Everyone is talking about:
Tone Schunesson's "Ultra Violence" about a dysfunctional family in a run-down castle in Skåne.
We suggest:
Bret Easton Ellis' "The Shards".
Sex, drugs, murder - and a terrible existential emptiness. Few portray the darkness of the rich as well as "American Psycho" author Bret Easton Ellis. The long-awaited comeback "The Shards" will also be released as a TV series this summer.
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Everyone is talking about Caro Claire Burke's "Yesteryear" about a "tradwife" influencer who is suddenly transported back in time to the 19th century.
We suggest:
"The Time Traveler's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger.
More time travel and considerably more romance. Audrey Niffenegger's 2003 novel revolves around Henry, whose genetic disease forces him to travel through time, and Clare, his wife, who has to deal with his constant disappearances.
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Everyone is talking about:
"Meat" by David Szalay about a passive but desirable man whose default response is "ok".
We suggest:
"Stoner" by John Williams.
Just like for István in “Meat,” chance shapes William Stoner’s life. The poor farmer’s son becomes an academic, marries above his station and transforms into - a mediocrity. Low-key and serious about a man who lives his life on a shoestring.
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Everyone's talking about: "The Odyssey" by Christopher Nolan about Odysseus, whose ancient wanderings are now getting new Hollywood muscle.
We suggest: “The Seven Voyages of Sinbad” by Nathan Juran (1958).
A "sword and sandal" reel including Cyclops, which was revolutionary in its time. The film used the iconic "dynamation" technique, which mixed stop-motion effects with live actors. Guaranteed less depressing than in Nolan's epic.
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Everyone is talking about:
"Until I Find You", another thriller series by Harlan Coben on Netflix.
We suggest:
"The Capture" by Ben Chanan, a thriller series for three seasons that airs on SVT Play.
Smart, stylish and exciting about the surveillance society. The BBC series went relatively unnoticed in Sweden when the first two seasons came out. This summer they - and the new third season - are available on SVT Play.
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Everyone is talking about:
"Citizen vigilante" by Uwe Boll about a racist avenger who goes berserk.
We suggest: “Coffy” and “Foxy Brown” by Jack Hill.
Instead of Armie Hammer's portrait of a sex-buying racist who murders innocents, legendary revenge films from the 70s are recommended, where Pam Grier portrays merciless women who exact bloody justice against pimps, drug dealers and gangsters.
