New to Netflix UK - 28/07/14

I expected to come back from holiday and find the entire catalogue had changed, but this appears to not be the case. In any case, at least the majority of the new additions are actually pretty good.

Hemlock Grove (TV) - Netflix Original series that's like a lite version of some weird cross between Twin Peaks and True Blood. Continuing from the events of the first season, Roman and Peter struggle to accept their true nature as a new and powerful creature begins to rise up from the dark.

Gurren Lagan (TV) - After escaping from their oppressive underground village, two brothers find that the surface of earth is torn between a battle between mechanised robots and human freedom fighters. Quite possibly one of the best mecha-animes ever created, Gurren Lagan manages to be both uproariously fun to watch as well as an emotional tour-de-force at times. Only the first season is available however I'm sure if it's popular enough the deeper and more intense second season will likely be added too.
[EDIT: The first and second parts have been combined into the one season to make for one essential viewing experience]

Kill la Kill (TV) - A stranger seeks answers about her fathers death in a city where totalitarian oppressors are super-powered members of the local school council. It takes only 5min into the first episode to realise that this series is going to be a hyper-kinetic feast for sugar-crazed senses and yet every subsequent episode manages to outdo itself in the bat-shit crazy department, cementing Kill la Kill as one of the finest [weirdest] anime's of recent years.

Utopia (TV) - A group of strangers, who are all part of the same internet message board group, find themselves hunted down by a mysterious killer who believes they are carrying an important artefact. Surprisingly decent thriller from Channel 4 that's just about to start its second season, so is well worth catching up on here (ad free).

Secret State (TV) -A devastating oil spill and the mysterious disappearance of the prime minister thrust the deputy PM into a dark world of corruption and political conspiracy. It's not groundbreaking material in terms of corrupt politics, but what the series does do it does very well and Byrne is compelling to watch.

Filth - A sleezy and corrupt police officer embarks on a quest to get promoted to Chief Inspector, however his unorthodox habits send him into a spiral of depravity and insanity from which he may never return. It's certainly not for everyone, however this is still the finest Welsh adaptation since Trainspotting and McAvoy excels at bringing the disgusting Robertson to life.

New to Netflix UK - 07/07/14

Some decent new additions this week, particularly in the TV department.
A lot of 4oD content has been added, but smart people will likely have already watched it through other channels already.


Knights of Sidonia (TV) - With the remains of humanity confined to large spaceships, a it's up to a group of soldiers to defend them from the attacks of a deadly alien race. Netflix's first foray into anime (which is good, considering how sparse the anime collection currently is) may have shades of Battlestar Galactica but it is a true example of how uproariously entertaining Japanese animated series can be.

The Shield (TV) - Follows the exploits of a LAPD detective and his corrupt squad of officers as they use all the power they have to keep order in the streets. Before The Wire, this was the definitive cop show on TV, combining drama with edge-on-your-seat action and thrills, and it hasn't gotten any less exciting.

Have I Got News For You (TV) - Series 40, 41 and 42 of the incredibly funny BBC show have been added. While the episodes are from a few years ago, they are the longer, 'cruder' versions.

Le Week-End - An ageing couple head to Paris in an attempt to reignite the spark in their relationship, despite a few bumps along the way. The film is charming in it's own right, and the lead actors do an incredible job, but it never amounts more than a 'watchable' experience.

Insidious Chapter 2 - Starting almost exactly after the first movie, the Lambert family do their best to move on but find themselves haunted once again. The first movie worked because it was the right kind of scary and crazy but this time round the crazy goes of at odd tangents and the result is a meaningful, though sloppy, attempt to rehash the fun of its predecessor

Starlet - A rising adult film actress befriends an elderly lady when she finds a large stash or cash in an old vase she buys. A well acted and surprisingly touching drama about two people from completely opposite ends of society.