Going out: Cinema
See how they walk
Out now
Show business can literally be murder in this comedic whodunit. A Hollywood producer tries to turn a popular play into a movie, but is thwarted by the deaths of several members of the production, prompting an investigation by agents played by Sam Rockwell and Saoirse Ronan.
Bodies Bodies Bodies
Out now
Marketed as the ultimate Gen Z slasher, this is basically a delightful throwback to the dark and edgy horror comedies of the 1990s, in which a series of abhorrent and wealthy teenagers encounter various horrific dooms, much to the chagrin of absolutely no one. Pete Davidson and Rachel Sennott star in a fun cast.
crimes from the future
Out now
Canadian body horror godfather David Cronenberg — him from The Fly, Videodrome and Crash (the sexy one, not the Oscar ace) — has assembled a stellar cast for his latest entertaining piece of psychological and physical dissection, in the ravishing form of Viggo Mortensen, Lea Seydoux and Kristen Stewart.
Both sides from the sword
Out now
Claire Denis is in riveting form with this slow exploration of a long-term relationship tarnished by the return of a former lover. Juliette Binoche and Vincent Lindon are highly plausible as a couple facing infidelity and a possible breakup. Catherine Bray
Going out: Performances
Repercussion festival
Various locations, Manchester, September 10
Manchester’s daily dance music festival, which takes place on six stages, including the 10,000-capacity Depot, returns for its second year. The lineup is downright ridiculous, with Jamie xx, Little Simz, Goldie, Fred Again…, Jamz Supernova, Sherelle and Mr Scruff. Michael Cragg
amine
September 10-17, tour starts O2 Academy Brixton, London
The Portland rapper returns to the UK with last year’s album TwoPointFive in tow. Brighter and more cartoonish than 2020’s US Top 20 album Limbo, the 12 tracks average around two minutes, but each cram in as much as possible, with the dazzling colors hitting the hem of hyperpop. MC
London Symphony Orchestra
Barbican Hall, London, September 11
Traditionally, Simon Rattle kicks off the season – his last as director of the LSO – with a program of British music. Daniel Kidane’s Sun Poem, co-commissioned by the LSO, is the new work; it is followed by Frank Bridge’s neglected masterpiece Enter Spring and Elgar’s majestic Second Symphony. Andrew Clements
Chief Xian in Tunde Adjuah
Koko, London, September 13
The New Orleans trumpeter-producer returns with his ever-expanding jazz, hip-hop, blues, and rock crossovers, and traditional-to-electronic homemade instruments. New Orleans’ West African connections are a fascinating feature of his work. John Fordham
Going out: art
Winslow Homer
National Gallery, London, September 10 to January 8
This great American painter, who lived through the Civil War and documented the aftermath of slavery, went on to paint churned-up, romantic seascapes with foam-stained echoes of Courbet and Turner. His eye for social injustice sees disasters at sea as a picture of America’s unrest.
Mounira Al Solho
Baltic, Gateshead, to 2 October
This artist, who lives in Lebanon and the Netherlands, uses embroidery, writing, performance, film, drawing and painting to tell the stories of people – especially women – who were forced to leave their homes because of war and violence. She brings moving, true stories about upheaval and the experience of migration.
Edward Lear
Ikon, Birmingham, September 9 to November 13
The high priest of Victorian nonsense was also a brilliant and adventurous landscape artist. While Constable and Turner had stayed in Europe, Lear loved to travel through the Middle East and North Africa. His on-the-spot sketches capture a world in motion in an era of massive global change.
Gainsborough
Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire, up to 30 October
The Pink Boy, recently restored, was painted by Gainsborough in 1782 and probably depicts Francis Nicholls. Dressed in a flamboyant costume inspired by Van Dyck’s cavalier portraits, this long-haired boy who would come of age in the Romantic era is here compared to other Gainsborough portraits. Jonathan Jones
Going out: Phase
Who killed my father?
