thriller

The Woman in Cabin 10, the new Netflix thriller fronted by Keira Knightley, has left viewers unnerved with one ‘scary’ crime detail feeling like an all too plausible reality

Netflix fans have been keen to see the new Keira Knightley-led thriller, The Woman in Cabin 10, which landed on the streaming platform this month amid much hype. Based on Ruth Ware’s 2016 novel of the same name, it stars Knightley as hard-hitting journalist Laura ‘Lo’ Blacklock, who finds herself aboard a luxury yacht’s maiden voyage, mingling with billionaires and socialites alike.

The film begins with Lo’s return to the newsroom after a traumatic incident where she witnessed a source being murdered for agreeing to talk to her for a story. Her editor encourages her to take some time off, but Lo is adamant about getting back to work.

When an invitation to the Aurora Borealis, a luxurious new yacht, for a three-day sea trip followed by an exclusive gala event lands in her lap, she sees it as the perfect blend of work and leisure.

At first, everything seems fine; Lo is warmly welcomed by philanthropist Richard Bullmer (Guy Pearce), who has organised the trip to celebrate his wealthy wife, Anne (Lisa Loven Kongsli), who is terminally ill with cancer.

It transpires that it was Anne who insisted on Lo joining the group as she admires her work. Anne wants Lo to assist her in refining her speech for the gala, where she plans to announce her intention to donate her vast wealth to those less fortunate upon her death.

Later, Lo hears a commotion in the neighbouring cabin and steps out onto her balcony to investigate. She hears a splash and sees a woman floating in the water below.

A bloody handprint on the glass partition separating their balconies leaves her unnerved. When she seeks answers and clarity, all her fellow passengers and the crew are present and accounted for.

With no one apparently missing, her recent trauma is used to dismiss her claims as a PTSD-induced hallucination, causing growing impatience among the other guests. Despite nobody believing what she knows she saw, Lo embarks on a perilous search for the truth.

Anne begins to act out of character – she forgets a meeting she had previously arranged with Lo, and despite claiming she’s stopped taking her medication, she attributes her confusion to those pills.

In a shocking revelation, it turns out Richard used his friend’s facial recognition software to find a woman who could realistically impersonate Anne and alter her will, transferring her billions to him instead of donating them to charity.

The woman Lo saw being thrown overboard was the real Anne, with the imposter – now sporting a freshly shaven head and dressed in Anne’s clothes – assuming her identity.

This aspect of the film’s twist ending left some viewers feeling uneasy – the unsettling idea that as technology and AI advance, finding doppelgängers to serve as substitutes could become a feasible reality.

One Reddit user commented: “It was good. It’s refreshing to watch a film that doesn’t waste any time. What’s scary is it’s probably possible for someone to use facial recognition to find a doppelgänger.

“My only minor quibble with it was I would’ve expected her to read the room more quickly and keep her suspicions to herself. Because we all know there are no good billionaires.”

One viewer shared: “I rewound the movie to make sure they didn’t cheat by using imposter Anne the whole time, to trick us, and only using two separate actors when they’re depicted in the same room together.

“They didn’t cheat! That’s what was so neat, I didn’t notice the swap either. Never crossed my mind.”

Others simply shared their thoughts on the film overall.

One person commented: “People will nitpick things to death but I rather liked it. Not too long and to the point. 7/10.

“Good Saturday night movie that isn’t complete trash and gives you a decent enough murder mystery with an ending that pays out.”

Author Ruth Ware shared with Netflix’s Tudum that despite her book being published nearly ten years ago, its relevance persists because “the fear of not being believed is perennial, unfortunately”.

Fans of the creator’s hit Netflix series have their new favourite show of 2025

A new series being hailed as ‘one of the best shows of the year’ and a ‘ridiculously addictive’ thriller’ which has earned a perfect score is now streaming.

The Chair Company makes its debut via Sky Comedy as well as through the NOW platform for those with an entertainment pass.

It comes from former Saturday Night Live writers Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin, who are also the comedic minds behind Netflix cult favourite sketch show I Think You Should Leave. This time, they are bringing to the screen what is being described as a labyrinthine mystery-comedy.

According to the show’s secretive synopsis, after an embarrassing incident at work, William Ronald “Ron” Trosper (Robinson) finds himself investigating a far-reaching conspiracy. The makers have remain tight lipped around the show’s plot, wanting fans to discover all the unexpected twists and turns for themselves.

Joining Robinson in the cast, who recently starred in Paul Rudd movie Friendship are The Practice star Lake Bell, IT Part One’s Sophia Lillis, Will Price and Lou Diamond Phillips.

Ahead of it making its debut in the US and UK, it has already managed to secure a perfect 100% rating on website Rotten Tomatoes. One critic simply claimed: “One of the best shows of the year, The Chair Company will have you sinking in your recliner.”

Another added: “The Chair Company is one of the most offbeat and outlandish shows you’ll see this year.” Meanwhile a different verdict suggested: “There is nothing quite like The Chair Company: a show that is emotionally potent while still delivering the perfect marriage between sketch comedy and conspiracy theory.”

The only issue fans may find is that the series is expected to release episodes on a weekly basis with the premiere made available from October 13. Based on information found on IMDB, new instalments will be added each Sunday in the US and Monday in the UK.

This will lead to the finale airing on November 30. It means fans will need to make a decision to watch as soon as episodes drop or wait to catch up as the show is a much more compelling binge watch. That is coming from a reporter who has watched screeners for the first seven episodes and found them ridiculously addictive.

It is a perfect replacement for any viewer who enjoyed any high paced thriller or offbeat comedy released in the last year. That includes Severance, Paradise, Slow Horses, Dept. Q, The Studio and The Rehearsal. The Chair Company dials up the stakes to absolute ridiculous levels and pokes fun at how even the best in the genre make the most unexpected of connections and leaps in their stories.

In doing this it also simultaneously continues the method of Tim Robinson’s expertly crafted sketch show premise of taking simple misunderstandings or social faux pas and blows them way out of proportion.

Imagine the conspiracy thrills of Severance paired with the awkward humour of Nathan Fielder or Larry David.

Everything becomes so bizarre and compelling you can’t help but remain tight in its grip, needing to know just where the eight-part series will end up. The show proves that Robinson et al can indeed stretch a sketch idea into a lengthy series, while somehow maintaining interest and filling it with memorable character moments they are known for.

The Chair Company is streaming on Sky Comedy and NOW

Six-time champion Michael van Gerwen was beaten by a fellow Dutchman in the first round of the World Grand Prix, but Luke Littler came through a high-quality opener.

Van Gerwen won a top-level tournament for the first time in two years by beating Littler in the World Series Finals in September, but on Tuesday he produced an error-strewn performance to lose 2-0 against Dirk van Duijvenbode.

Although world number three Van Gerwen threw a stunning 171 in the first leg, he otherwise struggled and suffered first-round elimination for the second year running.

Littler, however, stormed into the second round in Leicester with an 11-minute straight-set win against another Dutchman, Gian van Veen.

Both players averaged over 100 in a superb first set as Littler came from behind to take it 3-2.

Despite Van Veen finishing with a 106.47 average – the highest average in tournament history – and Littler 105.58, it was the Briton who won through to continue his quest for a first World Grand Prix title.

