The Shows Must Go On: Secret Invasion, Hijack, I'm A Virgo and A Familiar Stranger

Secret Invasion (Disney+, June 21)
Samuel L. Jackson reprises his role as Nick Fury in this Marvel Universe romp, which picks up pretty much where 2019’s Avengers: Endgame film left off. With Ben Mendelsohn, Martin Freeman, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Killian Scott, Emilia Clarke, Olivia Colman and Don Cheadle also featuring, it’s a seriously star-studded affair which finds Fury pitted against a group of shapeshifting Skrulls intent on destroying humanity. No prizes for guessing who ultimately prevails.

Hijack (Apple TV+, June 28)
Set on a seven-hour Dubai to London flight and told 24-style in real time – we kept on expecting Jack Bauer to crash in – this superior hostage yarn features Idris Elba as a corporate negotiator who suddenly finds himself responsible for the fate of three hundred-plus passengers. It’s eminently more watchable than the godawful Luther: The Fallen Sun reboot, which was all brawn and zero brains.

I’m A Virgo (Prime Video, June 23)
Not content with fronting Chitown rap legends The Coup, Boots Riley has also written this absurdist comedy about Cootie, a young black man from Oakland, California who just happens to be 13ft tall. Mirroring Riley’s own communist leanings, Cootie’s problematic teenage life is transformed when he falls in with a group of young activists. As thought provoking as it is hilariously funny, it’s a great companion piece to Riley’s cracking 2018 film debut, Sorry To Bother You.

A Familiar Stranger (Channel4.com)
Gallic Noir fans are in for a treat as Walter Presents bring us this tense eight-parter starring Thibault da Montalembert of The Tunnel renown and Salomé Dewaels who’s been hailed at home as the new Catherine Deneuve. She certainly sizzles here as 18-year-old Marina who’s reunited with her parents after disappearing without a trace a decade earlier. Marina can’t remember anything about her past or explain how she’s connected to a mysterious stranger. A touch formulaic, says you, and you’d be right if it weren’t for the outrageous plot twists and moodily atmospheric Dunkirk setting.

A Familiar Stranger