Weekender: Hawai'i, Rage and Dark Money
by Bradley Hope
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Welcome to Brazen Weekender, your shortcut to great new TV, films, docs, and articles. From WWII dramas to steampunk adventures and hard-hitting investigations, we’ve handpicked the standout stories worth your weekend.
Hello and welcome to this weekend’s edition of Brazen Weekender, where our team selects great things to watch, listen to and read. A special greetings to all our new subscribers (we’ve had hundreds of people join us in the last week or so). Our goal with the weekender is to give you a shortcut to some of the best stuff around. Sometimes we lead with an essay or a particular review. Check out Farah Halime’s discussion of Clockwork Orange here or my discussion of the book 1776 here.
— Bradley (get in touch anytime by replying or writing me here)
The Narrow Road to the Deep North (2025) – An Australian drama miniseries (on Prime Video) based on Richard Flanagan’s Booker-winning novel. It recounts the harrowing experiences of POWs on the Burma Railway in WWII . Released this month, it’s being hailed as “immensely powerful” television – unflinching in portraying war’s brutality and noted for its emotional depth and faithful adaptation of a landmark historical story.
Code of Silence (Season 1, 2025) – A British crime thriller about a deaf police canteen worker recruited as an emergency lip-reader. Praised with a rare 100% Rotten Tomatoes score on debut , this series stands out for its unique protagonist (played by Rose Ayling-Ellis) and its tense uncovering of a secret investigation, blending disability representation with gripping suspense.
Washington Black (2025) – A Hulu miniseries adapting Esi Edugyan’s acclaimed novel, following 11-year-old George “Wash” Black’s escape from a Barbados sugar plantation . Premiering July 23, it has been highlighted as a sweeping period adventure – “fueled by steampunk and epic adventure” – that tackles themes of slavery and freedom through an inventive, visually rich narrative.
Eddington (2025) – Ari Aster’s satirical neo-western political thriller set during the COVID-era, following a small-town sheriff’s chaotic feud with a mayor. Premiering this month, it stood out at Cannes and beyond for its “grimly satirical” take on pandemic-era disinformation and social unrest, anchored by an all-star cast (Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal) and the director’s signature dark humor.
Materialists (2025) – A modern romantic drama directed by Celine Song. It centers on a young matchmaker torn between a wealthy private equity executive and her down-to-earth former boyfriend . Released in mid-June, the film rethinks the rom-com by exploring “ambition and achievement” in relationships, with a stylish, conversational approach that has been praised for its depth beyond the sparkling romance.
Prime Minister (2025) – A candid documentary chronicling Jacinda Ardern’s tenure as New Zealand’s Prime Minister, from crisis leadership to motherhood in office. It offers an “intimate study” of empathetic leadership amid turmoil, earning critical praise for its frank portrayal of the challenges Ardern faced.
The Last Class (2025) – A nuanced film following economist and former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich as he teaches his final course on wealth inequality. Through Reich’s reflections on economic injustice and snippets of his engaging teaching, the documentary becomes “a good one” that humanizes complex issues while marking the end of an era in academia.
“The go-between: how Qatar became the global capital of diplomacy” – The Guardian (22 Jul 2025). An in-depth report on how the tiny, astonishingly wealthy Gulf nation of Qatar has positioned itself as a pivotal mediator in world conflicts . It explores what drives Doha’s high-profile peacemaking (from Taliban negotiations to hostage deals) and dissects the mix of ambition and strategic leverage behind Qatar’s emergence as a major player on the world stage.
“A Little-Known Microsoft Program Could Expose the Defense Department to Chinese Hackers” – ProPublica (15 Jul 2025). A rigorously reported investigation into Microsoft’s secretive “digital escort” system for servicing U.S. Defense Department networks . It found that foreign engineers in China were guiding U.S. contractors with minimal oversight – a practice insiders warned is “inherently risky.” The article stands out for uncovering this decade-long loophole in federal cybersecurity, illustrating how a backdoor created for convenience could become an espionage threat.
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