All posts tagged: retelling

Mint review – Loyle Carner stars in a gorgeous, lyrical Romeo and Juliet retelling

Mint review – Loyle Carner stars in a gorgeous, lyrical Romeo and Juliet retelling

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter It’s in fair Glasgow that Mint lays its scene, with a grudge between rival clans and the spilling of civil blood: yes, it’s another modern-day transplant of Romeo and Juliet. As a brew of crime, romance and family saga, it’s a beguiling oddity in the hands of Charlotte Regan, who announces herself here as one of the most distinctive voices in British television. The star-crossed lovers are Shannon (Emma Laird) and Arran (Benjamin Coyle-Larner, aka rapper Loyle Carner), who lock eyes across a train station. Their world reorganises itself, the frisson undeniable. This is forbidden love, naturally, and not exactly great timing, either: tensions between the families are escalating. Shannon’s father Dylan (a pensive Sam Riley) has caused shockwaves by announcing out of the blue that he’s stepping down as head of the crime syndicate. While most Romeo and Juliet retellings …

Bridgerton Season 4 is a Cinderella Retelling. But Why?

Bridgerton Season 4 is a Cinderella Retelling. But Why?

Published by Jenni Sidey

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Like many other fans of Netflix’s Bridgerton, I’ve noticed the parallels between Bridgerton Season 4 and Cinderella since the trailer. The fourth season is based on the third book in the series: An Offer from a Gentleman by Julia Quinn. Even Netflix’s promotional materials call it a “fairy-tale romance.” By emphasizing the similarities to Cinderella, Season 4 Part 1 creates tension when this fairy tale narrative seems too perfect to last. Note: I’m writing this before Part 2 releases on February 26th, so this covers only Season 4, Part 1. Spoiler alert, if you haven’t watched Part 1 yet. Terms like “fantasy” and “fairy tale” don’t always refer to genres. They can also describe the wish-fulfillment aspect of romance, and Netflix’s marketing plays on this by calling it a fairy-tale romance. “Fairy tale” and “fantasy” can also suggest that a situation is too good to be true. This implication is key to the conflict that Benedict and Sophie …

Riz Ahmed explains reinterpretation of ‘To be or not to be’ in modern Hamlet retelling

Riz Ahmed explains reinterpretation of ‘To be or not to be’ in modern Hamlet retelling

Published by Daniella Wilson

A few years after they collaborated on Oscar-winning short film The Long Goodbye back in 2020, Riz Ahmed and director Aneil Karia have teamed up for another new project – and this time they’ve taken on one of the most revered texts in the history of the English language. The pair’s new version of Hamlet – which arrives in UK cinemas today – is an abridged adaptation of the tragic masterpiece, with screenwriter Michael Lesslie having kept the Shakespearian verse mostly in tact. Set in modern day London and filtered through a British Asian lens, it’s a striking new take on the timeless source material that intends to make the play more accessible to a wider audience, including those who might previously have felt Shakespeare wasn’t for them. There are a number of ways in which Karia staged the action to make it feel fresh and exciting, and one key scene is the film’s iteration of the iconic ‘To be or not to be’ soliloquy – which Ahmed’s Hamlet delivers while recklessly driving a car …