TV

If you only watch one, make it …

The Alien Autopsy Scandal

Sky Documentaries & Now; available now

Summed up in a sentence A hugely entertaining, quirky documentary that dissects a video that is supposedly a Roswell alien autopsy – but was actually filmed with a dummy in a London flat.

What our reviewer said “A thing of great playfulness and eccentricity that, over three increasingly extraordinary episodes, unknots the tale behind the notorious film.” Sarah Dempster

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Further reading The Alien Autopsy Scandal: this fascinating tale of a bizarre DIY hoax hits Spın̈al Tap levels of hilarity

Pick of the rest

Brexit: A Very British Civil War

BBC iPlayer; available now

Summed up in a sentence A grimly amusing documentary featuring an endless stream of blockbuster names spouting irresistible tittle-tattle about the vote to leave the EU.

What our reviewer said “Does this programme’s fixation on gossipy drama trivialise Brexit? Absolutely. Will you watch a more rollickingly fun documentary about politics this year? Absolutely not.” Rachel Aroesti

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Proud

HBO Max; available now

Summed up in a sentence A Polish series about a hedonistic gay male model who suddenly has to raise a one-year-old after his sister’s death.

What our reviewer said “The scenes with the toddler are so gorgeous and believable, you almost start crediting tiny Alicja Lewczuk with being an accomplished actor, despite her not yet having acquired the power of speech.” Jack Seale

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You may have missed …

The Murder Line

ITVX; available now

Summed up in a sentence Minnie Driver stars in a Canadian crime caper.

What our reviewer said “As a mischievous yarn, with characters made to entertain and a story that never stands still, it’s on the edge of excellent.” Jack Seale

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Film

If you only watch one, make it …

Disclosure Day

In cinemas now

Summed up in a sentence Humans have been secretly abusing aliens for almost 80 years in Steven Spielberg’s big-hearted conspiracy thriller starring Josh O’Connor as a worried whistleblower and Emily Blunt as a weather forecaster channelling UFO chat.

What our reviewer said “Disclosure Day is never anything other than entertaining and grade-A fun; rare enough in the movies or anywhere else, rocketing along with barnstorming set-pieces, exhilarating chases, funny lines and a career-topper of a performance from Blunt.” Peter Bradshaw

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Further reading The best Steven Spielberg films, chosen by directors, critics and super-fans: ‘Pure popcorn perfection’

Pick of the rest

The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford

In cinemas now

Summed up in a sentence Quirky Scottish dramedy in which Peter Mullan delivers a tender performance, playing a cranky local historian obsessed with his obscure, unscrupulous ancestor.

What our reviewer said “Mullan brings his formidable presence to this first-time feature from director Sean Robert Dunn: he is angry and weary, disillusioned but kind-hearted, someone who got his feelings hurt a long time ago – but wouldn’t dream of making a fuss about it.” Peter Bradshaw

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Strictly Ballroom

In cinemas now

Summed up in a sentence Baz Luhrmann’s dizzying, dance-tastic swirl of fun is classic oddball ugly duckling tale.

What our reviewer said “We can see in prototype the style that would later evolve into Luhrmann’s settled directorial mannerisms (analogous to watching an early Wes Anderson film): the zoom, the garish closeup, the huge eyes-and-teeth flourish.” Peter Bradshaw

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Further reading ‘Screaming girls chased me down the street’: how we made Strictly Ballroom

Boogie Nights

In cinemas now

Summed up in a sentence Paul Thomas Anderson’s porn epic lacks some of the craft shown in his later work, but remains a stylish and energetic descent into the cocaine-fuelled world of the 70s adult film industry.

What our reviewer said “As a film, Boogie Nights is clearly influenced by Scorsese: not just the epic rise-and-fall trajectory of GoodFellas but in Dirk running his lines in front of the mirror like Jake LaMotta. There is also something of Tarantino in the late-night store stick-up that leaves Buck covered with blood and with a brown paper-bag full of cash.” Peter Bradshaw

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Now streaming …

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret

Prime Video; available 10 June

Summed up in a sentence Abby Ryder Fortson and Rachel McAdams are remarkable in a thoughtful and funny expansion of the 1970s teen novel by Judy Blume.