“I am very happy. I don’t think I could have done a lot better there. I certainly played better than last year,” Littler told Sky Sports.

“I said I would be fiery in my pre-match interview and I showed a bit of that. Hopefully this is my next major.”

Gerwyn Price defeated Ryan Searle 2-1, before Peter Wright lost to defending champion Mike de Decker by the same scoreline.

Tuesday’s World Grand Prix results:

Dirk van Duijvenbode 2-0 Michael van Gerwen

Luke Woodhouse 2-1 Damon Heta

Daryl Gurney 2-0 Ross Smith

Jonny Clayton 2-0 Andrew Gilding

Gerwyn Price 2-1 Ryan Searle

Luke Littler 2-0 Gian van Veen

Mike de Decker 2-1 Peter Wright

Josh Rock 2-1 Ryan Joyce

Wednesday’s matches:

Cameron Menzies v Rob Cross

Stephen Bunting v Danny Noppert

Luke Humphries v Krzysztof Ratajski

Joe Cullen v Gary Anderson

After starring in The Night Manager, Tom Hollander plays another villainous character with shady motives in The Iris Affair, sharing the spotlight with a Malpractice star.

Niamh Algar is no stranger to shaking things up. After gripping viewers as Dr Lucinda Edwards in Malpractice, she’s stepping into even higher-octane territory as Iris Nixon in Sky Atlantic’s new thriller, The Iris Affair.

“I’ve loved playing Iris – she’s so many characters in one,” Niamh Algar says. “Then there’s the adrenaline side: gunfights, jumping off boats, leaping from buildings, blowing up things. Racing a Ferrari at high speed was the absolute highlight.”

Created by Neil Cross and filmed in Italy, the eight-part series sees Iris as a brilliant codebreaker, living life on the run with a bounty on her head.

“She is obsessive, manipulative and unpredictable,” Niamh says. “She’s not motivated by romance or defined by trauma, but shaped by her intelligence and curiosity.”

She’s recruited by Cameron Beck (Tom Hollander), a charismatic tech billionaire who believes he needs her to relaunch a quantum computer nicknamed Charlie Big Potatoes. Cameron believes the machine could change – even save – the world, but Iris is convinced it could destroy it.

READ MORE: ‘I tested this £28 foundation – it’s a dream and made my face glow all day’

The quantum computer was originally launched by Jensen Lind, a Norwegian scientist played by Game Of Thrones alumni Kristofer Hivju. Jensen and Cameron once worked together on the project, until Jensen stopped it.

“Something makes Jensen try to destroy 10-15 years of working in this compound making the biggest revolutionary device in history,” Kristofer says. “That’s the mystery – why?”

Kristofer admits the science was a challenge, saying, “My Chat GPT has overheated. I have had to go into Hindu cosmology and quantum physics just to understand my lines.”

Meanwhile, Tom Hollander insists his character isn’t the villain audiences might expect. “He’s not a bad guy. He wants good outcomes,” Tom says. “He thinks it’s capable of curing climate change.

What’s really motivating Cameron is he’s in fear for his own life. He’s a rich man who has over-borrowed, so effectively he actually doesn’t have anything.”

Cameron faces a shadowy organisation called The Money, with Harry Lloyd joining the cast as the cryptic Hugo Pym. “He is this guy who is somewhat psychotic and deranged,” Harry says.

“The Money are this ‘Intra Group Committee’ and Hugo is someone who has recently been made head of it.” Caught up in the middle is Joy Baxter, played by Meréana Tomlinson, with whom Iris forms a connection.

“Iris sees something of herself in Joy,” Niamh says. “Joy is essentially a token child in a wealthy household that doesn’t really notice her, and Iris has always felt like she didn’t belong in any system or structure.”

When Cameron kidnaps Joy to pressure Iris into working for him, the stakes become terrifyingly personal. “It becomes a real test for her,” Niamh says. “It also highlights how much she cares for Joy.”

Joy is loyal to Iris but this is tested when she meets Cameron. “Cameron is more alike with her in terms of her emotional wellbeing and her emotional state,” says Meréana. “She latches on to him for survival and then that turns into companionship.”

Meréana bonded quickly with the team, saying, “I have a quote book in my Notes app. It’s just funny things that people have said.” And Neil Cross’s reaction to the book was priceless, she adds. “He sat there giggling at it for five minutes.”

The Iris Affair airs on Thursday, October 16th on Sky Atlantic and NOW.

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Manchester United beat Chelsea in a wild match at Old Trafford, with both sides down to 10 men by half-time.

Manchester United breathed life into their stuttering Premier League season when goals from Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro earned them a thrilling 2-1 home victory over Chelsea.

A frantic first half got off to the worst possible start for Chelsea on Saturday when goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was sent off in the fifth minute for a flying lunge at Bryan Mbeumo, upending the United forward as he was through on goal.

The hosts, with just one victory to their name previously this campaign, made their numerical advantage count, with Fernandes and Casemiro putting United 2-0 in front inside 37 minutes.

Casemiro’s needless dismissal just before halftime evened up the numbers and gave Chelsea a way back into the contest, but Trevoh Chalobah’s late header was all the visitors could muster as a nervy United held on for a vital three points.

The pressure has been mounting on United coach Ruben Amorim after defeat in the Manchester derby last weekend left the Portuguese with a win record of just eight from 31 league games since taking charge last November.

The visit of Chelsea offered Amorim the opportunity to start rectifying that meagre return, with the Blues winless at Old Trafford since 2013. Sanchez’s rash tackle significantly aided the beleaguered United manager’s cause.

Along with the added setback of Cole Palmer being withdrawn through injury, Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca was forced into an early reshuffle, making three substitutions in the first 21 minutes, the earliest a side has ever done that in a Premier League game.

It was not long before Fernandes added to Old Trafford’s euphoria in the driving Manchester rain, the skipper nudging home his 100th goal for United in all competitions.

Casemiro then seemingly put United in an unassailable position after determined work from Luke Shaw to keep alive the attack, the veteran Brazilian heading in his first goal of the season.

A second booking soon turned Casemiro from hero to villain as he became the first player to score and be sent off in the first half of a Premier League match since Emmanuel Adebayor for Spurs against Arsenal in November 2012.

Even when chasing the game, Chelsea offered very little attacking threat until Chalobah’s header 10 minutes from time. United looked ragged from there on in, but Altay Bayindir remained largely untroubled in the home goal as the hosts held on.

Amorim praised United’s aggression and urgency in a post-match interview, although he wishes his side could have been more clinical to put the game out of sight.

“I have nothing to say to the critics, and most of the time they are right. Today, we won and it is a good day for us,” he told Sky Sports.

“We can lose against Grimsby, [but] we can beat any team. I’m just thinking about the next one. It is really good to win. We need the urgency to win again, that is really important for us.”

Maresca, meanwhile, lamented Sanchez’s early red card.

“We need to start the game better. We cannot concede a red card at Old Trafford after three minutes,” he said.

Elsewhere in the Premier League on Saturday, Liverpool maintained a perfect start in their campaign after Ryan Gravenberch scored and assisted in a 2-1 win over Everton at Anfield.

In another bad day for West Ham coach Graham Potter, his team lost for the fourth time in five games, going down at home to Crystal Palace 2-1.

Wolves lost at home to Leeds 3-1, leaving Vitor Pereira’s team bottom of the table and still looking for their first points after five games.

