Going out: Cinema
Dahomey
Out now
Blending fact and fiction to tell the story of 26 royal treasures from the kingdom of Dahomey (within the modern day republic of Benin), and their return from the French museum where they were taken during colonial rule, Mati Diop’s won the Berlin film festival’s top prize, the Golden Bear, earlier this year.
Echoes in Time
BFI Southbank, London, 28 October to New Year’s Eve
An extensive new season including rarely screened prints and restorations from the Korean Film Archive, this celebration of Korean film from the BFI is curated by Young Jin, Eric Choi and Goran Topalovic and also features new films screening as part of the London Korean film festival (1 to 13 November).
Venom: The Last Dance
Out now
Perish the thought that journalism could be associated in the popular imagination with venomous creatures, but here we have Tom Hardy returning to his dual role as investigative reporter Eddie Brock, who’s host to the alien being of the title, a set-up that grants him the inevitable superhuman abilities. Supposedly the last in the trilogy, which must mean we’re about three years out from a reboot starring Paul Mescal.
The Front Room
Out now
Kathryn Hunter has fun playing the mother-in-law from hell in this psychological horror, which folds pregnancy, cultish religious beliefs and hallucinations into the mix, as Belinda (Brandy Norwood) navigates a postpartum period with more than the usual new parent trials in store. Catherine Bray
Going out: Gigs
Charlotte Day Wilson
Manchester, 29 October; Bristol, 30 October; London, 31 October
Coming to prominence thanks to collaborations with fellow Canadians fellow Canadians BadBadNotGood and Daniel Caesar, Charlotte Day Wilson has since released two albums of bewitching soul music, anchored by her supple voice. These shows follow the release of May’s underrated Cyan Blue. Michael Cragg
Sum 41
26 October to 2 November; tour starts Leeds
The Canadian rockers roll into the UK as part of their final tour in support of their final album, March’s 20-track opus, Heaven :x: Hell. There will be plenty from that album but probably best to save yourself for snotty anthems such as 2001’s Fat Lip and In Too Deep. MC
Donny McCaslin
The Exchange 1856, North Shields, 26 October
US virtuoso Donny McCaslin’s reputation spread fast after he played on David Bowie’s swansong Blackstar – a transformative experience for the saxophonist that gave his distinctive post-Coltrane sound a fierce, rock-driven edge. He plays his only regional UK gig with a punchy band including formidable bass guitarist Tim Lefebvre. John Fordham
Pagliacci/Clowns
Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea, 29 October; touring to 22 November
Mid Wales Opera’s latest touring show is one of its small-stage productions. There’s a cast of five singers and a band of five players for Leoncavallo’s one-act tragedy, which is sung in director Richard Studer’s new English translation. Andrew Clements
Going out: Art
Energy
V&A South Kensington, London, to 18 May
The energy of light that’s basic to any photographic image interacts, in this free show from the museum collection, with moments of human energy. That copious brief licenses a selection of powerful photos from William Fox Talbot’s 1839 image of leaves to work by Hoda Afshar, and Vinca Peterson’s apocalyptic, optimistic, 1999 Riot Girl.
Drawing the Italian Renaissance
The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, London, 1 November to 9 March
Some of the most magical and exquisite drawings ever done are gathered in this exhibition. Raphael’s intimate portrayal of three naked women and Leonardo da Vinci’s sketch of his pet cats are highlights. They are joined by a fascinating range of great masterpieces and curiosities, all from the Royal Collection.
Land Sea Sky
The Box, Plymouth, to 12 January
Three very different concepts of landscape collide in this exhibition. JMW Turner’s romantic visions of wild natural forces set the scene. Vija Celmins offers a contemporary version of romantic art that melts into the ethereal. And Ingrid Pollard exposes the history of slavery in the landscape, staining land and sea.
