A Week of Rave Reviews: Lurker to Our Girls leads the spotlight
TV
If you’re picking just one, this is the show to watch
Our Girls: The Southport Families
BBC iPlayer
Summary in a sentence A deeply moving documentary that honors the lives of the three girls killed in a dance-class attack last year, while also tracing the powerful ways their parents navigated the tragedy.
What our reviewer said “No two children were alike, but it’s a privilege to know a little of them through home movies and the words of their parents.” — Jack Seale
Read the full review (https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/dec/09/our-girls-the-southport-families-review-repeatedly-leaves-you-in-fountains-of-tears)
Further reading One Day in Southport review – a solemn portrait of how a tragedy was hijacked (https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/jul/24/one-day-in-southport-review-uk-riots-channel-4)
Pick of the rest
See No Evil Channel 4
Summary in a sentence A precisely crafted documentary that examines the harms of John Smyth, arguably one of the most prolific abusers tied to the Church of England.
What our reviewer said “The film gives each participant room to breathe, inviting viewers to reflect on the plentiful subtle and intelligent insights shared.” — Lucy Mangan
Read the full review (https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/dec/10/see-no-evil-review-documentary-channel-4-anglican-church-child-abuse)
You may have missed …
How I Made a Million in 90 Days Channel 4
Summary in a sentence Lovable prankster-satirist Oobah Butler attempts a rapid path to wealth.
What our reviewer said “Butler strips wealth-aspiration bare, unmasks the hollow promises of hustle culture, and shows how much of the crypto-CEO world rests on sand and air, all while delivering his signature mix of wry bravado and scrappy charm.” — Rachel Aroesti
Read the full review (https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/oct/16/how-i-made-a-million-in-90-days-review-hustle-culture-crypto-ceos-channel-4)
Further reading A documentary-maker’s wild attempt to strike it rich in 90 days (https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/oct/15/please-can-i-have-a-million-pounds-inside-a-documentary-makers-wild-attempt-to-strike-it-rich-in-90-days)
Film
If you only watch one, make it …
Lurker In Cinemas Now
Summary in a sentence A Hollywood-thriller about a rising singer who becomes entangled with a determined, fame-hungry hanger-on, played by Théodore Pellerin.
What our reviewer said “Alex Russell’s thriller exudes assured confidence, a buzzy Sundance debut that is unusually self-aware.” — Benjamin Lee
Read the full review (https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/jan/31/lurker-film-review-sundance)
Further reading Obsession, blackmail and Instagram: inside Lurker, the year’s most compelling thriller (https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/aug/22/lurker-movie-thriller-interview)
Pick of the rest
Preparation for the Next Life In cinemas now
Summary in a sentence Bing Liu’s film offers an unflinching look at an undocumented Uyghur immigrant and a traumatized US veteran whose bond is strained by their pasts.
What our reviewer said “The film shows them slipping into a limbo, drifting around each other. Aishe isn’t sure she wants to fully commit to the moody Skinner, who can vanish for days; Skinner isn’t sure he fully understands the abyss of sadness his partner carries.” — Peter Bradshaw
Read the full review (https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/dec/09/preparation-for-the-next-life-review-deeply-felt-story-of-love-among-the-marginalised-in-new-york)
The Shining In Cinemas Now
Summary in a sentence Jack Nicholson stars as an increasingly abusive father spiraling out of control in Stanley Kubrick’s expansive horror classic, re-released for its 45th anniversary.
What our reviewer said “Nicholson delivers a fiercely dark, almost comic performance, and the daylight-facing final shot of his face is a masterstroke.” — Peter Bradshaw
Read the full review (https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/nov/01/the-shining-review)
Further reading ‘Extreme heebie-jeebies’: writers on their scariest movies of all time (https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/oct/31/halloween-scariest-movies-of-all-time)
Fackham Hall In Cinemas Now
Summary in a sentence A period drama spoof featuring a strong ensemble, including Damian Lewis and Thomasin McKenzie, delivering smart gags and sharp social satire.
