From Eternity to Jamiroquai: your complete entertainment guide to the week ahead
Contents
- Going out: Cinema
- Going out: Gigs
- Going out: Art
- Going out: Stage
- Staying in: Streaming
- Going Out: Games
- Staying in: Albums
- Staying in: Brain food
Going out: Cinema
Eternity
Out now
Miles Teller and Elizabeth Olsen star, alongside Callum Turner, in a quirky metaphysical romantic drama from A24. The premise follows a journey into the afterlife where each person must decide where and with whom to spend eternity. Should Olsen’s character choose the man she settled down with (Teller) or her first love (Turner)?
It Was Just an Accident
Out now
This Palme d’Or-winning feature from Iranian director Jafar Panahi blends social realism with political commentary. It follows a man (Ebrahim Azizi) and his pregnant wife (Afsaneh Najmabadi) as they travel with their young daughter (Delmaz Najafi) after a minor car crash.
Folktales
Out now
Documentary-makers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (Jesus Camp) follow a group of teens on a gap year at a traditional folk high school in Arctic Norway, where the focus shifts from conventional coursework to dog sledding and survival skills.
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2
Out now
Based on the second game in the popular series, this sequel has Josh Hutcherson reprising his role as night guard Mike Schmidt. Jim Henson’s Creature Shop returns to puppetry for this horror about animatronic characters possessed by restless souls.
Going out: Gigs
The Charlatans
O2 Academy Leeds, 6 December; touring to 12 December
Their 14th album, We Are Love, released in October, sees the indie veterans continuing to push their sound with production from Dev Hynes. Live, tracks like the psych-tinged title song sit well beside their classic material.
Georgia Mancio Trio
The Verdict, Brighton, 6 December; Peterborough Jazz Club, 14 December
A singer with a gift for reinvigorating Antonio Carlos Jobim classics, swinging through fast bebop, and enchanting audiences with original storytelling. Keyboardist Pete Whittaker and drummer Dave Ohm accompany her here.
Barbara Hannigan and Bertrand Chamayou
Wigmore Hall, London, 6 December
The fearless Canadian soprano teams with the adventurous French pianist for a program spanning 20th- and 21st-century works. Hannigan performs Messiaen’s Chants de Terre et de Ciel; Chamayou plays Scriabin, including the late Vers la Flamme. They also tackle John Zorn’s Jumalatteret, a tribute to the goddesses of Sami Shamanism, described by Hannigan as among the hardest pieces she’s ever sung.
Jamiroquai
Co-op Live, Manchester, 6 December; touring to 14 December
Jay Kay and his jazz-funk outfit hit the arenas this week. With work underway on a new album, there’s much for devoted fans to look forward to, while staples like Virtual Insanity and Canned Heat should satisfy long-time followers.
Going out: Art
Wes Anderson
Design Museum, London, to 26 July
The playful visual humor of Wes Anderson’s cinema shines in this retrospective, which highlights his meticulous design and aesthetic sensibilities. A standout moment often cited is a villain’s punch that ruptures a painting in The Grand Budapest Hotel, emblematic of his artful, layered approach.
Performing Trees
Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, to 4 April
Do trees truly perform in art? This exhibition argues they do, tracing centuries of tree imagery—from Renaissance fruit trees to Romantic evergreens and impressionist poplars—featuring works by Cézanne, Carracci, Sutherland, and George Shaw.
William Nicholson
Pallant House Gallery, Chichester, to 10 May
This respected British painter, spanning Victorian to modern eras, often depicts tranquil, sunlit scenes that hint at a world on the cusp of upheaval.
Monument to the Unimportant
Pace Gallery, London, to 14 February
A survey of modern art’s move from grand narratives to everyday objects—such as Coca-Cola cans and flowers in a vase. Included artists: Claes Oldenburg, Rachel Whiteread, and Sylvie Fleury.
Going out: Stage
Rob Brydon
Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, 7 December; touring to 16 December
Despite the absence of a festive Gavin and Stacey special, Rob Brydon keeps the seasonal cheer alive with songs, jokes, and masterful impersonations—without Steve Coogan to critique him this time.
Into the Woods
Bridge Theatre, London, to 18 April
Director Jamie Lloyd brings a fresh energy to Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s fairy-tale-tinged musical. Expect inventive design from Tom Scutt as four Grimms’ tales are retold with a modern twist.
