BIG SCREEN

The Sandman

Need to Know
The Sandman is an American fantasy drama television series based on the comic books of the same name written by fantasy author Neil Gaiman. The story revolves around Dream (also known as Morpheus and Sandman), the entity that controls dreams and nightmares. He gets imprisoned in the living world for 100 years. After escaping, he begins a journey to find his stolen belongings to regain his power – a highly anticipated show for those who love this genre.

Creators: Neil Gaiman, David S. Goyer, Allan Heinberg
Cast: Tom Sturridge, Charles Dance, Vivienne Acheampong, Boyd Holbrook, Jenna Coleman

Why Is It Worth Watching?
Neil Gaiman is well known for his books full of imagination. However, The Sandman, written between 1989 and 1996, was considered unfilmable until now. With complex scenarios and a hard-to-adapt storyline, that The Sandman has taken this long to make it to screen is a good reason to give this TV series a chance. The King of Dreams (Tom Sturridge) is captured by Roderick Burgess (Charles Dance), an occultist looking to summon and imprison Death, one of Morpheus’ siblings. However, Dream is the one trapped by Roderick’s dark magic. He stays locked in a glass dome for a century before he finally escapes. But when he returns to The Dreaming (his world), he finds it destroyed with few remaining servants. Lucienne (Vivienne Acheampong), the head librarian and one of Sandman’s most loyal assistants, helps him in his journey to locate his sand pouch, magical helm and ruby. These tools will allow him to become powerful again. The show is filled with dark elements, and two other characters worth mentioning are the Corinthian (Boyd Holbrook) and Johanna Constantine (Jenna Coleman). A must-watch for those who love the Neil Gaiman universe full of references from religion and mythology.

Only Murders in the Building

Need to Know
Launched in 2021, the TV show is an American mystery comedy-drama that gained success and recently released its second season. The first season ended with a cliffhanger and season two revolves around a new assassination that directly involves the three main characters: Charles, Oliver and Mabel. The latest set of episodes brings the unusual trio back to solve another mysterious murder in their building complex.

Creators: Steve Martin, John Hoffman
Cast: Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez, Cara Delevingne

Why Is It Worth Watching?
The unusual friendship between Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin), Oliver Putnam (Martin Short) and Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez) grew stronger after they solved the mystery around the murder of one of the residents in the Arconia, the iconic building where they live. But just as they think they can go back to their ordinary lives, a new assassination happens; this time, they are the main suspects in the crime. The interesting aspect of this show, and probably in all the best crime shows, is that every episode introduces a new element that gives the audience a different impression of who the murderer is. Only Murders in the Building is not a regular crime TV series, though. The masters of comedy, Steve Martin and Martin Short, take the show to a completely different level with lots of laughter, wellbuilt characters and an amazing performance from the duo. An enjoyable watch if you are looking for something fun yet interesting; just be aware that you will be hooked!