What our reviewer said “Based on – but not entirely wedded to – Judy Blume’s seminal 1970 novel of the same name, the film is an entertaining comedy that also happens to be a stunning evocation of the fear and yearning that come with standing on the precipice of adulthood.” Lauren Mechling

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Books

If you only read one, make it …

The End of Everything by M John Harrison

Reviewed by Michel Faber

Summed up in a sentence Mysterious aliens in a decayed future England from the SF master.

What our reviewer said “It shows us a society that has long since forgotten Trump, social media and Middle Eastern genocides, and yet it burrows deep into our psyches to expose the terrifying insecurity of life right now.”

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Pick of the rest

Stolen Revolution by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin and Yeganeh Torbati

Reviewed by Dina Nayeri

Summed up in a sentence An essential primer on Iran’s recent history.

What our reviewer said “Stolen Revolution is a careful and unwavering account of the regime’s absurdities and crimes. It should be required reading for anyone who cares about human rights or justice in the Middle East.”

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Frida Slattery As Herself by Ana Kinsella

Reviewed by Anjali Joseph

Summed up in a sentence Skilful portrait of the long relationship between an actor and a director.

What our reviewer said “The engine of the book is romantic – will they end up together? – but while this keeps the plot ticking over, the magic of their connection comes, pleasingly, in their creative collaboration.”

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A British Childhood: How Our Children Live Now by Frank Cottrell-Boyce

Reviewed by Joe Moran

Summed up in a sentence The children’s laureate on why social deprivation hits early reading hard.

What our reviewer said “If I have made this sound like a miserable book, it isn’t. It is interlaced with luminous bits of autobiography.”

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Villa Coco by Andrew Sean Greer

Reviewed by Christobel Kent

Summed up in a sentence An innocent young American arrives in Tuscany to work for an eccentric Baronessa.

What our reviewer said “The Baronessa casts the requisite spell – delivering, in the end, an enchantment threaded through with hope.”

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You may have missed …

The Finest Hotel in Kabul by Lyse Doucet

Reviewed by William Dalrymple

Summed up in a sentence Women’s prize for nonfiction-winning social history of Afghanistan – from the perspective of Kabul’s InterContinental hotel.

What our reviewer said “What sustains the book is Doucet’s focus on the ordinary Afghans who keep the place going despite the shelling, rockets, suicide bombs and occasional massacres of both staff and guests.”

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Music

If you only listen to one, make it …

Kelsey Lu: So Help Me God

Out now

Summed up in a sentence Strange, graceful songs drifting from pop’s edgelands, aided by Jack Antonoff, Kim Gordon, Sampha and more.

What our reviewer said “It’s an album that wears its weirdness lightly, that keeps moving in unexpected directions with an impressively graceful smoothness – the work of someone who has their own vision and their own way of doing things.” Alexis Petridis

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Pick of the rest

Brown Wimpenny: Long Live Brown Wimpenny

Out now

Summed up in a sentence Manchester folk collective get bawdy and shambolic – named after a 19th-century relative.

What our reviewer said “The group are strongest in quieter territory: the least showy track, Old Molly Metcalfe, is the album’s best moment, every strummed string, fiddle shimmer and soft harmony landing with emotional impact.” Jude Rogers

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Katia and Marielle Labèque: 55

Out now

Summed up in a sentence The pianist sisters’ celebration of their 55 years of recording is a thoughtfully curated compilation that reveals their musical curiosity and brilliance.

What our reviewer said “A mix of new recordings and classics, it reveals the extent of their omnivorous appetites, from 20th-century modernism to minimalism and jazz – ending where they began with Messiaen’s barnstorming Amen de la Consommation.” Clive Paget

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Sally Beamish: House of Wonder

Out now

Summed up in a sentence The British composer celebrates 70 years with an eclectic and profoundly personal album featuring friends and members of her talented musical family.

What our reviewer said “At the centre of it all is Beamish herself, a musical shapeshifter, at home in classical, jazz or folk fiddle. Much here is autobiographical, wistfully capturing family games, emotional absence and domestic moments.” Clive Paget

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On tour

Lola Young

O2 Apollo Manchester, 11 June; touring the UK to 19 June

Summed up in a sentence Buoyant, brilliant return from British pop’s great oversharer after taking time away from live performance.

What our reviewer said “Young is a self-confessed loudmouth with a knack for turning chronic oversharing into lovable charm – it’s difficult to leave tonight feeling anything other than like you’ve made a new friend.” Amelia Fearon

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