Beauty and the Beast
Northern Stage, Newcastle upon Tyne, to 3 January
A gender-balanced, all-female creative team frames this year’s panto, directed by Bryony Shanahan and devised with Katie Mitchell and Lucy Kirkwood. Expect playful twists, including mischief-making fairies, a Thoughtsnatcher machine, and an Insect Orchestra of fleas and flies.
Wee Nutcracker
Tramway, Glasgow, 12 December to Christmas Eve
For families, Scottish Ballet presents a compact, 45-minute Wee Nutcracker, tailored for ages 5 and up. A shorter, kid-friendly take on the classic tale, designed to keep young audiences engaged through the interval ice cream break.
Staying in: Streaming
The Revenge Club
Paramount+, 12 December
Adapted from JD Pennington’s The Othello Club, this stylish drama follows a group of divorced strangers who hatch a plan to get revenge on ex-spouses. It’s a high-concept crime caper well-suited to post-peak TV trends, featuring Martin Compston, Meera Syal, Sharon Rooney, and Aimee-Ffion Edwards.
The War Between the Land and the Sea
BBC One & iPlayer, 7 December, 8.30pm
A big Disney+ Doctor Who deal wraps with this ambitious spin-off about humanity’s last stand against ancient sea-dwelling beings. Russell Tovey leads, with Gugu Mbatha-Raw among the cast.
Man vs Baby
Netflix, 11 December
Rowan Atkinson continues his Netflix-backed comeback with this follow-up to Man vs Bee. Expect Bean-like mischief and slapstick as a new colleague complicates a house-sitting job. Co-stars include Susannah Fielding and Ashley Jensen.
Nick Cave’s Veiled World
Sky Arts & Now, 6 December, 9pm
To accompany the Matt Smith-led adaptation of The Death of Bunny Munro, this one-off documentary dives into Cave’s singular artistic universe, featuring friends and collaborators such as Warren Ellis, Bella Freud, Florence Welch, and Colin Greenwood.
Going Out: Games
Skate Story
PS5, Switch 2, PC; out 8 December
A visually striking platformer where a glass-skinned skateboarder descends into the underworld. The gameplay offers over 70 tricks, blending surreal visuals with satisfying stunt-driven challenges.
Terminator 2D: No Fate
PS4, PS5, Xbox, Switch, PC; out 12 December
A retro-inspired sequel that reimagines 1991’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day with modern-era arcade-style action, new missions, and updated pixel art.
Staying in: Albums
XO – Fashionably Late
Out now
UK girl group XO deliver their debut collection of tracks. Highlights include Real Friends, a Charli XCX collaboration that channels bold, girl-power energy, alongside earworm tunes like Silly Boy and Candy.
Alison Wonderland – Ghost World
Out now
Former cellist turned electronic producer Alison Wonderland pushes further into club-ready, mind-melting EDM on tracks like XTC and Get Started, continuing her ascent in the Australian scene.
TEED – Always With Me
Out now
Orlando Higginbottom, known for Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, launches a new album project written primarily in LA on a single synth. Songs like Desire and My Melody showcase a concise, nostalgic mood.
Melody’s Echo Chamber – Unclouded
Out now
Thirteen years after her debut, Melody Prochet returns with a sweeping psych-pop album. Inspired by Hayao Miyazaki and a hard-won love of life, tracks like In the Stars blend drama with a buoyant energy.
Staying in: Brain food
Masaka Kids, A Rhythm Within
Netflix, 9 December
A joyful documentary following a Ugandan group of children whose viral dance videos have transformed their lives. The film explores how online fame reshapes opportunity and community.
The Modern Art Notes Podcast
Various platforms
Art critic Tyler Green hosts this in-depth series featuring hour-long conversations with artists, historians, and curators. Notable episodes include Antony Gormley on sculpture’s evolving status and Hew Locke on British imperialism.
Crash Out
Somerset House Channel
A new American Artist commission for Somerset House’s Channel explores free speech and censorship through a fictional streaming persona, raising timely questions about online identity and artistic expression.
Would you like the rewritten version to emphasize a particular genre focus (cinema, music, theatre) or keep the broad, all-in-one style? Also, is there a preferred length or level of detail for each section?
