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At first glance, the themes of this week’s recommendations might seem a bit… bleak.
We have an exhibition on death, a movie about violence, a TV series about organised crime, and an album about the perils of knowing too much — but on the flip side, there’s also beautiful Columbian art, energising synths, and Ray Winstone looking dapper. Everything in balance!
And September is all about balance; curling up with a good book or movie now just as enticing as embracing the last of the summer sun.
As a bonus addition to the below, don’t forget to check out our underrated albums list too — it’s filled with some amazing suggestions from our team and (hopefully) not as controversial as our overrated albums proved!
Until next time, here are our recommendations.
Exhibitions
Don’t Be Afraid. An Exhibition about Death
When: Until 6 September 2026
Where: The National Museum (Oslo, Norway)
The English philosopher Francis Bacon once said “it is as natural to die as it is to be born”. Yet still, for most humans, death remains a taboo; a fear so profound and deep, we spend our lifetimes trying to distract from it — or shape it with meaning. This is the focus of The National Museum’s exhibition, which brings together works by Nan Goldin, Adolph Tidemand, Sandra Mujinga, and many more to explore how different experiences, beliefs and cultures can shape the way we view and decipher the unknowns of life’s endings.
Emma Reyes
When: 4 September – 3 October 2026
Where: White Cube (London, UK)
The vivid art of the late Columbian painter Emma Reyes is striking to behold — and finally getting its first solo presentation in the UK. Notable for their distinct latin American qualities, Reyes drew inspiration from her cultural heritage and traditions, with a particular affinity for faces and flora. Textured with colour, lines, and repeating patterns, many of her works appear almost hallucinogenic; subjects so bright and hypnotic, they seem to swallow your vision. Some of the best examples of this, curated from her almost six decade-long career, form the White Cube’s new retrospective and provide a focused exploration of an artist many might not have previously heard of.
Bonus highlight: ‘The Sun and The Moon: Art Inspired by the Celestial’ is entering its final week at London’s Saatchi Gallery. Find out more here.
Movies
The Death of Robin Hood
Where: Cinemas
When: 2 September
A dark reimagining of a mythical outlaw, The Death of Robin Hood turns its titular character (played by Hugh Jackman) into a tortured soul consumed by rage and bitterness. So.. not quite the philanthropic hero that legend later turned him into. After becoming dangerously wounded, Robin seeks refuge at a priory run by a kind nun (Jodie Comer) — and begins a reckoning with the evil deeds of his past. The latest film from indie studio A24, it’s a bleak character study that contemplates the cost of violence.
Bonus highlight: The last of Europe’s big three film festivals begins this week, with the 83rd Venice Film Festival running from the 2 – 12 September. Find out more about the line-up here.
TV series
The Gentlemen (season 2)
Where: Netflix
When: 3 September
Guy Ritchie’s hit gangster series — a spin-off from his 2019 movie of the same name — returns after an almost two and a half year hiatus. It follows Eddie Horniman (Theo James), who previously inherited his father’s estate — and the criminal enterprise attached to it. Quickly sucked in to a world of organised crime via the intimidating charm of drug baron Bobby Glass (Ray Winstone), societal worlds collide, and Eddie finds himself navigating the knotty networks of a volatile underworld. Both funny and tense, Ritchie’s trademark dark British humour and glossy violence — along with a stellar cast — make this a thoroughly enjoyable watch.
Bonus highlight: The fourth season of Netflix’s crime drama anthology series, Monster, tells the story of Lizzie Borden — a woman accused and acquitted of axe murdering her father and stepmother in 1892. Available to stream from 5 September.
Music
Ellie Goulding: I Know Too Much
When: 4 September
It’s been a while since we’ve heard from British pop star Ellie Goulding — three years, to be exact, when she released her dance floor summoner, ‘Higher Than Heaven’. This new album switches gears slightly, from a pure party vibe to something more personal that ponders life’s transitions and hails the bliss of letting go — of self-consciousness, stress, and the feeling we need to make sense of it all. But while tracks like Black Prada Dress and 4 Seasons simmer in an uplifting sort of melancholy, tracks like Ravers reassert Goulding’s ability to sweep listeners up into a synthy state of euphoric abandon.