Trailing 2-0 at Brighton, Tottenham came back to salvage a 2-2 draw.

And former Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou got his first point as Nottingham Forest coach in a 1-1 draw at Burnley.

The Super Fours stage of the Asia Cup opens with Bangladesh beating Sri Lanka by four wickets in Dubai.

Attacking half-centuries from Saif Hassan and Towhid Hridoy helped Bangladesh stun Sri Lanka by four wickets in the opening Super Four match at the Asia Cup.

Hassan scored 61 runs off 45 balls, with two fours and four sixes, and Hridoy hit 58 off 37 with two sixes, as Bangladesh won with a ball to spare after a dramatic final over on Saturday.

With five runs needed off the last six balls, Jaker Ali hit Dasun Shanaka for a first-ball four, and then was bowled. Shanaka then sent back Mahedi Hasan for a two-ball duck.

On the penultimate delivery, Nasum Ahmed and Shamim Hossain, 14 not out off 12, ran hard to end Sri Lanka’s unbeaten run.

Bangladesh finished with 169-6 for its third-highest successful chase in Twenty20s.

Earlier, Shanaka’s 64 not out off 37 balls helped power Sri Lanka to 168-7.

India and Pakistan face off in the next Super Four game on Sunday — their second clash in the tournament after the controversial no-handshakes group match.

Despite a quick opening stand between Pathum Nissanka (22) and Kusal Mendis (34), Sri Lanka was reduced to 65-3 in 9.1 overs after Mahedi Hasan struck twice.

Shanaka then took charge and scored 50 off 30 balls, including two fours and five sixes. He hit six sixes in all, and put up 57 off 27 balls with Charith Asalanka for the fifth wicket.

In the 19th over, Asalanka was dropped and then run out off the same delivery in his 21 off 12 balls. Shanaka, also dropped, stayed unbeaten till the end.

Vital momentum was lost in the over by the run out and Mustafizur Rahman two wickets.

Tanzid Hasan was bowled for a two-ball duck, but it did not deter his partner, who counterattacked Sri Lanka. Bangladesh skipper Litton Das (23) shared 59 off 34 balls for the second wicket.

Bangladesh was 59-1 in the powerplay with Saif Hassan leading. He reached 50 off 36 balls.

Hassan and Hridoy combined for 54 as Bangladesh’s chase gained momentum.

Hridoy guided the chase towards the finish line with 50 off 31 balls. He was trapped in the 19th over by Dushmantha Chameera, but Shamin Hossain helped to finish off the game despite the final over drama.

It was Bangladesh’s first successful 160-plus chase in 16 attempts — the previous instance was in March 2024, also against Sri Lanka.

The political thriller boasts an impressive 90% Rotten Tomatoes score

Netflix has just given thriller fans a glimpse into the ‘catastrophic’ drama set to unfold in its top-rated political thriller.

The Diplomat first landed on the streamer in 2023 and has since gripped viewers with the story of American diplomat Kate Wyler (played by Keri Russell).

Now, the streaming giant has just dropped the trailer for its third season, set to premiere on October 16th.

The two-minute teaser thrusts viewers into the heart of the action following the president’s death, which sparks questions about his demise.

Netflix’s synopsis teases: “Ambassador Kate Wyler lives the particular nightmare that is getting what you want. She just accused Vice President Grace Penn (portrayed by Allison Janney) of hatching a terrorist plot and admitted she’s after the VP’s job.

“But now the President is dead, Kate’s husband Hal (Rufus Sewell) may have inadvertently killed him, and Grace Penn is leader of the free world.”

With the new political head in place, the synopsis adds: “None of this slows Hal’s campaign to land Kate the vice presidency.

“Kate steps into a role she never wanted, with a freedom she never expected, an increasingly complicated friendship with Foreign Secretary Austin Dennison, and an unnerving bond with First Gentleman Todd Penn.”

Following the trailer’s release, Fans could barely contain their excitement. One took to Netflix’s YouTube comments and raved: “OH MY GOODNESS! This is INSANE!!!”

Watch Wednesday on Netflix for free with Sky

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Get the deal here

Sky is giving away a free Netflix subscription with its new Sky Stream TV bundles, including the £15 Essential TV plan.

This lets members watch live and on-demand TV content without a satellite dish or aerial and includes hit shows like Wednesday.

Someone else chimed in with: “I’M SO EXCITED THE SHOW IS BACK!!”

While a third voiced their recommendation: “People be really sleeping on this show, first season was good, the second was fantastic, can’t wait for the third. While the trailers make it look like a serious political drama, it’s also really funny.”

And a fourth said: “I really liked S01. S02 took my breath away. This next season looks INCREDIBLE!”

Considering its star-studded cast, including Emmy winner Bradley Whitford and British icon Rory Kinnear, it’s no surprise The Diplomat has received rave reviews.

It currently boasts an impressive 90% Rotten Tomatoes score, with season one earning an impressive 84% rating and season two bagging a stellar 96%.

The Diplomat season 3 premieres on Netflix on October 16th.

It is proving a popular addition to the streaming giant’s library

Mayfair Witches season one trailer

Netflix fans are all watching a creepy thriller that’s been described as ‘so bad it’s good’.

The first season of Mayfair Witches has just recently been included as part of the streaming giant’s extensive offering. In just a matter of days, it has become one of the most watched titles among subscribers.

At the time of writing, it is currently seventh in the top 10 series in the UK. It is sandwiched between Hostage and My Life With the Walter Boys. It seems despite a middling 59% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Netflix viewers just can’t get enough.

There’s also good news for those without a subscription to the platform. That is because all episodes are also available to stream for free on BBC iPlayer.

Based on the series of novels Lives of the Mayfair Witches by Anne Rice, who also wrote Interview With the Vampire, the series follows renowned neurosurgeon Rowan Fielding.

She has developed a serious problem, however. When she gets mad, she kills with her mind.

Across eight episodes, she undergoes a search for answers which leads her to New Orleans, the home of her biological family. Here she discovers she the heir to a family of witches which has been haunted by a sinister presence for generations.

That presence is the spirit Lasher. Ciprien (Sip) Grieve, a devoted agent to the Talamasca, is assigned to protect Rowan.

He soon realises he’s in way over his head as secrets are revealed that could tarnish Rowan’s family and his role in the Talamasca. As Lasher’s seduction of Rowan deepens her role in an ancient prophecy becomes clear. This prophecy culminates in the birth of Lasher.

Rowan is determined to develop powers to fulfil her purpose as a healer, but when tragedy strikes, she must put aside her own desires and fight to save her family. The show features Alexandra Daddario in the lead role, who has previously appeared in True Detective and The White Lotus.

The eight-part first season is described by Netflix as ‘imaginative and suspenseful’, while other critics have dubbed it a ‘creepy thriller’. While one reviewer noted that period drama fans should find something to enjoy just as much as fantasy buffs due to how it moves its story back and forth in time.

While someone else praised the lead star performance and genre bending impact: “Daddario, who was a standout in the first season of HBO’s The White Lotus, makes an appealing lead in the eerie gothic series, which leans on its horror roots.”

Watch Wednesday on Netflix for free with Sky

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from £15

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Get the deal here

Sky is giving away a free Netflix subscription with its new Sky Stream TV bundles, including the £15 Essential TV plan.

