When reviewing the latest TV and AV kit in our dedicated test room, we use a huge range of different content to challenge each system. From blockbusters to indie flicks, there has to be a fair bit of variety to put each system to the test properly.
There is an elite selection of discs that we find ourselves reaching for regularly, such as Blade Runner 2049, Civil War and Alien: Romulus. But, as much as we would love to watch these great movies on repeat, new films and TV shows must be welcomed with open arms.
Article continues belowGhost Elephants (2025)
Words by Alastair Stevenson
I’ve always been a big fan of nature documentaries. First, because they’re fascinating when done well. Second, because they are frequently fantastic test discs for reviewing home cinema hardware. Over the years, we’ve used numerous BBC series, including David Attenborough’s Planet Earth and Our Planet, because of their use of forward-thinking technologies and incredible production.
But this month, it was director Werner Herzog’s Ghost Elephants, that scratched my wildlife documentary itch. The documentary sees veteran filmmaker Herzog follow South African naturalist Dr Steve Boyes in his near obsessive search for a new species of elephant.
It may not be a technical marvel, the way previous documentaries we used for testing are, currently only being available in HD and capped at 5.1 surround sound. But it’s still a majestic and thought-provoking watch; one that’s full of the small, wonderfully insightful details Herzog is famous for capturing, and often pointing out with his instantly recognisable, rasping voice.
The result is an engrossing journey that will keep you glued to your screen for the entirety of its two-hour-twenty-minute run time – one I’d thoroughly recommend to any nature documentary fan.
Stream Ghost Elephants on Disney Plus
Project Hail Mary (2026)
Words by Robyn Quick
Like many cinema goers earlier this month, I was absolutely blown away when I saw Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s Project Hail Mary. It’s hard not to fall in love with a rock that is best friends with Ryan Gosling, after all.
If you have no idea what I’m on about, let me fill you in. The film follows Gosling’s Ryland Grace, a science teacher who finds himself at the helm of trying to save the earth from an interstellar parasite dimming the sun. Alone in space, he stumbles upon an alien he nicknames Rocky, who has the same mission.
Apart from the adorable friendship between these two unlikely pals, there was another reason I was so taken by the sci-fi release: it looks and sounds bloody brilliant.
Unlike an increasing number of blockbusters, Project Hail Mary ditches the green screen and relies primarily on practical effects to portray Grace’s spaceship and the vast expanse of space. That all adds to the film’s sense of realism, especially with Rocky, who was controlled by a team of puppeteers for much of the movie.
Daniel Pemberton, best known for his work on the Spider-Verse films, also knocks it out the park with his composition for Project Hail Mary. It ranges from ethereal, eerie vocals to convey the isolation of space to energetic tracks that pop up during moments of tension, all of which sounded incredibly immersive with my cinema’s Dolby Atmos set-up.
I have only seen it once in the cinema, but I can’t wait to get the 4K Blu-ray into our test room to watch it again and again. There's no release date for streaming or a physical edition yet.
Mickey 17
Words by Joe Svetlik
Robert Pattinson plays the eponymous Mickey, an “Expendable” worker tasked with dangerous jobs but who is cloned – and his memory restored – every time he dies. But when, in his 17th iteration, he’s assumed dead but returns to his spaceship crew on their mission to colonise an ice planet, he meets the 18th version of himself, who has already taken his place.
Instead of all clones being eliminated – par for the course when more than one exists – the two agree to stand in for each other, like a kind of sci-fi horror version of the end of Back To The Future mixed with the repeated deaths of Groundhog Day.
Like those films, this is a comedy, and overtly so. Parasite director Bong Joon Ho brings a knockabout energy to the slightly confusing premise, along with his usual visual flair – it never looks anything but stunning, whether it’s the Hoth-like snowy tundra of the ice planet or the equally cold utilitarian interiors of the spaceships.
The two-hours-plus run time is a little long, and the villainous turns by Mark Ruffalo and Toni Collette are scenery-chewingly over the top, but you can’t accuse it of taking itself too seriously, which isn’t something you can say of a lot of dystopian sci-fi flicks.
Watch Mickey 17 on 4K Blu-ray at Amazon
The Pitt (2025 – present)
Words by Lewis Empson
This recommendation comes with a huge content warning: if you can’t handle very in-depth, scientifically accurate medical gore, skip this show. For those with stronger stomachs, HBO’s The Pitt is a superb medical drama that has entertained, educated and, in many cases, made me feel a little bit queasy.
It centres around the emergency department of a hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, following the daily trials of a team of overworked doctors as they navigate complex procedures and ethical dilemmas. While that may sound similar to countless other procedural medical dramas, what sets The Pitt apart is its episode structure.
