Death lives large in these small-screen parties

As leaves fall and chimney smoke rises, there’s even more of an excuse to turn to the nearest screen for these terminal explorations, via fact and fiction, of baseball, therapy, missiles, blackjack and a very grumpy private investigator.

Who Killed the Montreal Expos

(Documentary premières Tuesday, Oct. 21 on Netflix)

“The Expos’ death is kind of like a big game of Clue,” says one of many talking heads in this re-investigation.

“Lots of motives. Lots of suspects. We have a long list.”

Among the people and factors under endless suspicion in the 2004 death of the scrappy embodiment of Quebec pride that was the Expos, are owner Claude Brochu; team president Jeffrey Loria; the strike in 1994 when the Expos were hailed as the best team in the league; and, last but nowhere near least, plain old economics.

Will the mystery ever be solved? Hope and the fascination with the Expos both spring eternal.

 

Harlan Coben’s Lazarus

(Series premières with all six episodes Wednesday, Oct. 22 on Prime Video)

Like father like son, young Dr. Joel (Laz) Lazarus (Sam Claflin, Me Before You) talks to violent criminals as part of his job as a forensic psychiatrist.

Unlike his father (Bill Nighy, Living), Laz is still alive.

Which is not to say the two don’t still consult, his father being one of the ghosts who plead their unsolved cases to Laz.

Even our protagonist in this new thriller begins to doubt his sanity: “You don’t think I don’t know I could be losing my mind?”

Laz asks a supportive but appropriately suspicious DS Seth McGovern (David Fynn, Here). It’s a rocky start.

Add in the murder of Laz’s sister, 25 years in the past, and the stage is set for psychological gamesmanship, a few cold cases and some father-son closure.

 

A House of Dynamite

(Movie premières Friday, Oct. 24 on Netflix)

Acclaimed director Kathryn Bigelow (Zero Dark Thirty) herds a fantastic cast for a script written by Noah Oppenheim (Zero Day) about the terrifying minutes after a mysterious missile launch that could be the beginning of the nuclear-war end of everything.

The cast includes Idris Elba (Luther), Gabriel Basso (The Night Agent), Jared Harris (Mad Men), Tracy Letts (Homeland), Greta Lee (The Morning Show) and Jason Clarke (Zero Dark Thirty).

Take a deep breath before pressing play because things are about to get very, very tense.

 

Ballad of a Small Player

(Opened in select theatres Oct. 15, comes to Netflix Wednesday, Oct. 29)

Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin) stars in this creepy character study.

His chisel-jawed, gorgeously turned-out Lord Doyle is a high roller hitting the casinos of Macau to feed the equally hungry needs to win and to repay debts.

Along for the twisty ride are Fala Chen (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) and Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin).

This movie is based on Lawrence Osborne’s 2014 novel and directed by Edward Berger (Conclave).

Happily ever after is not on the menu.

 

Down Cemetery Road

(Series premières with the first two of eight episodes on Apple TV+ Wednesday, Oct. 29)

Two explosions kick off this thriller: a literal one that flattens a house and psychological jolt that comes with the realization that a child has simultaneously gone missing.

A neighbour (Ruth Wilson, The Affair) is desperate to find the girl, and hires a private investigator (Emma Thompson, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande) to help.

A complicating factor is that the P.I. is as jaded as she is talented.

If the blending of acerbic character, sharp comedy and meticulously plotted thriller sounds familiar, this is based on the novel by Mick Herron, who also brought us the spy series Slow Horses.

Both Herron projects also feature small-screen adaptation by Morwenna Banks. This is a promising pedigree.

 

Broadcast dates subject to change. Questions, comments to denise.duguay@winnipegfreepress.com.