TV
If you only watch one, make it …
England ’Til I Die
Channel 4; available now
A horrifying documentary that follows Sussex man Liam Tomsett’s journey into the far right, as he takes to the streets in anger against asylum seekers.
What our reviewer said: “It’s hard to come away from England ’Til I Die without the feeling that people like Tomsett are making things so much worse.” – Hannah J Davies
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Pick of the rest
70 Up
ITVX; available now
The final instalment of the landmark docuseries following people every seven years since their childhood.
What our reviewer said: “Directed by Asif Kapadia, it has a more reflective and elegiac tone than in previous years.” – Lucy Mangan
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Further reading: ‘It’s the Bayeux tapestry of TV!’
Sterling Point
Prime Video; available now
An escapist YA drama about a teenager who inherits a house in Canada and sets off on a soul-searching adventure.
What our reviewer said: “If escapism is the brief, then Sterling Point fulfills it expertly.” – Micha Frazer-Carroll
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The Schoolgirl Terrorist?
Channel 4; out now
A documentary about Rhianan Rudd, the youngest girl charged with terror offences in the UK.
What our reviewer said: “By the end of the hour you feel like you have sat through a nightmare.” – Lucy Mangan
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Film
If you only watch one, make it …
Queen at Sea
In cinemas now
A dementia drama that offers a startling portrait of intimacy.
What our reviewer said: “Each a terrifying point of no return, each the awful occasion of things seen and said that can’t be unseen or unsaid.” – Peter Bradshaw
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Pick of the rest
Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom
In cinemas now
The third cinematic adventure for Aardman’s resourceful ovine.
What our reviewer said: “Crammed as ever with top visual gags, great throwaway references.” – Peter Bradshaw
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De Gaulle: Liberté
In cinemas now
A biopic of the wartime leader’s rise to political dominance.
What our reviewer said: “The film genuinely has something new to say about Churchill’s Francophilia.” – Peter Bradshaw
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Now streaming
Smile at Last
Klassiki; available now
An unsentimental rite of passage film about a teenager in a Soviet-era residential facility.
What our reviewer said: “It is a mysterious parable that depicts the Soviet state and its gruesome pretension to be nurturing.” – Peter Bradshaw
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Books
If you only read one, make it …
End Times Fascism by Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor
Reviewed by Daniel Trilling
A sharp analysis of how the super-rich are capitalizing on chaos and how to fight back.
What our reviewer said: “In this bold, clarifying intervention … the authors map out the frightening new territory.”
Read the full review
Pick of the rest
The Rouse by China Miéville
Reviewed by Stuart Kelly
A paranormal epic of cold war espionage and family tragedy.
What our reviewer said: “Maximalist, dense, disorienting and discomfiting.”
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Redwood by Ben Macintyre
Reviewed by Oliver Bullough
A gripping story of a Soviet agent and his MI6 handler.
What our reviewer said: “Macintyre combines the journalist’s eye for salacious detail with historian’s rigour.”
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The Strangers by Naomi Alderman
Reviewed by Keiran Goddard
An idiosyncratic examination of grief mingling bereavement memoir with speculative fiction.
What our reviewer said: “A deeply moving and wise book.”
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Albums
If you only listen to one, make it …
Beabadoobee: Pylon
Dirty Hit; out now
A blend of 90s alt-fuzz with sweet melodies featuring special guests.
What our reviewer said: “A compelling argument that Beabadoobee’s reach should be broader.” – Alexis Petridis
Read the full review
Pick of the rest
Beck: Ride Lonesome
Iliad/Capitol; out now
Maintaining high quality as he surveys mid-50s malaise post-divorce.
What our reviewer said: “Every song has the requisite emotional impact.” – Alexis Petridis
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Empress Of: Dream House
Major Arcana/Giant Music; out now
A hopeful album about the meaning of home.
What our reviewer said: “The album sounds airy, free and open-hearted.” – Laura Snapes
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On tour …
Charli XCX
Barclays Center, Brooklyn; touring until 24 February
A dazzling and euphoric performance.
What our reviewer said: “A full-volume tribute to pop’s euphoric potential.” – Adrian Horton
Read the full review
