Seen on Screen: Shakespeare, Westeros, Body Horror and Table Tennis

It’s January again. That means a robust mix of Oscar frontrunners and much sleepier programming, both in cinemas and on streaming. While Timothée Chalamet and Jessie Buckley deliver some of their most intense performances to date, there are lower stakes to be enjoyed on TV thanks to a Sydney crime romp, a grotesque skewering of vanity and a lighter return to the world of Game of Thrones. Here are our highlights for the month’s viewing, from serious prestige to soapy pleasure.

For two funny Americans in the Sydney underworld: Sunny Nights

American comedy staples Will Forte (The Last Man on Earth) and D’Arcy Carden (The Good Place) lead Stan’s latest original series. The dependable pair play chalk-and-cheese siblings Martin and Vicki, who come to Sydney from the States to expand their spray tan venture. But after a one-night stand leads to blackmail, the pair are thrown into a nocturnal world of torture and retribution. This is a crime story with knowing comic beats, and plenty of credit due to a cheeky supporting cast of Aussies and Kiwis. It’s not the first time Forte has travelled overseas to make a darkly comic thriller – Bodkin pulled off a similar feat in rural Ireland – but the local angle lends a fresh coat of appeal to this eight-episode first season. On Stan now.

For mounting suspicion between estranged spouses: His & Hers

An estranged husband and wife suspect each other of murder in this six-part limited series, based on Alice Feeney’s twisty psychological thriller. Jon Bernthal plays a police detective investigating the slaying, while Tessa Thompson is a TV news reporter in need of a career boost. Their paths reconverge in the intense heat and humidity of Dahlonega, a small Georgia town about an hour north of Atlanta. Bernthal and Thompson have both been dependable screen presences in recent years – including Marvel stints as Daredevil and Valkyrie respectively – and anchor what might otherwise be fairly tawdry material. Expect compulsive viewing that’s nicely suited to our own summer months, especially as clues prompt the acrimonious couple to target one another. On Netflix now.

For elaborate British espionage in Colombia: The Night Manager

It’s not often that a TV series has a full decade between seasons but, for The Night Manager, it’s a welcome return. Based on a novel by British espionage icon John le Carré, the first season starred Tom Hiddleston, Olivia Colman and Hugh Laurie – and scored Golden Globes for all three. Ten years later, the action moves to Colombia as Hiddleston’s world-weary Foreign Office recruit (who began as the titular night manager of a Cairo hotel) is drawn into a dangerous triangle of lust and deception between a charismatic arms dealer and his go-between. Colman also returns as Hiddleston’s cautious superior, maintaining the show’s prestige pedigree. If you’re all caught up on Slow Horses, this would be a solid next step. On Prime Video now.

For a second serving of hostage thrills: Hijack S2

The premise is right there in the name. The first season of Hijack starred Idris Elba as Sam Nelson, an elite business negotiator who puts his skills to use during the violent takeover of a seven-hour flight from Dubai to London. With knowing shades of 24, each episode covered an hour of the perilous journey through the sky – and parallel action on the ground. Two years later, Sam is “a broken man” (says Elba) with his role much less clear in a new hostage situation involving a commuter train in Berlin. As we learn what exactly has laid Sam low since the first series, we can look forward to Elba’s signature gravitas at every step. On Apple TV from January 14.

For a job-seeking satire from a Korean master: No Other Choice

The desperation of job hunting turns deadly in this dark comedy from Park Chan-wook, the Korean director of Oldboy and The Handmaiden. When a devoted husband and father (Lee Byung-hun) is fired during corporate restructuring, he’s unable to support his family. So he begins to thin out the competition by killing off his rivals for a coveted role in his chosen profession of papermaking. Imagine American Psycho meets The Office, delivered with the director’s usual balance of dottiness and control. Reviews have been rapturous for No Other Choice, which follows Chan-wook’s 2024 TV series The Sympathizer, starring Robert Downey Junior. This brand of social satire is all too timely, released just as fears of global recession gain momentum with the added narrative point that an American company sparked the protagonist’s initial dismissal. In cinemas January 15.

For an Oscar-calibre retelling on Shakespeare’s family life: Hamnet

The last time a Bard-centred movie was an Oscars frontrunner, it was Shakespeare in Love in 1998. Hamnet also fictionalises the foundational playwright’s life story, but this time as a visceral drama. The film draws from Maggie O’Farrell’s novel about the real-life death of Shakespeare and Agnes Hathaway’s 11-year-old son Hamnet, the inspiration for Hamlet. O’Farrell co-wrote the screenplay with director Chloé Zhao (Nomadland), and Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley have garnered resounding accolades for their lead turns. Buckley won a Golden Globe for her performance and is considered this year’s strongest contender for a Best Actress Oscar. The film itself was also awarded a Golden Globe. Be warned: this is a tale of parental loss and grief, with many audiences reduced to tears. In cinemas January 15.

For a lighter take on Westeros: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

If you avoided Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon for being too violent and nasty, this prequel series promises a lighter tone by comparison. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is adapted from George R R Martin’s Dunk and Egg novellas, which follow the aptly named Duncan the Tall and his diminutive squire. Duncan is a hedge knight, meaning he wanders Westeros looking to prove himself in jousts and other noble pursuits. Honour is the prevailing theme there, but the trailer hints at elements of buddy comedy while still packing in fierce dragons, political manoeuvring and other GOT hallmarks. The show got renewed for a second season before the first even aired – typically a very good sign. On HBO Max from January 18.

For another look at vanity-driven body horror: The Beauty

Brace yourself for some major flashbacks to The Substance. Not only does this TV series centre on a beauty hack that has nightmarish side effects, it also stars Ashton Kutcher, the former husband of The Substance star Demi Moore. You can also expect an equally campy tone thanks to creator Ryan Murphy. But none of those should be dealbreakers: Murphy is one of the most prolific and profitable creators in modern television, and this cast includes Murphy regular Evan Peters alongside Rebecca Hall, Anthony Ramos and – hopefully riffing on her, ahem, immortal role in Death Becomes Her – the one and only Isabella Rossellini. And, to be fair, the Fountain of Youth stand-in here is an STI, which makes for a fun extra layer of transmittable body horror. On Disney+ from January 18.

For Timothée (and table tennis) in top form: Marty Supreme

The world of competitive table tennis in the 1950s might not seem like the most obvious backdrop for electrifying drama, but Marty Supreme ranks among the splashiest, most accessible entries in the current Oscars race. Loosely based on the true story of Marty Reisman, Josh Safdie’s energetic movie sees Timothée Chalamet in top form leading a cast that includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Tyler Okonma (better known as Tyler, the Creator) and recent I Love LA breakout Odessa A’zion. Chalamet has been echoing his character on the awards circuit, right down to an unshakable self-belief that became a self-fulfilling prophecy with his Golden Globes win for best male actor in musical or comedy film. In cinemas January 22.