Young Vic, London, until September 24th
Ivo van Hove directs the incomparable Hans Kesting in this one-man play, in which a son returns to his damaged and dying father. Who is responsible for his father’s downfall? Prepare to be destroyed. Miriam Gillinson
The glass menagerie
Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, until October 8th
Atri Banerjee directs Tennessee Williams’ strangely glittering memory play, starring Geraldine Somerville as the family matriarch Amanda Wingfield. MG
Made in Leeds: three short ballets
Leeds playhouse, September 10 to 17
Three one-act premieres by Northern Ballet. There is work by Ballet Black’s Mthuthuzeli November and Stina Quagebeur of English National Ballet, but the most intriguing is a piece based on Casanova’s memoirs, by Dickson Mbi, a powerful hip-hop dancer. Lyndsey Winship
Comedy Festival in Greenwich
National Maritime Museum, London, September 14-18
Traditionally a harbinger of autumn, this festival’s mixed-bill, open-air performances are usually populated by the cream of the crop of UK standup – and that’s certainly the case this year, with sets from Simon Amstell, Ted Lasso star Brett Goldstein, Rosie Jones and Sophie Duker. Brian Logan
Stay inside: Stream
Frozen Planet II
September 11, BBC One and BBC iPlayer
After an 11-year wait, this sequel to the historic wildlife documentary comes with a specially commissioned song, Take Me Back Home, from Hollywood composer Hans Zimmer and pop star Camila Cabello. But Sir David Attenborough is still the real star of the show; him and those emperor penguins.
American gigolo
September 10, Paramount+
The 1980 Paul Schrader thriller charged up the erotic fantasies of a generation. Now Jon Bernthal slips into Richard Gere’s old Armani suits (they fit like a dream) to cruise the streets of LA, solving crimes and seducing rich women. Rosie O’Donnell has a supporting role and Ray Donovan’s David Hollander as showrunner is also very promising.
Sins of our mother
September 14, Netflix
Real crime docs from Netflix are an almost daily occurrence, but this wild case is – thankfully – unique. How did Lori Vallow go from a loving, responsible mother of three to a woman on trial for murder? The answer is about doomsday cults and beach weddings, told from the perspective of her only surviving child.
Thursday night football
September 15, Prime Video
All five seasons of the Emmy-winning drama Friday Night Lights have been streaming on Amazon Prime for some time now, and Connie Britton’s smile has undoubtedly sparked international interest in the all-American sport. Newcomers can now watch regular NFL season games, plus real-time stats via the X-ray feature. Ellen E Jones
Stay inside: Spell
Metal Hellsinger
Out of wo, XBox series X/S, PS5, PCOut September 15, Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC
Doom fans and metalheads alike should keep an eye out for this action shooter that sees you defeat demons to a heavy metal soundtrack.
Sunday Gold
From September 13, PC
A lively point-and-click adventure game about a bunch of cockney mobsters who get into trouble in a dystopian London. Keza Macdonald
Stay inside: Albums
Oliver Sim – Horrible Bastard
Out now
With his rich baritone, Oliver Sim anchored the emotional weight of the songs of his band The xx. On his solo debut, with production from bandmate Jamie xx, Sim explores issues of identity and shame, particularly in relation to his HIV diagnosis as a teenager. His songs are both dramatic and cathartic.
Santigold – Spirituals
Out now
Genre-agnostic alt-pop pioneer Santi White returns with her first album in six years. Spirituals, which will be released alongside a new skincare line and tea collection of the same name, will feature input from UK producer SBTRKT, Yeah Yeah Yeahs Nick Zinner and Weeknd collaborator Illangelo.
Sampa the Great – As above, so below
Out now
During the pandemic, rapper Sampa Tembo returned from Australia, where she had lived since 2013, to her home in Zambia. The country’s influence and rich heritage permeate this second album, most notably the single Never Forget’s celebration of Zamrock, a genre born in the 1970s that fuses traditional Zambian music with psych rock.
Jockstrap – I love you Jennifer B
Out now
By fusing the distorted electronics of producer Taylor Skye with the windy orchestral excesses of singer Georgia Ellery and the angelic cow, the brilliantly named duo aims to slow down. Recent single Glasgow, for example, touches on crystal clear baroque pop, indie jangle and artful, found sound collage. MC
Stay inside: brain food
Conversations at Google
YouTube
This series of business interviews from Google isn’t just about business and productivity. Star guests include musician Angélique Kidjo, comedian Bowen Yang and actor Matt Damon who explore everything from the nature of creativity to the need for water conservation.
American history hit
podcast
Dan Snow’s long-running series that weaves its way through formative moments in history launches a spin-off show focusing on American events. Host Don Wildman delves into the Declaration of Independence, the Hollywood blacklist of the 1950s, and more.
Stolen: Hunting the art thieves
Sunday, 8pm, BBC Two
According to this three-part series, £4 billion worth of art is stolen every year. We follow the dramatic stories behind some of history’s greatest heists, starting with two £10 million Turner paintings stolen from the Tate in 1994. Ammar Kalia
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