This lets members watch live and on-demand TV content without a satellite dish or aerial and includes hit shows like Wednesday.

Plenty of fans have also shared their recommendation. One said: “From the first episode, I was hooked—the storytelling unfolds in such an intriguing way, keeping me captivated as each new piece of the mystery falls into place.

“If you’re on the fence about watching because of the reviews—give it a chance. You might just find yourself just as enchanted as I am.”

Another added: “As someone who hasn’t read the novels & loves fantasy that takes hints from real life – I recommend it to all those who might have enjoyed series like Sabrina on Netflix.”

Meanwhile, others have acknowledged the show’s flaws but still give it their approval. One person simply noted: “Mayfair Witches is so bad but so good.” In agreement, another replied: “This is where I’m at. I can’t quit.”

Mayfair Witches is streaming on Netflix and BBC iPlayer.

The forthcoming drama follows an intimate affair that ‘threatens’ to tear a small community apart

A Heartstopper star is fronting a new British mystery thriller that’s worlds away from his Netflix role.

Joe Locke, who plays Charlie Spring in the teen show, stars in new Wales-based drama Black Church Bay.

Written and directed by newcomer Rhys Marc Jones, the thriller follows a teacher whose life spirals out of control following an intimate affair with a much-younger man.

An IMDb synopsis states: “In a remote Welsh coastal village, the disappearance of an openly-gay sixth form student disrupts the delicate balance of local life for one deputy head teacher, exposing long-buried secrets and threatening to tear the community apart.”

The film has now wrapped up filming in Anglesey, North Wales, according to Screen Daily.

Locke isn’t the only familiar face leading the thriller, he is joined by House of the Dragon star Julian Lewis Jones, and BAFTA winner Rakie Ayola.

Netflix fans will recognise the Welsh actress from the Jeff Goldblum-fronted comedy series Kaos.

According to Screen Daily, director Jones said: “I’m immensely grateful to my long-time creative partners, cinematographer Lasse Ulvedal Tolbøll and designer Paix Robinson as well as all the new relationships fostered over the last few months that helped me realise this ambitious script.”

“We’re excited to show audiences the exquisite Isle of Anglesey in a way it’s never been seen before,” added the writer-director.

Locke made his acting debut in Heartstopper, in which he plays a teenage boy navigating everything from his sexuality to mental health struggles. He stars opposite Kit Connor, who portrays his on-screen love interest Nick Nelson.

The teen drama was adapted from Alice Oseman’s beloved graphic novels. It is set to come to an end in 2026, with the feature-length film titled Heartstopper Forever.

Looking forward to the end of this narrative, Oseman gave some insight into what viewers can expect.

She told Netflix: “I think this movie will explore what makes love survive, or what elevates it, or deepens it.

“At 18 and 17, Nick and Charlie are hurtling towards their adult lives. Many teenage relationships don’t survive that pivotal moment of change.”

Heartstopper is currently streaming on Netflix

The Girlfriend has just dropped on Prime Video and the ending of the series has left fans with their jaws on the floor as they discover what Cherry is really capable of

The Girlfriend, a new addition to Prime Video’s roster, centres around successful businesswoman, wife and mother, Laura, portrayed by Robin Wright.

Her idyllic life is thrown into chaos when her son Daniel (Laurie Davidson), the apple of her eye, introduces his new girlfriend, Cherry (Olivia Cooke).

Adapted from Michelle Frances’ novel of the same name, the series sees Laura growing increasingly suspicious of Cherry – but is she just being overly cautious?

Viewers are presented with two contrasting narratives – Laura’s and Cherry’s – both starkly different, but which one holds the truth?

Here’s everything you need to know about the shocking conclusion of The Girlfriend as fans uncover Cherry’s true colours.

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WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS SPOILERS

In the series finale, Daniel pops the question to Cherry after regaining some of his memory post-accident.

While Daniel prefers to keep the engagement under wraps, Cherry insists on celebrating, persuading Daniel to throw a party.

Just as things start looking up for the couple, the relationship between Howard (Waleed Zuaiter) and Laura reaches breaking point, with Howard unable to tolerate his wife’s unsettling behaviour any longer.

Determined not to let go of her suspicions, Laura pays a visit to Cherry’s father at his care home, discovering that he had survived a fall from a building while working on a construction site.

Seeking more answers, Laura paid a visit to Cherry’s mum, Tracey (Karen Henthorn), who revealed that her husband had left both herself and Cherry in debt.

Cherry had managed to find her father in the hope of persuading him to return, but in a fit of anger she had pushed him from the building.

Laura, having recorded the conversation as evidence for Daniel, arranged a meeting to explain everything to her son.

In the meantime, Cherry vandalised Laura’s gallery after discovering what she had done, leaving Laura’s lover Lilith (Anna Chancellor) devastated.

Cherry was arrested at her engagement party for criminal damage, but her mum bailed her out, although she vowed not to keep Cherry’s secret about what she did to her dad any longer.

Back at Laura’s home, Daniel confronted his mother and vented his frustration about her controlling behaviour.

Wanting him to know the truth, Laura slipped sleeping pills into Daniel’s drink so he wouldn’t try to escape when she showed him the evidence.

However, Cherry managed to break into the house and a fight broke out between Cherry and Laura, resulting in them both falling into the swimming pool.

As Daniel saw his mother trying to drown Cherry, he jumped in to rescue his fiancée and began holding his mother’s head under the water.

Cherry screamed for him to stop, but by then it was too late and Laura had drowned.

A flash forward revealed that Cherry and Daniel had gone ahead with their wedding and Cherry was expecting a baby.

In a chilling twist, Daniel stumbled upon Laura’s misplaced phone under the sideboard, revealing a recorded conversation with Cherry’s mum.

Upon hearing the shocking truth about Cherry’s violent tendencies, Daniel was forced to accept that his mother had been correct all along.

The Girlfriend is available on Prime Video.

Derry Girls actress Siobhan McSweeney appears alongside Will & Grace star Eric McCormack in a new BBC thriller, playing a supporter of US President Donald Trump

Siobhan McSweeney has ditched comedy for “straight” drama in her next role – playing an American supporter of Donald Trump in BBC thriller Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue.

The six-part murder-mystery is written by the creator of Foyle’s War, Anthony Horowitz, and features a cast of nine main characters who survive when their plane crashes in the Mexican jungle.

But in the plot they then begin to die one after another in strange and violent ways and soon realise there is a murderer in their midst. As the story unfolds in flashback, viewers will meet the survivors as they battle to stay alive against the heat, a shortage of supplies – and each other.

READ MORE: Tommy Fury angers triathletes after claiming he ‘completed’ race – but got DNFREAD MORE: American woman could soon prove she’s descended from Queen Victoria’s ‘love child’ with DNA test

Derry Girls and Amandaland star Siobhan, 45, said the whole project had been a departure from the norm for her. “It’s the first time, apart from theatre, that I’ve played an American, so the accent was a challenge,” she admitted.

“Another challenge would be one that’s the same with every show, where you’re going to spend an awful lot of time with these people and you worry if you are all going to get on. It turned out to be one of the most joyful jobs I’ve ever been on.”

