Small Screens Reviews

THE SPINE OF NIGHT  | SHUDDER

A scholar’s chance encounter with a mystical priestess sets off an epic tale of conquest, sorcery and bloodshed. In this animated fantasy, a magical blue flower offers untold power – along with dark cosmic truths. Featuring the vocal talents of Lucy Lawless, Richard E Grant and Patton Oswalt, The Spine of Night is a star-studded, surprisingly sincere adventure. However, sincere is not to be confused with sanitised. Graphic violence abounds – dismemberment and disfigurement, both magical and murderous. Nudity is likewise plentiful, though always matter of fact, neither played for laughs nor revelling in objectification or brutality. Visually, the rotoscoped animation errs on the side of caution, prioritising accuracy over expression. The strength lies in the background paintings, with moody mountains and castles rivalling illustrations from old-school fantasy novels. Ultimately a convoluted parable about the pursuit of knowledge tainted by greed, the film has more philosophical musings than hack-and-slash thrills. But even as its seriousness holds it back, the uncompromising retro vision commands respect. AGNES FORRESTER

 | APPLE TV+

To some people, success isn’t enough. Take Jared Leto: seemingly discontent with his previous acclaim, Leto has recently become known for his overblown and irritating Method acting. The same could be said for Adam Neumann, the real-life entrepreneur behind failed start-up WeWork, and Leto’s latest role, in WeCrashed. The show, based on a popular podcast, follows Neumann’s precipitous journey from grifter to entrepreneur to laughing stock, where billions of speculative dollars were burned in the process. Anne Hathaway brings little more than a stern look and girlboss bluster to Adam’s wife Rebekah, a spiritually vacuous heir to the Paltrow fortune (yes, that one). The series’ undoing lies in its undue focus on the Neumanns’ outsized personalities, with little interest in the system which enabled their delusions. What should be a breezy airplane movie is an unforgivable eight-hour slog. Neither a raucous romp nor a furious dissection, WeCrashed defaults to smugness in the absence of substance; the audience is invited to laugh, but rarely to think. JAMIE TRAM

 | APPLE TV+

There’s something on Ptolemy Grey’s mind – the only problem is, he can’t quite remember. Dementia takes hold of his ageing body, a condition he struggles against to solve the murder of his beloved nephew, Reggie. Haunted by the spectres of a Jim Crow-era upbringing, Ptolemy is a man running out of time, desperate to piece together his long and strenuous life. Hope and great risk come in the form of an unethical medical treatment that “cures” dementia for four weeks. Nothing short of convincing, Samuel L Jackson assumes the role of a tortured soul with wild eyes and contemplative quietness; though he’s lost his memories, his history is written all over his face. Through Ptolemy’s experiences and those of his caretaker Robyn (Dominique Fishback), the series confronts the psychological trauma endured by Black Americans – albeit flatly from moment to moment. Much like Ptolemy’s own headspace, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey comes in and out of focus: sincerely thoughtful at times but all together scatterbrained.

SEEING RED

I’ve often thought that my dog can sense the slightest shifts in my mood, almost like he can read my mind. The new ABC docu-series A Dog’s World With Tony Armstrong (premiering 22 March) proves I’m not far off – and that the moniker of “man’s best friend” is no exaggeration. Delving into the ancient lineage of our loyal canines, scientists explain how generations of human-dog socialisation have led to unique evolutionary traits: dogs are one of the only species that can think abstractly in response to human emotions and facial expressions. Host Tony Armstrong breezes through 10,000 years of history with charming ease, helped by footage of frolicking and skateboarding pups. Although the series skims over the darker questions of human control – including our disruption of wild habitats – it offers insight into how different species can meaningfully shape each other. It even theorises that human development may have gone wayward without the help of our furry friends.

More fluffy adventures can be found over at Disney+ this month. Turning Red, which features Pixar’s first ever female director (Domee Shi, Bao), follows a dorky Chinese Canadian teen that “poofs” into a red panda whenever her feelings reach a fever pitch. The film also marks an exciting stylistic departure for the studio, with dreamy pastel backgrounds and anime-inspired “chibi” designs. Shi’s earnest vision of a schoolgirl bulldozing her way through puberty and family secrets may be Pixar’s freshest project in years. CC