Peaky Blinders Film Leads TV's Top Picks: Seven Must-Watch Movies This Week
The smash-hit period drama Peaky Blinders receives a Hollywood makeover this week, with Cillian Murphy reprising his role as Tommy Shelby in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man. Set in 1940s wartime Birmingham, the film sees Tommy battling personal demons and a fascist threat, while other highlights include Hugh Jackman's poignant family drama The Son and Ridley Scott's gripping sci-fi The Martian. Here are the seven best films to watch on TV, offering a mix of crime, horror, westerns, and emotional storytelling.
Pick of the Week: Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man
Debating whether the Birmingham-set period crime drama needed another chapter after six series is irrelevant now, as Tommy Shelby returns to brood magnificently for one final showdown. Creator Steven Knight and director Tom Harper maintain the series' signature elements—glowering vistas, anachronistic songs, and random acts of violence—but shift the action to 1940, with the Nazis looming. Tommy, played by Cillian Murphy, isolates himself in a decaying mansion haunted by past ghosts, while his impetuous son Duke, portrayed by Barry Keoghan, allies with British fascist John Beckett, a cool Tim Roth, to flood the country with counterfeit currency. Only Tommy can stop this dangerous plot. Catch it on Friday 20 March, Netflix.
Sketch: A Kid-Friendly Horror Tale
Grief manifests as orange-skinned, eyeless monsters with massive mouths in Seth Worley's imaginative, family-friendly horror film. Amber, played by Bianca Belle, compulsively draws scary crayon pictures to cope with her mother's death, only to see them magically and perilously come to life. Her father Taylor, portrayed by Tony Hale, and brother Jack, played by Kue Lawrence, use less deadly avoidance strategies but must confront their loss together. In a style reminiscent of The Goonies, the children hold the key to solving the comic threats emerging from Amber's morbid imagination. Watch it on Saturday 14 March, 9am and 6.20pm, Sky Cinema Premiere.
A Fistful of Dollars: The Spaghetti Western Classic
Sergio Leone's 1964 film, an unauthorised adaptation of Akira Kurosawa's samurai classic Yojimbo, popularised the spaghetti western and revitalised the genre. It also catapulted a stubbly young Clint Eastwood to stardom as a taciturn, poncho-clad gunslinger who rides into a frontier town and cunningly pits two warring criminal families against each other. The film is wilfully stylish, featuring sweaty closeups, gunshots that sound like cannon fire, and tension so intense it could be cut with a bowie knife. Tune in on Saturday 14 March, 9pm, Sky Arts.
Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story
With her candid memoir now available, this complimentary evening celebrates showbiz great Liza Minnelli. Bruce David Klein's documentary provides a detailed overview of her career and the mentors who helped her step out of the shadow of her famous mother, Judy Garland. From performers like Kay Thompson and Charles Aznavour to theatre giants Bob Fosse and Fred Ebb, plus fashion designer Halston, it's a fascinating star-is-born tale. Followed by a double bill of her films—the peerless Cabaret and the ambitious New York, New York—this is a must-watch for fans. Airs on Saturday 14 March, 9.15pm, BBC Two.
The Martian: A Sci-Fi Survival Epic
Despite Ridley Scott's hit-and-miss output in recent decades, his 2015 sci-fi movie stands among his best work. Matt Damon delivers an engaging performance as astronaut Mark Watney, stranded alone on Mars after a Nasa mission goes awry. With four years until a possible rescue and insufficient resources, Mark declares, "I'm going to have to science the shit out of this." Essentially a space procedural, the film derives drama from the technical challenges Mark faces, making it a compelling watch. Catch it on Sunday 15 March, 10pm, BBC Two.
The Son: A Family Drama on Mental Health
The final installment in Florian Zeller's trilogy of plays, following The Mother and The Father, gets a screen adaptation. While more straightforward in its take on family strife, the emotional turbulence remains acute. Hugh Jackman plays Peter, a father to teenager Nicholas, portrayed by Zen McGrath, divorced from Laura Dern's Kate and now married to Beth, played by Vanessa Kirby, with a new baby. When Nicholas shows signs of depression, Peter invites him to stay, but as a doctor warns, "love is not enough." Peter, who has a fractured relationship with his own father, struggles to handle the mental health crisis. Watch it on Sunday 15 March, 11pm, Channel 4.
In Camera: A Satirical Nightmare on Acting
The struggles of an actor enduring humiliating auditions could be comedic, but in Naqqash Khalid's dislocating satirical drama, it becomes a nightmare. Nabhaan Rizwan is compelling as Aden, first seen as a bloodied corpse in a police show, who appears worryingly disconnected amid the awkwardness and fake sincerity of his profession. When hired by a therapist to play a dead son for a grieving mother, Aden's grip on reality loosens, mirroring the film's increasingly untethered feel. Don't miss it on Friday 20 March, 11.10pm, BBC Two.
