Neon’s new British drama is a fun, feisty trip back to the 1980s
Plus: local comedy Not Even is back for a second season, and is the sequel to 2019's Joker better than the original?
Sophie Turner steals the show in new con-woman drama Joan
Joan is Neon’s new six-part British crime drama inspired by the real-life story of Joan Hannington, the woman who became the UK’s most notorious jewel thief. Set in 1980s London, it’s based on Hannington's memoir, I Am What I Am, and was adapted for television by Anna Symon (Mrs Wilson, The Essex Serpent). Sophie Turner (Game of Thrones) stars as the titular Joan, a woman whose life changes drastically when she turns to the world of organised crime.
We first meet Joan in a fancy hotel, where she’s getting dressed in a disguise of some kind. Her back is covered in scars (a clue to her tough childhood, perhaps?) and she answers the phone in an American accent, but then swears in a London dialect. Nothing is as it seems, even before we flash back to a few months earlier. Here, Joan is living on the Kent coast with her young daughter Kelly and dodgy husband Gary, who treats Joan to fur coats and fancy cars but never explains where he gets these expensive gifts from.
When some Bad Men break into Joan and Gary’s flat in the middle of the night (they lead a far more dramatic life than the names “Joan” and “Gary” might suggest), Joan realises Kelly’s life is in danger. In a desperate attempt to protect her child, she flees and puts Kelly into emergency foster care, then escapes to her sister Nancy’s hair-salon in London.
All Joan wants is a safe home for Kelly to come back to, but she is also quite big on self-sabotage. When things don’t work out with her sister (“why can’t you just be normal?” Nancy asks), Joan blags her way into a job in a Mayfair jewellery store. Here, she makes a choice that changes everything.
With one quick swallow of some expensive diamonds and a chance meeting with a shifty antiques dealer, Joan’s future takes an unexpected turn into the world of organised crime.
Sophie Turner is fantastic as Joan, a rare female anti-hero whose cleverness doesn’t stop her making questionable decisions. Turner gives a convincing portrayal as the multifaceted Joan, who is equal parts betrayed wife, desperate mother, charming thief and tough negotiator. Because we understand why she makes these bad decisions (she loves her daughter! She just wants what everyone else has!), you can’t help but back her. It’s a treat to see a female character be portrayed with this complexity and dynamism.
Joan is both vulnerable and cunning, and she knows an opportunity when she sees one. She’ll do whatever it takes to get the better of shitty situations and even worse men, and by showing us the real Joan behind the headlines, the show asks some big questions. Is crime OK if you’re only stealing from the rich? What if your motivations for breaking the law are honourable? And how far would you go to live a life of safety and security?
Best of all, Joan goes full noise on the 1980s setting. Everything drips with 80s nostalgia, from the divine apricot and gold sets, the glorious fashion, and a soundtrack full of 80s classics. Leaning into all that yuppie excess gives the show a sense of fun, particularly with all of Joan’s different criminal disguises. The attention to detail is fabulously over the top, but never feels inauthentic or distracting.
If you’re looking for an edgy, intense crime thriller, adjust your expectations a little – this is less Lupin, more pared-back British drama. While it’s a little uneven at times, Joan is a fun, colourful story of a woman’s dramatic rags-to-riches transformation, and a highly entertaining series that made me want to get a fake fur coat and asymmetrical haircut as soon as possible.
Joan is available on Neon.
Home Education, a new docu-series from The Spinoff
From a dahlia farm to a house bus, six families have found their own ways of educating their children at home. Our documentary series follows these kids and their parents as they contend with the challenges and joys of education outside the bounds of a traditional classroom.
Episode one premieres Tuesday 8 October on The Spinoff.
Made with the support of NZ On Air.
