2017 – The Sinner (TV Series 2017–2021)

The Sinner is an American police procedural anthology television series developed by Derek Simonds for USA Network. It is named after Petra Hammesfahr‘s 1999 novel, which served as the basis for the first season. Bill Pullman starred as a police detective who investigates crimes committed by unlikely culprits and attempts to uncover their motivations. Only Pullman appeared in every season, with the rest of the cast changing for each season’s story.

Originally intended as an eight-part miniseries, The Sinner premiered on August 2, 2017, to critical acclaim and high ratings. The show’s success led to USA Network turning it into an anthology series, airing 32 episodes over four seasons, ending on December 1, 2021. (wiki)

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2015 – Mare of Easttown (TV Series 2021)

spacetime coordinates: 2019 suburban Philadelphia

Mare of Easttown is an American crime drama limited series created by Brad Ingelsby for HBO. Directed by Craig Zobel and written by Ingelsby, the series premiered on April 18, 2021, and concluded on May 30, 2021, consisting of seven episodes. It stars Kate Winslet as the title character, a detective investigating a murder in a small town near Philadelphia. Julianne Nicholson, Jean Smart, Angourie Rice, Evan Peters, Sosie Bacon, David Denman, Neal Huff, James McArdle, Guy Pearce, Cailee Spaeny, John Douglas Thompson, and Joe Tippett appear in supporting roles. Mare of Easttown was acclaimed by critics, who lauded its story, characters, acting, and representation of women. (wiki)

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2013 – Swan Song (2021)

spacetime coordinates: near future Canada

Swan Song is a 2021 American science fiction drama film written and directed by Benjamin Cleary and produced by Mahershala Ali, Rebecca Bourke and Jonathan King. Set in the near future, Ali portrays a husband and father who is diagnosed with terminal illness but is given a new solution: to replace himself with a clone. The film also stars Naomie Harris, Awkwafina, Glenn Close and Adam Beach. (wiki)

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2009 – Beforeigners (TV Series 2019– )

spacetime coordinates: season 1 takes place in 2019 Oslo, where sudden flashes of light appear in the bay in Bjørvika. People from different time periods—the Stone Age, Viking Age, and the 19th century—suddenly appear in the present. 

Beforeigners is a Norwegian sci-fi buddy cop series created and written by Eilif Skodvin and Anne Bjørnstad and directed by Jens Lien. The main protagonists are Lars (Nicolai Cleve Broch), an Oslo police detective, and Alfhildr (Krista Kosonen), a Viking-era recruit, who investigate the murder of a Stone Ager. (wiki)

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2005 – Belfast (2021)

spacetime coordinates: 1969 – 1970 Belfast, Northern Ireland

Belfast is a 2021 coming of age drama written and directed by Kenneth Branagh. The film stars Caitríona Balfe, Judi Dench, Jamie Dornan, Ciarán Hinds, Colin Morgan, and newcomer Jude Hill. The film, which Branagh has described as his “most personal film”, centres on a young boy’s childhood amidst The Troubles of Belfast, Northern Ireland, in the 1960s. (wiki)

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2001 – The Last Duel (2021)

spacetime coordinates: 14th century France (1370 – 1386)

The Last Duel is a 2021 epic historical drama film directed by Ridley Scott from a screenplay by Nicole Holofcener, Ben Affleck, and Matt Damon, based on the 2004 book The Last Duel: A True Story of Trial by Combat in Medieval France by Eric Jager. Set in medieval France, the film stars Damon as Jean de Carrouges, a knight who challenges his former friend, squire Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver) to a judicial duel after Jean’s wife, Marguerite (Jodie Comer), accuses Jacques of raping her. The events leading up to the duel are divided into three distinct chapters, reflecting the contradictory perspectives of the three main characters. Affleck also stars in a supporting role as Count Pierre d’Alençon.

During an interview on the podcast WTF with Marc Maron in November 2021, Scott blamed the film’s box-office failure on millennials, arguing: “I think what it boils down to — what we’ve got today [are] the audiences who were brought up on these fucking cell phones. The millennian do not ever want to be taught anything unless you are told it on the cell phone” 🙂 (wiki)

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1995 – Lamb (2021)

spacetime coordinates: late 2010’s  Iceland

Lamb (Icelandic: Dýrið, “The animal”) is a 2021 Icelandic drama film directed by Valdimar Jóhannsson, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Sjón. The film stars Noomi Rapace, and marks Valdimar Jóhannsson’s feature-length directorial debut. Rapace and Béla Tarr act as executive producers. (wiki)

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