Redbrick’s Film, TV, Music and Gaming editors recommend their top picks to watch, play and hear this December
Films to Watch This December
A Quiet Place: Day One
Film Editor Rani Jadfa
about human connection and, amongst all the chaos, finding people you would risk your life for
After missing out on the chance to experience either one of John Krasinski’s A Quiet Place films in cinemas, I finally had the chance to fulfil my destiny with the release of the eye-widening, popcorn-halting, body-tensing prequel, A Quiet Place: Day One. With a new director at the helm (Michael Sarnoski) and Krasinski remaining as a writer and producer, the essence of the film franchise remains at its forefront. Yes, there are horrific creatures that hunt by sound and will attack at a whimper. But these films have never truly been about that fear; they’re about human connection and, amongst all the chaos, finding people you would risk your life for – and that may be the most terrifying thing of all.
I Do Not Care If We Go Down in History As Barbarians
Film Editor Toby Jarvis
Barbarians is fundamentally slippery. It takes pains not to restrict itself wholly to fiction: leading actress Iona Iacob introduces herself directly to the handheld camera in the film’s first five minutes. Whilst director Radu Jude’s repeated use of archive footage demands you reconcile his script with the historical atrocities it concerns. Iacob’s performance as a Bucharest director on a doomed quest to prevent the mangling of her work into ethnic pantomime is Barbarians’ beating heart, but it lives and dies off the baying public, who again blur the line between reality and fiction. Each hypnotic long take introduces another unresolved discomfort. Jude’s primary interest is interrogating the failure of a nation to confront the crimes in which it participated, often recklessly—how fitting, then, that the Romanian audience is given a starring role in the film’s mortifying final reel.
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Film Editor Joel Bishton
The Grand Budapest Hotel is ten years old this year, and that is reason enough to watch (or more likely rewatch it). It concerns the concierge of a grand hotel in the 1930s, Gustave H (Ralph Fiennes) who is caught up in a series of escapades in an alternate interwar Europe. Whilst it is not Wes Anderson’s masterpiece (that is Royal Tenenbaums), it is still an exceptional piece of work that burnishes the careers of everyone involved.
Games to Play This December
The Case of the Golden Idol
Gaming Editor
The deceivingly easy mechanics disguise the fact that a much more sinister plot simmers under the surface
This fiendish sequel to the puzzle game The Case of the Golden Idol does not fail to deliver on charm, intrigue and downright difficulty. Using only the information presented to you in torn notes, dropped luggage and the contents of someone’s pockets it’s your job to deduce who killed who, where and why! The deceivingly easy mechanics disguise the fact that a much more sinister plot simmers under the surface. What experiments are OPIG running? What is the Harmony foundation? And why does a strange idol keep turning up? Interested? Go buy it!
TV Shows to Watch This December
Sweetpea
TV Editor Freya Calcluth
Sweetpea is the perfect dark comedy for the rainy autumn months
Based on the book of the same name by CJ Skuse, Sweetpea is the perfect dark comedy for the rainy autumn months. Ella Purnell is brilliantly cast as the silent, vengeful outcast, portraying her character with such depth that, while you’re never fully on Rhiannon’s side, you don’t feel too sorry for (most of) her victims. The entire cast delivers a stunning blend of comedic and intense performances, often in the same scene. The show’s British dry humour and sharp sarcasm complement the dark themes it explores with perfect balance. Within just six episodes (or one weekend, for me), the characters develop so effectively that you find yourself rooting for those you initially despised and detesting those you were first meant to like. While I’ve heard complaints that it doesn’t stay true to the book, I found the series to stand well on its own, even as someone who hasn’t read the original. However, I’m sure I’ll be asking for the book this Christmas!
