Six To See May 11-17, 2024

1. Doctor Who : the new season of the British science fiction series Doctor Who premiered on May 11. It is the fifth season led by Russell T Davies as head writer and executive producer and the first since his return to the show, having previously worked on it from 2005 to 2010. This series is the fourteenth to air following the programme’s revival in 2005 and is the fortieth season overall. The fourteenth series was announced with Davies’ return to the programme for its 60th anniversary in 2023 and beyond, with Bad Wolf becoming a co-producer for the series. The series is referred to in marketing and promotional material as “Season One” following the production changes and the acquisition of Doctor Who’s international broadcasting rights by Disney+. The series stars Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor, a new incarnation of the Doctor, an alien Time Lord who travels through time and space in the TARDIS, which appears to be a British police box from the outside. The Fifteenth Doctor was introduced in “The Giggle” (2023) through a “bi-generation”, in which he split from his predecessor, the Fourteenth Doctor (David Tennant), rather than replacing him. The series also introduces Millie Gibson as the Doctor’s newest companion, Ruby Sunday. The series, which was preceded by a Christmas episode on 25 December 2023, consists of eight episodes, which have been directed by Julie Anne Robinson, Ben Chessell, Dylan Holmes Williams, and Jamie Donoughue. Alongside Davies, who wrote six of the episodes, the writers include Kate Herron, Briony Redman, and former showrunner and head writer Steven Moffat. This new season of Doctor Who premiered on Disney+ on May 11 with the first two episodes and the rest releasing weekly.

2. I Saw the TV Glow: a new horror film written and directed by Jane Schoenbrun. It stars Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine in the lead roles with Helena Howard, Fred Durst, Danielle Deadwyler, Lindsey Jordan, Amber Benson, Conner O’Malley in supporting roles. Phoebe Bridgers, Haley Dahl, and Kristina Esfandiari also star in the film as themselves. Emma Stone and Dave McCary serve as producers under their Fruit Tree banner. The film follows Owen and Maddy, two teenagers who bond over their love of a television series. After it is mysteriously canceled, their reality begins to blur. I Saw the TV Glow premiered in the Midnight section at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year and was also shown at the Berlin International Film Festival. It also screened at South by Southwest in March and was released in limited theatres on May 3 before a wide expansion on May 17.

3. Bridgerton season 3 part 1: the first part of the third season of the historical romance series created by Chris Van Dusen is here. It’s based on the book series by Julia Quinn and revolves around an eponymous fictional family and is set in the competitive world of Regency era London’s ton during the social season in the early 1800s, where young marriageable nobility and gentry are introduced into society. After having Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) in the first season and Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) in the second season, in this new season we follow Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) who searches for a husband. We also still follow the Bridgerton family, including Anthony and his wife Kate (Simone Ashley), Colin (Luke Newton), Eloise (Claudia Jessie) and Violet (Ruth Gemmell). This third season is split in two parts with the first part released on Netflix on May 16 and the second part releasing a month later on June 13.

4. The Strangers Chapter 1: a new slasher film directed by Renny Harlin, with a screenplay by Alan R. Cohen and Alan Freeland, from a story by Bryan Bertino. Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez star in the lead roles as a couple who come into contact with the three psychopathic masked strangers while on a road trip. Serving as the third film in The Strangers film series created by Bertino, it is the first installment of a new trilogy of standalone films, where Chapter 1 will follow a similar premise to the first film and takes place in the same continuity as the first two installments, acting as a prequel to the first film. The Strangers: Chapter 1 was released on May 17. Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 are both set to be released later this year.

5. IF: a new live-action/animated fantasy comedy film written, produced, and directed by John Krasinski. The film features an ensemble cast that includes Cailey Fleming, Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski, Fiona Shaw, Alan Kim, and Liza Colón-Zayas, along with the voices of Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr., and Steve Carell. Its plot follows a young girl and her neighbor who find themselves able to see imaginary friends. IF was released in theatres in the United States on May 17.

6. Back To Black: the new biographical drama film based on the life of British singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse, played by Marisa Abela. Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and written by Matt Greenhalgh, the film also stars Jack O’Connell, Eddie Marsan, and Lesley Manville. The film will delve into the life and career of Aly Winehouse, beginning with her early days in the early 2000s as a North London jazz musician and culminating in her rise to fame as a Grammy-winning singer with hit songs like “Rehab” and “Back to Black”. The film was released in theatres in the United Kingdom on April 12, and in the United States on May 17, in Belgium and France on April 24.

Bonus film:

• Babes: a new comedy film directed by Pamela Adlon in her feature directorial debut. It’s written by Ilana Glazer and Josh Rabinowitz with Ilana Glazer also starring in the film alongside Michelle Buteau, John Carroll Lynch, Hasan Minhaj, Stephan James, Oliver Platt, Sandra Bernhard, and twin brothers Kenny and Keith Lucas. Glazer stars as Eden, an aggressively single woman, who gets pregnant from a one-night stand. She turns to her best friend Dawn, a married mother of two, for help. The film was released in theatres on May 17.

Bonus series:

• The Big Cigar: a new biographical drama thriller miniseries developed by Jim Hecht, based on the 2012 Playboy article of the same name by Joshuah Bearman. It chronicles the manhunt for Huey P. Newton, the founder of the Black Panther Party, who seeks the help of film producer Bert Schneider as he tries to escape to Cuba. Starring in the series are André Holland, Tiffany Boone, Alessandro Nivola, Marc Menchaca and P. J. Byrne. The series premiered on Apple TV+ on May 17.