Three things that really are good—and one that is not

Published on: Sep 5, 2026, 13:00:02 IST

Prefer HTon Google

Share via
Copy link

IT IS HARD to know what to trust. These days, even dull films and TV shows are billed as “dazzling”. Take a new thriller, which is supposedly spine-chilling and has a superb cast: our critic found it less terrifying than trashy. Try our recommendations instead, which offer humour, action and political drama.

“Colin from Accounts” (on BBC iPlayer and Paramount+)The third and final season of this Australian comedy may be the best yet. It picks up three years after the excruciatingly cringeworthy events of the previous episode, when Gordon (Patrick Brammall) drunkenly proposed to Ashley (Harriet Dyer, pictured below) at her best friend’s wedding. It proved to be a humiliating end to their relationship. Now, however, they have been drawn back into each other’s orbit. Can they make it as friends? This show has it all: a sharp script, a brilliant central partnership and hilarious supporting characters (Ashley’s mother, a men’s-rights activist, is a particular highlight).

“The Gentlemen” (on Netflix)When Eddie inherits his father’s country estate and dukedom, he also inherits an underground cannabis operation. In season two of this rollicking action-comedy series, Eddie, played by a suitably buttoned-up Theo James (top right), tries to expand his drug empire with the help of an Italian mafia family. Guy Ritchie, the creator, offers a potent mix of narcotics and nobility. Rumours have swirled that Meghan Markle may star in season three.

“Mrs America” (on streaming platforms) Gloria Steinem, an activist and journalist who died on September 2nd, was a leading figure in the women’s movement for over half a century. She campaigned for the Equal Rights Amendment, which promised that “equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged…on account of sex”. The ERA was never ratified, in part because Phyllis Schlafly, a conservative campaigner, mobilised housewives across the country to oppose it. In this riveting series Cate Blanchett plays the wily Schlafly, and Rose Byrne is the resilient Steinem. “No matter how long this revolution may take, there can be no turning back,” Steinem says in a voice-over.

And what not to watch:

“The Whisper Man” (on Netflix)One of the lessons of this film, about a serial killer who targets children, is that you should always be wary and never let your guard down. Another lesson is that you should not blindly trust that this film’s stars, including Robert De Niro (above left) and Michael Keaton, are a signal of quality. This is a trashy flick, more horror than thriller, which requires you to overlook flawed plot points and characters’ behaviour that defies believability. The two-hour runtime feels like four.

See Less