Culture Vulture 5th to the 11th of April 2025

Selections and writing by Pat Harrington | Music by Tim Bragg

This week’s curated list spans eras, genres, and continents. Each title is chosen for its resonance with the social, political, and emotional undercurrents shaping our world today. The quiet radicalism of Hobson’s Choice is thought-provoking. The relentless pressures laid bare in Boiling Point are compelling. The films and programmes here are both stimulating and enjoyable.

We move from the richly nostalgic surfaces of Hello, Dolly! to the dystopian disorientation of Total Recall, where the illusion of choice is anything but harmless. Meanwhile, Dead Calm reveals psychological fractures under extreme conditions. Donnie Brasco also highlights these fractures. They invite us to question appearances, allegiances, and identity itself.

Elsewhere, stories like The Cruel Sea and Radical remind us of the human toll of war and inequality. Documentaries such as Are You Autistic? and Jack the Ripper: Written in Blood challenge cultural assumptions and offer fresh perspectives on visibility, justice, and memory.

Every programme has been selected by Pat Harrington with an eye for cultural depth and contemporary relevance. The accompanying music is composed and performed by Tim Bragg.

The films, series, and documentaries featured this week invite us to look more closely. We are encouraged to examine not just the screen but the systems and stories that shape our lives. This is culture not as escape, but as a mirror, a question, and, sometimes, a quiet call to action.

Read the full transcript here