Michelle Wood looks at what to watch across the streaming platforms this week…
The Full Monty
Disney+, starring Robert Carlyle, Mark Addy and Hugo Speer
The 1997 hit film The Full Monty stormed the Baftas and won an Oscar –and many hearts – with its tale of former Sheffield steelworkers who turn to stripping to escape their dire financial situation. Now, Gaz (Robert Carlyle), Dave (Mark Addy), Guy (Hugo Speer), Horse (Paul Barber), Lomper
(Steve Huison), and Gerald (Tom Wilkinson) are back in a sequel series.
In the new eight-part series of the same name, once again written by Simon Beaufoy (along with Alice Nutter), time hasn’t necessarily been kind to the lads, and their struggles have only increased over the years. Still, their friendships remain tight.
Gaz (Robert Carlyle) is living in a caravan and working as a hospital porter. He is as impetuous as always and forever involves his mates in madcap schemes – mainly with the aim of buying his disabled grandson an electric wheelchair.
Dave Horsfall (Mark Addy) and his wife, Jean (Lesley Sharp), are now the caretaker and headteacher respectively of the local comprehensive school.
Lomper (Steve Huison) is married to Dennis (Paul Clayton) and they run the local café. Gerald (Tom Wilkinson) does not have much of a storyline, but usually hangs out behind his laptop. Guy (Hugo Speer) is the only one doing well for himself. Horse (Paul Barber) is now frail and on disability benefits.
It’s a fun watch, but never quite captures the true wit and essence of the much-loved original film.
Victim/Suspect
Netflix
In her latest offering, American documentary filmmaker Nancy Schwartzman continues to explore the topic of sexual assault and rape culture, which she first addressed in her 2009 debut short, The Line.
Her new film is crafted around a deep dive by investigative reporter Rachel de Leon at the Center for Investigative Reporting. De Leon investigated several cases in which young women reported sexual assault to police, but ended up not being believed, recanting their testimonies, being charged with falsely reporting crimes and even pleading guilty.
Over the course of her probe, De Leon learns that police investigations are frequently flawed. As a result, she begins to scour each case and re-examine the evidence all over again. In the process, she uncovers a trend that has not only denied rape survivors justice, but also undermined victims’ trust in the US criminal justice system.
This sobering yet harrowing film is made without sensationalism or gratuitous detail. While heartbreaking at times,
it is a story both about De Leon’s initial investigation and about how rape culture is exacerbated by deep fissures in the criminal justice system.
A documentary worth watching, but prepare to feel some rage on behalf of rape survivors everywhere.
