go out: Movie
Babylon
come out now
Since his big hit in 2014’s Whiplash, director Damien Chazelle has shown an appetite for performance and spectacle. From the intricate opening dance scene in “La La Land” to Ryan Gosling’s entry into space in “First Person,” it feels like everything is building toward Babylon in his unmistakable take on the decadence of 1920s Hollywood. Restless tribute.
holy spider
come out now
Somewhere in the city of Mashhad, a serial killer (Mehdi Bajestani) is murdering sex workers while living the double life of a family man. Based on true events, Ali Abbasi’s compelling film is a well-made but uncomfortable attempt to explore the killer’s mind and the social context of his fleeting prosperity.
more than ever
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The brilliant Vicky Krieps, fresh from his stunning turn as a depressed queen in Corsage, finds form in this drama about a woman’s unexpected connection to a Norwegian stranger who seems to have an interest in her health problems. Insight beyond her husband’s comprehension (Gaspard Ulliel).
Book of Visions
come out now
A fantasy drama inspired by The Goonies and Terrence Malick (executive producer) starring Charles Dance in which a doctor researching the history of medicine discovers a book written by an 18th-century doctor. Catherine Bray
go out: show
PVRIS
January 22-26; Tour starts in Glasgow
American electronic rock noise merchants Lynn Gunn and Brian MacDonald arrive in the UK for a tour. The band recently teased their next era with single Anywhere But Here and future crowd favorite Animal, built around smashing riffs. Michael Cragg
Tim Garland and Jason Rebeiro
Cafe in the Crypt, London, January 21; Maiden House, Shrewsbury, January 27
Saxophonist Tim Garland and pianist Jason Rebelo have shared many stages over the past 30 years (and performed for Sting, Wayne Short, Chick Corea and more) , but this tour launched their first duet album, Life to Life. john fordham
Lucinda Williams
January 21-26; London tour begins
In the UK for Glasgow Festival Celtic Connections’ 30th anniversary (January 23) American great Lucinda Williams has 14 albums to draw on, so expect a expansive country, confessional Classic track list. Mitsubishi Corporation
face bali concert
BBC Hodinott Hall, Cardiff, January 27
Alexandre Tharaud is soloist with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, where he is the soloist in Thierry Pécou’s Piano Concerto, inspired by the gamelan ensemble in Bali . Conductor Marzena Diakun opened the UK premiere with Debussy’s Prelude à l’Après-Midi d’un Faune, followed by Martinů’s Third Symphony. Andrew Clements
go out: stage
Lehman Trilogy
Gillian Lynn Theatre, London, January 24 until May 20
Director Sam Mendes’ Tony Award-winning return charts the humble rise and catastrophic fall of Lehman Brothers. Starring Michael Balogan, Hadley Fraser and Nigel Lindsay. Miriam Gillinson
High heel
Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester, January 26 until March 4
A queer jukebox musical from the creative team behind Spring Awakening and Avenue Q. Based on Sir Philip Sidney’s 16th-century poem “Xanadu”, set to the music of Go-Go’s, it tells the story of one royal family’s journey to save the kingdom. mg
acosta dance
Royal Opera House: Linbury Theatre, London, January 23-30
Carlos Acosta’s company has some great dancers. The act draws on classical, contemporary and Cuban dance influences, including the work of choreographers such as Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Goyo Montero. Lindsay Winship
Babatunde Alesshe
January 26 Until 27 May; tour starts Brighton
After making a name for himself as Mo Gilligan’s (arguably more fun) Celebrity Gogglebox sidekick, Aléshé swapped the couch for a large log during his I’m a Celeb set last year. Now the 36-year-old returns to live comedy with this national tour. Rachel Arosti
go out: Art
Alberta Whittle
Holborn Museum, Bath, January 27 until May 8
The Georgian Square and Assembly Hall of the city of Bath was built during the slave trade era. Scottish artist Whittle tells the story here. But her main themes are community, care and healing, so expect a show that brings both hope and criticism.
Spain and the Hispanic world
Royal Academy of Arts, London, January 21 until April 10
Goya’s great portrait of the Duchess of Alba, standing in traditional dress and pointing firmly to the ground, is one of the treasures in this exhibition at the Hispanic Society Museum and Library in New York. Early world maps, Andalusian Islamic art and paintings by Velázquez also feature.
mohammad sami
Camden Arts Centre, London, January 27 until May 28
Memories of Iraq haunt Sami’s paintings. Born in Baghdad in 1984 and granted asylum in Sweden before settling in the UK as an artist, Sami paints large, dark, abstract canvases filled with smoky violence. The afterglow of oppression and war hung here like a blot on the sky.
