Alexandra Kon

Television crime procedurals are a perpetually good source of entertainment because they provide a sense of mystery along with the comfort of a familiar formula. But even those of us who enjoy predicting the end of each episode get excited when a new crime series that deviates from the format and keeps us guessing is announced. Such is the case of Netflix’s upcoming series Bodies, which spans multiple timelines and genres to bring an altogether more complicated murder mystery to our screens.

With the series’ premiere date set for October 19, 2023 on Netflix, let’s dive into everything we know about Bodies, including:

• What is the plot of Bodies?
• Who is in the cast of Bodies?
• Is there a Bodies trailer?
• Who is making Bodies?
• How many episodes of Bodies are there?

What is the plot of Bodies?

Bodies is based on an 8-issue graphic novel of the same name written in 2015 by the late comic book writer Si Spencer.

Netflix’s official plot description reads:

“In present-day London, Detective Sergeant Shahara Hasan encounters a suspicious teen during a protest. Realizing he’s armed, she chases him through the city’s alleyways until she’s stopped in her tracks: He’s pointing his gun right at her, and a naked body lies motionless beside him. When the teen flees, Shahara realizes she didn’t hear his gun go off. As she investigates the man’s death, her journey toward the truth parallels three other investigations across multiple timelines — each of them involving different detectives but the same victim. As the four detectives attempt to solve the case, they unravel a mystery that could put hundreds of thousands of lives at stake”.

Mike Flanagan’s next dive into the world of small-screen horror will splatter onto our screens on October 12, 2023. With the trailer setting the tone for a wild, gruesome, and comedic ride, fans are eager to see what the director of The Haunting of Hill House has in store for us. 

The Fall of the House of Usher is based on the 1839 short story of the same name by Edgar Allan Poe. But while the miniseries might take its name and inspiration from the story, it is clear from the trailer alone that it is more of an amalgamation of references and callbacks to Poe’s many other works. Take a look at some of the references in the first trailer for The Fall of the House of Usher.

1. The Fall of the House of Usher

The most glaring references are obviously to the source material found in Edgar Allan Poe’s original story written in 1839. The story tells the tale of a man who goes to visit an ill friend, Roderick Usher, and his sister in an isolated house in the countryside. While there, Richard and his sister Madeline’s affliction intensifies, which they attribute to the house being somehow alive. The story culminates with the violent death of both siblings, and the house splitting in half as the narrator flees.

While Mike Flanagan’s series adds many more family members to the mix and brings the setting into the modern world, the central idea of siblings at the centre of a family in decline remains. Roderick Usher (Bruce Greenwood/Zach Gilford ) features as the father of the family, as does his twin sister Madeline (Mary McDonnell/Willa Fitzgerald) as the siblings’ aunt.

2. The Raven

The most obvious reference in Fall of the House of Usher is to Edgar Allan Poe’s most famous narrative poem, The Raven (1845). The poem itself is about a heartbroken young man who is visited by a raven in the depths of the night. While the raven starts out as a new friend, it quickly turns into an antagonist for the man, as it only ever answers his queries with “Nevermore”.

In Fall of the House of Usher, the series’ main antagonist played by Carla Gugino is called Verna, which is an anagram of “Raven”. The images released of Verna drive home the reference further, as she is depicted wearing a black raven mask whose style is similar to that of a plague doctor.

In addition, the trailer features several closeups of a raven throughout, and the words “Nevermore, nevermore, nevermore” are repeated as the tension ramps up.

3. The Pit and the Pendulum

This short story written by Poe in 1842 is briefly referenced in the trailer (1:44) when a giant, lethally sharp pendulum slices through a destroyed house. Poe’s story takes place during the Spanish Inquisition, where a man is put on trial and found guilty. He faints and awakens to find himself in a dark cell. As he explores the cell, he regularly fades in and out of consciousness, eventually discovering there is a massive pit in the middle. As the creative execution begins to manifest, a massive sharpened pendulum begins to swing through the room and he must escape or be sliced to death.

In addition to the big pendulum previously mentioned, a pendulum within a clock in a derelict room is also featured at 1:32, and a man is also shown in the middle of a darkened room fainting and falling to the ground at 1:06.

Viewers in the United Kingdom will now be able to watch the full Oscars ceremony live on ITV1, or live stream it on ITVX.

After 20 years of broadcasting on Sky, the network announced in August that they had given up the rights to host the Academy Awards on their platform. This left a great deal of uncertainty about where film fans in the UK could tune in to watch the prestigious ceremony next year. That question was finally answered, when an exclusive, multi-year deal between Disney Entertainment and ITV was reached. ITV will now host the 96th Academy Awards on their platform on March 10, 2024 (March 10–11 in the UK).

