Pick of the weekSpider-NoirNicolas Cage can be relied upon to locate the least understated version of any character he plays. So it is again with this noir take on Marvel’s Spider-Man. He plays Ben Reilly, a jaded PI in Depression-era New York who, after failing to protect his former love Ruby, has put his Spidey skills away for good. Or so he thinks: the Big Apple is teeming with nefarious characters, not least crime kingpin Silvermane (Brendan Gleeson). When Reilly acquires illicit photographs of the mayor, events spiral out of control. It is undeniably stylish though it’s disappointing that the show hasn’t fully committed to its black-and-white aesthetic – a colour version of the show is available, too.
Prime Video, from Wednesday 27 MayUntold UK: Vinnie JonesKicking off … Untold UK: Vinnie Jones. Photograph: NetflixWhen Vinnie Jones first came to prominence – via his intimate examination of a young Paul Gascoigne in 1988 – few could have guessed the path his life was to take. This final episode of Netflix’s football stories examines the career of a player whose on-pitch talent was limited but whose horizons were wide. With Jones himself as our guide, the documentary follows the unpredictable trajectory of a man who managed to parlay his well-deserved hard nut image into a Hollywood career. Jones is blunt, likable and, appropriately, not averse to self-mythologising. Netflix, from Tuesday 26 MayAbbott ElementaryClass dismissed? … Quinta Brunson in Abbott Elementary. Photograph: Gilles Mingasson/DisneyAs ever, gently personal stories intersect with subtle polemic as UK viewers finally get a chance to enjoy the second half of the fifth season of this charming, pointed comedy drama. Much of the action this time centres on the sweetly hesitant courtship between Gregory and Janine. But there is a growing sense that they might need to get on with it: there are bigger issues at hand as a new district regime looks to have threatening plans for many of the publicly funded schools in the area. With funding being slashed, could Abbott’s existence be under threat?Disney+, from Wednesday 27 MayThe Four SeasonsFriends reunited … Colman Domingo and Kerri Kenney-Silver in The Four Seasons. Photograph: Emily V Aragones/Netflix“I hereby declare this annual Nick Weekend!” In season two, the friendship group in Tina Fey, Lang Fisher and Tracey Wigfield’s comedy drama are healing their wounds together after the death of Steve Carell’s Nick. Has this collision with mortality made them any more sensible? Thankfully, not really. Jack is struggling with his emotions (and weed habit), while Anne is trying to organise Nick’s legacy and struggling with the admin. Fey’s trademark goofy snark continues to blend with acutely observed undercurrents of midlife melancholy.