Each season follows a single day in the emergency ward, with every episode covering an hour – the first episode, for example, is titled 7:00 A.M. This results in a throughline plot that’s woven in between the stories of individual patients, often with heightened drama that adds to the frantic, anxiety-inducing pacing of the show. Think The Bear, but set in a hospital rather than a restaurant.
As I’ve previously mentioned, this show features some pretty unflinching depictions of medical procedures, with incisions and organs frequently on show. That being said, these gruesome surgeries look glorious in 4K and Dolby Vision on HBO Max (providing you have the premium tier), and Dolby Atmos heightens the bustle of the ward and waiting room.
With HBO Max being the latest streaming service to launch here in the UK, it's already bringing some heavy hitters with it, and with season two of The Pitt rolling out as we speak and a third season ordered, I’m already planning on keeping my subscription going for quite some time.
Bullet Train (2022)
Words by Harry McKerrell
You’ve seen plenty of movies like Bullet Train before.
Based on Japanese author Kōtarō Isaka’s zippy novel Maria Beetle, the narrative follows the sort of formula best described as ‘putting a load of ants in a jar and then vigorously shaking said jar’. Lots of characters in one place, all with their own motivations for wanting the mysterious macguffin at the centre of it all. See Smokin’ Aces, The Raid, The Running Man, Lucky Number Slevin, The Man With the Iron Fists, Bad Times At The El Royale, etc., etc.
Derivative and throwaway it may be, but there’s still plenty of fun to be had at Bullet Train’s expense if you are, excuse the lame pun, willing to sit back and just enjoy the ride. There’s Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s turn as dapper psychopath, Brian Tyree Henry’s appalling London accent, plus lots of blink-and-you’ll-miss-them cameos to watch out for.
If you get bored of all the mindless action and kooky characters trading wisecracks, just know that you can turn on your adult brain and use Bullet Train for its testing credentials. Going big on vibrant, colourful designs, from flashes of Tokyo-inspired neon to Joey King’s all-pink getup and Brad Pitt’s flowing blond locks, subtlety is very much not the aim of the game here.
There are some rather nice needle-drops to be enjoyed, too, including Avu-chan’s Japanese rendition of Stayin’ Alive and Tamio Okuda’s foot-stomping anthem Kill Me Pretty. Great, pun intended, test tracks.
Watch Bullet Train on 4K Blu-ray at Amazon
Stream Bullet Train on Amazon Prime Video
Malcolm in the Middle – Life's Still Unfair (2026)
Words by Alastair Stevenson
There are a lot of retro revivals going on in the world of TV right now. Especially ones that tug at ageing millennials’ heartstrings. But of all of them, my favourite right now is Malcolm in the Middle – Life's Still Unfair.
It picks up after a time skip from the original show’s ending. Exploring what the characters in everyone’s favourite dysfunctional, occasionally outright sociopathic show are up to as adults, and it does not disappoint.
Though the series is only four short episodes long, it’s a masterpiece from start to finish that manages to reunite nearly all the original cast and miraculously re-captures the magic that made the original series so great.
The plot’s simple. Malcolm, the titular boy genius, tries to reconnect with his family as a grown man with a teenage daughter after years of avoiding them. With that premise established, within minutes it goes from nought to 60. Fart jokes, hilarious family feuds and a woeful disregard for Bryan Cranston’s safety; it’s all there.
Frankie Muniz deserves credit for absolutely smashing his character’s neurotic breakdowns, turning red as he screams at his parents, delivering an S-tier performance, despite quitting acting to become a race car driver shortly after the original series ended over 20 years ago.
But once again, it’s Hal, ably played by Bryan Cranston in all his goofy, adorable glory, that steals the show, giving a body comedy performance that’s sure to be taught at Juilliard one day.
If you’re after a good laugh this weekend, and old enough to remember the original show, I’d strongly recommend giving it a watch. Or, if you’re yet to experience Malcolm In The Middle, use it as an excuse to start watching the original – which has stood the test of time remarkably well.
Stream Malcolm In The Middle – Life's Still Unfair on Disney Plus
To test out the latest TV and AV kit, we watch a whole lot of movies. There are tried and tested favourites that we come back to often, but we always try to mix it up with new entries.
We also know that you at home may well be on the hunt for some top-notch discs to put your home cinema system to the test. This is where 'Now Showing' comes in, as we give you a monthly run-down of what TV shows and movie we can't get out of our heads.
It could be a film that has an incredible score to challenge your TV's sound system, or a TV show with lots of dark scenes to see how nuanced a projector's picture can be.
As always, we want to hear from you as well! If there are any films you think would make a good test disc, drop them in the comments below.
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