Chef’s Table: Noodles
TV Editor Anisah Qazi
The chefs explain the specific cultural and personal significance of the food that they have often dedicated their lives towards making
Chef’s Table: Noodles is the most recent continuation of the Chef’s Table docu-series, which gives us an up-close exploration of the experience of noodle making. Chef’s Table aims to explore the intimate and personal aspect of cooking, as it follows chefs who are masters in their craft, and interrogates their relationship with the noodles that they make. The show is shot in extreme HD to recreate the physicality of the food on the screen, as the texture of every crumble and plume of steam is made visible. The chefs explain the specific cultural and personal significance of the food that they have often dedicated their lives towards making, and the show often portrays food as a form of love, and self-sacrifice. This docu-series bridges the emotional and moving with the informative, and places food on a pedestal as something full of love and meaning. This all makes for a very relaxing and inspirational watch, a perfect comfort show to snuggle up with over winter.
Grey’s Anatomy
TV Editor Jasmine Davies
Part of me doesn’t want to recommend this show – you’re not ready for the heartbreak. After 21 seasons, Grey’s Anatomy remains one of the longest-running medical dramas ever. Follow the personal and professional lives of the doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital as jaw-dropping moments, harrowing medical mysteries, and scandalous relationships unfold weekly on Disney+. Trust me, you’re going to want to see what’s happening in the on-call rooms.
Music to Listen to Play This December
Quarter Life Crisis – Baby Queen
Deputy Editor Hannah Gadd
the album is synonymous with winter
This time last year one of my favourite artists, Baby Queen, released her debut album- Quarter Life Crisis. The album cycle was a really special time for me as I got to preview the record, interview Baby Queen, review her live show and attend an exclusive event in London. It’s safe to say my winter was filled with the glitzy melodies of Quarter Life Crisis.
That being said, for me, the album is synonymous with winter and is featuring heavily in my current rotation. Baby Queen is more authentic than ever in her lyrics on this album, the vulnerability of ‘Grow Up’ and ‘Obvious’ standing out in the midst of shiny, anti-pop anthems. Quarter Life Crisis perfectly balances infectious hooks and pop melodies with nihilistic lyrics and existentialism.
Sunday at Zuri’s – Odeal
Music Editor Hope Sikolia
his soulful and sensuous music is perfect for calm late nights
Odeal is a self-acclaimed multi-genre artist from South East London. Merging afrobeats and R&B sounds, his soulful and sensuous music is perfect for calm late nights. Odeal rose to fame with his single ‘Coffee (Don’t Read Signs)’ which gained virality on TikTok. He has since seen a steady rise in popularity, performing ‘All That It Takes’ on COLOURSxSTUDIOS, and releasing two albums, Thoughts I Never Said and Lustropolis. His EP Sunday’s at Zuri’s perfectly encapsulates his unique sound.
Only four songs long, the EP is the perfect soundtrack for an intimate house party. With mid-tempo instrumentals and pulsating beats, you have no choice but to sway along to the music. While the EP leans more towards afrobeats, it still highlights the genre fusion characteristic of Odeal’s music. The horns and percussion in ‘Soh-Soh’ are addictively jazzy, while the swing of ‘Sondela’ and ‘ONOME’ have a distinct island vibe. Odeal’s voice, soulful and sometimes breathy, perfectly accompanies the instrumentals, elevates each track and, at times, sends me into a trance-like state. His effortless high-register singing stands out especially in ‘Free Me’, the final and most underrated song on the project. If you enjoy mid-tempo music, afrobeats, R&B or genre-bending music, Odeal is the perfect artist for you.
Romance – Fontaines D.C.
Music Editor Alfie Warner
It couldn’t be anything else; Fontaines D.C.’s newest album Romance was released in August and has been an earworm ever since. The Irish band have shedded the incessant “post-punk” definition of their music to begin a new chapter. The roots are still there; the punchy bass lines, soaring guitar solos, and the band’s iconic conversational lyricism. Romance is a departure from the norm, but they have retained their identity in this transition and delivered quality once again. ‘Favourite’, ‘Bug’, and ‘Desire’ were personal favourites, but if this album has somehow escaped your notice the past few months, then do yourself a favour and just listen to the whole thing start to finish
For more Editors’ Picks, check out more from this year below:
Editors’ Picks: What to Watch and Play November 2024
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