A Roald Dahl tale and a depraved thriller: Five things to watch this weekend

Reptile – Netflix

Benicio Del Toro and Justin Timberlake star in this noir thriller directed by music video stylist Grant Singer. Del Toro plays a world-weary, cynical cop whose values and perceptions are upended and pushed to their limits after he becomes involved in a murder case that sends him down a dark road where nothing is quite as it seems and everything he knows can no longer be trusted.

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar – Netflix

Wes Anderson returns to the work of Roald Dahl for this first — in a planned four-part series of short film adaptations — of one of the writer’s most surprisingly optimistic and sweet tales. Using fourth-wall breaking techniques that emphasise rather than hide the storytelling aspects of the source material, it’s a short, sharp, characteristically quirky and highly designed interpretation that leaves plenty of room for audience imagination. Featuring a star-studded cast that includes Benedict Cumberbatch, Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley and Richard Ayoade, it’s an enjoyable kickoff to a series that proves Anderson’s particular style and eccentricities are well suited to Dahl’s off-centre black humoured fables.

Flora & Son – Apple TV +

Eve Hewson stars as Flora, a young, struggling single mother in Dublin who takes up the guitar in an effort to improve her relationship with her surly son. With a little help from Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s ruggedly charming American online guitar teacher and a bit of soul-searching she finds a new purpose as an able songwriter and mostly better mother. Directed by Jon Cleary (Sing Street) it’s a syrupy sweet but charming ode to the transformative power of music that has just enough sly Irish humour and heart to make you smile for its suitably short 90 minutes.

Infinity Pool – Rent or buy from Apple TV+

The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree when it comes to this violent horror directed by Brandon Cronenberg, son of the legendary David. Starring Alexander Skarsgård and Mia Goth, it’s a creepy, vicious tale of a holiday that starts in paradise and ends up in the bowels of hell. When a couple travel to a tropical resort looking for a relaxing escape, things take a nasty turn after a fatal accident reveals that beneath the surface of the resort lies a terrifying world of sex, violence and depravity.

Los Angeles Plays Itself – Mubi.com

Director Thom Andersen’s  169-minute documentary from 2003 is a treat for movie lovers, using footage from thousands of films to show how the city of Los Angeles has been portrayed over the history of the medium with which it’s so associated. It hasn’t all been sun and roses though and Andersen takes on the city’s less glamorous aspects and examines the ways in which the silver screen has been used to misrepresent the city to create unreasonable expectations for many arrivals looking to realise their starry eyed dreams.