Pass Shadow, Whisper Shade
Collective Gallery, Edinburgh, to 22 December
Ancestry and inheritance are the themes of this group show in the hilltop gallery. The title refers to an Irish proverb that suggests we live in the protective “shadow” of community. With work by Hannan Jones, Emelia Kerr Beale, Josie KO, Katherine Fay Allan, Clarinda Tse and Rowan Markson. Jonathan Jones
Going out: Stage
Vittorio Angelone
The Wardrobe, Leeds, 27 October; touring to 14 December
Angelone’s self-assured debut show riffed on his move from Belfast to London using the framework of Brian Friel’s Translations. Now its sequel sees the mischievously clever standup take a look at his identity, including his loose connection to his Italian heritage and his pursuit of an autism diagnosis. Rachel Aroesti
The Gate House
St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast, 1 to 2 November
Part of the Belfast international arts festival, up-and-coming Northern Irish choreographer Michael McEvoy delves into his own family’s history. He’s one to watch. Coincidentally, another big dance event in Belfast this week (26 to 27 October) sees the Royal Ballet’s Melissa Hamilton curating a starry gala at the Grand Opera House. Lyndsey Winship
A Streetcar Named Desire
The Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh, to 9 November
This well-reviewed production of Tennessee Williams’s classic won rave reviews at Pitlochry festival theatre last year. Now it heads to Edinburgh with Blanche, Stanley and Stella’s sexual tensions fuelled by Pippa Murphy’s jazz score. Kate Wyver
The Vanishing Elephant
Grand Opera House, Belfast, 31 October to 2 November
An unlikely friendship and a rip-roaring adventure form the heart of Charles Way’s imaginative production for families. Spanning decades and continents, The Vanishing Elephant brings to life the story of Opu, who dreams of being an elephant trainer, and Janu, the extraordinarily puppeteered Asian elephant. KW
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Staying in: Streaming
Photograph: James Pardon/Channel 4/The Forge
Generation Z
Channel 4, 27 October, 9pm
Don’t expect a sober exploration of young adult malaise; the Z in this new comedy-horror from Ben Wheatley (Kill List, Sightseers) also stands for zombies. Sue Johnston, Robert Lindsay and Anita Dobson star as care-home residents transformed into bloodthirsty ghouls determined to feast on local teens.
Storyville: Eternal You
BBC Four & iPlayer, 29 October, 10pm
Artificial intelligence is already a moral minefield, but this devastating and disturbing documentary about the startups that use data to produce convincing avatars of the dead is like a Black Mirror episode come to life – and a reminder that things will only get more bizarre from here on in.
The Diplomat
Netflix, 31 October
Keri Russell’s Kate Wyler, US ambassador to the UK, returns in this ludicrously entertaining drama from Debora Cahn (The West Wing). Season two sees Wyler’s fears about the warmongering prime minister (Rory Kinnear, in full British baddie mode) reach fever pitch, while realising her own government – including Allison Janney’s vice-president – can’t be trusted, either.
The Manhattan Alien Abduction
Netflix, 30 October
On 30 November 1989, New Yorker Linda Napolitano was abducted by aliens. Or was she? A new documentary – which features contributions from Napolitano herself as well as those who investigated the case at the time – tries to establish whether this was a genuinely inexplicable phenomenon or an elaborate hoax. RA
Staying in: Games
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Out now, PS4/5, XBox One/Series S/X, PC
For the single-player campaign, this year’s CoD goes back to the 90s for some over-the-top Bush-era action-movie nostalgia. The multiplayer offers, as always, every imaginable way to play soldiers.
Life Is Strange: Double Exposure
Out Tuesday, Xbox Series S/X, PS5,PC
Max Caulfield, teen star of 2015’s Life Is Strange, has grown up and is now embroiled in a new emotionally charged supernatural murder mystery at college. Keza MacDonald
Staying in: Albums
Laura Marling – Patterns in Repeat
Out now
Although unnervingly prolific, Laura Marling never seems to rush. This is her eighth solo album since 2008 (plus the two she’s released as Lump), and yet Patterns in Repeat eases its way into the world gently, as highlighted by the delicate ballad, No One’s Gonna Love You Like I Can.
Halsey – The Great Impersonator
Out now
On Halsey’s fifth album, recorded “between life and death” after being diagnosed with lupus in 2022, the New Jersey native lays everything bare. On the Britney-sampling Lucky she tries to make sense of her thirst for fame, while the Alex G-co-produced The End comes face to face with mortality.
Underworld – Strawberry Hotel
Out now
Karl Hyde and Rick Smith, AKA dance behemoths Underworld, return with their first album in five years. As ever, it’s an inventive mix of prowling, heady bangers such as the near-eight-minute Denver Luna and sonic experiments such as the gentle opener, Black Poppies.
Amyl and the Sniffers – Cartoon Darkness
Out now
Described by frontwoman Amy Taylor as being about “climate crisis, war, AI, and the modern-day god” that is big tech, the third album from the Australian pub rock noise merchants is a typically raucous half an hour or so. The fiery Chewing Gum is a brilliant distillation of all that makes them great. MC
Staying in: Brain food
Ear Hustle
Podcast
Going inside California’s prisons, this fascinating series documents life in the criminal justice system and the difficulties inmates have adjusting to the outside world after release. The latest season explores death row, the US election and more.
The Secret History of Chicago Music
Chicagoreader
Writer and gig promoter Steve Krakow’s illustrated guide to the lesser-known greats of the Chicago music scene is a delightful treasure trove of sonic connections from blues to house, jazz and beyond throughout the Windy City.
Iraq’s Secret Women’s Shelters
BBC World Service, 31 October, 9.30am
Rebecca Kesby travels to Iraq to interview the brave women running secret refuges for survivors of abuse in this documentary. She also speaks to the politicians aiming to finally criminalise domestic abuse. Ammar Kalia