In the series by Horowitz, who has also scripted Agatha Christie’s Poirot and Midsomer Murders, Siobhan plays a Trump-loving Texan woman who runs a chain of motels with her husband, who is also on the plane and a fully signed up member of the Make America Great Again campaign.

She laughed that in real life if she was caught in a similar situation to this group, she’d be a goner. “I’d be dead within two days!” she said. “What really comes across, which is something that you never think about in these survival stories, is that you think they’re on the move but they’re not. They’re stuck in one area. They’re stuck beside the plane, so I guess I’d die of boredom.”

When it hits the screen later this month viewers will also see Will & Grace favourite Eric McCormack, who plays a doctor who has been struck off. He says that if the situation was real, he’d fare even less well. “I’d last 30 to 40 minutes,” he declared. “Actually, I take that back. There’s a full bottle of vodka on the plane, so I’d last six to seven hours, until the vodka ran out.”

Siobhan, who also hosts Channel 4’s Great Pottery Throwdown and is currently fronting the Irish version of The Traitors, said she jumped at the chance to film in “Mexico”, which was actually Gran Canaria. “Then there was the idea of filming in the Canary Islands for the summer, whereas I usually get to film in Northern Ireland. So it was like ‘Let’s have a bit of fun’.”

Writer Horowitz said he hopes that BBC viewers enjoy the series. “I’ve always believed that murder stories are popular because they’re about the search for truth. We live in a world in which it is very hard to be sure of anything anymore – we have 24-hour news, fake news, post-truth. How do you know what’s real any more? But whodunnits lead to absolute truth. It’s revealed at the end of the final episode.”

– Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue will air on BBC1/iPlayer this September

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An upcoming nuclear war thriller starring an A-list actress is shaping up to be one of Netflix’s best new films of the year

Netflix subscribers have been going wild for a heart-racing trailer teasing what could be one of the best new films of 2025.

The political thriller from acclaimed director Kathryn Bigelow recently premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where it received an incredible 11-minute standing ovation.

Led by Mission: Impossible star Rebecca Ferguson alongside a packed supporting cast of A-listers, A House of Dynamite is a must-watch when it premieres on the streamer this October.

Ferguson portrays Captain Olivia Walker, a communications point for the US Armed Forces who scrambles to respond to an incoming nuclear missile heading towards Chicago.

Idris Elba portrays the President of the United States, with Gabriel Basso, Jared Harris, Tracy Letts, Anthony Ramos, Moses Ingram, Jonah Hauer-King, Greta Lee and Jason Clarke filling out the stellar cast.

A House of Dynamite is filmmaker Bigelow’s first film in almost a decade following her acclaimed 2017 historical drama Detroit. She has previously released hit films such as Point Break and Zero Dark Thirty.

The first trailer for the film dropped this Wednesday (3rd September) and film fans are already getting goosebumps over this timely take on an impending nuclear disaster.

One YouTuber user raved in the comments: “Probably Netflix’s best trailer.

“They showed just enough for me to not know what’s going on, but pulls me in enough to want to watch to see what happens.”

“That is an example of a fantastic trailer, I get the concept but know nearly nothing more and still managed goosebumps. Wow,” someone else gushed.

Another fan claimed: “Possibly the best trailer I have ever seen. Can’t wait to watch this!”

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Viewers have also praised the decision to use a sample of scientist Carl Sagan’s Pale Blue Dot to narrate the trailer.

“As soon as I heard Carl Sagan the tears started to fall and I will be there in theaters opening weekend!” someone exclaimed.

Another said: “This is how a Netflix trailer should be, not long that it spoils the whole movie. That Carl Sagan Voiceover is chilling.”

While another fan was particularly impressed by the taste of the film’s score, replying: “Volker Bertelmann giving us chills yet again. Wow. What a trailer.”

The thriller currently has an impressive 89 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, so it’s definitely one to add to the top of your Netflix watchlist this autumn.

A House of Dynamite will be released Friday, 24th October on Netflix.

The trailer for the fifth season of Slow Horses has been released by Apple TV+ and sees the return of Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb

The fifth season of Slow Horses is just around the bend, and Apple TV+ has just given us a sneak peek with the release of the trailer for the BAFTA Award-winning spy drama.

This six-episode series is based on London Rules, the subsequent novel in Mick Herron’s popular book series.

The trailer sees Sir Gary Oldman reprising his role as Jackson Lamb, the genius yet grumpy leader of the espionage team.

In this new instalment, eyebrows are raised when resident tech whizz Roddy Ho (Christopher Chung) brings a stunning new girlfriend into the picture.

As a string of peculiar incidents unfold across the city, it’s up to the Slow Horses to connect the dots, reports the Express.

READ MORE: ‘Brutal’ Apple TV+ series leaves no stone unturned in ‘eye-opening’ historical dramaREAD MORE: ‘Explosive’ thriller from Slow Horses writer with A-list stars unveils first look

The trailer features Diana Taverner (Kristin Scott Thomas) detailing how eleven individuals were fatally shot, an incident they suspect Ho might be involved in.

Jackson immediately doubts his new flame as it emerges that “sinister forces” are attempting to destabilise the nation.

With the clock ticking, the Slow Horses have just sixty minutes to prevent the perpetrators from executing their next violent act, potentially endangering over 5,000 lives.

To make matters worse, it seems the Slow Horses have been duped by one of their own following a suspected breach in their system.

Viewers have already rushed to the comments section to express their excitement about the captivating trailer, which features Emmy Award nominee Jack Lowden, Saskia Reeves, Rosalind Eleazar, Christopher Chung, Aimee-Ffion Edwards, Ruth Bradley, James Callis, Tom Brooke, and Academy Award nominee Jonathan Pryce.

One viewer gushed: “One of the best shows ever created,” whilst another enthused: “Oh that’s cheered me up.”

A third remarked: “I have to watch this,” and a fourth declared: “This show made me fall in love with the quality of Apple Tv. Never gonna leave Apple TV.”

The fifth series will also feature Ted Lasso star Nick Mohammed making a special guest appearance.

Reviewers praised it as “undoubtedly the best spy series on television,” describing it as a “truly epic espionage thriller” that is “utterly brilliant”.

Slow Horses launches in September with the opening episode, then continues with weekly instalments until October 29.

The sixth and seventh series of the darkly comic espionage drama have already been confirmed.

Slow Horses season 5 will debut on Apple TV+ on Wednesday, September 24.

Graham Greene, the Oscar-nominated actor who helped open doors for Indigenous actors in Hollywood, died on Monday in Toronto after battling a long illness, Deadline and others report. The Canadian actor was 73.

Born in Ohsweken, on the Six Nations Reserve, Greene saw his Hollywood profile catapult after Kevin Costner cast him as Kicking Bird (Ziŋtká Nagwáka) in 1990’s “Dances With Wolves,” which won the Academy Award for best picture and earned Greene an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor.

During his screen career, which began with the 1979 Canadian drama series “The Great Detective,” Greene was cast in more than 180 films and TV shows. His first movie role was in 1983’s “Running Brave.”

He went on to star in several other high-profile films including “Maverick,” “The Green Mile,” “Die Hard With a Vengeance” and “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2.” The actor also appeared in “Tulsa King,” “Riverdale” and as Maximus in the final season of the Emmy-nominated show “Reservation Dogs,” which was among his final roles.

Graham Greene, right, and Kevin Costner in “Dances With Wolves.”

