, it's the character Glenn Close played in the 1988 movie Dangerous Liaisons (based on the book of the same name).

Therefore, it tracks that Vicomte de Valmont (Lacoste) was played by John Malkovich, with Madame de Rosemonde (Kruger), the old lady who frequently regaled on opulent couches with judging eyes. It took me the entirety of episode 1 to make this connection, and that's to The Seduction's huge credit.

We can see the lore links as the series continues (including to Michelle Pfeiffer's character Madame Tourvel), but the HBO prequel feels like an entirely different beast. Sure, all of the sex and scandal is still there, but it's much more calculated and considered this time around.

As far as legacy prequels go, The Seduction on HBO Max impressed me

Anybody who has an issue watching foreign language shows and movies is going to need to get off their high horse for this one. With all six episodes solely in French, The Seduction takes the drama of 16th century France all the way back to its native language and location, and I think the overarching story is a lot richer for it.

Enemies-to-friends Isabelle and Rosemonde are navigating a man's world, and finding out how to hold power within it. The result? Risky alliances, illicit affairs and plans that could bring entirely families crashing down with one wrong move.

All of our characters are enigmas, proving incredibly difficult to read. Isabelle hides her vulnerability to everyone around her, orchestrating multiple schemes at once to make up for the fact she doesn't trust a soul. Rosemonde has her own agenda, and that threatens in the only genuine friendship she has in her live at every turn.

Then we've got the boys. Valmont starts off causing the biggest betrayal of Isabelle's life, and that's ammunition against him for years to come. Positioned as an elitist playboy, it's difficult to tell whether his feelings for Isabelle are every genuine or not (and to be honest, I still don't buy them).

Gercourt (Lucas Bravo) is presented as our evil pantomime villain. However, I think it's a case of honesty – he isn't actually the most malicious, he's just not cloak and dagger about it. Regardless, he's the embodiment of the worst patriarchal traits in human form.

Between the four, personal vendettas make way for rich and intimate drama. Truthfully, this loses impact as the series reaches its conclusion, but the build-up is so well structured and dynamic that any lulls are easy to overlook.

Lucas Bravo is the real hero in The Seduction, and I'm thrilled for him

Lucas Bravo sits in a filled shirt with his left hand to his mouth

Lucas Bravo is Gercourt in The Seduction. (Image credit: HBO)

I've always had a sneaking suspicion that Lucas Bravo isn't the biggest fan of Emily in Paris – and every interview with him in the lead-up to Emily in Paris season 5 all but confirms that. He's existed under the Netflix character's shadow on a global scale for years now, but his performance in The Seduction comes with night and day difference.

Everything that constrains him in Emily in Paris (namely having to fit the on-off romantic interest TV mould) isn't present in The Seduction, leaving him free to play with stereotype and identity. Bravo is a ridiculously good villain, both vindictive and charming in a single breath. He acts solely on selfish whims, but yet he's weirdly not the worst of the bunch.

For me, he's the standout performance of the series. Perhaps that purely because I'm so thrilled that he's been given a chance to do something so different, but it's equally clear that he's been underused in previous roles. Vartolomei is the other clear standout, and if the Wonder Woman rumors surrounding her are true, I think she's more than proved her craft here.

Given that period drama could so easily fall into a safe TV series blueprint, The Seduction has pushed the boundaries. And don't get it twisted – there's sex in what feels like every other scene, and while it's always explicit, it's never gratuitous.

The Seduction premieres on HBO Max on November 14, with episodes airing weekly until December 19.

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Squid Game: The Challenge season 2 has already lost steam – just like the Netflix Original series
3:32 pm | November 4, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Netflix Streaming | Comments: Off

When the first season of Squid Game: The Challenge came out, I thought it was the best reality competition show I’d seen in years outside of The Traitors. But in just two short years, the Netflix gameshow has fallen from the best to the worst.

The recipe for why is actually very simple – in 2023, we were enthralled by the idea that Netflix’s biggest K-drama could be replicated with everyday people and exceptionally detailed gameplay following in the footsteps of what we saw in each episode of Squid Game season 1.

The new games that were introduced fused dynamic action with familiar tactics (e.g. the use of Battleships in the third game) and we genuinely grew to love the alliances and band of characters we saw on screen.

Almost none of that is represented in Squid Game: The Challenge season 2. The original show's games are still well replicated, but they’re mundane compared to the big classics we saw in season 1. New twists and turns mostly fall flat, and our cast is too weak to be memorable or build an invisible rapport with the audience.

And if that all isn’t bad enough, where on earth is Red Light, Green Light?

All of the reality TV sparkle has gone in Squid Game: The Challenge season 2

Squid Game: The Challenge season 2 has taken a risk by getting rid of the show’s most famous games (think Red Light, Green Light and Dalgona) and replacing them with brand-new gameplay. Half of our cast of 456 players are immediately eliminated by the new game Count, which is merely comprised of two teams counting 456 seconds before pressing a button.

It makes for the most anti-climactic premiere episode of TV I’ve seen this year, and I’m absolutely baffled for why Netflix would choose to use a counting game over the brutal run-and-stop elimination we’re all looking forward to. Annoyingly, it’s not coming any later in the series either.

Games such as Mingle in episode 4 win back some level of tension, but it might be too little, too late. In the first four episodes alone, we only see two and a half games played out, with dorm challenges or recordings of the contestants filling our screens in the meantime. Normally, if there is a strong cast and genuinely shrewd surprises, this wouldn’t be a problem.

However, we’re presented with labored and anti-climactic developments between cast members we can’t remember from one minute to the next.

Let’s address the changes first. There are a variety of new dorm challenges introduced to try and stoke up drama between players – the most successful of these being a secret boiler room where players are sent to enact eliminations or receive coins to use in a snack-filled vending machine. We also see players presented with a chance to swap meals for “scratchers” or pass around Russian dolls, both of with lead to potential disadvantages in the next game.

Despite the fact that none of these make the level of impact that Netflix is hoping for, it all feels too pre-meditated – and that’s the same problem we see with the casting. In short, it’s all gone a bit too X Factor, putting the pedal to the emotional medal so hard that nothing feels genuine. Everything we’re seeing feels overly contrived, and Netflix is trying far too hard to keep our attention.

Where season 1 introduced players we could connect with (think mother-son duo Leanne and Trey), Netflix is clearly trying to fit the same character profiles, but with less success. As soon as I can remember that somebody exists, they’re killed off, and that’s always been the downside of a gameshow with such a big cast. The finalists don’t become clear until the last moment, but this time there’s nobody in the interim to tide us over.

What does this mean for Squid Game: The Challenge season 3?

Some Squid Game players stand in shock

(Image credit: Netflix)

In short, this all isn’t amazing news for the already-renewed Squid Game: The Challenge season 3. It feels as though season 2 is following the original series slump that came at the same point (at least, in my opinion), which wasn’t completely clawed back by the time season 3 dropped six months later.

But it’s not all hopeless. Game stalwarts like Marbles returns, offering up the most emotional turning point we’ve seen across all iterations of the game, and the production design is still beyond astounding. We know season 3 will likely replicate the jump rope horror from the first season of Squid Game, and that’s got the opportunity to be the jewel in Netflix’s reality TV crown.

In the meantime, I’d rather rewatch the original series than get ready for the rest of Squid Game: The Challenge season 2 in the coming weeks.

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