Jade Montserrat
Manchester Art Gallery, until 29 January
This is the last chance to see the exhibition in which Montserrat combines her watercolors with research into the concept of “constellations,” which she translates from mythology and astronomy to supportive societies and cultural networks. Her work A Return to Breath depicts the eyes of people including Marcus Rashford and Bobby Sands. Jonathan Jones
stay in: streaming
lockwood corp.
January 27, Netflix
In his debut film, Attack the Block, Joe Cornish blends high-stakes fantasy with humdrum London life to delightful effect.Happily, he’s digging similar seams for his first big TV project: a creepy adaptation of Jonathan Stroud’s YA novel series about A group of teenagers chasing ghosts
Fighting Power: How Hip-Hop Changed the World
January 21nine o’clock in the evening, BBC Two and iPlayer
There are countless documents tracing hip-hop’s legacy (there’s even one with this title), but this quartet, hosted by Chuck D, goes one step further, as key figures and first-hand witnesses to the genre’s rise draw on its artistic innovation and social impact .
zoom out
January 27, Apple TV+
How I Met Your Mother Jason Segel is Jimmy, a distraught therapist who begins offering shockingly candid advice to his patients in this poignant new drama with big names behind the scenes ( Ty De La Sole’s Brett Goldstein and Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence) and Front (co-starring Harrison Ford).
everyone else burns
January 2310 PM, Channel 4 and all channels 4
Will from The Inbetweeners with more nerdy hair? Yes, please! In this new sitcom, Simon Bird, sporting a striking bowl cut, plays the patriarch of an ultra-religious clan eagerly anticipating the end of the world, with supporting cast members — Morgana Robinson, Al Roberts, Lori Adefop, Cardiff Cowan – attractive in their own right. RA
stay in: game
prophetic
go out January 24, PS5, PC
A woman is taken from the streets of New York, given magical powers, and sent into a fantasy world full of monsters to fight. The graphics are surprising, but the jury’s still out on the story setting.
Pocket Card Jockey: Keep going!
Available Now, iPhone, iPad
From the creators of Pokémon, this beautifully illustrated combination of solitaire and horse racing (yes, really) is surprisingly eye-catching. Likewise, Macdonald
stay in: photo album
Dave Rowntree – Radio Songs
come out now
Blur drummer Dave Rowntree’s debut solo album was inspired by his childhood experiences listening to radio stations around the world on tattered sets. Radio Songs’ 10 tracks are all built around atmospheric, station-to-station still recordings, full of lo-fi experiments from his day-to-day work around 1997.
Big Pig – Bubblegum
come out now
Irish singer-rapper Jessica Smyth has been teasing the debut mixtape since September, with three of its seven tracks already released, including the standout club passion Kerosene. Among others, brisk Liquorice brings out Smyth’s softer side.
Låpsley – A cautionary tale of youth
come out now
Since releasing her second album, Through Water, singer-songwriter-producer Holly Fletcher has divided her time between co-writing rock songs for others (Joel Corey and Jax Jones Out Out) and studied at Goldsmiths College London. She also produced this new collection of tactile electro-pop, which lyrically charts the unraveling of a relationship.
Mac DeMarco – Five Easy Hot Dogs
come out now
In January 2022, rumpled troubadour DeMarco embarks on a road trip with the idea of driving north and not returning home to Los Angeles until his new album is complete. The result is this collection of 14 hazy instruments, each named after a different city in his travels. Mitsubishi Corporation
stay in: brain food
turning point
podcast; go out January 24
Erika Lantz’s first installment in the series “The Turning” offers a fascinating look at Mother Teresa’s mysterious Catholic Church. Season two continued the theme of uncovering hidden worlds with personal testimonials, this time focusing on American ballet.
Grayson Perry’s Full English
January 26nine o’clock in the evening, Channel 4 and all 4 channels
Artist Grayson Perry proved a skilled chronicler of national identity in his 2020 show Big American Road Trip. Now, he’s turning his gaze back home, examining the objects that make up “Britishness” in a three-part series.
BBC Moving Picture Archive
online
Ravensbourne University’s digital archive is a nostalgic journey through 80 years of BBC test cards, logos and graphics. With over 3,000 entries to browse, you can search for everything from Andy Pandy intros to EastEnders topics. Amarkaglia