(Courtesy of Orion Pictures Corp.)

At the time of his death, he had eight upcoming projects, including the Stefan Ruzowitzky-directed thriller “Ice Fall,” which he had completed filming with Joel Kinnaman and Danny Huston. It’s scheduled to be released in October.

“He was a great man of morals, ethics and character and will be eternally missed,” Greene’s agent Michael Greene (no relation) said in a statement released to several outlets, including Deadline and TMZ. “You are finally free. Susan Smith is meeting you at the gates of heaven,” he added, referring to the actor’s former agent, who died in 2013.

Graham Greene and Molly Kunz in a scene from the 2021 drama “The Wolf and the Lion.”

(Emmanuel Guionet / Courtesy of Blue Fox Entertainment)

Outside of his acting career, Greene won a Grammy in 2000 for best spoken word album for children for his work on “Listen to the Storyteller.” He is also a Gemini and Canadian Screen Award winner and an Independent Spirit nominee. In 2021, he was immortalized with a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame, and earlier this year, he received the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award in his native country.

Graham Greene in 2022 at the unveiling of his commemorative plaque for Arts & Entertainment on Canada’s Walk of Fame at Beanfield Centre in Toronto.

(Mathew Tsang / Getty Images)

In 1991, Greene told The Times that “Dances With Wolves” “was certainly the biggest film I’ve done. It’s made definite changes in my life — I’m more popular with the media, scripts are being offered to me from people I’ve never heard of. On the other hand, I’m being inundated. It’s good in a way. I shouldn’t complain.”

Greene is survived by his wife of 35 years, Hilary Blackmore; daughter Lilly Lazare-Greene; and grandson Tarlo.

Rio Ngumoha scores 100th-minute winner for Liverpool on his debut, after Newcastle fight back from two goals down.

Liverpool needed a 100th-minute winner from 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha to beat Newcastle United 3-2 after blowing a two-goal lead against 10 men in a Premier League thriller.

Ryan Gravenberch and longtime Newcastle target Hugo Ekitike struck for the English champions on Monday, either side of Anthony Gordon’s red card for a wild lunge on Virgil van Dijk.

But amid a frenzied atmosphere at St James’ Park, the Magpies battled back through Bruno Guimaraes and William Osula only to be denied by teenage sensation Ngumoha’s late strike.

Victory takes Liverpool level on maximum points from two games with Tottenham and title rivals Arsenal, who travel to Anfield on Sunday.

Newcastle remain without a win as they miss their want-away striker, Alexander Isak. Liverpool are the likely destination if Isak does leave before the transfer window closes in a week’s time.

Adding to the Magpies’ frustration is the fact that the Premier League champions also won the race to sign Ekitike, whom Newcastle had lined up as a potential Isak replacement.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot named new signings Ekitike and Florian Wirtz, alongside Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah, in an ultra-offensive lineup that saw Dominik Szoboszlai deputise as a makeshift right-back.

After failing to land a number of striker targets in the transfer market, Newcastle’s lack of a clinical number nine was exposed as they failed to break down 10-man Aston Villa in a 0-0 draw to begin their season last weekend.

It cost them again against Liverpool, during a dominant opening 30 minutes.

Roared on by a ferocious capacity crowd of more than 50,000, Newcastle penned Liverpool inside their own half without finding the final finish.

Instead, it was the visitors who took the lead completely against the run of play on 35 minutes.

Gravenberch took aim from well outside the area and powered an inch-perfect shot off the inside of the post.

It got even worse for Newcastle before the break, as Gordon took out his frustration by charging late into van Dijk and was dismissed after a VAR review showed his studs had raked down the Dutch defender’s Achilles.

Slot had not even taken his seat for the second half by the time his side doubled their lead 20 seconds in.

Ekitike made it two goals in as many Premier League games, with a composed side-footed finish from Cody Gakpo’s pass.

Newcastle’s sense of injustice only increased when Ibrahima Konate escaped a second yellow card moments later for a push on Harvey Barnes.

But minutes after being booked for taking his protests too far, a fired-up Guimaraes outmuscled Milos Kerkez to head in at the back post.

Liverpool struggled to make their man advantage count for the entirety of the second half, and were made to pay.

Despite his lack of forward options, Howe has been reluctant to field Osula, but the young Dane netted just his second Premier League goal when he bundled the ball beyond Alisson from a Dan Burn flick-on.

Newcastle continued to charge forward in search of a memorable winner, only to be picked out by Liverpool’s attacking quality.

Salah’s pass was brilliantly dummied by Szoboszlai to leave Ngumoha unmarked to curl calmly into the far corner, just days before his 17th birthday.

Liverpool captain van Dijk praised Ngumoha and his other teammates for the hard-fought win.

“I’m really really pleased for Rio. He has to keep working hard, to stay humble, and I’m sure he will do that,” he said after the game.

“Newcastle have the quality; it is always a difficult place to come, and it was today. I enjoy this type of atmosphere, but we could have made it easier. But we’ve got the three points, and we move on. There were many good things today.”

Meanwhile, Newcastle’s skipper Guimaraes said Gordon’s red card came out of overeagerness.

“I think he wanted to help too much. I think, sometimes, you are so excited to play, you make some mistakes,” Guimaraes told Sky Sports.

“It’s happened to me. We always try to give our best. There is a lot of noise outside that we cannot control.”

When I learned R.F. Kuang was taking readers to hell in her newest book, I groaned. Haven’t we done this enough? I’m not just talking about Orpheus retrieving Eurydice, Dante’s “Inferno” and Virgil’s “Aeneid.” Nor the 19th century poets and cults obsessed with everything chthonic. We as a culture have done katabasis — that is, a journey into the underworld — a lot recently: Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s “Gods of Jade and Shadow” (2019), Leigh Bardugo’s “Hell Bent” (2023) and Netflix’s “Kaos” (2024).

(I’m sure it has nothing to do with the political instability we’re facing. We probably shouldn’t worry about the historical pattern of writers becoming obsessed with the living journeying into hell whenever things aren’t going great in society. I’m sure it’s fine.)

I didn’t think there could be much new here. “Katabasis” is a dark academia fantasy where the protagonist — a psychologically wounded but talented student, lacking self-love, perspective or even just one friend to talk sense into her — journeys into hell to fetch the soul of a mentor she’s in thrall to … and may have killed. If this sounds familiar, well, Kuang’s newest hero, Alice Law, does bear similarities to Bardugo’s Alex Stern.

But I was wrong — there are new things here. The journey into hell has been done, but it hasn’t been done quite the way R. F. Kuang does it.

Like “Babel,” which relied on R.F. Kuang’s knowledge of linguistics, “Katabasis” is rich and textured because of her familiarity with the subject.

(John Packman)

Alice Law and her partner-in-hell, Peter Murdoch, are acutely aware of their literary predecessors, even guided by maps based on those journeys. They go because their doctoral advisor, a man they hate and worship in equal measure, has died and they need him back to ensure they get a good teaching position after graduation. It’s a flawed reason, and a greedy one, a fact neither character seems to understand. They don’t seem to see themselves fitting in anywhere in hell, actually — that tension is both annoying and amusing. Their trip is an intriguing take on the journey; things in hell have changed since Virgil played tour guide.

