Industry, 2022's funniest film and true crime’s morality problem

Get ready for another cultural debrief gang, because this week our guest once again cancelled at the last minute. Celebs, ey? Don’t fear however, hunnies, because to make up for it we have an extra fast-paced and fun one for you all. First up, we chat Industry, the HBO drama about young, ruthless bankers that has arrived on BBC iPlayer for a second season. As big fans of the first season, we  just have to ask: why are the characters suddenly so predictable? Why is Harper so unlikable? And why have they gone so hard on the sex scenes? The New Statesman called it “ porn posing as prestige TV” and we think they’ve got a point (although that’s not to say we didn’t really quite enjoy it).

Then, Ellie fills Kathleen in on Triangle of Sadness, the new, absolutely hilarious, pitch-black comedy from celebrated Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund about a yacht that sinks, leaving the super-rich survivors – including a fashion model celebrity couple – trapped on an island. It’s Östlund’s English language feature film debut and El’s is calling it the funniest thing she’s seen this year.

Finally, we turn our attention to the murky world of true-crime, as Netflix’s Dahmer, a dramatisation of the life and crimes of serial killer Jeffery Dahmer, continues to stir up controversy. Is the genre as morally indefensible as the journalist Anna Leszkiewicz argues? 

Recommendations discussed:

• Industry S2 on BBC iPlayer
• How my friends struck gold with a TV show about badly behaved city boys by Ed Cumming for The Telegraph
• Triangle of Sadness
• Force Majeure
• Kiss the Ground on Netflix (the Woody Harrrelson climate doc – NOT Mud, sorry guys, ha)
• Dhamer on Netflix
• The Staircase on HBO
• Serial S01 E13: Adnan is Out
• Abolish True Crime By Anna Leszkiewicz for New Statesman
• What Makes a Murderer on Channel 4

Enjoy, leave us a review, and please do hop into our DMs @straightuppod to let us know what you think!

Kathleen’s IG: @kathleen.m.johnston

Ellie’s IG: @elliehalls1

Straight Up’s music and editing is by Marlon Percy. Find him on Instagram @marlonpercy

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