This week offers a rich tapestry of entertainment options across the United Kingdom, from metaphysical cinema and arena-filling jazz-funk to intimate art exhibitions and festive stage productions. Whether you're planning a night out or settling in for some streaming, here is your definitive guide to the cultural highlights.
Cinema: From the Afterlife to Animatronic Horrors
In cinemas now, the quirky metaphysical romantic drama Eternity presents audiences with a profound choice. The A24 film, starring Elizabeth Olsen, Miles Teller, and Callum Turner, explores the afterlife, where Olsen's character must decide whether to spend eternity with the man she settled for or her first true love.
Also on release is Jafar Panahi's Palme d'Or-winning feature, It Was Just an Accident. This blend of social realism and political commentary follows an Iranian family whose journey is disrupted by a minor car crash. For documentary fans, Folktales tracks teenagers taking a gap year at a folk high school in Arctic Norway, focusing on survival skills over traditional study.
Horror enthusiasts have Five Nights at Freddy's 2 to look forward to. This sequel to the video game adaptation sees Josh Hutcherson return as night guard Mike Schmidt, facing off against haunted animatronics crafted by Jim Henson's Creature Shop.
Live Music: Arena Anthems and Jazz Intimacy
The live music scene is particularly vibrant this week. Jamiroquai, led by the flamboyant Jay Kay, brings its signature jazz-funk to the Co-op Live arena in Manchester on 6 December, with further dates across the country until 14 December. Fans can expect classics like Virtual Insanity alongside new material.
Indie stalwarts The Charlatans are touring in support of their 14th album, We Are Love. They play O2 Academy Leeds on 6 December, with dates running until 12 December. The new psych-tinged material, produced with Dev Hynes, sits comfortably alongside their celebrated back catalogue.
For a more refined evening, the Georgia Mancio Trio performs at The Verdict in Brighton on 6 December, showcasing the singer's evocative take on jazz standards and originals. Meanwhile, at London's Wigmore Hall on the same date, soprano Barbara Hannigan and pianist Bertrand Chamayou present a challenging programme of 20th and 21st-century works, including Messiaen and a demanding piece by John Zorn.
Art & Stage: Design, Trees, and Panto Twists
London's Design Museum now hosts Wes Anderson: A Retrospective, a celebration of the filmmaker's exquisite and meticulously designed comic universe, running until 26 July. The exhibition delves into the aesthetic layers that define his work.
At the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester, Performing Trees explores how trees have been depicted as performers in art for centuries, featuring works by Cézanne and others until 4 April. In Chichester, Pallant House Gallery presents a survey of William Nicholson, the British painter whose tranquil pre-war scenes capture a lost world.
On stage, Rob Brydon brings his tour to Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall on 7 December, promising songs, jokes, and famed impersonations. London's Bridge Theatre presents a fresh take on Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods, directed by Jordan Fein, while Newcastle's Northern Stage offers a uniquely devised Beauty and the Beast panto with an all-female creative team and a live Insect Orchestra.
Streaming & Home Entertainment Highlights
The streaming slate is strong this week. Paramount+ launches The Revenge Club on 12 December, a high-concept drama starring Martin Compston and Meera Syal about divorced strangers plotting against their exes. On BBC One, the Doctor Who spin-off The War Between the Land and the Sea begins on 7 December, starring Russell Tovey.
Netflix continues its partnership with Rowan Atkinson on 11 December with Man vs Baby, a slapstick sequel to Man vs Bee. For music fans, Sky Arts airs Nick Cave's Veiled World on 6 December, a documentary exploring the artist's creative universe.
In gaming, the surreal Skate Story launches on 8 December for multiple platforms, while Terminator 2D: No Fate offers a retro-style adaptation of the classic film on 12 December. Album releases include the debut EP from UK girlband XO, the electronic sounds of TEED, and the return of French psych-pop artist Melody's Echo Chamber.