 

Some of the greatest films in the history of cinema are capable of making us feel both great pain and great joy all at once. Celine Song’s superb romantic drama Past Lives does just that, succeeding in capturing feelings of longing alongside the bittersweet gratitude for a moment of profound connection with another human being.

If your heart needs another dose of melancholic joy after seeing Past Lives, make sure you check out the brilliant films below. Each film shares a kinship in some way with Past Lives, and is guaranteed to leave you feeling tender, heartbroken, and alive.

The ‘Before’ Trilogy

One of the most obvious entries is the Before trilogy by acclaimed director Richard Linklater. Filmed over the course of 18 years, the trilogy starts with Before Sunrise (1995), followed by Before Sunset (2004), and concludes with Before Midnight (2013). The films tell the story of Céline (Julie Delpy) and Jesse (Ethan Hawke), who first meet on a train going from Budapest to Vienna and wind up spending the whole night walking, talking, and falling in love. The films centre completely around the dialogue between Céline and Jesse as they share their innermost vulnerabilities, hopes, and desires, and — similar to Past Lives — the films succeed at being both deeply relatable and captivating all at once.

Where to watch: The Before trilogy is available to rent on Apple TV and other platforms.

In the Mood for Love

Legendary Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai’s beautifully devastating romantic drama In the Mood for Love continues to be one of the most devastating descriptions of longing ever committed to film. Set in British Hong Kong in the 1960s, In the Mood for Love tells the story of journalist Chow Mo-wan and secretary Su Li-zhen, who form a connection after suspecting their partners are having an affair together. As their bond subtly begins to grow and transform, the two must decide if they will conform to societal morals or try to break free. As with Past Lives, In the Mood for Love is able to convey deep longing and internal turmoil, as well as the beauty of finding connection.

Where to watch: In the Mood for Love is currently unavailable to stream. Click on the link to the film for more up to date information.

Whenever Martin Scorsese announces a new project, the ears of fans and critics alike prick up, and the train of anticipation starts to pick up speed. Such was the case in 2017 when the legendary director’s next project was announced to be the adaptation of David Grann’s book Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI.

The film’s global theatrical release will be on October 20, 2023, and after its run in cinemas it will be available to watch on Apple TV+. Before it arrives on screens, let’s dive into everything we know so far about the production, from its all-star cast to its plot, the true story on which the book is based, and the involvement of the Osage Nation in the film’s creation.

Who is in the Killers of the Flower Moon Cast?

Fans of Martin Scorsese’s film know that the director usually works with a few longtime collaborators as his main cast, and Killers of the Flower moon is no exception.

Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Ernest Burkhart, in his seventh collaboration with Scorsese. Burkhart is a white man married to Mollie (Lily Gladstone), a member of the Osage Nation. His allegiances are twisted by his ties to his uncle, Bill Hale (Robert De Niro, in his eleventh collaboration with Scorsese), a local white businessman who ruthlessly aims to reap the profits from the oil found on Osage land.

The rest of the cast includes Jesse Plemons as Tom White, the FBI agent sent to investigate the multiple murders of Osage tribe members, Brendan Fraser as Hale’s lawyer, John Lithgow as Prosecutor Leaward, Tantoo Cardinal as Mollie’s mother, Lizzie Q, and Scott Shepherd as Ernest’s brother, Bryan Burkhart, amongst others.

The Driscoll family find themselves in the middle of a civil uprising that starts in their small industrial town

As a civil uprising breaks out in their small town, the Driscoll family find themselves caught up in power dynamics far beyond what they’d previously known. As the uprising spreads, the family must find a way to stick together as their world is upended.

 

Amidst a civil uprising, the Driscoll family find themselves caught in the middle of rising tensions

As tensions rise rapidly in their small industrial town, the Driscoll family find themselves caught in an impossible power play that forces them out of their old lives and certainties. 

A young detective unravels a complex case surrounding a fire in a holiday home

A young detective investigates the case of a fire that ravaged a holiday home in a Lancashire lake town. As she gets closer to the truth, she works to figure out how the fire is connected to a cold case being investigated by a podcaster and an illicit relationship between a 20-something-year-old man and two underage girls.

A rookie detective must figure out how a cold case and an illicit relationship tie into a devastating fire

A rookie detective is assigned to a new case investigating a mysterious fire that broke out at a holiday home in a Lancashire lake town. As she digs through the evidence, she must work out how the fire is connected to a podcaster looking into a cold case, and a 20-something-year-old man having an illicit relationship with two underage girls.

Elliot and Helen head to Ireland to learn more about Elliot’s mysterious past

Elliot and Helen’s research into Elliot’s past brings them to Ireland, where they sift through new friends and foes in their quest for answers.