What our reviewer said “This entertaining spoof packs nearly the entire runtime with humor, from crude to genuinely funny, suggesting there might still be more to wring from the eat-the-rich premise.” — Adrian Horton
Read the full review (https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/dec/05/fackham-hall-movie-review)
Now streaming
Merv Prime Video
Summary in a sentence Charlie Cox and Zooey Deschanel co-parent a melancholic dog in a conventional holiday rom-com that appeals to animal lovers.
What our reviewer said “Though the dog largely wears the emotional load, with limited material for the human leads, the animal acting shines enough to keep the film appealing.” — Adrian Horton
Read the full review (https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/dec/09/merv-movie-review-amazon)
Books
If you only read one, make it …
The Curious Case of Mike Lynch by Katie Prescott
Reviewed by Charlie English
Summary in a sentence A meticulously researched biography of a controversial business figure, tracing his rise and his infamous downfall aboard the Bayesian.
What our reviewer said “Prescott presents Lynch as a man of considerable talent alongside troubling flaws.”
Read the full review (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/dec/08/the-curious-case-of-mike-lynch-by-katie-prescott-review-the-extraordinary-story-behind-the-bayesian-tragedy)
Pick of the rest
On the Calculation of Volume III by Solvej Balle, translated by Sophia Hersi Smith and Jennifer Russell
Reviewed by Clare Clark
Summary in a sentence The third installment in the acclaimed Danish time-loop series.
What our reviewer said “As the narrative expands, Balle sprinkles humor while preserving the hypnotic pull that characterized the first two volumes.”
Read the full review (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/dec/09/on-the-calculation-of-volume-iii-by-solvej-balle-review-how-to-make-a-timeloop-endlessly-interesting)
Further reading ‘How can one day be so voluminous?’: the Danish author’s take on Groundhog Day
How can one day be so voluminous? bySolvej Balle (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/mar/29/how-can-one-day-be-so-voluminous-the-danish-author-who-has-written-her-own-version-of-groundhog-day)
Don’t Burn Anyone at the Stake Today by Naomi Alderman
Reviewed by Sophie McBain
Summary in a sentence A practical guide to navigating the dehumanizing effects of social media.
What our reviewer said “Alderman has a sharp eye for the subtle ways digital media reshapes us, recognizing both its benefits and its traps.”
Read the full review (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/dec/10/dont-burn-anyone-at-the-stake-today-by-naomi-alderman-review-how-to-navigate-the-information-crisis)
Further reading Naomi Alderman: as AI reshapes culture, here’s why we must protect human storytelling in games (http://theguardian.com/games/2025/dec/10/i-bought-the-games-studio-behind-zombies-run-because-humanity-is-essential-to-storytelling)
Ever Since We Small by Celeste Mohammed
Reviewed by Selma Dabbagh
Summary in a sentence A layered magical-realist novel about Trinidad and its people.
What our reviewer said “Ever Since We Small feels confident and expansive, with women guiding, blessing, and healing, while love misleads and empowers in equal measure.”
Read the full review (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/dec/11/ever-since-we-small-by-celeste-mohammed-review-a-big-hearted-caribbean-tale)
You may have missed …
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
Reviewed by Joanna Briscoe
Summary in a sentence The novel that inspired the upcoming film, tracing Shakespeare's family tragedy during the plague.
What our reviewer said “O’Farrell is stunningly immersive, stepping into minds as varied as an owl, a playwright, and a grieving boy. A deep, intimate study of loss.”
Read the full review (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/mar/26/hamnet-maggie-ofarrell-review-shakespearean-drama-son-grief-twin-sister)
Further reading Why Herefordshire was the perfect stand-in for Shakespeare’s Stratford in the new film of Hamnet (https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/nov/17/why-herefordshire-was-the-perfect-stand-in-for-shakespeares-stratford-in-the-new-film-of-hamnet)
Albums
For the year’s standout releases, explore the Guardian’s 2025 music coverage, including year-end lists for rock and pop albums, songs, and top classical recordings (https://www.theguardian.com/music/ng-interactive/2025/dec/08/the-best-albums-of-2025-50-41) and (https://www.theguardian.com/music/ng-interactive/2025/dec/03/the-20-best-songs-of-2025) and (https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/dec/11/from-shiveringly-vivid-mahler-to-the-eclectic-hermes-experiment-our-top-classical-recordings-of-2025).
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