In “Katabasis,” we’re once again treated to the power of Kuang’s mind. It takes a smart person to write geniuses, and Alice and Peter are brilliant, if blinkered. Like “Babel,” which relied on Kuang’s knowledge of linguistics, “Katabasis” is rich and textured because of her knowledge of the subject, her deep familiarity with its shape and philosophy. Also like “Babel,” “Katabasis” revolves around the dark inequities cracking the foundations of a fictional department in an Oxbridge school, a place people would kill to get into and then die in while they’re there.

A warning: The nesting doll of literary references in “Katabasis” will be a delight to some and impenetrable to others. People who aren’t familiar with chthonic myths might want to do some research before reading. For example, there’s a joke toward the end about how John Gradus is clearly a fake name: The reference is never elucidated, and you’ll only get the joke if you know the phrase gradus ad parnassum means “a step toward Parnassus,” which is the mountain where Apollo and the Muses live in Greek myth, and that the phrase is often used by scholars to indicate a process of gradual mastery over a subject. So John Gradus is a journeyer in his own right, learning where he went wrong in life to reach the Lethe and reincarnate. This novel is not for the intellectually indifferent.

But generally, “Katabasis” is a more mature and less showy novel than Kuang’s earlier works. Perhaps this isn’t surprising; Kuang’s first book was published when she was just 21 and she’s 29 now. A person’s 20s are transformative even if they don’t study in China, at Oxford, at Cambridge and at Yale in quick succession. Readers who thought “The Poppy War” trilogy didn’t stick the landing, or that Rin became insufferable by the end, will be pleased that “Katabasis” does stick it, and that Alice evolves.

Some of the same themes from “The Poppy War” return — the horror of sex, the power of delusion to transform reality. But when Alice faces challenges, she lets go of her delusions. Peter is not disposable like Kitay. Both Alice and Rin sacrifice, but this isn’t Rin’s abject despair; Alice’s sacrifices are more nuanced than Rin could ever fathom.

As much as “Katabasis” has in common with Kuang’s earlier works, tonally it might have most in common with “Yellowface.” Unlike the brutality of “The Poppy Wars” or the tragedy of “Babel,” “Katabasis” maintains a slight wry humor throughout. There’s a satirical subtext here that wasn’t present in her earlier earnest fantasies. I mean, these PhD candidates choose to go to actual hell rather than have an honest conversation with someone at Cambridge. Kuang shows us how self-destructive that is, intriguing as the story reads. Like June Hayward/Juniper Song in “Yellowface,” Alice and Peter are so trapped in the flimsy reality they’ve constructed that they can’t see the obvious way out.

Because in “Katabasis,” hell is not other people. It’s defending your dissertation.

This is my one sticking point with writers taking readers to hell. Cultural images of the underworld are bound by writers, and though Kuang introduces new elements, she adheres largely to their canon. Her take on Dante’s City of Dis is — spoiler! — a regal college where academics spend eternity writing self-absorbed dissertations (shortened by real PhD candidates, of course, to “Diss” — there’s that wry humor). There’s no feedback, no advisors, just faith that someone’s reading. I understand why a PhD student would envision this as the worst kind of punishment, but I’m not convinced it’s the worst possible sin.

“Katabasis” is hell filtered through a scholar’s eyes. Orpheus’ journey has stood the test of time because he went for love. Dante went for knowledge. Alice goes for a recommendation letter. It’s an intriguing addition to the canon, but for mere mortals who haven’t survived abusive, plagiaristic and mystifying advisors to earn Oxbridge degrees — or even just bad bosses — it might be unrelatable.

Castellanos Clark, a writer and historian in Los Angeles, is the author of “Unruly Figures: Twenty Tales of Rebels, Rulebreakers, and Revolutionaries You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of.”

If history has taught us anything, it’s that no one is truly safe. That gathering dread fueled some great ’70s paranoid thrillers, such as “The Parallax View” and “The Conversation,” but it’s been difficult to replicate that eeriness in today’s extremely online world, when our devices explain and obfuscate with abandon, conspiracies are lifeblood and we feel persecuted one day, invincibly anonymous the next.

The nifty premise of “Relay,” a new white-knuckle ride from “Hell or High Water” director David Mackenzie, is that a certain type of tech-savvy hero can, if not completely ease your anxiety, at least navigate a secret truce with those out to get you. And Riz Ahmed’s solitary off-the-grid fixer, Ash, who hides in plain sight in bustling New York, can do it without ever meeting or talking to you: His preferred mode of traceless communication is the text-telephone service that hard-of-hearing people use in conjunction with message-relaying operators. Like a ready-made covert operation, it keeps identities, numbers and call logs secret.

For the simple fact that “Relay” is not about an assassin (the movies’ most over-romanticized independent contractor), screenwriter Justin Piasecki’s scenario deserves kudos. Rather, Ash’s broker helps potential whistleblowers escape the clutches of dangerously far-reaching entities — unless, of course, they want to settle for cash. It’s a fascinatingly cynical update: Should we make an uneasy peace with our tormentors? (Hello, today’s headlines.)

Before those questions get their due, however, “Relay” sets itself up with clockwork precision as a straightforward big-city nail-biter about staying one step ahead. Seeking protection from harassment and a return to normal life, rattled biotech scientist Sarah (Lily James) goes on the run with incriminating documents about her former employer. When she’s rebuffed by a high-powered law firm, she’s provided a mysterious number to call. Ash, armed with his elaborate vetting methods, puts Sarah through the paces with rules and instructions regarding burner phones, mailed packages and a detailed itinerary of seemingly random air travel. It doesn’t just test her commitment, though — it’s also a ploy to scope out the corporate goons on her trail: a dogged surveillance team led by Sam Worthington (who should maybe only play bad guys) and Willa Fitzgerald.

As the story careens through airports and post offices and New York’s hidey-holes, the cat-and-mouse chase is dizzyingly enjoyable, worthy of a Thomas Perry novel. We wait for the missteps that threaten everything, of course, and they begin with learning that Ash is a failed whistleblower himself, one who is beginning to question his chosen crusade. Another vulnerability, recognizable in the occasional cracks in Ahmed’s commanding stoicism, is the loneliness of the gig. So when a restive Sarah, on one of their protected calls, gently prods for a smidgen of personality from her mysterious unseen helper, one is inclined to shout, “No feelings! Too risky!”

But that, of course, is the slippery pleasure of “Relay,” which pits individuals against venal institutional might. Flaws are the beating hearts of these movies, triggering the peril that makes the blood pump faster. Some of that effectiveness is undercut by some off-putting music choices, but McKenzie’s command of the material is rock solid, Giles Nuttgens’ cinematography achieves a sleek, moody metallic chill and Matt Mayer’s editing is always fleet. In a year that’s already given us one superlative case of adult peekaboo — Steven Soderbergh’s “Black Bag” — “Relay” proves there’s still more room for smart, punchy cloak-and-dagger options.

Northern Superchargers thrashed London Spirit by eight wickets, moving above their opponents into second in The Hundred table.

Spirit put in a dismal performance with the bat, struggling to 90-8 at Lord’s.

The Australian pair of Phoebe Litchfield, who hit an unbeaten 55, and Annabel Sutherland, who made 29 not out, put on an unbroken partnership of 76 to seal victory for the Superchargers with 34 balls to spare.

