September is a month for dark, twisted tales, a spin-off or two, and a fresh Aussie dramedy. Here are the new shows to streaming that Jenna Guillaume is most looking forward to this month…
Dear Child
This German crime thriller is based on the best-selling book of the same name by Romy Hausmann. It follows a woman named Lena, who has been held captive with two children. When Lena escapes with one of the children, her parents, who have been searching for Lena since she went missing 13 years ago, rush to her side—only to declare the escaped woman isn’t actually Lena. The story is full of twists and turns and a whole lot of suspense, making it hard to turn away from. It’s the kind of show you’ll want to block out a whole evening for, at least.
The Changeling
Another series based on a novel, this time The Changeling by Victor LaVelle, this show is a dark, twisted modern fairy tale for adults in which a new father, Apollo (Lakeith Stanfield) goes in search of his wife Emma (Clark Backo) after she does something “horrific” and goes missing not long after the birth of their son. It looks both fantastical and terrifying, like any good fairy tale should be, and will probably hit especially close to home for anyone who is a parent.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon
Many once-fervent The Walking Dead fans have long abandoned the franchise, but this new spin-off might be just the thing to reel them back in, since it focuses on arguably the best character in the original show (and unequivocal fan favourite) Daryl Dixon, played by Norman Reedus.
The plot sees Daryl mysteriously wind up in France, where he has to escort a special kid to safety. What’s perhaps more interesting than the The Last of Us-esque story, though, is the mystery presented in how Daryl wound up in France—and what he’ll learn about the zombie virus from the country where it originated.
Still Up
The always-charming Antonia Thomas stars as Lisa, a free-spirited insomniac who connects with the more neurotic Danny (Craig Roberts), who is also an insomniac. As the pair spend their nights talking to each other while the rest of their world sleeps, they become closer and, of course, develop feelings for one another—which makes things complicated, especially since Lisa is already in a relationship with a guy called Veggie (Blake Harrison). It’s a great premise that makes for a sweet and compelling rom-com, even if everyone looks and sounds way more put-together than people who have had zero sleep for weeks on end have any right to be.
While The Men Are Away
Described as a “revisionist history with a twist of truth”, While the Men Are Away is a period dramedy set in 1940s Australia—a time when the men were away at war and the women were finding their way in new roles on the home front. The fresh and fun eight-part series follows a woman named Frankie (Michela De Rossi) who tries to save her failing apple farm when her husband goes off to war. She enlists the help of a rag-tag group, including Gwen (Max McKenna) and Esther (Jana Zvedeniuk), two city girls-turned-Women’s Land Army recruits, Kathleen (Phoebe Grainer), an Indigenous farmhand, and Robert (Matt Testro), a self-proclaimed coward. The series also stars Shaka Cook, Benedict Hardie, Gemma Ward, Sacha Horler, and Tara Morice.
Gen V
This is another spin-off of a popular series—dark satirical superhero show The Boys—although it’s not a requirement to have watched the original to enjoy this one. Set in a world in which superheroes work for a corporation called Vought International, Gen V focuses on the college run by the company in order to recruit young adults with powers. Like The Boys, the show is humorous, edgy, and pretty damn violent, but with the added fun of college student exploits and an academic competition that turns quite literally deadly. It stars a hot young Hollywood cast, including Jaz Sinclair, Chance Perdomo, and Patrick Schwarzenegger.
