MUST-WATCH: The spice flows in the Top 10!

Duncan Idaho and Paul Atreides marvel at the majesty of the desert in Dune.

By James Mackin

Posted October 18, 2021 10:16 pm.

Last Updated October 18, 2021 10:24 pm.

Another week with a highly anticipated blockbuster, this time with a Canadian connection! But will that hold the top spot, or could the return of everyone’s favourite dysfunctional upper class family take it? Perhaps some married murderers will claw their way to #1? You’ll have to keep reading to find out!

Succession (Season 3)

Where to watch: Crave

Starting this week with the return of one of HBO’s best shows!

Logan and Shiv Roy plan their next attack in Succession.

Succession stars Brian Cox (from Braveheart and X2: X-Men United) as Logan Roy, the head of a family-run multi-media conglomerate. He’s attempting to determine which of his four children will succeed him when the time comes. They are Kendall Roy (played by Jeremy Strong of the Big Short), the smartest of the bunch who lacks the killer instinct, Shiv Roy (played by Sarah Snook of Predestination), the only daughter who’s always scheming on her own, Roman Roy (played by Kieran Culkin of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), the youngest child and self-proclaimed ‘slime puppy’, and Connor Roy (played by Alan Ruck of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off), the eldest and least interested in taking over. When we last left them, Kendall had struck out against his father, publicly blaming him for all of the company’s recent scandals. He’s now trying to see who in the company will back him against his father, and try to stay out of jail for his own role in the company’s scandals.

You can watch the first episode on Crave now, with other episodes coming out every week!

The Last Duel

Where to watch: Cinemas

Next up, a trip to the 14th century!

The Last Duel is the latest film from Ridley Scott, the director behind films like Alien, Gladiator, and Blade Runner. It stars Matt Damon (from the Martian and Behind the Candelabra) and Jodie Comer (from Killing Eve and Free Guy) as a knight and his wife respectively in 14th century France. Comer’s character claims she was raped by her husband’s squire, played by Adam Driver (from Marriage Story and BlacKkKlansman). Damon’s character challenges him to a duel to the death. What’s interesting about this film is it employs a similar story-telling structure to acclaimed Japanese film Rashomon. The film is broken up into three chunks before the duel, each focusing on the rape and events leading up to it from the perspective of the three characters involved, Damon, Driver and Comer.

You can watch this film in cinemas now!

You (Season 3)

Where to watch: Netflix

Now, let’s take a look at another new season of a returning show!

Joe and Love stare out the window, wondering how to cover up their latest murder, in You.

You follows Joe Goldberg (played by Penn Badgley from John Tucker Must Die and Gossip Girl), a deranged stalker and murderer. This newest season sees him marrying Love (played by Victoria Pedretti from the Haunting series and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), and settling down with her in the suburbs of Los Angeles. She’s a deranged murderer too, so it seems like it’s a match made in heaven. But his old tendencies surfaces when he meets his new next door neighbour, Natalie (played by Michaela McManus of One Tree Hill). This leads to some new struggles for the married murderers, not to mention the fact that they have to raise their infant son.

You can watch all episodes of this on Netflix now!

The Velvet Underground

Where to watch: Apple TV+

\Now, let’s take a look at a documentary about one of the most influential and experimental rock bands of all time!

The Velvet Underground is a new documentary about, you guessed it, the Velvet Underground. Founded by Lou Reed and John Cale, the band ended up becoming one of the most important rock bands of the 20th century. This documentary, directed by Todd Haynes (who created Far From Heaven, Velvet Goldmine, and Carol) takes a look at their importance and influence in the New York art scene. From their partnership with Andy Warhol, to the release of their first album with German singer Nico, to the band’s dissolution, this is the definitive documentary on the band that inspired more musicians than you can even think of.

The documentary is available to watch on Apple TV+ now!

Dune

Where to watch: Cinemas

Lastly, the latest adaptation of a sci-fi epic!

Dune is the third filmed adaptation of Frank Herbert’s magnum opus. The first adaptation was directed by David Lynch (the creator of Twin Peaks and Mulholland Drive) and released in 1984, and the second was a miniseries released in 2000 created by John Harrison (one of the directors of the new Creepshow). Dune tells the tale of Paul Atreides (played by Timothée Chalamet from Call Me By Your Name and Lady Bird), the heir to House Atreides which just received ownership of the most valuable planet in the galaxy. It’s called Arrakis, and it provides the most important substance in the galactic economy, a psychoactive spice called melange that allows humans to travel beyond the speed of light. But another house is plotting to take over Arrakis, and they don’t take prisoners.

This film stars a gigantic ensemble cast including Rebecca Ferguson (from Doctor Sleep and the Mission Impos sible movies), Stellan Skarsgård (from Breaking the Waves and Chernobyl) and Javier Bardem (from Skyfall and No Country for Old Men), among several others. It was directed by Quebecois filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, who also made Sicario and Blade Runner 2049. You can watch an interview I conducted with both Villeneuve and Ferguson below, and you can read a review of the film from TIFF here!