Why you should watch: Joker: Folie à Deux (in cinemas)
Despite mixed critical reviews, 2019’s Joker was a billion-dollar hit, a Venice Golden Lion winner and an Oscar success story. It was only a matter of time until there was a sequel. Folie à Deux is in many ways a retread of the first Joker, as in much of it is centred around the trial of Arthur Fleck – Joaquin Phoenix’s titular Joker – for the crimes he committed in the first film. But stylistically it’s very different. For one, there are musical elements that, while undoubtedly helped by co-star Lady Gaga’s star power as Harley Quinn, feel slightly out of place in the gritty world of Gotham. Where the first Joker was grounded in Scorsese epics, the sequel takes its clear inspiration from the golden age of Hollywood. Sadly, it’s just nowhere near as much fun as the films it aspires to, and it takes too long for Joker to get to be Joker. But the performances from both leads are exemplary and you can’t help but respect the film for making some truly wild swings, even if they don’t always land. / Stewart Sowman-Lund
Why you should watch: Not Even (Neon)
“No one in this show is a reflection of a perfectly average New Zealander who has it all together – rather, they represent the many, many other people living in Aotearoa whose lives only seem strange because they’re unfamiliar to us,” Lyric Waiwiri-Smith writes in her review of local comedy series Not Even. It follows a group of young Māori and Pasifika living in Wellington as they try to make sense of their lives, and Waiwiri-Smith calls the show the realest reflection of life as a Gen Z in Aotearoa. “Taaps’ parenting dynamic, Pua’s brashness, Ma’s shameless fuck-ups, Heps’ difficulty in tapping into his emotions and past and Liz’s strained relationship to her whānau and identity – these are the realities I see reflected around me in my friend circles. None of us are making it into the news for buying a house at 20 years old.” Both seasons of Not Even are available on Neon.
More pop culture news from The Spinoff:
“Dai Henwood, the natural performer, made us laugh for 20 years. Dai Henwood, the truly graceful human, is now sharing something as necessary as laughter, but far more profound.” Anna Rawhiti-Connell reviews Life of Dai, ThreeNow’s three part documentary series about comedian Dai Henwood’s experience with incurable cancer.
Duncan Garner in a wrestling leotard? Alex Casey wonders what the nacho libre is going on in this week’s Celebrity Treasure Island power rankings.
Christchurch rock band Zed reveal what a renegade fighter’s favourite music is in this week’s perfect weekend playlist.
This week’s guest of The Spinoff Books Confessional is author Damien Wilkins, who recommends the book he thinks everyone should read and shares an unforgettable encounter with Janet Frame.
Writer, author and celebrity castaway Michelle Langstone looks back on a life filled with terrifying children’s TV and unforgettable ads in this week’s My Life in TV.
Looking for something good to watch this weekend? We’ve got all the new shows and movies coming to Netflix, Neon, TVNZ+ and more in our new to streaming update.
Support our expanding mahi in the capital
If you value our coverage of all things Wellington, from our maps of bike networks, to local politics, to untold history, consider making a donation or becoming a member today.
Why you should listen to: Goodspace's Let's Talk About Death
Best bites and even better beats has been the name of the game at Auckland’s Lim Chourr food court on Karangahape Road since Saturday. Tucked into a little corner is an installation where Goodspace’s stylish debut album Let’s Talk About Death floats between the walls, and a menu provides a taster for the songs. Goodspace is the vendor, and his songs are his dishes.
Goodspace’s installation wraps up today, but there’s still a treat left: the official release of Let’s Talk About Death. The album is a melt-in-your-ears experience, shifting between tender melodies and maximalist production to create a sum empowered by all of its parts. Second Chance, Miss and You Only Give What You Leave are immediate stand outs for this reviewer, but your taste buds might find something else. / Lyric Waiwiri-Smith
Before we pop off…
Vinnie Bennett and Keisha Castle-Hughes will star in a new scripted series about New Zealand skateboarder Lee Ralph, to be produced by skateboarding legend Tony Hawk and Jackass star Steve-O. Learn all about Lee Ralph’s incredible story in The Spinoff’s award-winning docu-series Scratched: Aotearoa’s Lost Sporting Legends.
“As a dancing caterpillar with an anus for a face did a jovial jig to enormous whoops and applause from the VIP section, Luxon remained stock still.” Alex Casey enjoyed a prime position to watch prime minister Christopher Luxon watch the World of Wearable Art.
Lyric Waiwiri-Smith looks at the impact of Auckland’s new noise restrictions on small music venues like the Grey Lynn Library Hall, and the current challenges facing the local music scene.
Netflix has released the first trailer for Joy, the film starring New Zealand’s Thomasin McKenzie (plus Bill Nighy and James Norton) that tells the true story about the world’s first IVF baby.
That’s it for Rec Room for this week. If you liked what you read, why not share Rec Room with your friends and whānau.