The home side floundered after choosing to bat, slipping to 9-2 in the powerplay with top-order batters Kira Chathli and Cordelia Griffith dismissed for a duck and one respectively.

Spirit can usually rely on the big-hitting Grace Harris to drag them out of trouble, but Nicola Carey had her caught at long-on for just seven, then saw Dani Gibson taken at point from her following delivery.

They continued to steadily lose wickets until Issy Wong and captain Charlie Dean offered a degree of stability, putting on a partnership of 31 for the seventh wicket, but it came from 33 deliveries, with the pair unable to significantly up the tempo.

Sutherland dismissed Dean caught behind in the final set of five deliveries, and had Glenn caught in the covers from the next ball, as Spirit limped to a sub-par total.

Superchargers’ top-order also wobbled, with Alice Davidson-Richards and Davina Perrin both dismissed by Bex Tyson for a golden duck and four respectively.

However, those early wickets brought star batters Phoebe Litchfield and Sutherland to the crease, and the Australian pair made light work of reaching their target.

Litchfield took more of the strike, hitting her second half-century in three matches, and it was the 22-year-old who hit Eva Gray for four to bring the match to an early conclusion.

The result sees Spirit slip to fourth in the standings, behind Superchargers and Manchester Originals on net run-rate.

Hostage promises to keep audiences glued to their seats

Julie Delpy, one of the stars of Netflix‘s forthcoming thriller Hostage, has given an insight into her role in the five-part series, reports the Manchester Evening News.

The Hollywood actress portrays French President Vivienne Toussaint, a character who veers increasingly to the right in an attempt to placate her adversaries and maintain her grip on power in the brand-new series.

Reflecting on the strains endured by actual politicians, the Before Sunset star confessed she would never venture into politics.

At a recent London screening of Hostage, the 55 year old French-American star told media outlets including Reach Screen Time: “I guess there’s a lot of pressure from outside, people who are pressuring [those] who believe in something.”

The accomplished actress, writer and director went on to say: “[Politicians] know a lot of stuff they want to do is influenced probably by big businesses.

READ MORE: Suranne Jones details challenges of Netflix’s Hostage roleREAD MORE: Suranne Jones set to thrill in gripping Netflix political drama Hostage

“In the US, it’s definitely a lobbying system officially affecting politics, but I think for every president, things come into play that is more than what you as an individual would like to be, and I think the character of Toussaint has gone really far.”

Regarding politicians compromising their principles to hold onto power, Delpy remarked: “Also, I think if you have ethics as a human being and you become a powerful person, who has to do things that are against what they believe in, it must be heartbreaking sometimes.

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“You always have to disassociate the human being that you are and the powerful person, who has to also comply to maybe people above you.

“It’s such big businesses in play right now, and presidents have to comply to others probably. I would cry all the time.”

She said she would “hate” to be the president in real-life, explaining: “It’s like the pressure of making decisions, of doing the right thing or the wrong thing.”

She added: “It’s very interesting as someone who makes big decisions, how much you think of it.”

Hostage centres on a fictional British Prime Minister (portrayed by Suranne Jones), whose allegiance to her country faces the ultimate challenge when her spouse is abducted and her resignation is demanded.

Meanwhile, French leader Toussaint finds herself caught up in a blackmail controversy.

The pair will unite in an attempt to confront their shared adversary with everything at stake, including their political futures.

Viewers will be kept on the edge of their seats right until the final moments with plenty of shocking revelations and unexpected developments throughout.

Hostage is released on Netflix on August 21

Reach Screen Time spoke exclusively to Mudtown stars Tom Cullen and Erin Richards

A gripping new TV drama is set to hit our screens this month, promising viewers a captivating tale brimming with tension and conflict, reports Wales Online. This comes as audiences are binging another crime drama.

Mudtown, set in Newport, Wales, centres around magistrate Claire Lewis Jones (portrayed by Erin Richards), who finds herself in a dilemma when her childhood friend’s daughter is accused of arson.

Claire’s personal and professional worlds collide as she attempts to preside over the case. Adding to the complexity, her ex-lover and local gangster Saint Pete (Tom Cullen) re-enters her life, seeking her assistance in court.

She finds herself torn between divided loyalties and ensuring justice is served.

Mudtown was co-created by Keeping Faith actor and writer Hannah Daniels along with real-life magistrate Georgia Lee.

In an exclusive chat with Reach Screen Time, lead stars Cullen and Richards shared their thoughts on joining the series.

READ MORE: ‘Fantastic’ crime drama fans say will ‘tear your heart out’ is streaming for freeREAD MORE: New crime drama branded ‘exceptional’ now available to stream for free

Cullen confessed he’d been extremely hesitant about accepting the role of crime boss Saint Pete, despite having portrayed real-life gangster Johnny Palmer in BBC’s The Gold.

He revealed: “On a personal level, Pete is a character that I’ve never really got to play before and when they offered it to me, I was absolutely terrified and confused as to why they wanted me to play this character.

“And I was absolutely terrified of the prospect of playing because I thought it was way beyond my reach, capabilities as an actor and for that reason, also, I decided to do it, to scare myself.”

Explaining his decision to join Mudtown, Cullen said: “Lots attracted me to the show. Just on a script-level, I found it really interesting.

“I thought that its themes really resonated with me and the socio-political aspect to it about the choices we make and what choices do we have when we grow up in certain areas, and the different paths a certain decision can make, I found that really interesting. I also thought that the characters were so complex.”

He revealed he was also attracted to the project due to the opportunity to work in his native Wales, which he rarely got to do and “work with friends” he’d “known for years”, describing it as a “joyous experience”.

The Crown and Gotham star Richards confessed she had similar motivations for joining Mudtown, admitting she was also drawn to the chance to work in Wales and be near her family.

“It was such a dream and it was the first job I did since having my son, who is now two-and-a-half, but was one, and just the ability to come home every night and see him and sleep in my own bed, and travel to Newport which is somewhere I’ve never been before but obviously visited a lot,” she said.

Richards and Cullen have been friends for years after starring in a film together when they were just 16, which she confessed boosted their on-screen spark and transformed her acting.

The actress revealed: “I had a specific idea of who Claire was and I was playing her a certain way, and then when I would do the scenes with Tom, she would like change a little bit and I didn’t plan for that to happen.

“But I think just because of the history that Tom and I have and how much we know about each other, it really reflected how Claire and Saint Pete were together. It was a really dynamic we had as friends but also had as characters.”

The programme was filmed back-to-back in English and Welsh, like numerous Welsh productions including the aforementioned Keeping Faith and The Light in the Hall.

Recording simultaneously in both languages meant the Welsh-speaking actors would begin in one tongue for a scene and then switch to the other language for the following scene depending on the take.

Richards confessed: “It was a real mind-bending thing at the beginning, but then halfway through I got used to it and my brain would just do it and click into place.”

The performer got ready for the part by observing magistrates courts in both Cardiff and Newport, discovering how it operated and acknowledged she was “surprised” that more programmes about the court hadn’t been created. Addressing the possibility of a second season, Richards teased: “I think the final episode, the final scene leaves it open to another series. I would love to do one. Cullen added: “I’d love to do one. We’ll see how it goes, fingers crossed.”

Mudtown is available on U&alibi from August 29 at 9pm, available on Sky, Virgin Media and NOW