Entertainment Guide: From Project Hail Mary to Saturday Night Live UK
This week's entertainment landscape offers a diverse array of options for both going out and staying in, featuring major film releases, groundbreaking television, and cultural events across the UK. From deep space adventures to British satire, there is something to captivate every audience.
Going Out: Cinema Highlights
Project Hail Mary is now in theaters, bringing Andy Weir's comic sci-fi novel to life under the direction of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. Ryan Gosling stars as a science teacher who awakens on a spaceship, embarking on a desperate mission in deep space. The film aims to replicate the success of The Martian, blending humor with semi-plausible science fiction.
La Grazia reunites Italian star Toni Servillo with director Paolo Sorrentino, exploring moral dilemmas faced by an Italian president, including the potential pardon of two murderers. This collaboration delves into conflicts between personal freedom and public obligations.
Broken English is a documentary about Marianne Faithfull, directed by Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard. It uses unconventional devices like the Ministry of Not Forgetting to blend actual memories with myth-making, featuring contributions from Tilda Swinton, Nick Cave, and Courtney Love.
Dead Man's Wire, directed by Gus Van Sant, is a crime thriller based on the true story of Tony Kiritsis, a kidnapper who held his mortgage broker hostage for 63 hours with a deadly contraption. Bill Skarsgård stars in this tense narrative.
Going Out: Gigs and Performances
Gunna tours the UK from 25 to 31 March, starting in London. The Georgia rapper's sixth album, The Last Wun, has solidified his status as a hip-hop superstar, featuring atmospheric trap anthems like One of Wun and FukUMean.
The 6 Music festival takes place in Greater Manchester from 25 to 28 March, spotlighting independent venues such as Band on the Wall and YES. The lineup includes established acts like Bloc Party and Courtney Barnett, alongside newcomers Jacob Alon and Wesley Joseph.
Dave Holland and Lionel Loueke perform at Union Chapel in London on 23 March, showcasing their acclaimed 2024 album United. The duo blends global-jazzy lyricism with dazzling improvisation.
Tansy Davies: The Passion of Mary Magdalene premieres at Barbican Hall in London on 24 March. This new oratorio, presented by the Dunedin Consort, revisits the Passion story from Mary Magdalene's perspective, conducted by John Butt with Anna Dennis in the lead role.
Going Out: Art Exhibitions
Frank Bowling is featured at The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge from 27 March to 17 January. His large-scale abstract paintings use molten colors to evoke personal and global maps, drawing from American abstract expressionism.
Hurvin Anderson exhibits at Tate Britain in London from 26 March to 23 August. His paintings transform realistic scenes into lyrical poetry through vibrant colors, inviting viewers into deeper, multitudinous worlds.
Bruegel to Rembrandt at Compton Verney in Warwickshire, running until 28 June, surveys north European Renaissance and baroque drawings. It highlights Pieter Bruegel the Elder's precise designs and Rembrandt's great sketches.
Catherine Opie is showcased at the National Portrait Gallery in London until 31 May. Her formal yet ambiguous photographs explore identity, echoing old masters like Ingres and Rembrandt with a queer perspective.
Going Out: Stage Productions
Les Liaisons Dangereuses runs at the National Theatre in London until 6 June. This new staging of Christopher Hampton's adaptation stars Lesley Manville and Aidan Turner as scheming aristocrats, directed by Marianne Elliott.
Henry V is performed at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-on-Avon until 25 April. Directed by Tamara Harvey, the first woman to direct this play at the RSC, it stars Alfred Enoch and explores urgent questions about leadership.
Scottish Dance Theatre: Scottish Roots tours the Inner Hebrides on 25 and 26 March, celebrating its 40th anniversary with a triple bill including Joan Clevillé's piece set to music by piper Brìghde Chaimbeul.
David Elms performs at The Old Hairdresser's in Glasgow on 22 March, touring until 30 May. His show, David Elms Describes a Room, is an improvised, emotionally involving comedy that builds an imaginary room from audience contributions.
Staying In: Streaming Options
Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen premieres on Netflix on 26 March. Produced by the creators of Stranger Things, this camply ominous thriller follows a bride consumed by dread before her wedding, starring Camila Morrone and Jennifer Jason Leigh.
Saturday Night Live UK debuts on Sky One and Now on 21 March at 10pm. This British version of the iconic comedy show features a talented team of writers and performers, aiming to revitalize British entertainment.
Bait arrives on Prime Video on 25 March. Riz Ahmed stars in this genre-blending satire about a London actor who spirals after a failed James Bond audition, with cameos from Patrick Stewart and Guz Khan.
The Pitt launches on HBO Max on 26 March, available via Sky subscriptions. This real-time medical drama has dominated US awards season and discourse, offering intense storytelling.
Staying In: Games and Albums
Life Is Strange: Reunion releases on 26 March for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. This narrative adventure reunites original characters Max and Chloe to face a new apocalyptic threat, promising an emotional and authentic conclusion.
Project Songbird also releases on 26 March for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. Developed by Conner Rush, this horror adventure follows a musician recording in a remote Appalachian cabin, blending suspense with supernatural elements.
Grace Ives – Girlfriend is out now, exploring personal fallout through alt-pop confections like Avalanche and My Mans, co-produced with Ariel Rechtshaid.
BTS – Arirang marks the K-pop group's comeback after military service, featuring collaborations with Diplo and Mike Will Made-It.
Underscores – U returns to electronic textures with tracks like Music and Do It, described as gonzo and riotous.
Naomi Scott – FIG is the debut album from the Smile 2 star, blending alt-pop with 90s influences on songs like Sweet Nausea and Cherry.
Staying In: Brain Food
The National Gallery of Art in Washington DC offers over 60,000 high-resolution images for download, including works from Mark Rothko's sketchbooks and Rembrandt self-portraits.
Inheritance: Samsung is a podcast from BBC World Service starting 23 March, examining the family saga behind South Korean tech giant Samsung, hosted by Elise Hu.
The American Buffalo airs on PBS America on 24 March at 1.15pm. Ken Burns's documentary traces the history of the US's national mammal, from Indigenous spiritual connections to near-extinction by colonial settlers.
