Lockdown has stretched out a little longer than we all imagined and one silver lining amongst all the challenges is being able to support our ‘locals’ wherever we can - retailers, service providers, and creatives that make our communities what they are.
Whether it’s a great coffee and a friendly smile, a favourite take-out or something more personal, it’s often the little things and people that make where we live special to us. Hopefully we all remember to keep appreciating them and keep supporting ‘our locals’ as we begin to move out of lockdown. This month’s streaming guide includes local shows, Kiwi talent and a series that has many in the country completely enthralled.
TVNZ onDemand
Kura
This show is all about ‘the local’. Authentic locations and relatable characters make an utterly uplifting comedy series which makes you smile and warms your heart.
Billy-John and Hotene are instantly lovable heroes but the thing they love most is Home, Papakura (Kura) - the place, its people, and the community through which they view the world. It’s the place that grounds these two young men as they try to find their way in life without losing themselves.
Amongst the gags and self deprecating one-liners is an endearing set of values that seem uniquely New Zealand. It’s not fast cars, flash clothes and perfect coffees - it’s very funny people in a community that ‘owns’ its vibe.
4.5 stars
Good Night Kiwi
A dash of nostalgia and some supreme performances by some very talented New Zealanders makes this the perfect wind down bedtime ritual for younger viewers. Parents and caregivers will enjoy stories presented with animation and read performances that range from utterly hilarious to thoughtful which really make this series thoroughly enjoyable.
4.5 stars
Netflix
Squid Game
It’s the Korean drama that has everyone reading subtitles without complaint. Just like classic dystopian action films like The Running Man (1987), The Hunger Games (2012) and Mazerunner (2014), it works on the premise that the future is so bleak for most people that some are willing to sacrifice their life for a chance to improve it.
Against a backdrop of a society teetering on the shaky foundations of escalating personal debt, this macabre tale explores questions of humanity and ideas of finding true value in a voyeristic style like a lord of the flies reality game. It isn’t uplifting, and the squeamish will need to avert their eyes at times to wade through graphic violence to solve the mystery.
Questions of who is behind the games and how much death is worth the prize offers a cautionary tale that is perhaps quite relevant in our own communities as we try to balance economic recovery with the health and lives of all citizens. While it may include kids games, it’s not really family viewing.
4 stars
Amazon Prime Video
The Boys
Local acting talent Karl Urban and Anthony Star keep this anti-superhero series refreshing. Both are known to hang out in our local hoods when they aren’t working hard on international projects.
The Boys is a series that continues a theme of dystopian realities where hedonistic money driven motivations reveal the dark side of unchecked power and the danger of enabling it.
Violent, explicit and gritty, this isn’t part of the regular super hero universe. Urban is utterly believable and truly owns his character ‘Billy Butcher'. What could have been a carbon copy of every renegade hero becomes something more with his humorous and darkly believable style.
Starr is chillingly impressive as America’s most beloved superhero. It’s fast paced enough to be binge worthy for those over 18.
4 stars
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Published 5 November 2021